986 MOT failure - what would you do?

[wrightflyer]

Hi I have a 2002 Boxster S that is maybe worth £2500-£3000 but it failed MOT and now that I've sent it to a Porsche specialist they say the main MOT failure (airbag warning light) is caused by a failure in the airbag ECU. The part alone is something like £1400 which is half the value of the car (not to mention labour and other cosmetic issues that may need fixing).

So what would you do? Is it worth the investment to repair? alternatively what do you think a 130,000 mile 2002 Boxster S is worth in MOT failed state ?

Any advice gratefully received!


Picture is car in 2020

[elgyqc]

A quick look on ebay reveals these units 996 618 219 00 for $50US. Supposedly in working condition.

[BruceH]

Yes it is worth fixing IMHO. You have to realize it is now over 20 years old and things are going to fail, if you are not comfortable with that, then you should probably sell it. From the picture it looks to be in good shape but deferred maintenance can get expensive. If you do some of the maintenance yourself, the cost is more reasonable. There are lots of resources around including this forum that can help.

[Luckyman01]

A lot of code readers will turn out that light.

My Autel does, gave about 100 USD for it?

David

[BFeller]

My airbag light came on because of a failure of the passenger seat buckle. My Durametric helped me diagnose the issue.