Re: Stop sale and recall of 2021’s

I can see a member with a recent delivery this might affect. Looks like Porsche is stepping up and replacing all affected engines.
[www.caranddriver.com]

Paralizer 06 Boxster S Atlas Grey/Black/Black

It's a painful problem, with most buyers in limbo. Porsche has been very uncommunicative to buyers and dealers to date.

All affected engines are NOT being replaced. This is what was said:

"Porsche spokesperson declined to specify the delivery delay for those who have not yet received their vehicles, but on an online Porsche forum, Rennlist.com, one purchaser of the 718 Cayman GT4 posted a letter from a dealer saying that delivery would be delayed by three to six months to remedy the problem properly"

About 200 cars in the USA, 90 in Canada....in all a1,000 worldwide.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

According to NHTSA, there is a total of 190 cars involved. All built between Jan. 26 and March 4, 2021.

The details and break-down of vehicles / models affected are listed here.
[static.nhtsa.gov]

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Guenter in Ontario
According to NHTSA, there is a total of 190 cars involved. All built between Jan. 26 and March 4, 2021.

The details and break-down of vehicles / models affected are listed here.
[static.nhtsa.gov]

So not confusing the count, the 190 covers the USA; Canada another 91 or so, and about 800 more around the world.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

I suspect anyone with a pending order will simply cancel and get a vehicle manufactured outside of that window.

One wonders how much of a deviation there was. Was this an abundance of caution? Or was it more like - we have a time bomb in each engine?

While Porsche has lots of engines and plants, this rate of build for the high end and high priced Cayman/Boxster levels might be bad news for the Porsche sports car models we all love.

Happened in 1998 with the cylinder sleeves slipping. Delayed my delivery by six months. In 1997, they had issues with porous engine blocks. The water cooled flat six has given Porsche headaches. Not going to mention the IMS, as not certain it delayed any production dates.

I suspect it only affected one assembly line for a short window on a limited number of vehicle types.

Further - who knows how much production is going on in COVID. I do not think we can read anything much into this.

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JMstamford,ct
I suspect it only affected one assembly line for a short window on a limited number of vehicle types.

Further - who knows how much production is going on in COVID. I do not think we can read anything much into this.

You are correct. It only affected the GT 4, Spyder and Boxster / Cayman GTS 4.0 models, the only ones to have this particular engine. They are the most expensive in the Boxster / Cayman lineup. Here in Canada, the least expensive (GTS 4.0 models), start at just under $100,000 before you start checking off boxes.

My GTS4.0 was built in Oct 2020 so I missed the problem window by a couple of months. Sucks for folks with affected cars. If a large number of buyers walk away from their orders and go with new allocations, I presume the affected cars would go into dealer inventories. Not sure Porsche would have an obligation to disclose the connecting rod fix on those cars since the cars were never delivered and therefore were never recalled.... not a lawyer and not saying Porsche will elect to do it this way... just speculating.

BTW, my car is astonishing. Hit 1700 miles this morning and I officially declared the car "broken in". 2nd and 3rd gear pulls to redline make really cool car noise like you read about... And yes, I was hoping the connecting rods would not fly out.

Hey Keith. Now that you've got your new GTS broken in, how do you like the handling compared to you 987? You've sure got some great roads in your area to try it out.

Guenter - The new car is vastly superior. Handling is other worldly. That doesn’t always mean it’s more fun but is a lot faster. I continue to enjoy the direct and analog feel of the 987S. The level of tech is fairly low so I know I’m the one doing the driving. In comparison, the 718 4.0 has to be driven a good bit faster on a given road to generate the same thrill factor. A super capable car has a way of making things boring that could be interesting is a less capable machine. My first car was a 1974 Chevy Nova with a V8, vinyl bench seat, and skinny tires. Left hand turns had a high thrill factor at moderate speeds since I had to hang on to the steering wheel for dear life as my butt tried to scoot over to the passenger side.

