I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR 8-LANE HIGHWAY. I SHIFTED UNEVENTFULLY THROUGH THE GEARS, UNTIL I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM 5TH TO 6TH. AT THIS POINT, I DISCOVERED THAT THE SHIFT LEVER OFFERED NO RESISTANCE AND HAD NO EFFECT: THE SHIFT LINKAGE HAD FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAR WAS IN 5TH AND I COULD NO LONGER CHANGE THE GEAR. BECAUSE I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND KNEW THE AREA, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO AN EXIT THAT OFFERED SAFE PARKING, AND CALL FOR A TOW. A BIT OF WEB RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS A MODEL DEFECT THAT HAS ALREADY AFFECTED MANY. THE BOXSTER AND CAYMAN (987) HAVE A CABLE LINKAGE, AND I SUSPECT THAT THE CABLE (PART # 98742404211) IS UNDERDESIGNED AND PRONE TO SNAP (E.G., HTTP://WWW.PLANET-9.COM/987-CAYMAN-BOXSTER-PROBLEMS-COMPLAINTS/75482-BROKEN-SHIFTER-CABLE.HTML, HTTP://GOTACLASSACTION.COM/PORSCHE-INVESTIGATED-OVER-FAULTY-SHIFTER-CABLE-IN-911-AND-CAYMAN-VEHICLES). I AM CONCERNED THAT A FAILURE OF THE SHIFT CABLE AT THE WRONG TIME, OR TO THE WRONG DRIVER, COULD HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES. THE CABLE CAN FAIL WHEN SHIFTING INTO ANY GEAR, EVEN REVERSE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A DRIVER COULD INITIATE A THREE-POINT TURN, AND END UP WITH HIS VEHICLE IN THE ROADWAY, PERPENDICULAR TO TRAFFIC, UNABLE TO PROCEED. ALSO, AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER WHO HAD TO COPE WITH THE SAME SITUATION I DID (STUCK IN A HIGH GEAR, MOVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS) MIGHT BE UNABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND BRING HIS VEHICLE SAFELY TO A STOP. THESE ARE JUST TWO SCENARIOS; THERE ARE
2010 Porsche Boxster (987)
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › manual transmission. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train › Manual Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsSTARTING FROM A STOP LIGHT, I ENGAGED THE CLUTCH ON MY NEW 2010 PORSCHE CARRERA S. UPON REACHING APPROPRIATE SPEED, I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AS I APPLIED ACCELERATION, BUT THE CAR DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. I THEN NOTICED THE CLUTCH PEDAL DID NOT RETURN TO ITS FULLY DISENGAGED POSITION, RATHER IT STAYED HALF DEPRESSED. THIS RESULTED IN OVERREVING, LOSS OF SPEED IN TRAFFIC, AND BURNING AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. *TR
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.