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
The worst 2002 Porsche 911 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine7
- Transmission2
- Airbags1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine7
- Transmission2
- Airbags1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Rapid coolant loss
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 leakage resulted in loss of control incidents, but neither involved vehicles affected by the assembly process quality issue.A third loss of control allegation involving a vehicle built during the period affected by the supplier process concern is not counted since ODI was unable to contact the owner to confirm the incident.See the full closing resume in the document file for PE13-009 for additional information about the subject cooling system and ODI?s analysis of field data related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE13009
Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Porsche 911 373
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils
2002 Porsche 911 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | RWD | 14-16 | 20-24 | 16-19 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 13-15 | 20-22 | 16-18 |
What 2002 Porsche 911 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The clutch slave failed on my 911 turbo and had to be replaced with a gt2 slave which removes the hydraulic assist.
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. Http://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 federal safety agency 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: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh56ckzc-qe.
Intermediate shaft failure.
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.
While traveling at 45 MPH there was a loud rumbling noise coming from the rear of vehicle, the vehicle started to misfire. The consumer pulled over and noticed that all the oil had leaked out of vehicle. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated a bearing had broke and the engine needed to be replaced. Please provide any further information.
Air bag signal light stayed on. Dealer stated air bag was inoperative. The part had been repaired four times, however the problem recurred.
Compare the 2002 Porsche 911
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Questions about the 2002 Porsche 911
Is the 2002 Porsche 911 reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2002 Porsche 911, 1.8 times a typical 911 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Porsche 911?
Engine and cooling, with 7 complaints, typically around 60,300 miles. Next is transmission (2).
How many recalls does the 2002 Porsche 911 have?
No recalls on record.
What gas mileage does the 2002 Porsche 911 get?
Official estimates for the 2002 Porsche 911 range from 16 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 14-16 city and 20-24 highway.
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