2004 Porsche 911 GT3

On April 26, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-009 to investigate 10 complaints alleging incidents of sudden coolant loss while traveling on public roadways in certain model year (MY) 2001 through 2007 Porsche 911 vehicles.The complaints alleged that pipe ends joined by epoxy to certain cooling system components may fail suddenly and separate, resulting in large volumes of coolant leakage.The investigation was opened to assess evidence of a design or manufacturing defect in the coolant pipe fittings and any related safety consequences. In response to ODI?s Information Request letter, Porsche identified a manufacturing quality issue with the supplier?s application of adhesive to coolant pipe fittings that resulted in elevated failure rates in approximately 6,800 early production 997 generation vehicles (MY 2007 and early MY 2008).ODI?s analysis of field data showed that the age-adjusted failure rate for these vehicles was approximately six times greater than MY 2001 through 2005 996 generation vehicles and MY 2008 through 2011 997 generation vehicles built after a process improvement for adhesive application was implemented by the supplier.Most of the leak complaints reviewed by ODI did not appear to involve complete separation of the fittings and many were detected when the vehicle was parked.There were no crashes or injuries reported to be related to the alleged defect in any of the subject vehicles.ODI identified two allegations that coolant leakage resulted in loss of control incidents, but neither involved vehicles affected by the assembly process quality issue.A third loss of control allegation involving a vehicle built during the period affected by the supplier process concern is not counted since ODI was unable to contact the owner to confirm the incident.See the full closing resume in the document file for PE13-009 for additional information about the subject cooling system and ODI?s analysis of field data related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN SUDDENLY THE COOLANT SYSTEM FAILED AND COOLANT SPILLED FROM UNDER THE ENGINE CAUSING MY CAR TO SKID OUT OF CONTROL. THE COOLANT ALSO POSED A HAZARD TO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD DUE TO THE EXTREMELY SLIPPERY NATURE OF THE LIQUID. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE COOLANT LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WELDED RATHER THAN THE EPOXY GLUE THAT WAS USED IN THE ORIGINAL COOLANT FITTINGS. PORSCHE DEALERSHIPS WOULD ONLY USE EPOXY TO SEAL THE FITTINGS WHICH WOULD ONLY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO ANOTHER FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10947116

Incident

Apr 2, 2012

Mileage

25,500 mi

I WAS DRIVING AROUND A CORNER ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SPUN AROUND. I THEN SAW STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WAS COOLANT ON THE GROUND. ONE OF THE COOLANT FITTINGS HAD COME COMPLETELY LOOSE, AND ALL THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED OUT. THE ONLY REAL FIX IS TO WELD ALL THE COOLANT FITTINGS. THERE ARE 9 OF THEM AND THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REMOVED TO DO THE WELDING. IT COST ME $2500 TO FIX THIS DEFECT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I WAS LUCKY I DID NOT HIT ANY ONE OR ANY THING. JUST PURE LUCK. WHEN YOU DUMP LARGE QUANTITIES OF SLIPPERY COOLANT ON TO THE REAR TIRES IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THIS PROBLEM IS SO PREVALENT THAT MOST RACE TRACKS WON'T ALLOW A 996 OR 997 GT3, GT2 OR TURBO ON THE TRACK UNTIL THE COOLANT LINES ARE FIXED.

NHTSA ID

10748249

Incident

Jul 18, 2015

Mileage

59,600 mi

ON VERY HOT DAY, OVER 100 DEGREES F, AFTER HAVING JUST EXITED A FREEWAY ONTO A CITY STREET, WHILE ACCELERATING FROM RED LIGHT, A GLUED-IN WATER COOLANT PIPE/TUBE POPPED OUT FROM ITS CAST HOUSING, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF ALL COOLING FLUIDS WHICH SPILLED ONTO THE ROADWAY, IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN ENGINE TEMPERATURE FROM 185 TO OVER 260 DEGREES F, AND LOSS OF POWER. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP.

NHTSA ID

10725341

Incident

Jun 11, 2015

Mileage

53,400 mi

A COOLANT LINE FITTING THAT IS EPOXIED INTO THE BLOCK BECAME SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED. THE COOLANT ALL FLOWED OUT OF THE LEAK NEARLY INSTANTLY. THE POOL OF COOLANT CREATED A HAZARD FOR FOLLOWING CARS AND THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND THE CAR TOWED TO A SERVICE FACILITY. *JS

