1998 Porsche Boxster: problems, recalls and reliability

“Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to turn the key, the ignition switch would not turn or would turn too far causing the instrument panel to be inoperable. There was a NHTSA recall, # 98v113000, regarding the ignition switch. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN. Updated 12/01/06 *jb”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2006

“Interior door handle cable failure. Both interior door handle cables have failed. This has made the vehicle impossible to exit in the event of an electrical problem. I have contacted both the local porsche dealer and porsche north america and have been informed that they will not fix this safety problem at their expense because the car is no longer under warranty. Porsche is aware of this pervasive problem but will not do anything about it unless a NHTSA recall is issued. A search on the internet show this to be a common problem to '98 and later boxters. See: http://www.986faq.com/10-0/problems. Asp#001 please issue a recall to fix this safety flaw. Thank you. *nm”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Sep 2005

“Porsche started selling boxsters in 1997. The car has a problem in that the airbag light will come on and the owner will not know if the airbags are working properly or not. Porsche has had over 7 fixes on this issue and none have worked to date. They have replace mine under warranty, and it has failed again. I have been informed by my local porache dealer this is an on going problem. Porsche north america refuses to fix this problem sine the car is out of warranty.”Owner report · Equipment · May 2005

“Engine coolant tank cracked for porsche boxster (1998). The temperature monitor flashes indicating overheating engine and may cause engine to seize while driving. Contacted dealer who indicated its a common safety problem. Contacted porsche cars north america, who did not offer any repair assistance. *la”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Aug 2003

“While driving, airbag light stays on, and it can be useless in event of a crash. Cause unknown. Dealer notified.*ak the air bag light illuminated and the dealer refused to fix without cost ot the consumer. However, consumer mentioned it to the home office of porsche and they agreed to repair the vehicle at no cost to consumer. Also the driver side belt buckle switch needed wiring modifications. Because of price, consumer declined repairs at the time. *jg”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2002

“The airbag warning light came on and the dealer stated the left and right seatbelt need to be replaced to correct the problem. The dealer stated that they could not gaurantee that the seatbelts and airbags would deploy correctly if the vehicle was in an accident. Porsche has issued a technical service bulletin on this problem. The question is how many vehicles have the same problem and should this be a recall if it is widespread.*ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2000

“1998 porsche boxster air bag warning light illuminated over a year ago. *ts the consumer contacted the dealer and was told that there was a know corrosion problem with the contacts in the air bag electrical system. The dealer told the consumer that the front seats had to be removed to correct the problem and that the wiring harness had to be replaced. The consumer believes the manufacturer should be responsible for the cost of the repairs but was told that since the vehicle was out of warranty the he would be responsible for the repairs. The emission warning light illuminated. It was determined that the gas cap was defective. *nm”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jan 1901