2006 Porsche Boxster Problems

Car has 65,000 miles when water-pump failed catastrophically (pump drive shaft sheared) while driving causing breakdown. Needed to be towed to repair facility. 1. Water Pump failed - shaft connecting pully system to impeller sheared in half. Part is available for inspection. 65,000 miles on the engine 2. Car stopped running due to overheating and loss of electrical power - I had to stop in the middle of a busy street and wait for a tow . 3. Car was repaired by dealership and I have the damaged part, service reports and invoice. 4. This occurred without warning - while driving at approx 55mph I heard a "bang" and the coolant and electrical lights lit up on my dashboard. Engine temperature rose rapidly and battery drained quickly. Images of water pump drive shaft show a manufacturing defect of the shaft having been partially compromised prior to the sharing (failure). Google searches show that issues with Porsche Boxter water pumps - including my year and model.

DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH AND INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILED. CREATED DANGEROUS SITUATION AS ENGINE STARTED BILLOWING SMOKE, OBSCURING TRAFFIC CAUSING MANY CARS TO SWERVE DANGEROUSLY AND HAD STOP ABRUPTLY. CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP EMPIRE AUTOHAUS, INC. WHERE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. OWNED CAR FOR THREE YEARS WITH ZERO PROBLEMS AND REGULAR SERVICE. LEARNED THAT MANY PORSCHE AUTOMOBILES WITH THE M96 ENGINE (UP TO 25%) WITH LESS THAN 90,000 MILES HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM AND HAS YET TO BE ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTURER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED EACH TIME THE ENGINE WAS STARTED OR WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED WHILE THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. ALSO, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED FORWARD SO THE AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. AFTER THE CONTACT ADJUSTED THE SEAT AS INSTRUCTED BY THE DEALER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. UPDATED 10/31/2006 - THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *NM

I PURCHASED THE 2006 BOXSTER IN JULY 2010 FROM A PRIVATE PARTY, AND SOON AFTERWARD, STARTED TO EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT ABS/PSM SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING LIGHTS. THE ORIGINAL PORSCHE WARRANTY WAS DUE TO EXPIRE IN JANUARY, 2011. I TOOK THE CAR TO FLEMINGTON PORSCHE IN FLEMINGTON N.J. THREE TIMES IN AUGUST, 2010, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. THE WARNING LIGHTS PERSISTED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO KNOPF PORSCHE IN ALLENTOWN, PA IN 2012, AND THEY TOO, WERE UNABLE TO GIVE A DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS, BUT OPINED THAT THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE FALSE POSITIVES, AND THE SYSTEMS WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL. LAST YEAR, I WAS FORCED TO MAKE A HARD STOP, ALL FOUR BRAKES LOCKED, THE CAR SKIDDED, AND THE BACK END OF THE CAR BEGAN TO 'FISHTAIL.' THE ABS/PSM SAFETY SYSTEMS ON THIS CAR ARE CLEARLY NOT RELIABLE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT PORSCHE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP FIX THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIPS DID NOT AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE A SOLUTION, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE ARE SYSTEMS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF ANY CAR.

I AWOKE ONE SATURDAY MORNING AFTER IT HAD BEEN RAINING ALL NIGHT TO FIND MY SPOILER UP (WHICH IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO GO UP AT 75 MPH), MY CAR WINDOWS DOWN AND MY REAR LIGHTS ON. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AND SHUT THE WINDOWS, NOTHING WORKED. THE CAR RAN OKAY, AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, BUT THE ALARM STARTED TO GO OFF WHILE DRIVING AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO DISABLE THE BATTERY JUST TO STOP ALL OF THE MALFUNCTIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING. THERE WERE MULTIPLE FAULT CODES ON IN THE ON BOARD COMPUTER, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD NOT GO DOWN AND MANY OF THE INTERNAL BUTTONS/SWITCHES DID NOT WORK. AFTER THIS HAPPENED I ATTEMPTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE THIS. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MANY CASES OF THIS EXACT SAME SITUATION THERE WERE FLOODING THE INTERNET. APPARENTLY THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED SO THAT IF CERTAIN DRAINS ARE CLOGGED, WATER LEAKS INTO THE CAR ONTO THE BACK CARPETS UNDER THE SEATS AND CONVENIENTLY UNDER THOSE CARPETS ARE THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULES/COMPUTERS. I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR 6 MONTHS AT THE TIME AND I WAS TOLD THAT ALL REQUIRED SERVICE WAS COMPLETED PRIOR TO PURCHASING IT. THIS ENDED UP COSTING ALMOST $6,000.00 TO FIX. I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE VEHICLES PRESUMABLY HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THEM, BUT THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW AND A MONEY GRAB. AN UNSUSPECTING OWNER, WHO DOESN'T KNOW THAT THESE DRAINS NEED TO BE CLEANED OR EVEN EXIST FOR THAT MATTER, ENDS UP WITH A MASSIVE REPAIR BILL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS WORLDWIDE WHO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. IN FACT ALL OF THE PORSCHE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH SAID THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CLAIM UNDER MY INSURANCE, SO NOW I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT ISN'T WORTH AS MUCH BECAUSE OF THIS "LOSS" AND I HAVE NO RECOURSE AGAINST THE CARELESS MAKERS AND DESIGNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH AND INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILED. CREATED DANGEROUS SITUATION AS ENGINE STARTED BILLOWING SMOKE, OBSCURING TRAFFIC CAUSING MANY CARS TO SWERVE DANGEROUSLY AND HAD STOP ABRUPTLY. CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP EMPIRE AUTOHAUS, INC. WHERE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. OWNED CAR FOR THREE YEARS WITH ZERO PROBLEMS AND REGULAR SERVICE. LEARNED THAT MANY PORSCHE AUTOMOBILES WITH THE M96 ENGINE (UP TO 25%) WITH LESS THAN 90,000 MILES HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM AND HAS YET TO BE ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTURER. *JB

DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH AND INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILED. CREATED DANGEROUS SITUATION AS ENGINE STARTED BILLOWING SMOKE, OBSCURING TRAFFIC CAUSING MANY CARS TO SWERVE DANGEROUSLY AND HAD STOP ABRUPTLY. CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP EMPIRE AUTOHAUS, INC. WHERE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. OWNED CAR FOR THREE YEARS WITH ZERO PROBLEMS AND REGULAR SERVICE. LEARNED THAT MANY PORSCHE AUTOMOBILES WITH THE M96 ENGINE (UP TO 25%) WITH LESS THAN 90,000 MILES HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM AND HAS YET TO BE ADDRESSED BY MANUFACTURER. *JB