Porsche Engine only good for 100K???
 

Is it true that boxster engine is only good for 100K? There were many reports of engine failure on boxster that required complete replacement. I was told that the life of a boxster engine is only good for 100K at the most.. is that true? Which year (from 1997 to 2002) boxster is the most reliable?
thanks

That sounds completely false to me, plus there are a few diff types of boxster engines; 2.5L, 2.7L, 3.2L, 3.4L, 3.6L so not sure which one your talking about lasting only 100k?

There is actually no rigorous way to answer your question. The only party that would have a reasonable amount of data on this (not all data mind you) is Porsche and they are certainly not releasing any data at all.

The engine has had three issues of note:

1-The early engine sleeve debacle, when they tried to salvage some bad alloy blocks by sleeving them. I don't know how many of these engine cratered but it was sizable. The company is not talking.

2-The dreaded IMS meltdown. This has happened to all boxer engines since 97 I believe. The shaft lets go and then so does the engine. Again, no data on this but anecdotely, tons of these engines have let go, from the 97 up through current versions.

My neighbors 04 cratered at 12K miles. Nice!

3-We have seen pictures of alloy cracks in other motors, leading to a lead of AF into the engine oil. Game over on that too.

Having said all that, we have NO idea how many engines have over 100K miles.

Look at it this way, it ain't a Lexus V8.

Hope that helps.

126k on my 2.5 liter, so that rules out the 2.5's

162,000 miles on my 99 2.5
And it has has a supercharger or turbos for almost 20k miles.

If you take care of the engine it should last.

Thanks a lot for your replies. I can't remember exactly, but in one of the automotive magazine (Car & Driver or Road Track, etc??) discussed the Boxster in very good detail. It mentioned in the article about the engine failure due to some design issue and it required a complete change of engine (As mentioned by BruceLee). Porsche replaced the engine as long as it was within the warranty period. However, if it was out of the warranty period, then you are on your own. Then, which engine is less prone for this issue??? 2.5, 2.7, 3.2, etc...I am planning to purchase an used Boxster and need your expert opinion to pick the right year and mileage.
thanks

I think you're referring to the article in R&T. They mentioned the sleeve issue that afflicts some of the earlier 2.5L engines. Unfortunately none of these engines are bullet proof. My advice is get the newest 3.2L you can afford.

Thanks... But, I am looking only up to $15K. Just found another forum that comments about many boxster owners complaining about engine blowing up - even on very low miles, less than 50K miles. It's not year specific as included year 1998 thru 2004 models. Basically, noise in the engine, white smog, then engine dies. Tow the car to the dealer, and the diagnosis is will require new engine @ $10-12K. Some owners have success having Porsche to pay for the engine, but they still have to pay for the installation - @$3-$4K. How can do you know if your engine is not affected by this engine blowing issue????

Your budget pretty much excludes any decent 3.2L so you should look for some 2.7's. You don't have anyway of knowing which motors are going to make the distance and which ones won't. That's the risk you take with this car....or any car for that matter. The best you can do is find a clean well cared for example and get a PPI.

You can't really. There is no test that can spot the issues that are involved.

It really is a crap shoot. Sorry I have to say it, but the engine is far from robust.

It's a big gamble.... Since I am buying used and probably I will be the 3rd or 4th owner, I doubt that Porsche will do anything for me if my engine blows. Well, I am not going to gamble $15K, so Boxster is out list.
Thank you all...

You haven't driven a Boxster yet, right?

Stats like this 100K thing may include all Boxsters, so that may include the high mileage engines written about above (congratulations, guys) and engines with heavy track usage and modified aftermarket turbos.
These engines are also demanding of proper maintenance such as syn oil and use of properly rated coolant. And how many non-enthusiasts may bring a Porsche to a general mechanic that usually works on Saabs and Volvos.
I think the answer is that these engines are as good as most with the proper attention and TLC and take it easy on the redlining.

But I'm glad that this came up, since I only have 32 K on my '01 and I can relax now!!!

