Boxster problems
 

I just bought my 01 Boxster and it runs great. I see posts nonstop about how the car is basically not reliable at all. I thought I had a reliable car til I read all these issues. Is it that much of a risk? I feel like I should sell the car after reading this. I'm seeing a ton of complaints and very few success stories.

Take it for what its worth. Some have had great success and others have issues. Most of what you see are people with issues that post their frustrations online. I do agree that there are problems with some of the boxsters but I have enjoyed mine for the 3 years I have owned it. Drive the car and maintain as best you can. Some great information on the forums here as well so search for some of your questions and do some of the work yourself if your so inclined and not only can you save money but you can feel great doing some of the work on these incredible cars. Enjoy!!

Thanks for the info! I've read to keep the rpms over 2500, change oil 3k miles, not to exceed 4000 rpms til it's warmed up, not to drive it less than 10 mins at a time, etc... I looked into powertrain warranties and after researching those it seems like they will rip you off. I've got 40,000 miles on it and would be happy to get several good years on it driving about 8k miles per year. I learned all that on this site so it has been very helpful.

That all sounds like good info. It depends on who you ask but there are some smart owners on here. I certainly won't pretend to know it all but you can find anything you want on here.

Like I said you can't go to bed wondering if your car will start tomorrow. If that is the case then sell it and get a Honda. The drive to work every day is enough of a grin for me to not worry. ;)

Hey! I'm a Sexton too! :cheers: Enjoy your car, GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda all have their issues too. Preventive maintenance is your best protection, its an '01 and it ran this long.

Thanks for the advice! I could afford an IMS and RMS job but not a new engine to throw in the car if something happened. I think I will take the money that I was going to use and have that done to be safe. Where can I buy a good RMS? I was considering a Casper Labs IMS but couldn't find any feedback on those so I'll just get an LN. I'll just drive the car and take care of it and forget about the possible problems.

Here is some "light reading" on the Casper Labs IMS: Casper Labs Ceramic IMS Bearing - RennTech.org Forums

Regards, Maurice.

I hear ya Sexton. I got mine a couple years ago and find that I have a hard time enjoying it because I'm always worried that it's going to break down. Yes it a blast to drive in the summer time with the top down, it handles great, and people oh and ah over it, but in my mind, I'm thinking, what's going to break next and can I afford to fix it? I'm paranoid everytime I get behind the wheel....is it going to leave me stranded? This particular forum is great - lots of good information, everyone's willing to help and no flaming, but if I never found this forum, I'd still be a happy go-lucky Porsche owner, none the wiser to the IMS, RMS, motor mounts, cracked coolant tanks, spark plug tubes, wet ECUs, etc., etc. Oh yeah, and that whistling noise that supposably comes from the fuel filler vent hose or something in there. Oh well, enjoy your Porsche; I'm trying my best to enjoy mine.

Enjoy your car !!! Drive it every chance you get. AND..... keep your AAA membership along with the title in the glove box.

I will give you the same advise my mechanic gave me. Drive it and quit worrying about it. I have had my boxster for a year now and only had to battle a CEL when I first got it. Ended up being the MAF sensor but a $200.00 later it was fixed. I have put over 6,000 miles on it with no issues at all. I do understand I bought an 11 year old car with 50,000 miles. I am willing to fix what I need to if it goes. If i need a clutch I will do the ims, but not until.

Any 11 year old car will have issues if you drive it enough. Pcars don't have any more than most other cars, they are only a little more to fix.

Enjoy your car and drive it like it was meant to be driven. I do let mine warm up a little before I run it over 5,000 rpm but that is all.

Great info! I'll just keep driving it and enjoy it. These cars are a lot of fun. Thanks again!


Adam

Success story:

Bought my 1999 Boxster with 84K miles and have driven 18,000 miles in 18 months for a total of 102,000 miles. At least half of those miles have been on the track (30 track days) with the engine wailing constantly at 5-6,000rpm. The car is also a daily driver for my short 8 mile commute.

The problems that I've had is replacing my clutch at 92,000 miles and the starter at 96,000 miles. Both are well within the norm for any car. When I did the clutch, I also replaced the RMS seal since it was cheap but didn't do the IMS bearing (no reason to). Otherwise, all I've done is maintanence and upgrades.

For me, 986 ownership has been a total and complete success!

Think about it. People aren't going to make a thread that says 'My car ran great today!' very often as it isn't beneficial to anyone.

