2003 Porsche 911 Turbo Owner 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

NHTSA ID

10939285

Incident

Dec 4, 2015

Mileage

47,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

10765255

Incident

Sep 12, 2015

Mileage

33,200 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10682527

Incident

Feb 2, 2015

Mileage

63,421 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10681862

Incident

Feb 6, 2015

Mileage

51,285 mi

ALUMINUM COOLANT PIPE, THAT IS GLUED INTO WATER PUMP MANIFOLD, CAME LOOSE CAUSING MASSIVE LOSS OF COOLANT ALL OVER THE ROAD CAUSING SLIPPERY CONDITIONS FOR OTHER DRIVERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10522217

Incident

Jun 8, 2013

Mileage

81,000 mi

AN EPOXIED COOLANT FITTING FOR THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THIS RESULTED IN THE SUDDEN LOSS OF MOST ALL THE ENGINES COOLANT ON THE ROADWAY. PERMANENT FIX WAS TO HAVE AUTO REPAIR SHOP WELD THE FITTING IN PLACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10511347

Incident

Dec 26, 2010

Mileage

45,479 mi

COOLANT HOSE FAILURE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUN MEDIUM/HARD. I LOST 1/2 LITER THE FIRST COUPLE TIMES IN TOTAL, AND ROUGHLY 1 LITER OF COOLANT THE LAST TIME, ALL OVER THE EXHAUST AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL TIRE. LUCKY I DID NOT SPIN OUT OR HAVE MANY CARS BEHIND ME. I CAPTURED PICTURES OF THE LAST LEAK AFTER RETURNING TO MY GARAGE ON 05/03/2013. PRIOR TO THE LAST LEAK, I HAD THE FRONT RADIATOR REPLACED AND THE PORSCHE MECHANIC PRESSURE TESTED THE COOLANT SYSTEM TO ENSURE THERE WERE NO LEAKS, AS I HAD MENTIONED IT WOULD LEAK FROM NEAR THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE. HE DID NOT FIND ANY LEAKS WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF AND PRESSURE TESTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10510624

Incident

Apr 5, 2013

Mileage

103,000 mi

DRIVING ON PRIVATE ROAD AND A RADIATOR HOSE (IN FRONT OF CAR) CAME OFF CAUSING IMMEDIATE AND RAPID PURGING OF COOLANT ON TO ALL 4 TIRES AND ME SPINNING OFF OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY ONLY INTO THE GRASS ON SIDE OF ROAD. CAR WAS FLAT BEDDED TO MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS ON REPAIRS. HAVE SINCE SPENT THOUSANDS ON ADDITIONAL PREVENTATIVE MEASURES DUE TO MECHANICS ALERTING ME THAT THE HOSES IN THE REAR WILL LET GO AND CAUSE COOLANT LOSS. HAD TO PAY FOR ENGINE REMOVAL AND WELDING OF LINES FOR MY SAFETY. COSTS WAS WELL OVER $3000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10510138

Incident

May 19, 2007

Mileage

30,124 mi

REPAIR TO THE ENGINE COOLANT HARD PIPES WAS REQUIRED TO PROPHYLACTICALLY PREVENT FAILURE OF THE FACTORY EPOXY SEAL. WELDING THE PIPES WAS REQUIRED WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10509283

Incident

Apr 5, 2013

Mileage

26,000 mi

FACTORY CONNECTION AT COOLANT PIPES HAD COME APART DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING PROCESS, USE OF GLUE. WEEPING OF COOLANT AT CONNECTIONS. HAD SHOP WELD COOLANT PIPES TO RECTIFY THE IMMINENT ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10508894

Incident

Jun 29, 2012

Mileage

63,400 mi

I WAS CRUISING WITH THE FAMILY AT 65MPH AND HEARD MY BELTS SQUEEL AND THEN STOP AFTER 2 OR 3 SECONDS. ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER A LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND MY TEMP LIGHT WAS BLINKING. TEMP WAS ONLY AROUND 195 TO 205, PRETTY FAR FROM THE RED. I IMMEDIATLY PULLED OVER AND SHUT IT DOWN. THERE WAS A LOT OF COOLANT LEAKING, A LARGE TRAIL FOLLOWED ME OFF THE INTERSTATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10508852

Incident

May 31, 2010

Mileage

42,000 mi

COOLANT PIPE FAILURE AT "COOLANT CONSOLE" ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CAUSING ALL COOLANT TO IMMEDIATELY SPILL ON TOP THE ENGINE, SPRAYING THE REAR TIRES CAUSING REAR TIRES TO LOSE TRACTION. THE COOLANT PIPE IS PRESS FIT WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ADHESIVE WHICH FAILED LEAVING THE EXIT PIPE MADE OF STEEL SEPARATED FROM AN ALUMINUM " CONSOLE OR BLOCK". THE COOLANT LOSS WAS IMMEDIATE CAUSING TOTAL COOLANT LOSS. VERY DISCONCERTING AT 70MPH HAVING COOLANT SPRAY ALL OVER THE REAR TIRES (PARTICULARLY THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR). CAUSING THE REAR OF THE CAR TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS ON A GENTLE RIGHT HAND BEND ON AN INTERSTATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10499809

Incident

Feb 23, 2013

Mileage

80,244 mi

THE COOLANT LINE CONNECTORS THAT COME OUT OF THE ENGINE / BLOCK ARE DISLODGING FROM THE ENGINE BLOCKS AND BLOWING OUT ALL OF THE COOLANT IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. PORSCHE USED SOME SORT OF ADHESIVE TO HOLD THE CONNECTORS IN THE BLOCK INSTEAD OF WELDING THEM IN; AS THE CARS AGE AND GO THROUGH LOTS OF HEAT CYCLES, THE ADHESIVE IS WEARING OUT AND THE CONNECTORS ARE BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING A MASSIVE COOLANT DUMP WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS IF TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10450233

Incident

Feb 14, 2012

Mileage

54,000 mi