2002 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

FROM A STOP I ACCELERATED IN A STRAIGHT LINE ONTO A FREEWAY ON-RAMP. APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER I NOTICED A SQUEALING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE BELTS. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED A LARGE VOLUME OF STEAM COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. HAVING READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES WITH THIS ISSUE I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE FREEWAY AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE, STOPPED THE CAR, AND TURNED IT OFF TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AS ALL COOLANT HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE.

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD CATASTROPHIC COOLANT FAILURE. A HOSE ON MY COOLANT SYSTEM POPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ALL OF THE COOLANT TO GUSH OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THE CAR DID SLIP A BIT I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO 911 TURBO'S OFTEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT 8 HOSES WERE ATTACHED ONLY WITH A GLUE THAT CAN GIVE OUT AT ANY TIME. MY LOCAL PORSCHE SHOP WANTS $3000 TO DROP THE MOTOR AND REPAIR/FIX THE 8 HOSES. FROM MY READING ONLINE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS OFTEN TO THIS MOTOR IN CARS FROM 2001-2013. *TR

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD CATASTROPHIC COOLANT FAILURE. A HOSE ON MY COOLANT SYSTEM POPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ALL OF THE COOLANT TO GUSH OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THE CAR DID SLIP A BIT I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO 911 TURBO'S OFTEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT 8 HOSES WERE ATTACHED ONLY WITH A GLUE THAT CAN GIVE OUT AT ANY TIME. MY LOCAL PORSCHE SHOP WANTS $3000 TO DROP THE MOTOR AND REPAIR/FIX THE 8 HOSES. FROM MY READING ONLINE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS OFTEN TO THIS MOTOR IN CARS FROM 2001-2013. *TR

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE COOLANT FITTINGS WHICH MOUNT IN THE CYLINDER HEAD POPPED OUT. THE FITTINGS ATTACH TO THE COOLANT HOSES. IN BOTH CASES THE EPOXY THAT HELD THE FITTINGS IN HAD FAILED. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING AND COOLANT SPEWED ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY ONTO THE ROAD AS I WAS DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH (10/19/11 - 52230 MILES ON THE ODOMETER). WHEN THIS FIRST FITTING POPPED OUT, SINCE IT WAS BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR, DAMAGED IT REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE ALTERNATOR. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE ALTERNATOR AND EPOXIED THAT FITTING OUT. THE SECOND FITTING FAILED ON JUNE 14, 2012 WITH 56384 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS TIME IT WAS IN A LOCATION THAT REQUIRED REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE. THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE SIMILAR TO THE FIRST, AROUND 50 MPH AND COOLANT DUMPING OVER ALL OVER THE GROUND. SINCE THIS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME, THE SHOP I TOOK THE CAR TO REMOVED ALL 8 OF THE COOLANT FITTINGS IN THE ENGINE, REMOVED THE EPOXY, AND THEN WELDED THEM INTO PLACE. AFTER TWO OF THE FITTINGS POPPED OUT, I WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY CHANCES OF ANOTHER FITTING POPPING OUT AND BEING LEFT STRANDED YET AGAIN. *TR

WAS TRAVELING ON FREE ENTRY RAMP, AND AS I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CAR EXHIBITED A BRIEF SHUDDER AT WHICH TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND BEGAN TO BLINK. I NOTICED A VISIBLE WHITE CLOUD OF SMOKE BEHIND THE CAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 10-15 SECONDS AND THEN REMAINED OFF. I ALSO NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE ABOVE 180F, WHICH IS THE APPROXIMATE OPERATING TEMPERATURE PER THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. THE GAUGE HELD SLIGHTLY ABOVE 180F (~5 MM PAST 180F) FOR THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE, ! 5 MILES BEFORE I STOPPED THE CAR AT MY NEXT DESTINATION POINT. UPON TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND EXITING THE CAR THERE WAS A DISTINCT ANTIFREEZE SMELL. THE CAR WAS OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF ANTIFREEZE DIRECTLY BELOW THE CAR JUST INSIDE THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE. I ESTIMATE APPROXIMATELY 1-2 PINTS OF FLUID. UPON DRIVING THE CAR TO MY FINAL DESTINATION (PERSONAL RESIDENCE) THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REMAINED ABOVE 180F (! 5-10 MM). DURING THIS SHORT DRIVE, ~ 5 MILES, I TURNED THE CAR'S INTERIOR HEAT TO MAXIMUM TO HELP REMOVE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE. UPON TURNING THE OFF THE IGNITION THE CAR CONTINUED TO LEAK ANTIFREEZE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE ANTIFREEZE APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AT THE CONNECTION TO THE WATER PUMP, ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR JUST BEHIND THE EXHAUST, ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR. IT IS POSSIBLE IT WAS LEAKING FROM OTHER LOCATIONS BUT I COULD NOT MAKE THIS DETERMINATION WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR ONTO A LIFT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO LEAK COOLANT AT A SMALL RATE, ESTIMATED TO BE 20-30 DRIPS PER MINUTES. THIS DRIP RATE REMAINED CONSISTENT. THE CAR WILL BE TAKE TO AN INDEPENDENT PORSCHE SERVICE SHOP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. I AM AWARE THIS IS AN ISSUE ON MANY PORSCHE 911 MODEL CARS AND AM AWARE THE NHTSA MAY BE INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE FURTHER. *TR