When someone talks about a problem, it helps them out along with people who have the same issue in the future.

There are no support groups for people who are always doing well, but there are groups for people with addictions and other illnesses. Same thing for cars.

Yes, you should definitely sell the car based on what a few whiners say on the internet.

I have to admit I feel better about the car after this. I'm ready for nice weather in Indiana so I can put the top down and enjoy it.

You go to any make/model car forum and you will hear the same things...take it as good info/knowledge to have for your beautiful car and drive the p*ss out of it!

Then when something goes wrong, you are the only one to blame for the problem:D

Original owner 02 Boxster, 75k hard miles with ~40+ track days (btw, I have been called "the" track whore, because my typical track day will be 7-8 sessions, my record was 13 sessions in 1 day...it helps to be passionate about driving, and a track instructor/coach also) :cheers:

I have 227,000 miles on my 2001 Boxster, original motor... Any Questions?

BTW my car ran great today!! Runs as good, if not better, than the day I bought it 7 1/2 years ago.

WOW...277k mi.?! you just became my hero :cheers: Mine is a 99 and has 109k running on original engine and so far no major issues just regular maintenance :)

My car drove like a caged animal that cant wait to rip my thorax out.

to put it in context, most people assume that a E46 BMW is indestructible and Honda reliable, but if you go to any of the E46 forums you would swear that there is not a single running E46 on the road! BMW's have major issues with sludge, Vanos parts going bad, CCV's, dismal cooling systems etc. My S is very reliable along with my BMW

people will always vent about issues but you will rarely hear about the "other" 75% of Boxsters out there.

P-car owners tend to be a little more picky about small issues and also have a little more anxiety about possible pending problems lol

FIFY


"other" 99%

My E46 has been indestructable - same as my Boxster!

I bought my 2003 Boxstrer S about 4 years ago. I had to do a minor mod to the window regulator in one of the doors, but that's it. Cost me some time and about $1 dollar to fix it. Had 14k miles on when I bought it, has around 24k on it now. Runs great and I love it. I had an inspection done on it after I bought it and flushed the brake system for good measure. Change the oil every year and that's really all it's needed. I know your fear about the IMS, but I'm just going to roll the dice on that one.

Reliable, But ...
 

About 95-99% of these cars seem to be totally reliable, at least as good if not better than other vehicles. The problem is the 1% to 5% that suffer destructive engine damage from the defective IMS that Porsche won't own up to. Others will have lots of niggling problems (e.g., Corvettes) but I can't think of any other vehicle that has a total failure rate of 1-5%. I won't drive my Porsche without a warranty of some sort, the risk is low but the price of failure is too high.

158000 kms
 

I bought a silver 98 986 in sept of 11 with 113000kms and it's now up to 158000 with no engines issues. I use Fuchs Titan 5w40 and change every 4000ks. Plus I run the 94 octane which has no ethanal. So far the car has been very reliable, just had to do a rear ball joint because of bad roads and 4 inchs of clearance. But strong car overall

2.5l boxster most underrated motor
 

I was told the Fuchs oil has the right addiditve package for the Porsche seals and rubber used in boxsters. I would recommend it for all boxsters and it has to be 5w40 not 0w40 plus get it out of the engine before it starts to breakdown. So far 45000 km in 8 months. As far as the 2.5l motor not being big enough, it's actually a blessing. The car has more than enough power on the highway and it gets almost 30mpg. Sure your not lighting it up off the line, but you can be downright nasty in a 2.5l boxster. It can out handle anything. You can go around cars like they are standing still. And it's unbelievable in rain and snow-a very underrated winter car. The clutch is pretty stiff for city stop and go so the pdk with 50 more ponies might be the best option for a daily driver. But let's face it it's all about the flat six right behind you whistling away as you feed the horsepower right to the ground pivoting off of 255s, with the intake right next to you. It's the best daily driver out there for 15k. You get the Porsche history and design for a fraction of the price. You can get a used motor for 5k if something unfortunate happens. Until then I'm going to enjoy mine because there is no substitute. And I've owned 928s and a 911, 924, two 944s and some bimmers, a tii screamer. And I love my 98 boxster just as much if not more than any car Ive owned. You still have the big round tach right in your face and I also like the 97-99 pre update gauges, cleaner if you ask me.

I just took my 98 on a 1107 mile long weekend drive. The old girl ran great.