Q – My 2003 Boxster S just dumped a few gallons of oil as it was driving it and the dealer tells me that the engine is ruined. It is under warranty but naturally, my summer of fun is over. Down the road, is this likely to happen again? Joey
Q – My 2005 Carrera just lost all its oil and the shop tells me that the engine needs to be replaced. Prior to this, two main engine seals were replaced and even though the dealer is replacing the engine under warranty, I want to know if there is anything I could have done to cause or prevent this. Jeff
Q – My 2001 Boxster died on the freeway and I had it towed to the dealer where I was told that the engine needs to be replaced. I have about 90,000 miles on it and it is not under warranty. They estimated about $16,000 to replace the engine. I have always had the oil changed and I use synthetic oil. What the heck! I am really upset. Scott
A – These engines have a defect that Porsche is aware of and they are very gracious to clients with vehicles under warranty. When the warranty is up however, you can expect a hassle. You need to keep meticulous records of oil changes and services performed. If you lose them or miss an interval, heaven help you because Porsche won’t. What the future holds for those who were shown no love by the company no one knows but certainly a quality oriented company like Porsche is well aware of the problem and very sensitive to the negative feedback that comes from it.
Don’t beat yourselves up it’s not your fault. My ex brother-in-law had a total failure at 11,000 miles and although it could have been HIS fault, Porsche still bought him a new engine. As far as the replacement engines go, you can rest assured that the problem has been remedied. After all, rumor has it that the warranty department pitched a tent in the hallway outside engineering and has refused to leave until they can get some rest. And for all those dealer techs who got tired of fixing squeaks and rattles, they now have job security that other folks can only envy. –MC