Total Complaints
35 filings
PORSCHE BOXSTER · model year
35 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999PORSCHEBOXSTER carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 BOXSTER is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 6 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (4) and engine and engine cooling:engine (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1999 BOXSTER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
35 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 6 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
MISFIRES DURING WARM UP, AFTER WARM UP THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTH WITH HIGH RPM OF 1200 TO 1300. I HAVE TO TAP THE ACCELERATOR PAD TO LOWER THE RPM,AFTER COUPLE OF SECONDS THE RPM GOES BACK UP. WHEN IT REACHES 190 DEGREES RPM GOES HIGHER TO ALMOST 1500, TEMPERATURE GOES TO 210 DEGREES FAN TURNS ON FROM THE RADIATOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE BUT NOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, FAN ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SOMETIMES TURNS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT . THEN THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING AT 210 DEGREES, START UP BUT WON'T RUN. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP DOWN TO 160 DEGREES, SOMETIMES ALL THE WAY DOWN. START IT UP THEN THE ENGINE RUNS. *TR
Mileage: 127,000
MISFIRES DURING WARM UP, AFTER WARM UP THE ENGINE RUNS SMOOTH WITH HIGH RPM OF 1200 TO 1300. I HAVE TO TAP THE ACCELERATOR PAD TO LOWER THE RPM,AFTER COUPLE OF SECONDS THE RPM GOES BACK UP. WHEN IT REACHES 190 DEGREES RPM GOES HIGHER TO ALMOST 1500, TEMPERATURE GOES TO 210 DEGREES FAN TURNS ON FROM THE RADIATOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE BUT NOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, FAN ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SOMETIMES TURNS ON AND SOMETIMES NOT . THEN THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING AT 210 DEGREES, START UP BUT WON'T RUN. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP DOWN TO 160 DEGREES, SOMETIMES ALL THE WAY DOWN. START IT UP THEN THE ENGINE RUNS. *TR
Mileage: 127,000
THIS LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT FREEWAY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS CRUISING ON LEVEL FREEWAY WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THE ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE FACILITY. AFTER COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT REBUILD-ABLE DUE TO A SLIPPED CYLINDER SLEEVE WHICH RESULTED IN PISTON, CYLINDER HEAD AND BLOCK DAMAGE. DETAILED PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE.
Mileage: 14,011
THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE PROBLEM IS IN A SENSOR IN THE SEATBELT. EACH TIME IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND PORSCHE WANTS ME TO SPEND $550 TO REPLACE THE UNIT WITH THE FOURTH SENSOR. I HAVE DECLINED TO DO THIS AS THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE NEW UNIT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT IN THIS CAR ACCORDING TO SERVICEMEN AND THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE. I HAVE CALLED AND WRITTEN TO PORSCHE WITHOUT RESPONSE. *LN
Mileage: 50,000
THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS COME ON FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE PROBLEM IS IN A SENSOR IN THE SEATBELT. EACH TIME IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND PORSCHE WANTS ME TO SPEND $550 TO REPLACE THE UNIT WITH THE FOURTH SENSOR. I HAVE DECLINED TO DO THIS AS THEY WILL NOT WARRANTY THE NEW UNIT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DEFECT IN THIS CAR ACCORDING TO SERVICEMEN AND THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE. I HAVE CALLED AND WRITTEN TO PORSCHE WITHOUT RESPONSE. *LN
Mileage: 50,000
PORSCHE BOXTER AIRBAG ( SRS) MALFUNCTION. SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. MONDAY, OCT.11 2010 APPROX. 2:00. VEHICLE HAD BEEN UNUSED FOR 4 WEEKS. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEH. BATTERY WAS ALMOST DEAD. NO ACTION FROM STARTER. VEH ALARM SOUNDED. ALARM REMAINED BLARING UNLESS KEY WAS IN #1 POSITION. I WENT INTO MY HOUSE ( TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. ) I HEARD A LOUD " BANG " . UPON RETURNING TO MY CAR I SAW THAT THE LEFT (DRIVERS) AIR BAG HAD DEPLOYED. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE ODOR FROM THE AIRBAG WAS NOT PLEASANT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NO ONE WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT. *TR
Mileage: 76,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THE CONTACT HAD MASSIVE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND THE CRANK SHAFT BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT VALID AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.
