1994 PORSCHE 968

PINION BEARING FAILURE IN POWER TRAIN OF PORSCHE 968 MODEL CARS - MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP TO DRIVING CONDITIONS OR WEAR AND TEAR. MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. EXTREMELY HIGH COST TO REPAIR - SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE RECALL. *JB

Mileage: 57,100

THERE EXISTS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE PINION BEARING IN THE TRANSAXLE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY DEALERS, CONSUMERS, AND THE MANUFACTURER. TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF KNOWN FAILURES - CONSIDERING THAT PORSCHE PRODUCED LESS THAN 12,780 OF THESE VEHICLES WORLDWIDE OVER FOUR YEARS, THE RATIO OF FAILURES IS ALARMINGLY HIGH. TO DATE, PORSCHE HAS REJECTED CLAIMS FROM CONSUMERS FOR THE REPAIR OF FAILED UNITS AND CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM WHICH UNADDRESSED CAN RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND "COULD" RESULT IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS GONE UNRESOLVED LONG ENOUGH. PERHAPS THE SMALL NUMBER OF UNITS MANUFACTURED IS TO BLAME FOR THE PROBLEM TAKING SO LONG TO SURFACE AS A WIDEPREAD ISSUE, BUT THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTING THIS FAILURE ON VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS AND COMMUNITIES. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO HAVE AFFECTED ON A HANDFUL OF UNITS, THE NUMBER KEEPS GROWING AND HAS REACHED A LEVEL WHERE A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED F

Mileage: 80,231

KNOWN PINION BEARING ISSUE HAS BEEN IGNORED BY PORSCHE FOR YEARS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF KNOWN CASES OF THIS BEARING FAILURE YET PORSCHE OUTRIGHT DENIES A PROBLEM. WITH LESS THAN 12,780 UNITS PRODUCED WORLDWIDE OVER FOUR YEARS, THE RATIO OF FAILED UNITS OF QUITE HIGH BY ANY STANDARD. THERE EXISTS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSUALTIES SHOULD THIS FAILURE BE IGNORED AND OCCUR WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. WHILE THERE TYPICALLY IS WARNING THAT THE BEARING IS FAILING, MANY PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOT KNOWING THE POTENTIAL RISK. PORSCHE SHOULD ISSUE A MODEL WIDE RECALL AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN ALL 968 PRODUCED OVER THE FOUR YEAR PRODUCTION RUN AS THE FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN UNITS FROM EACH YEAR OF MANUFACTURE. PLEASE VISIST WWW.968.NET FOR A DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER. YOU WILL HEAR THE NIGHTMARE STORIES FROM MANY 968 OWNERS - FROM THE FAILURE ITSELF, TO TRYING TO GET PORSCHE TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. YOU WILL ALSO FIND THAT PORSCHE DOES, IN FACT, KNOW ABOUT THIS

ALL ELECTRICAL POWER STOPS ABRUPTLY IMMEDIATELY KILLING THE ENGINE AND ALL POWER TO LIGHTS. YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS SINCE THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL POWER. APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN A HIGHER ELECTRICAL LOAD IS INTRODUCED SUCH AS A/C OR HIGH BEAMS ARE USED. MOST RECENTLY, THIS HAPPENED ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHERE THE ONLY LIGHTS AVAILABLE WERE THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS. WHEN ALL POWER STOPPED AT CLOSE TO 60MPH IT WAS PITCH BLACK. WITHOUT KNOWING THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL OVER MISSING A TELEPHONE POLE AT 50MPH BY INCHES. THE RESULTING INSPECTION SHOWS THE WIRING HARNESS CLOSE TO THE WINDSHIELD UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER SHOWS THAT IF YOU WIGGLE THE WIRING HARNESS, ALL POWER IS RESTORED. THE ENGINE WILL START AT THIS POINT AND THE VEHICLE CAN CONTINUE UNTIL THE NEXT POWER SURGE WHICH THEN KILLS THE ENGINE AND ALL LIGHTS ONCE AGAIN. NO FUSES ARE AFFECTED BY THIS.*AK