Preliminary Evaluation · Closed

Rapid coolant loss

Action number

PE13009

Opened

Apr 26, 2013

Closed

Mar 10, 2014

Outcome

Closed without recall

Manufacturer: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

What NHTSA is examining

On April 26, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-009 to investigate 10 complaints alleging incidents of sudden coolant loss while traveling on public roadways in certain model year (MY) 2001 through 2007 Porsche 911 vehicles.The complaints alleged that pipe ends joined by epoxy to certain cooling system components may fail suddenly and separate, resulting in large volumes of coolant leakage.The investigation was opened to assess evidence of a design or manufacturing defect in the coolant pipe fittings and any related safety consequences. In response to ODI?s Information Request letter, Porsche identified a manufacturing quality issue with the supplier?s application of adhesive to coolant pipe fittings that resulted in elevated failure rates in approximately 6,800 early production 997 generation vehicles (MY 2007 and early MY 2008).ODI?s analysis of field data showed that the age-adjusted failure rate for these vehicles was approximately six times greater than MY 2001 through 2005 996 generation vehicles and MY 2008 through 2011 997 generation vehicles built after a process improvement for adhesive application was implemented by the supplier.Most of the leak complaints reviewed by ODI did not appear to involve complete separation of the fittings and many were detected when the vehicle was parked.There were no crashes or injuries reported to be related to the alleged defect in any of the subject vehicles.ODI identified two allegations that coolant…

Vehicles under investigation

2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS2003 Porsche 911 GT22004 Porsche 911 GT22010 Porsche 911 GT22011 Porsche 911 GT22008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS2003 Porsche 911 GT32004 Porsche 911 GT3 2007 Porsche 911 GT32008 Porsche 911 GT32010 Porsche 911 GT32011 Porsche 911 GT32005 Porsche 911 Turbo S2010 Porsche 911 Turbo S2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S2001 Porsche 911 Turbo2002 Porsche 911 Turbo2003 Porsche 911 Turbo2004 Porsche 911 Turbo2005 Porsche 911 Turbo2007 Porsche 911 Turbo2010 Porsche 911 Turbo2011 Porsche 911 Turbo2001 Porsche 9112002 Porsche 9112003 Porsche 9112004 Porsche 9112005 Porsche 911

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation records, updated daily. An investigation is not a determination that a defect exists; many probes close without a recall.