1999 Porsche 911 Owner Complaints

ENGINE HAS SEIZED DUE TO INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BEARING FAILUE (IMS BEARING FAILURE), THE ENGINE IS A 3.4 LITER FLAT 6 CYLINDER ENGINE WITH ONLY 95,500 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN OF AN ISSUE. TURNED OFF CAR WHEN I GOT HOME THEN WHEN I TURNED IT ON THE NAEXT DAY IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER TO CRANK. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP TO GET IT TESTED AND WAS TOLD I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE ENGINE WHICH COSTS UPWARDS OF $13,000 BECAUSE OF AN IMS BEARING FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11179953

Incident

Feb 6, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PORSCHE 911. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE SRS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PORSCHE OF ARLINGTON (3100 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, ARLINGTON, VA 22202). THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE DIAGNOSIS RESULTS; HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PORSCHE OF ARLINGTON WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A SENSOR FAILURE. THE AIR BAG MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE SEAT BELTS IN ORDER TO FULLY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ID

11011282

Incident

Oct 4, 2002

Mileage

15,000 mi

WAS DRIVING AND MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ANTIFREEZE LEAKED OUT OF THE BACK ONTO THE ROAD AND ON MY TIRES. ENGINE THEN STARTED TO SMOKE AND OVERHEAT. COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. OVERFLOW RESERVOIR CAP WAS SCREWED ON TIGHTLY SO THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. I READ THAT THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THE 2001-07 PORSCHE 911. MY ENGINE WAS REPLACED IN 2003 SO PERHAPS IT WAS RETROFITTED WITH THE PROBLEM PARTS. IT WILL BE AT THE RAY CATENA PORSCHE DEALERSHIP IN EDISON NJ TOMORROW FOR REPAIRS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10522740

Incident

Jun 30, 2013

Mileage

120,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON A 16 LANE MAJOR HIGHWAY IN TORONTO IN THE EXPRESS LANES AT 70 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AND STALLED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP SAFELY SINCE THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING WITH THE ENGINE STOPPED. IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND I WAS LUCKY TO CHANGE LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND PULL ONTO THE HARD SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I WAS STUCK SITTING IN THE EXPRESS LANES BY A GUARD RAIL UNTIL A TOW TRUCK CAME, WHICH TOOK AN HOUR. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE PORSCHE DEALER IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A IMS BEARING FAILURE THAT REQUIRED A NEW ENGINE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS BEARING IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1997 TO 2008 WATER COOLED 911 AND BOXSTER PORSCHES WITH A 10 PERCENT FAILURE RATE TO DATE, AND THAT THEY WILL ALL FAIL EVENTUALLY. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THERE IS A 3RD PARTY RETROFIT KIT THAT THE PORSCHE DEALERS ARE AWARE OF BUT DON'T USE BECAUSE IT WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, SO PORSCHE TURNED A BLIND EYE AND LET THE ENGINES FAIL. PORSCHE HAS MODIFIED THE BEARING DESIGN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ABANDONING THE DESIGN IN THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. ALL THESE MODELS ARE UNSAFE WHEN THEY WILL FAIL WITHOUT NOTICE AND PUT DRIVERS IN HARMS WAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10507046

Incident

Oct 14, 2009

Mileage

44,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES: VEHICLE DOORS UNLOCK AND WINDOWS ROLL DOWN AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. THE VEHICLE DOES THIS WHETHER KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION OR NOT. DEALER INSTALLED NEW DRIVERS DOOR KEY SWITCH ASSEMBLY AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE. *TT

NHTSA ID

10120998

Incident

Oct 15, 2004

Mileage

47,863 mi

NEED KIT TO SOLVE AIRBAG PROBLEM. *BF THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON AND DID SO EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELTS HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE WIRING AND A KIT WAS NEEDED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. (VEHICLE MODEL/ PORSCHE 996 C2) *SC

NHTSA ID

10096812

Incident

Nov 1, 2003

REAR SEAT BELTS CAUSES OCCUPANTS TO BE TRAPPED. THEY CAN NOT ESCAPE OR BE RESCUED IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.*TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761712

NHTSA ID

10009200

Incident

May 7, 2001

Mileage

51,150 mi

ENGINE HEAT SENSOR FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK FROM VEHICLE. YH

NHTSA ID

608690

Incident

Jul 1, 1998