I “think” I’ve felt the PTV kicking in a couple of times on some really tight turns in the 718 4.0. I was anticipating some push as the front tires gave up but instead the car just magically rotated without ever getting the sensation of tire slip at either end of the car. May have just been mechanical goodness but it felt a little weird. Felt like the laws of physics were being slightly violated. It was obvious I could have carried much more speed. Still getting to know the car but the limits of handling are so high I don’t have a clue where they are…. Spring is here, the temps are rising, and I look forward to exploring the handling capabilities of this car.

I think you've summed it up quite nicely. I think the jump from 987 to the 981 was quite a leap forward. My 987 had the stock suspension and my 981 has the X73 suspension. Even though it sits 20mm lower, I found the ride about as compliant as that in my 987, but the handling is way better. I thought you'd be pretty darn happy with your GTS 4.0. Glad you finally past that break-in period. Now you can really let the Symphony in Flat Six echo though the Blue Ridge.

It is nice to be able to get out and enjoy our cars again. We've actually had some pretty warm weather last part of March and April so far has been a bit warmer than usual.

The worldwide total is almost 1,000 cars, and what happens to the cars sitting in ports and at dealers is far from settled. I'm hoping they all get new engines. The teardown to replace connection rods is a major task, and beyond the scope of many dealers and port repair shops. I for one, would always have a concern about the quality of the rebuild, and I wouldn't accept one. Resale would probably take a hit, as well. It's a 4 to 6 month delay for the folks who've ordered those cars. If they want to get back in line for a new order, it will probably be 6+ months, too. Allocations are very hard to come by. All in, Porsche is out about $100 million.

For those impacted, this is painful.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

IMO, a quality issue like this is not surprising and does not mean Porsche quality has become shoddy. I run a machining/manufacturing company. Modern manufacturing is a perfectly orchestrated series of just-in-time events. COVID has screwed this delicate clockwork. Material shortages, working remotely, supply chain problems, employees with positive tests, mandatory 2-week quarantines, etc. cause variability. Maybe the guy that normally machines/inspects the connecting rods was quarantined and someone was filling in for him. That’s potentially a problem. Maybe the machinist was trained remotely via Zoom. That’s definitely a problem. It’s a small miracle that anything manufactured in the last 12 months works at all.

Porsche may not be handling things perfectly but I’ll give’em credit for initiating a very expensive recall even though no engines had failed. Any way they handle it at this point is costing a bundle so hope they’ll err on the side of customer satisfaction and provide brand new engines or priority allocation for a new car.

2021 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, Chalk, LWBS, PCCB, 6-speed
and
2007 987 Boxster S, Speed Yellow, 6-speed

Curious if your GTS is manual or PDK?

I thought the "fix" was a new engine? If so, there could be a disclosure issue with the engine VIN matching what we always perceive to the be the "only" VIN on a car that we use for registration, etc. For these very "limited" production cars, that impacts value down the road as the car would not be considered "original" due to non-matching VINs. Proper collectors/restorers verify these things before buying. Now, maybe Porsche will match the VINs, but seems like a logistics nightmare.

Even if they sell at a discount - or as dealer used cars - none of this will be a nightmare.

The bigger issue - long term - will be public perception. VW/Porsche have had a number of bloody noses in recent years.
Someone needs to work on that. The couple dozen/hundred cars affected is not a real long term thing. There are very few folks who care about numbers matching--- especially if they are getting a deal

Not sure how solid my information is but I'm hearing that cars delivered to customer (about 20 cars) will get new engines. The other 170 cars will get new connecting rods installed by dealer or in port. These numbers are for North America. I think the world wide total of affected cars is about 800. Allocations for the 4.0 liter cars have been hard to get and dealer inventory is near zero. These are all dream cars specifically ordered by Porsche enthusiasts. It really sucks for those affected.

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KeithF
Not sure how solid my information is but I'm hearing that cars delivered to customer (about 20 cars) will get new engines. The other 170 cars will get new connecting rods installed by dealer or in port. These numbers are for North America. I think the world wide total of affected cars is about 800. Allocations for the 4.0 liter cars have been hard to get and dealer inventory is near zero. These are all dream cars specifically ordered by Porsche enthusiasts. It really sucks for those affected.

