2005 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Convertible

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON CITY STREETS WHEN A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD INDICATING THAT I SHOULD CHECK MY ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL. I DROVE ON FOR A SHORT TIME (A FEW MINUTES) AND THEN PARKED BRIEFLY, SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE (AGAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES) TO CONSIDER THE SITUATION AND TO CALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY DEALERSHIP (WHICH WAS CLOSED SINCE IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY). AS I WAS CLOSE TO HOME, I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR THERE. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE WARNING MESSAGE CHANGED TO AN INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS TOO HIGH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND ARRANGED TO TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILURE OF A COOLANT PIPE THAT LED TO COOLANT LOSS, WHICH REQUIRES AN ESTIMATED $7,500 IN REPAIR WORK. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL, MAKE, AND YEAR OF MY CAR. AN NHTSA REPORT HAS BEEN FILED ABOUT THIS, WITH AN ACTION NUMBER OF PE13009 (OPENED ON APRIL 26, 2013). WHILE I WAS NOT DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED AND THERE WAS NO CRASH, FIRE, INJURY, OR FATALITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT, THIS ISSUE POSES SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISKS GIVEN HOW QUICKLY THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE TEMPERATURE EXCEEDED SAFE OPERATING LIMITS. UNDER HIGHER VELOCITY CONDITIONS THE SITUATION COULD HAVE POSED SIGNIFICANT RISKS TO MY AND OTHERS' SAFETY. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION GIVEN THAT IT IS A RECOGNIZED AND ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR CAR AND THAT IT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW. *TR

EPOXY HOLDING PIPE IN WATER PUMP HOUSING FAILED CAUSING PIPE TO SEPARATE, COOLANT TO DUMP ON REAR WHEELS AND BRAKES, AND LOSS OF TRACTION/DEGRADED REAR BRAKING. *TR

DUE TO HIGHLIGHTED PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM (NAMELY THE FITTINGS POPPING OFF) ON THE 2005 PORSCHE 911 GT3 IN VARIOUS FORUMS AND WEB SITES. I HAVE DECIDED TO PERFORM PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND TO ALLEVIATE SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM (FITTING AND HOSES) TO WELD THE COOLANT CUPLINGS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 79 NORTHBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 3 BETWEEN MINK SHOALS AND ELKVIEW, WV. I HAD JUST PICKED UP A PIZZA AND I WAS HEADED HOME A FEW MILES FROM MY HOUSE. I WAS GOING UPHILL WHEN I HEARD A POP AND SAW A HUGE PLUME OF STEAM SHOOT OUT FROM BEHIND MY CAR. I THEN TAPPED THE BRAKES AND THE REAR RIGHT TIRE GOT A LITTLE LOOSE AS IT HAD ANTIFREEZE COOLANT SPRAYING DIRECTLY ON IT. I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR HOME AS IT WAS QUICKLY STARTING TO GET HOT AND CLOSE TO OVERHEATING AS THERE WAS NO COOLANT LEFT. I GOOGLED "PORSCHE 911 COOLANT LINE FAILURE" AND QUICKLY LEARNED THAT MY ISSUE HAD HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS.I LEARNED THAT FROM THE FACTORY PORSCHE GLUES/EPOXIES THE COOLANT FITTINGS INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND OVER TIME AND MANY HEAT CYCLES LATER THE GLUE/EPOXY FAILS AND THE COOLANT SPRAYS EVERYWHERE AND MANY TIMES DIRECTLY ON THE REAR TIRES. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND ANYONE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. I PERFORMED A QUICK FIX ON MY CAR AND PINNED THE FITTING BACK INTO THE BLOCK. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE DROPPED AND EACH OF THE 6 COOLANT LINES NEEDED TO BE WELDED TOGETHER TO TRULY PREVENT THIS FROM BEING A HAZARD. I PAID SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE THE ENGINE DROPPED AND FIXED LIKE PORSCHE SHOULD HAVE DONE FROM THE FACTORY. THEY SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND OFFERED TO FIX THE FAILED COOLANT LINES UNDER A RECALL BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE. PORSCHE CLAIMS NO FAULT OF THEIRS. MANY PERFORMANCE DRIVING EVENTS HAVE IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AND WON'T LET YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR AT THEIR EVENT UNLESS THE ISSUE HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY DROPPING THE ENGINE. WHEN YOU SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A CAR OR ANY MONEY FOR THAT MANNER YOU EXPECT THE CAR MANUFACTURE TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS A HIGH PRIORITY. *TR

COOLANT PIPE FAILURE AT GLUED FITTINGS WITHIN ENGINE. *TR

PORSCHE 911 TURBO 2005, CATASTROPHIC COOLANT LOSS/FAILURE. CATASTROPHIC COOLANT FAILURE OF A WATER CONNECTION TO THE ENGINE. FAILURE OF ADHESIVE BOND. COOLANT SPRAYED ON REAR TIRES, AND LOSS OF TRACTION. *TR