Mileage: 42,000
AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON IN 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON AND RECURRING PROBLEM WITH PORSCHE BOXSTERS. IT WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A SEAT BUCKLE PROBLEM. THEY INDICATED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE ISSUE IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COME ON. PORSCHE SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM IN ORDER CLEAR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 26,000
IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT EARLY PRODUCTION PORSCHE BOXSTERS HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ENGINE FAILURES DUE TO CRACKED OR SLIPPED CYLINDER LINERS. THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL BUT PORSCHE DID REPLACE FAILED ENGINES UNDER WARRANTY. PORSCHE HAS NOT DIVULGED EXACTLY HOW MANY ENGINES THIS ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN OTHER THAN A BROAD RANGE OF 2.5 ENGINES IN LATE 1998-EARLY 1999. NOR HAVE THEY RELEASED ANY ENGINE NUMBERS THAT HAVE HAD SLEEVES INSTALLED. I PURCHASED MY CAR 2 WEEKS AGO FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 69K MILES AND FULL MAIN DEALER SERVICE HISTORY. THE ENGINE HAS NOW FAILED DUE TO A SLIPPED CYLINDER LINER. THE ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN RACED OR OVER-REVVED. I'M LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE $8 - $13K REPAIR BILL FOR A REPLACEMENT/REBUILT ENGINE. FORTUNATELY THE ENGINE SEIZED WHILST IN A CAR PARK. HAD IT DONE SO WHILST DRIVING ON THE BUSY INTERSTATE, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BOXSTER, PORSCHE TEAMED UP WITH KOLBENSCHMIDT TO MANUFACTURE THEIR N
Mileage: 69,353
AIRBAG WARNING LAMP STAYING ON DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED SENSOR SYSTEM THAT RELIES ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND GROUNDING SYSTEM ELECTRICAL RESISTANCES BEING INCREDIBLY STABLE OVER TIME. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY REDESIGNED SEAT BELT RECEPTACLES AND REPLACING WIRES. IF YOU DON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO CLEAR THIS LAMP INDICATION, YOU MUST SHELL OUT $500 TO $1500 TO DO SO. HOW DOES PORSCHE HAVE THE NERVE TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR PART WHICH LEADS TO AN AIRBAG WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF NOT CORRECTED. MY INCIDENT IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED ONE. I'VE CHECKED OUT OTHER COMPLAINTS VIA THE INTERNET. *JB
Mileage: 20,000
AIRBAG WARNING LAMP STAYING ON DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED SENSOR SYSTEM THAT RELIES ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND GROUNDING SYSTEM ELECTRICAL RESISTANCES BEING INCREDIBLY STABLE OVER TIME. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY REDESIGNED SEAT BELT RECEPTACLES AND REPLACING WIRES. IF YOU DON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO CLEAR THIS LAMP INDICATION, YOU MUST SHELL OUT $500 TO $1500 TO DO SO. HOW DOES PORSCHE HAVE THE NERVE TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR PART WHICH LEADS TO AN AIRBAG WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF NOT CORRECTED. MY INCIDENT IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED ONE. I'VE CHECKED OUT OTHER COMPLAINTS VIA THE INTERNET. *JB
Mileage: 20,000
AIRBAG WARNING LAMP STAYING ON DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED SENSOR SYSTEM THAT RELIES ON SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND GROUNDING SYSTEM ELECTRICAL RESISTANCES BEING INCREDIBLY STABLE OVER TIME. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY REDESIGNED SEAT BELT RECEPTACLES AND REPLACING WIRES. IF YOU DON'T FIX THIS PROBLEM, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU WANT TO CLEAR THIS LAMP INDICATION, YOU MUST SHELL OUT $500 TO $1500 TO DO SO. HOW DOES PORSCHE HAVE THE NERVE TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR PART WHICH LEADS TO AN AIRBAG WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF NOT CORRECTED. MY INCIDENT IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED ONE. I'VE CHECKED OUT OTHER COMPLAINTS VIA THE INTERNET. *JB
Mileage: 20,000
I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT TO A STORE. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR LATER IT WOULD NOT START. IT WAS DETERMINED BY BOTH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND A PORSCHE DEALER THAT THE CAR HAD SUSTAINED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OF AN UNKNOWN ORIGIN. (THEY WERE NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE ENGINE. I DID NOT ASK THEM TO DO THIS.). I REPLACED THE ENGINE. *NM
Mileage: 50,911
I OWN A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE SEAT BELTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THERE IS A FAILURE IN THE CIRCUITRY BETWEEN THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ON THIS DEFECT. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL FOR THIS AS IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON, KNOWN DEFECT WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON THE CAR ? *NM
I OWN A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE SEAT BELTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THERE IS A FAILURE IN THE CIRCUITRY BETWEEN THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED ON THIS DEFECT. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL FOR THIS AS IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON, KNOWN DEFECT WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON THE CAR ? *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. ON THE FIRST INCIDENT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD COME UNLOCKED WHEN THE CHILD TUGGED ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELT AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. ON 2-01-06 THE SEAT BELTS WOULDN'T RETRACT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY AGAIN. NOW THE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE.
