This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Aluminum coolant tubes which apparently are glued together via the oem factory become old and brittle and blow apart. Coolant is then pouring out of the engine at a high rate into the city street. In my case, I was sitting at a red traffic light when the coolant pipe burst/separated. In order to fix/repair the issue, the engine must be removed from the vehicle and the 8 coolant tubes must be welded and/or drilled and pinned to keep the issue from happening again
I noticed steam coming from the engine bay while driving in a residential area. Stopped the car immediately and contacted a tow service. A coolant line came loose due to a failed fitting at the manifold and discharged the entire reservoir, leaving a puddle of coolant underneath the vehicle.
There was no incident, but there is a coolant smell which regularly happens after a long drive. My mechanic told me that this is because the coolant fittings weep; I've found many forum posts, and was told by my mechanic that the lines bursting and/or spilling is common in 996 turbos ('01-'05). He advised me that I should have preventive welds to make sure that the coolant lines do not unseat and spill all of my coolant. I was told that it could happen tomorrow, or could happen 50K miles from now; either way, I would be stranded wherever I was. The work to complete the preventive measure was quoted around $5-6K, but I have not had it completed.
I own a 2002 911 carrera turbo, which has a well-know and documented design defect in the engine (GT1 motor). It is know as the coolant-pipe failure issue. While my car has not yet suffered a failure, there is a reasonable probability that the coolant pipes may fail during regular use, causing a substantial likelihood of property damage and personal injury to myself and others utilizing the public right-of-way. It is a clear safety issue that must be addressed by way of recall and repair. There is a known solution to the problem. Here is a hyperlink to one of the sources of information for this issue. forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/997-GT2-GT3-forum/613440-GT1-coolant-pipe-prevention-fix-on-2011-gt3rs-shark-werks.html the manufacturer should be required by the NHTSA to recall and repair all vehicles with this known defect. The cost of repair and the safety of the general public should not be borne by the individual car owner. Also, here's a video showing how the tube comes apart: www.youtube.com/watch?V=rh56ckzc-qe.
Intermediate shaft bearing failed, causing catastrophic engine failure and loss of all engine oil on the roadway. Luckily, the car was stopped at the time.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pasadena, CA, USA