2004 Porsche 911 Turbo

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.

AFTER 1 HOUR OF SLOW 880-N HIGHWAY STOP AND GO DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, A LARGE COLUMN OF STEAM WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM REAR DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE WHILE EXITING INTERSTATE. IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED HUGE COOLANT PUDDLE DEVELOPING ON FREEWAY OFFRAMP, AND ALERTS ON DASHBOARD GAUGES ("CHECK COOLANT LEVEL"). UPON STOPPING THE CAR IT WAS OBSERVED ONE OF THE COOLANT HOSES LEADING FROM THE WATER PUMP HAD COME LOOSE. THESE ARE HOSE FITTINGS WHICH ARE EPOXIED INTO THE ALUMINUM WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WHICH COME LOOSE OVER TIME AFTER THE EPOXY BECOMES BRITTLE WITH AGE. THE ENGINE DEPOSITED ITS ENTIRE COOLANT SYSTEM QUANTITY RAPIDLY ONTO THE EXIT OFFRAMP OF THE HIGHWAY WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY CAUSE A CRASH. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE AFFECTING GT1 BLOCK ENGINES MADE BY PORSCHE IN THE 996TT, 996 GT2, GT3, AND 997 TT VEHICLES.

NHTSA ID

11092777

Incident

Apr 14, 2018

Mileage

78,000 mi

SUMMARY: FAILURE OF COOLANT HOSES DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE, RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE FLUSHING OF ALL COOLANT ONTO ROAD SURFACE AND INTO ENGINE BAY. IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN REQUIRED TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. OBSERVED RISKS INCLUDE: PANIC SITUATION TO OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS OF VEHICLE; CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OVERHEATING AND CONSEQUENT ACCIDENT THREAT; LOSS OF TRACTION TO VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENT TRAFFIC DUE TO HIGH VOLUME OF COOLANT ON ROAD SURFACE; VAPOR TRAIL LIMITING VISIBILITY OF SUBSEQUENT TRAFFIC; ROADSIDE ACCIDENT HAZARD AFFECTING VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENT TRAFFIC. DETAILS: SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013, ~7:15PM ET, NASSAU COUNTY NY - WESTBOUND ON STATE ROUTE 24 - HEMPSTEAD TURNPIKE. DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH IN 3RD GEAR, VEHICLE OPERATOR NOTICED A THICK CLOUD OF VAPOR EMANATING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OPERATOR BROUGHT VEHICLE TO A HALT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WHEREUPON THE ODOR OF BURNING COOLANT WAS DETECTED. HAVING BEEN FAMILIARIZED WITH REPORTS OF LIKE VEHICLES BEING AFFLICTED WITH THESE SYMPTOMS, OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY PLACED VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND BACKED VEHICLE OFF OF ROUTE 24 AND ONTO A SIDE STREET, AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE BY REMOVING THE KEY. OPERATOR OBSERVED THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE TO BE APPROXIMATELY 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND THE VEHICLE'S REPORTED (REMAINING) COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO BE APPROXIMATELY 190 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ALL OTHER VEHICLE SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED AND ITS ENGINE, INTAKE, AND COOLING SYSTEMS ARE UNMODIFIED, FACTORY SPECIFICATION. OPERATOR HAS PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THE EVENT AND WILL PROVIDE TO NHTSA AND RELATED PARTIES UPON LAWFUL REQUEST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10532180

Incident

Jul 27, 2013

Mileage

28,000 mi

THE COOLANT FITTINGS FAILED, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.. THERE WAS NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10515918

Incident

Jun 9, 2013

Mileage

52,300 mi

MY 911 TURBO SUFFERED A COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE, AS HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED FOR THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE, THE GT1 3.6 LITER IN THE 2001-2007 TURBO, GT2 AND GT3. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. UPON PULLING TO A STOP THE CAR HAD DUMPED MOST OF ITS COOLANT. IT WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER AND THE STEEL COOLANT PIPE HAD PULLED OUT OF THE ALUMINUM WATER SOCKET/CROSS OVER TUBE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THEY DRAINED THE COOLING SYSTEM, REPLACED THE WATER SOCKET AND ASSOCIATED SEALS AND FILLED AND BLED THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE RESULTS FROM THE USE OF EPOXY TO ATTACH THE COOLANT PIPE TO THE SOCKET INSTEAD OF A HARD-THREADED DESIGN LIKE PORSCHE USES ON THE RACE VERSION OF THIS ENGINE. THIS FAILURE WILL OCCUR AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, AS THE REPAIR USES THE VERY SAME EPOXY, AT WHICH TIME I AM LIKELY TO BE OUT OF WARRANTY AND SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10511478

Incident

Mar 13, 2013

Mileage

55,478 mi

AT A DRIVER EDUCATION EVENT IN KENT, WA, A PORSCHE TURBO HAD A FAILURE IN THE COOLANT FITTINGS THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO DUMP ALL OF ITS COOLANT ON THE PAVEMENT. I WAS BEHIND THE CAR IN A PORSCHE GT3 AND UPON DRIVING OVER THE COOLANT LOST TRACTION AND TOTALED MY CAR. THE SPEED OF THE TURBO AT THE TIME OF FAILURE WAS APPROX 90 MPH, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DOWN THE STRAIGHT-AWAY AFTER THE FAILURE BUT STOPPED AFTER REALIZING THE CAR WAS SMOKING. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 996 SERIES, MORE COMMONLY IN THE GT3 THAN THE TURBO. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED IN FORUMS SUCH AS RENNLIST.COM. HTTP://FORUMS.RENNLIST.COM/RENNFORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=679777&REFERRERID=108168. I HAVE HEARD OF A PCA CHAPTER THAT HAS REQUIRED THAT CARS ON THE TRACK RUN WITH WATER WETTER OR FIX THIS ISSUE WITH GETTING THE FITTINGS WELDED. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AND THE DAMAGE TO CARS EXPERIENCING THIS FAILURE AND THE CARS AROUND THEM, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS. ESPECIALLY SINCE TURBOS AND GT3S ARE PURPOSE BUILT CARS FOR TRACK ENTHUSIASTS. IN GT3 DOCUMENTATION, IT STATES THAT DAILY DRIVING WILL ACTUALLY CAUSE THE SERVICE INTERVALS TO INCREASE. IT IS BUILT FOR THE TRACK, IT SHOULD SURVIVE BEING DRIVEN ON THE TRACK WITHOUT SUCH FAILURES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10447857

Incident

Aug 10, 2010

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