NHTSA Complaint #10513938 — 2004 PORSCHE 911 GT3

EXPERIENCED SUDDEN COOLANT LOSS WHILE DRIVING ON PUBLIC ROADWAY. A BONDED-IN ALUMINUM TUBE (SPIGOT) ON THE COOLANT DISTRIBUTION MANIFOLD POPPED OFF, RESULTING IN A MASSIVE, INSTANT COOLANT LOSS. THE COOLANT DUMPED ALL OVER THE REAR TIRE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO IN TO AN UNCONTROLLABLE SKID, RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. LUCKILY MYSELF, MY PASSENGER, AND NO ONE ELSE WAS INJURED. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A PORSCHE INDEPENDENT SHOP IN SEATTLE, WA WHERE THE ENGINE IS BEING REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE TO ADDRESS THIS FAILED FITTING AS WELL AS ADDRESS ALL COOLANT LINE FITTINGS TO PREVENT FUTURE GLUE FAILURES. THE SHOP IS WELDING ALL COOLANT FITTINGS AS IT SEEMS THE FACTORY GLUE IS NOT SUFFICIENT AT HOLDING THE ALUMINUM TUBES TOGETHER. TOTAL OUT OF POCKET COST TO ME IS ESTIMATED TO BE MORE THAN $4500 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WRITTEN BY A PORSCHE TUNER DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM IN DETAIL: HTTP://SHARKWERKS.COM/PORSCHE/TECHNICAL-ARTICLES/327-THE-GT1-COOLANT-PIPE-PREVENTION-FIX-ON-GT1-BLOCK-GT3-GT2-TURBO-CARS.HTML ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ASCERTAINED FROM RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION WITH REPUTABLE PORSCHE INDEPENDENT SHOPS, RACE TEAMS, RACE SHOPS: IN THESE ENGINES, COOLANT/ANTI-FREEZE CIRCULATES THROUGH ALUMINUM CASTINGS AND RUBBER HOSES. HOSES ARE CLAMPED ONTO ALUMINUM SLEEVES THAT ARE INSERTED INTO THE BORES OF THE CASTINGS AND HELD IN WITH ADHESIVE. PROBLEM: ADHESIVE EVENTUALLY FAILS, WHICH ALLOWS THE SLEEVES TO "BLOW" OUT OF THE ENGINE, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS AND SPILLAGE OF SLIPPERY COOLANT/ANTI-FREEZE ONTO THE VEHICLE REAR TIRES AND ROAD SURFACE. THIS CAUSES AN IMMEDIATE AND DANGEROUS LOSS OF TRACTION TO ANY VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH THE SPILL, INCLUDING THE ONE SPILLING THE FLUID. *TR