2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
14
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
2
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
The 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO has received a total of 14 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT, SEATS, STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by Porsche Cars North America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (11 complaints), Engine And Engine Cooling (2 complaints), and Vehicle Speed Control (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO, potentially affecting up to 3,432 vehicles.
Recall 20E091000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
| 584 vehicles affected
Defect: Ohlins USA, Inc (Ohlins) is recalling certain Front Struts, part number POS 5N20. These struts were sold as part of Ohlins strut kits part number POZ MN02, intended for installation on 1999-2005 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S (generation 996), and 2001-2006 Porsche 911 Turbo / Turbo S (generation 996) and kit part number POZ MN05, intended for installation on...
Consequence: If the pin fails, it will cause separation of the strut from the vehicle, affecting vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ohlins will notify owners, and dealers will request the return of all unsold kits containing the subject part from dealer/distributor inventory for a full refund. All owners who purchased one of the kits (POZ MN02 or POZ MN05) will receive...
View full details →Recall 04V070000 — SEATS
| 1,805 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FITTED WITH FRONT SEAT BACKS, WHICH DO NOT MEET PORSCHE'S STRENGTH STANDARDS.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE SEATS COULD TWIST, TILTING ON ONE SIDE TO THE REAR, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY TO THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH THE FRONT SEATS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 26, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT PORSCHE AT 1-800-545-8039.
View full details →Recall 03V218000 — STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
| 1,043 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES MAY HAVE A LOOSE FITTING IN THE PRESSURE LINE OF THE POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY.
Consequence: IF THE FITTING IS LOOSE, THE HYDRAULIC FLUID COULD LEAK OUT, WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST AND, FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, LOSS OF CLUTCH ASSISTANCE. IF THE LEAKING FLUID COMES INTO CONTACT WITH HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS, IT COULD IGNITE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE FITTING TO SPECIFICATIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 1, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT PORSCHE AT 1-800-545-8039.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
14 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN DECEMBER 2015, ON A LOCAL ROAD NEAR MY HOME, THE ENGINE BEGAN EMITTING A LARGE STEAM CLOUD BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND THE COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT APPEARED. I PULLED OVER AND THERE WAS A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK BEHIND THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO A SHOP, AND THEY IDENTIFIED THE ISSUES AS ONE OF THE COOLANT PIPES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND DUMPED ALL OF THE COOLANT ON THE ROAD. IN THE ATTACHED IMAGE YOU CAN SEE THE SEPARATED COOLANT PIPE FROM THE ENGINE TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE PICTURE. GIVEN THE COST OF REPAIR, I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL SUMMER OF 2016 TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE PUTNAM PARK ROAD COURSE TRACK ON 9/12/15, AND ONE OF MY COOLANT FITTINGS BROKE LOOSE FROM THE DEFECTIVE PORSCHE ADHESIVE. IT SPEWED COOLANT ALL OVER THE TRACK, CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION CAUSING OTHER DRIVERS TO LOSE CONTROL. I HAD A PORSCHE DEALER REMEDY THE SITUATION BY PINNING THE FITTINGS AND APPLYING NEW ADHESIVE.
I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING WHEN I FELT THE CAR SQUIRM AND NOTICED A LARGE CLOUD OF SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AS A CATASTROPHIC COOLANT LEAK FROM THE ENGINE AREA (REAR) OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TRANSPORTED HOME AND THEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A COOLANT LINE THAT BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT PORSCHE, FROM THE FACTORY, USED AN ADHESIVE LIKE MATERIAL TO MATE THE CONNECTORS OF THE COOLANT LINES AND ENGINE AND AFTER USAGE THEY WILL COME APART CAUSING COOLANT TO BE HEMORRHAGED ONTO THE ENGINE AND POTENTIALLY WHEELS/TIRES CAUSING FOR VERY DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS. DURING THE INCIDENT I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE DUE TO THE COOLANT CONTACTING THE TIRES WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HAPPENED HAD PORSCHE NOT MANUFACTURED THEIR VEHICLES IN THE AFOREMENTIONED WAY. I AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD WERE PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE OF THIS MANUFACTURING ISSUE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHILE ACCELERATING WHEN I FELT THE CAR SQUIRM AND NOTICED A LARGE CLOUD OF SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AS A CATASTROPHIC COOLANT LEAK FROM THE ENGINE AREA (REAR) OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TRANSPORTED HOME AND THEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A COOLANT LINE THAT BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT PORSCHE, FROM THE FACTORY, USED AN ADHESIVE LIKE MATERIAL TO MATE THE CONNECTORS OF THE COOLANT LINES AND ENGINE AND AFTER USAGE THEY WILL COME APART CAUSING COOLANT TO BE HEMORRHAGED ONTO THE ENGINE AND POTENTIALLY WHEELS/TIRES CAUSING FOR VERY DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS. DURING THE INCIDENT I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE DUE TO THE COOLANT CONTACTING THE TIRES WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HAPPENED HAD PORSCHE NOT MANUFACTURED THEIR VEHICLES IN THE AFOREMENTIONED WAY. I AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD WERE PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE OF THIS MANUFACTURING ISSUE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 15 NORTHBOUND WHEN I FELT THE REAR END OF MY CAR SLIP. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPG IN 5TH GEAR ON A 68 DEGREE EVENING. I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW SMOKE / STEAM COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS I COULD, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE LATER. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN NHTSA ACTION PE13009. *JS
Safety Rating for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
No. 65-20 — WHEELS
List of approved wheels, tires, and spacers for the 996 generation 911 Turbo.
703 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
DIAGNOSING AND REPAIRING THE PCM2 SYSTEM. THIS BULLETIN REPLACES BULLETIN #703 DATED 5/23/03. *TT
NHTSA Investigations for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the PORSCHE 911 TURBO
- 2001 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 26 complaints
- 2002 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 16 complaints
- 2003 PORSCHE 911 TURBO (current)
- 2004 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 5 complaints
- 2005 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 0 complaints
- 2006 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 0 complaints
- 2007 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 25 complaints
- 2008 PORSCHE 911 TURBO — 2 complaints
Other PORSCHE Models
- PORSCHE CAYENNE — 629 total complaints
- PORSCHE TAYCAN — 378 total complaints
- PORSCHE MACAN — 245 total complaints
- PORSCHE BOXSTER — 219 total complaints
- PORSCHE 911 — 173 total complaints
- PORSCHE PANAMERA — 153 total complaints
- PORSCHE CAYENNE S — 135 total complaints
- PORSCHE 911 GT3 — 67 total complaints