Most of the Engine failures I've read about or hear about are from lower mileage cars. I have no data on this. Maybe a Poll in this Forum might give us all an idea to see how many members have had this experience and what mileage this occured.

130K on my '99 2.5L, and i take it to the track regularly.

Paul,

I have driven a porsche in the past. My first used porsche was a 1986 944 Turbo and it was a great car. I have driven my friend 2001 Boxster S and it's a great car with the top down, but don't like it too much with the top up - too noise it.

I think the answer is that these engines are as good as most with the proper attention and TLC and take it easy on the redlining.

But I'm glad that this came up, since I only have 32 K on my '01 and I can relax now!!!

My experience would suggest that you are wrong in your conclusions.

Just a thought! :)

Your right, it's a very big gamble. One I wouldn't have taken if I knew then what I know now. I've had my 2001 Boxster S for a mere 5 months and two weeks ago the engine blew. The Porsche dealer won't actually rip it open to find out for sure what is wrong, but they say it is a slipped cylidner sleeve resulting in coolant mixing with the oil. Diagnosis is internal engine failure that can only be fixed by replacment. It seems to me that although some models/years are more affected ithan others it is still happening across the board. Of course the service guy at the Porsche dealer makes it sound like it is a freak occurance, but all the independant shops I talk to say they see it all the time.

my engine died at 50k :mad:

The other forum had over 60 Boxster owners (1998 - 2003) who reported blown engine with mileage ranging as low as 15K to 50K. Two days, and we already have 2 people with the same symptoms. Glad I did my research. And sorry for all of the owners affected by this issue..

I am starting to get scared of having my engine blow on me ; ;. I have 77k on my 02 and dont want to risk losing $12k to replace and engine. Hell the replacement cost of the engine is almost as much as the car worth! I am planning on selling it when I get home from Iraq. It seems like every time the car is driven something needs to be fixed. If I knew as much as I did now I probably wouldnt have bought one. Yeah its a fun car and all, but I dont have the type of money to risk having it blown up. I guess I really didnt even have the money to buy it in the first place lol.

I have to admit that horror stories scare me too.....
And I don't think the car is particularily dependable considering how long these things have been made in one form or another. I've had to deal with a lot of silly little repairs in the 5000 miles I've had it, but..........

For what's I'ts worth I checked the Consumer Reports annual car issue and the data they use is gathered from MANY owners or all kinds of cars.
They say:
The '02 Boxster is a Used Cars "Good Choice" for cars in the $20k-24k range.
In overall rating they give top rank to the 2007 Boxster in the $40k and up Roadster class.
In their reliability survey they rank '02-'06 Boxsters Average or above, with the exception of '03 which they rate well below avarage. The '03 scored poorly in "major engine", cooling, electrical, and body integrity. The '02, '05 and '06 scored very well for "major engine" catagory.
Under the "Used Cars to Avoid" catagory they listed the '99 and '03 Boxster as well as the '03 911.

Overall, the Box is much better than the Nissan Z, the Corvette, any Mercedes product, and nearly anything built by the big 3 American manufacturers with the exception of the highly rated Ford Crown Vic (but I don't think they do too well on the track!!!!!!!).

So, pray often, maintain your Porsche and enjoy it while you can.

Bob

I always get nervous and scarred when this engine failure subject comes up. Even if you can afford to replace an engine , who wants to do that due to a failure ? I always enjoy driving my car, but still a little nervous about taking it on a long trip. I haven't developed that 'trust' factor yet.It seems to me from reading this forum that the engines over 100K are the exceptions rather than the other way. Of course proper maintennance is required with any car BUT in particular high preformance engines. Like BruceLee said "It's a crap shoot". Not very reassuring.

Sorry, I did not wanted to open the "Pandora Box", but people should be aware of the issue with the Boxster Engines... Here is the link from the other forum if you are interested in reading some of their engine failure issues...
http://forums.roadfly.com/forums/porsche/porsche_boxster/

I agree that the overall reliability is probably better than some of those marks you mentioned, but it is a lot cheaper to replace a Corvette engine than a Boxster engine. For $9000.00 it must be made out of gold. It is ridiculous that you can't get a short block from the factory for $3-4k or less.