Mileage: 69,876
I HAVE A 1999 BOXSTER. AT 9500 MILES THE ENGINE BLEW UP. IRA MOTORS IN DANVERS REPLACED IT WITH A REBUILT ENGINE. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE THEN BUT IT HAS BEEN UNDER WARRANTY. MY CAR IS ALWAYS GARAGED IN WINTER AND HAS ONLY 25,000 MILES ON THE NEW MOTOR. IN MID OCT. OF THIS YEAR MY CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH WHEN STARTED IN THE MORNING. IT WAS DUE FOR IT'S 30,000 MI CHECK UP SOON SO I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. I SPENT $1000 FOR THE CHECK UP AND TWO DAYS LATER PICKED IT UP AND IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN. COUGHING, CHOKING AND STALLING OUT. I LEFT THE CAR THERE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AND WHEN THE WEATHER GOT COLDER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES. THE LAST TIME THE SERVICE DEPT. TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT THEY HAD SEVERAL CARS UP TO 2005 MODELS DOING THE SAME THING. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A WINTER FUEL ADDITIVE IN THE NORTHEAST THAT DOESN'T
Mileage: 35,000
I HAVE A 1999 PORSCHE BOXSTER THAT HAD NO PROBLEMS CONCERNING SAFETY, AIRBAG OR THE SEAT BELTS OF THE CAR UNTIL THE AIR BAG LIGHT MYSTERIOUSLY TURNED ON. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DECODED THE CODE TO FIND THE PROBLEM IS A SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT THAT IS FAULTY, BUT THE AIR BAG WAS STILL WORKING PROPERLY. THE DEALER (RUSNAK PORSCHE OF PASADENA) ADMITTED THIS WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THE PROBLEM IS COMMON, BUT WAS NOT COVERED SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS VERY PREVALENT IN PORSCHES, AS IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED MANY TIMES ON A MAIN PORSCHE MESSAGE BOARD (WWW.PPBB.COM). ALSO, THE PROBLEM HAS ITS OWN WEBSITE WITH HOW TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THE PART EVEN THOUGH IT IS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. HTTP://WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/ESKLUT/AIRBAG.HTML IF NECESSARY I WILL COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR A SET AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM COVERED BY WARRANTY OR NOT. BILL WOJDAK. *JB
LEAKING COOLANT TANK. THE COOLANT TANK ON THIS VEHICLE HAS FAILED IN NUMEROUS CARS RESULTING IN EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. MANY OWNERS I HAVE CONTACTED HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TANK FAILURE. I BELIEVE PORSCHE SHOULD FIX THESE CARS UNDER A RECALL. THIS IS CLEAR CASE OF A DESIGN DEFICENCY WHICH WILL LEAD TO OVERHEATING AND FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. IF THIS HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC, THE OPERATER COULD BE INJURED OR KILLED. THE TANK MUST BE REPLACED WITH AN UPDATED PART FROM PORSCHE THAT HAS HAD THE MATERIAL CHANGED.*AK
Mileage: 64,000
WHILE AT THE CAR WASH THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF THE FACILITY AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM
Mileage: 7,000
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.