Help
 

Im looking to buy a 2001 boxster S and when the car is in park, the light on the dash indicates it is in reverse(eventhough it is in park) and the car will not start unless it is moved to neutral. Does anyone know what the problem is/how expensive it is to fix

Potentially could be the selector switch (986-325-612-01) having gone bad if it cannot register Park. But as I don't have a Tip, I'm not 100% certain on that.

Yes, it could be the selector switch, which is on the left side of the transmission.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1485798107.jpg

I had a similar problem on a car I had. At one point the shift lever had been jammed and forced which broke some internal parts. The previous owner had replaced the shift knob, but there was still damage in the actual shift selector. I often had to move the shift lever slightly out of (P) to get the car to start.
I replaced the whole shift selector.
Woody probably has some available and there are a few on eBay.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1486130630.jpg

I also found:
-The shift cable was not adjusted correctly.
-Transmission mounts were bad.

Sometimes a faulty ignition switch will act like that. When mine stared to fail it did that at first.

These cars are wonderful but minefields for a noob- ask me how.....
Suggest you ask for a referral to local-to-you Indies as the basis for your Search. A well maintained, good Boxster is a joy and affordable. The others - not so much. You need a reliable way of sorting the good from the bad. And being a competent diy mechanic and experienced car guy is a grossly inadequate qualification - in my case !Look of the For Sale Section here also?
There is nothing so expensive as a cheap Porsche !
Good Luck & I hope this helps