All cars have their issues and manufacturers are not keen to share that information with the public.

That being said I try to make my decisions based on proper data analysis (consumer reports) vs. anecdotal information. And the data shows that Boxsters have an above average reliability rating (cold comfort if your engine goes). I sure hope I never suffer a catastrophic engine failure but it doesn't make a lot of sense to worry about it.

I gotta tell ya, I have a VERY HARD time buying the CR data but then I always did.

How many buyers of CR are driving Boxsters?

we'll never really know the answer to this issue but when I used to visit the vette forums, I never heard of anyone complaing about a blow motor or RMS. They do use a bit of oil but hey, that is not 12K cost.

CR will not use insignificant data. In some cases they leave a rating blank for some cars where they say "insufficient data". I would take CR data into consideration along with individual horor stories.

It is certainly true that $9K + is a lot for a short block. It's only a flat 6 cylinder. It amy be better than most for power and it's development, but $9K?????

It such a failure happened to me, I could NOT repair it. I'd just spend forever searching for a used engine or a wreck.

Bob

I wished mine lasted 100k miles. It had 22.5K before it died. Replaced it with a 3.4L and all is fine for now.

I gotta tell you, if I was Porsche and I had my engines blowing at 12K and 22K miles, I would be ashamed to show my face.

Get with the program guys, no engineers in Germany anymore?


:confused:

Important survey link
 

Based on the numerous horror stories that appeared in this thread, I have created a survey thread asking box owners who have suffered blown engines to post some details about their experience......especially what Porsche has done to accept responsibility for the engine failure and what recovery cost them. The link is at:

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/16822-shortlived-boxster-engines-survey.html#post148368

Thanks for participating,
Bob

Most of the major problems I have ever heard about happened to weekend and summer Boxster's. I have heard of very few problems with DD Boxster's, including my own.

You also have to remember that people that have a problem, like an engine failure turn to the internet to look for answers. There are plenty of boxster owners who have never had a problem, and have never been on a 986forum. So any internet only survey will be slightly biassed.

Perhaps the problem is that letting your Boxster sit is bad for it, and you need to take it out and drive it! :D

The real reason for this survey will be to determine what the cost was to those owners with major engine failure and if Porsche made it right for them.

I'm not trying to determine what % of engines fail or anything like that...as you say, that would be biassed survey info. And perhaps you are right about the need to keep an engine active to keep it healthy.....but in the northern snow States, most of us prefer a more rugged and capable winter vehicle.

Almost pushing 120k here

I would be willing to bet that there aren't too many folks who "Porsche made it right for." My bet is that if you are out of warranty, you are SOOL.

Even under warranty, they DO look at your CPU readings etc. to see if MAYBE there may be an out.

IMHO! :)

Just based on anecdotal observations... Let me propose a theory:

If you have a Box that's made it to say, 75K miles, then there's no reason to assume it is at higher risk of catastrophic failure than an "average" car for the next 75K miles.

Thoughts?

Many cars from any manufacturer require a lot of repairs between 75k and 125K. Hoses, belts, clutches, water pumps, power steering pumps, CV joints, suspension components, brake components, etc.

Some say to never own a car between 75k and 125k.

+1000!!!! Let it sit or baby it, it will make you pay!

If you just looking at cost, and engine replacement averages about $9-12k. And I agree, Porsche has done very little to help people that have had engine failures.

I think I read something a while back, about a class action lawsuit against Porsche over this. They were trying to make Porsche responsible for out of warranty engine failures, but I don't recall the specifics of the suit. :cheers:

boxster engine
 

hello all,

I am at 180K on my 200 2.7.... daily driver...winter & summer... I change the oil every 5K... and go on the track a few times a year....

needless to say that I am extremely pleased about reliability of that car...

Michel.