NHTSA Complaint #10508886 — 2002 PORSCHE 911 TURBO

DRIVING THE CAR AT MODERATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE COOLANT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AS SOON AS IT WAS SAFE, ABOUT 1 MILE AFTER THE WARNING LIGHT. AS I SLOWED THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. AFTER STOPPING AND INSPECTING THE CAR, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED IN A FILM OF COOLANT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST PORSCHE DEALER, AT WHICH THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. RATHER THAN HAVE THE CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALER, I HAD THE VEHICLE SHIPPED BACK HOME TO BE REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE WAS A COOLANT FITTING THAT WAS GLUED INTO THE WATER PUMP HOUSING. THE GLUE HAD FAILED CAUSING THE FITTING TO COME OUT OF THE HOUSING AND DUMPING ALL OF THE COOLANT IN A FEW SECONDS. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $2,779.21. AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, I RESEARCHED THE FAILURE TO FIND THAT IT WAS A RATHER COMMON OCCURRENCE. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN FOR UNRELATED SERVICE, I DECIDED TO HAVE THE REMAINING FITTINGS REPAIRED PREEMPTIVELY AT AN ADDITIONAL COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1200. *TR