2001 Porsche 911 Turbo Problems

COOLANT PIPES COME APART WHILE DRIVING AND THERE WAS RAPID LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. THE PROBLEM EXISTS ON THE GT1 MOTOR BECAUSE THERE ARE A COUPLE COOLANT PIPES IN THESE MOTORS THAT ARE NOT A SINGLE CAST PIECE: THE LARGER CAST PIECES HAVE EXTRUDED INLET/OUTLET TUBES THAT ARE CONNECTED USING AN ADHESIVE. THERE IS NO METAL-TO-METAL FRICTION OR PRESS-FIT TO KEEP THESE TUBES IN PLACE, SO AFTER ENOUGH HEAT CYCLES THE ADHESIVE WILL SOFTEN/LOOSEN UP AND THE TUBE WILL COME OUT OF THE CAST BLOCK (WITH THE HOSE STILL ATTACHED), RESULTING IN A RAPID LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. ....UPDATED 04/25/16 *BF

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE COOLANT SYSTEM. ONE OF THE ALUMINUM HOSE FITTINGS THAT IS EPOXIED INTO THE ALUMINUM HOUSING BROKE FREE CAUSING ENGINE COOLANT TO EMPTY OUT OF THE ENGINE ONTO THE HIGHWAY IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THE RUBBER HOSE DID NOT FAIL AND IT WAS STILL CONNECTED TO ALUMINUM HOSE FITTING THAT BROKE AWAY FROM THE HOUSING. I PULLED THE CAR OFF THE FREEWAY IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR. FURTHER INSPECTION AT THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER SHOWED THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TO NO COOLANT LEFT IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. *TR

I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY MY PORSCHE TECHNICIAN THAT PORSCHE USED AN INFERIOR AND MECHANICALLY POOR DESIGN FOR THE ENGINE COOLANT LINES. THEY ARE GLUED TOGETHER IN A PLACE WHERE THEY GET HOT. AFTER SEVERAL HEAT CYCLES, THEY WILL FAIL. ALL CARS WITH THIS ENGINE DESIGN WILL HAVE THIS FAILURE OVER TIME. IF THE COOLANT LINES FAIL WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING, THE SLICK COOLANT CAN GET ON THE TIRES AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, THE ENGINE CAN OVERHEAT WITH A REPLACEMENT COST OF OVER $20,000. PORSCHE IS AWARE OF THIS, AS THEY HAVE USED A SUPERIOR THREADED DESIGN ON THEIR RACE CARS WITH THIS ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX, AND THE CAR WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR WEEKS. *TR

MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT PORSCHE USED AN INFERIOR AND MECHANICALLY POOR DESIGN FOR THE ENGINE COOLANT LINES. THEY ARE GLUED TOGETHER IN A PLACE WHERE THEY GET HOT. AFTER SEVERAL HEAT CYCLES, THEY WILL FAIL. ALL CARS WITH THIS ENGINE DESIGN WILL HAVE THIS FAILURE OVER TIME. IF THE COOLANT LINES FAIL WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING, THE SLICK COOLANT CAN GET ON THE TIRES AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, THE ENGINE CAN OVERHEAT WITH A REPLACEMENT COST OF OVER $20,000. PORSCHE IS AWARE OF THIS, AS THEY HAVE USES A SUPERIOR THREADED DESIGN ON THEIR RACE CARS WITH THIS ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS WILL TAKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX, AND THE CAR WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR WEEKS. *TR