NHTSA ID

10668966

Incident

Aug 31, 2014

Mileage

41,000 mi

WENT TO STREETS OF WILLOW DRIVING EVENT. DURING 3RD RUN SESSION I NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM BEHIND AS I WAS TAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. STEAM KEPT BILLOWING AND THE CAR SEEMS TO HAVE LOST ALL IT'S COOLANT IN A FEW SECONDS. 5(!) CARS BEHIND ME ALL SPUN IN THE 180 DEGREE TURN BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. FORTUNATELY NONE OF THEM CRASHED. AFTER EXAMINATION IT TURNS OUT ONE OF THE COOLANT FITTINGS THAT PORSCHE GLUED INTO THE MOTOR BLOCK WITH EPOXY HAD POPPED OUT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE GT ENGINES. NOT ONLY IS THIS DANGEROUS (EVERY GT2/3 ON THE ROAD IS A TICKING TIME BOMB, STREET OR TRACK) BUT IT IS ALSO COSTLY TO HAVE IT FIXED PROPERLY. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A SHOP THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT. THE SOLUTION IS TO WELD THESE FITTINGS INTO THE MOTOR BLOCK. THERE ARE 8 OF THEM AND THE ENGINE NEEDS TO COME OUT OF THE CAR, THE FITTINGS ALL REMOVED AND CLEANED FROM THE EPOXY BEFORE THEY CAN BE CAREFULLY WELDED BACK INTO PLACE AGAIN. IT IS THE ONLY VALID FIX. I HAVE A RECEIPT SHOWING $2750 TO HAVE THIS DONE. I FEEL THIS WAS MY ONLY COURSE OF ACTION TO MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN AND I THINK PORSCHE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THERE IS A PROBLEM THERE AND REIMBURSE OWNERS THAT HAD THIS DONE AND OFFER IT UNDER A RECALL TO OWNERS THAT STILL NEED TO GET THIS DONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10559755

Incident

Nov 24, 2013

Mileage

31,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS IN TOOELE UTAH IN DRIVERS EDUCATION EVENT WHEN MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED TO INCREASE FROM 180 DEGREES UP PAST 200 DEGREES. AS THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO 250 DEGREES, A COOLANT FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OFF THE TRACK AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF THE FAILURE LIGHT AND I HAD TO BE TOWED OFF THE MILLER MOTORSPORTS TRACK. I HAD LOST ALL OF MY COOLANT FROM THE CAR. THE NEXT MORNING (SUNDAY) I TOOK A RENTAL CAR BACK TO MILLER MOTORSPORTS ALONG WITH 9 GALLONS OF DISTILLED WATER. I POURED 2 GALLONS OF DISTILLED WATER INTO THE CAR, AND THEN STARTED IT. ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES LATER, WATER STARTED SPURTING FROM AN ALUMINUM COOLANT LINE ATTACHMENT THAT HAD COME UNGLUED. THIS ALUMINUM ATTACHMENT WAS IN A PLACE ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE THAT WAS READILY DETERMINABLE AS THE WATER WAS SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP FROM WHERE THE FITTING HAD COME UNGLUED AND SLIPPED OFF. I DO NOT CURRENTLY KNOW WHETHER I GOT THE CAR STOPPED IN TIME FOR THE ENGINE TO BE OK. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BEFORE I GET ALL OF THE ALUMINUM FITTINGS REGLUED OR WELDED. BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, THE COOLANT DID NOT CREATE A SITUATION THAT WAS A SAFETY RISK TO ME, BUT IF IT HAD BEEN A DIFFERENT ALUMINUM COOLANT ATTACHMENT THAT LET LOOSE, I COULD HAVE CRASHED AT 115 MPH DUE TO COOLANT ON THE TIRES OR SOMEONE BEHIND ME COULD HAVE CRASHED. THE MILLER MOTORSPORT PERSONNEL SAID THEY NOTICED A PLUME OF STEAM AT THE END OF THE FRONT STRAIGHT. AT THE END OF THE FRONT STRAIGHT, I HAD SLOWED TO 115 MPH. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THIS CAR AND DID NOT THINK I WAS AT RISK FOR THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE ON A CAR THAT IS NOT DRIVEN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IT ALSO ONLY HAS A LITTLE OVER 28,000 MILES. *LN UPDATED 1/8/2013 *JS

NHTSA ID

10545300

Incident

Sep 21, 2013

Mileage

28,010 mi

THE EPOXY HOLDING AN ALUMINUM ELBOW THAT CONNECTS A COOLANT HOSE TO THE WATER PUMP (I BELIEVE) LET GO, THE ELBOW WORKED ITS WAY LOOSE FROM THE PUMP AND EMPTIED THE COOLANT FROM THE SYSTEM OUT ONTO THE ROAD SURFACE. I BECAME AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE NEEDLE HAD PEGGED AT THE HIGH END OF THE GAUGE RANGE, AFTER WHICH THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. PRIOR THERETO, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD BEEN READING AT NORMAL LEVELS AND RESPONDING NORMALLY. I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT, BUT I NOTICED AFTER STOPPING THAT THE RIGHT REAR TIRE AND WHEEL WELL WERE WET AND SLIPPERY WITH COOLANT.

NHTSA ID

10542207

Incident

Aug 30, 2013

Mileage

40,800 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT A DRIVERS EDUCATION EVENT AT WATKINS GLEN RACE TRACK, A COOLANT FITTING CAME APART AND OUT OF ITS HOUSING RELEASING ABOUT 3-4 GALLONS OF COOLANT ONTO THE TRACK. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. SINCE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY PORSCHE AGREED TO COVER THE FAILURE UNDER GOOD WILL AND A NEW HOUSING (SAME DESIGN) WAS INSTALLED BY THE LOCAL PORSCHE DEALER. HOWEVER, IN OCTOBER, 2011 WHILE DRIVING AT ANOTHER DRIVERS EDUCATION EVENT, THE SAME FITTING FAILED. THIS TIME 3 CARS FOLLOWING ME SLID OFF THE TRACK DUE TO THE COOLANT WITH ONE CRASHING INTO ANOTHER. ONE CAR WAS TOTALED AND THE OTHER SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10534463

Incident

Aug 16, 2008

Mileage

37,292 mi

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