IIRC, weren't the suspect engines in the early 991 GT3's all replaced rather than rebuilt?
I'd expect the process replacing the engines to be more expensive than replacing the connecting rods, but if you want to ensure the owners have a truly trouble-free fix, a new long block takes the guess work out of it--especially on a $100K car.

Please accept our sincere apology for the delay of your eagerly awaited 718 (GTS/GT4/Spyder), as well as the delay in providing details about the process that will finally get this car into your garage. Since our last communication, we have been working diligently with our Porsche AG colleagues to develop a solution which will give you the highest level of confidence in the quality and durability of your car. We appreciate the feedback from many future owners who helped guide this process.

Technical Solution Your original production engine will be replaced with a brand-new, factory-built engine. The work will be completed by your dealership’s factory-trained technicians, who have significant experience removing and replacing engines, as this is common practice for many 718 maintenance operations. Engines will begin arriving in early June, and because production is limited, we expect that the final engines will reach us in late September. We will do our best to supply these engines according to each customer’s order date using a first-in, first-out principle.

Warranty Extension At Porsche, we stand behind our products and repairs. To provide you and subsequent owners additional reassurance, your replacement engine will be covered by an 8-year warranty. This warranty extension by four additional years will provide the same level of coverage to your vehicle’s engine as the original manufacturer’s new car warranty. Your vehicle’s warranty information will be updated in our systems, meaning that it will be automatically honored at all authorized Porsche dealerships. Engine Certificate Along with extending the warranty of your vehicle’s engine, we will also provide you with a certificate of engine exchange.

Customer Appreciation We understand the inconveniences associated with this delay. In recognition of your patience and loyalty, we would like to provide you with a sales voucher good for $4,000 towards the purchase of this or any other new Porsche vehicle. Please present this voucher number X to your dealership at time of purchase. It is good for one year from the date of this email and may be redeemed at any authorized Porsche dealership in the United States. As an additional gesture of appreciation, we would like to extend a Porsche Driving Experience voucher to you. This voucher is good for $1,000 toward a driving experience at either of our two Porsche Experience Center locations in Atlanta, GA, and Carson, CA, or at our Porsche Track Experience in Birmingham, AL. To redeem the voucher, please present this number X when you book online at www.porschedriving.com or by contacting our PEC scheduling team at (888) 204 7474. It is also valid for one year. We hope you will be able to take advantage of this offer and enjoy a fun and excitement-filled day on us. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding and will keep you updated with further developments. Thank you for your continued loyalty.

Sincerely,
Glenn GardeVP, AfterSalesPorsche Cars North America, Inc.

Simon KuhnimhofVP, Customer ExperiencePorsche Cars North America, Inc

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

The 6 month wait is rough and will possibly carry over into a model year change. Bummer to receive delivery of a 2021 model when others are receiving or about to receive 2022's. I placed my order for a 2020 GTS in July 2020 and received a 2021 model in mid-November.

But Porsche has really stepped up.

When you consider that the problem didn't originate with Porsche, but a problem with one of its suppliers, they've obviously put a lot of thought into finding a solution that would have the least possible impact on the customer. Since Porsche engines are still assembled by hand, it does present a challenge for them to build those extra NA flat sixes. They're taking on those problems and even giving customers some nice little extras. Hopefully, the extras help to ease the extra wait.

Maybe all those waiters will appreciate their cars even more, if that's possible with these fabulous cars.

They've come a long way. When my '98 got delayed due to the porous engine blocks, I got a scale Boxster. Not certain if the cylinder sleeve people got anything, and the IMS people had to do a class action suite.

True, that they've come a long way. We have to remember that when the Boxster came out, it saved Porsche from going under. So their finances at the turn of turn of this century weren't anywhere near what they are today. I would think that the manufacturer of the connecting rods that weren't up to spec will take a financial hit in this, if not the whole cost.