SRS SYSTEM ON PORSCHE 911 TURBO 2001 HAS BEEN IN TO DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES TO ATTEMPT TO SOLVE A SRS MALFUNCTION LIGHT. PORSHE REPAIRS AND RETURNS TO ME STATING THAT CAR IS SAFE. LAST FALL WHEN LIGHT CAME ON THEY SAID IT WAS A CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACING IT WITH A NEW ONE WOULD CURE IT, LESS THAN 2,000 MILES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THAT REPAIR AND CAR WAS STORED FOR THE WINTER, IT HAS FAIL AGAIN AND THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE SEATBELT, WHICH HAS BEEN DONE 4 PREVIOUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE TRIED TO RAISE THIS ISSUE WITHIN PORSCHE NORTH AMERICAN BOTH THRU MY DEALERSHIP, FIELD REP AND WRITING DIRECTLY. I BELIEVE I HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL SAFETY ISSUE AND TRACK RECORD OF PORSCHE NOT BEING ABLE TO SOLVE IT. CAN YOU HELP ME? *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2001, I WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A LARGE PASSENGER VEHICLE OR SUV, WHILE DRIVING A BRAND-NEW 2001 911 PORSCHE TURBO, SUPPOSEDLY EQUIPPED WITH SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE THAT HIT ME RAN A STOP SIGN AND THE DRIVER DID NOT APPLY HIS BRAKES. I HAD NO STOP SIGN. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF 25 MILES AN HOUR WHEN IT IMPACTED ME AND MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE PORCH. THE VEHICLE THAT HIT ME, HIT THE PORSCHE DIRECTLY IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE, IT RIPPED THE SIDE MIRROR OFF THE PORSCHE, BLEW OUT ALL THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW GLASS, AND SEVERELY DAMAGED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT OPERATE OR DEPLOY AND THE DOOR FLEXED AND HIT ME (THE DRIVER) IN THE LEFT SIDE. THE SIDE AIR BAG, ACCORDING TO PORSCHE LITERATURE, IS SUPPOSED TO INFLATE AND PROVIDE A PROTECTIVE CUSHION BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND THE DOOR. THE DAMAGE TO THE PORSCHE WAS SIGNIFICANT, COSTING WELL OVER $15,000 TO REPAIR. WHILE FOLLOWING UP WITH PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA AS TO WHY THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF PCNA, IN POSITIONS OF IMPORTANCE AND KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE COMPANY, TOLD ME THAT THE SIDE AIR BAGS DO NOT OPERATE AT ALL (OR DEPLOY) WHEN THE PORSCHE IS IMPACTED BY AN SUV, OR OTHER PASSENGER CAR THAT HAS A HIGHER FRAME THAN THE PORSCHE. I WAS TOLD BY THESE SAME GENTLEMEN FROM PCNA THAT THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THAT THE TRIGGERING DEVICES ON THE PORSCHE WERE SET VERY LOW IN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THESE SAME GENTLEMEN THAT THE DEALER THAT LEASED ME THE VEHICLE, CHAMPION MOTORS IN POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA, HAS A HISTORY OF EVEN LOWERING THE PORSCHE VEHICLES FURTHER BEFORE THEY ARE SOLD. AFTER I LEARNED THESE FACTS, I TELEPHONED SEVERAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NHTSA AND I WAS ROLLED THAT THIS IS NOT THE WAY SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED, OR SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED, TO OPERATE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS DEFECT. *NLM

COOLANT PIPE EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHILE ON A PUBLIC ROADWAY. WAS TRAVELING ON STRAIGHT, SMOOTH ROAD ABOUT 55-60MPH WHEN COOLANT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE ROSE WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD NO WHERE TO PULL OVER ON THE TWO-LANE ROAD, SO WAS FORCED TO STOP CAR IN LANE, PUTTING MYSELF AND FAMILY AT RISK OF BEING HIT BY TRAFFIC WHILE WE WAITED 4 HOURS FOR A TOW.

I HAVE A 2001 PORSCHE 911 TURBO. ON IT, I HAVE PS2 TIRES FROM MICHELIN. BOTH OF MY REAR TIRES HAVE SPLIT ON THE INNER SIDEWALL, NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES OBVIOUSLY WOULD HOLD NO AIR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT DRIVING FAST WHEN EITHER TIRE FAILED, BUT THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE TIRE SIZES ARE 315/19/25 ZR RATED AND COST ALMOST $500 EACH. FROM MY READING AND POSTING ON 6SPEEDONLINE.COM, I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT HAS HAPPENED JUST TO ME. *NM

AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2001 PORSCHE 911 TURBO BEGAN POPPING OUT OF SECOND GEAR UPON DECELERATION. PORSCHE IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS, AND EVEN HAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN OUT THAT STATES IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE OF ASSEMBLY DEFECTS. CERTAINLY, THE BRASS SYNCHROS IN THE TRANSMISSION ARE VERY WEAK AND PRONE TO FAILURE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN SUCH AN EXPENSIVE AND POWERFUL CAR. PORSCHE HAS TAKEN NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND CHARGES UPWARDS OF $5000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CAR CHANGE DRAMATICALLY WHEN YOU ARE SLOWING DOWN, ESPECIALLY IF TURNING A CORNER AT THE SAME TIME. *TR