2003 Porsche Boxster S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Boxster S years
- Not enough data 1st of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Porsche Boxster S. That is the most of any Boxster S model year in the database (10 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (4 complaints, 57%), typically at around 39,750 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 7owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Porsche Boxster S problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 57% | 39,750 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 14% | 60 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 14% | 60 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 14% | 60 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 14% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 14% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 14% | 130,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Porsche Boxster S recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Certain 2-door convertible passenger vehicles equipped with the tiptronic (automatic) transmission may have been produced with an incorrectly adjusted key-lock-cable down to the shift selector. If the key-lock-cable is not adjusted correctly, it is possible that the ignition key will snag upon being removed fro the ignition lock or the slector lever can be shifted from position "p" with the ignition key removed and the locking button operated.
Risk: If the selector lever is then shifted from position "p" to position "r, n or d" with the vehicle parked, and if the parking brake is not on, the vheicle will not be secured from inadvertenly rolling away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the cable adjustment and, regardless of the results of this inspection, the key-lock-cable must also be adjusted. Owner notification began july 15, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
March 5, 2019. [xxx]. [xxx] 2003 porsche boxster 3.2 engine with brand new michelin ultra-high-performance tires. On december 31, 2018 about 10:30 am, i was driving the car going east, about 80 to 100 miles per hour in the middle of three lanes.when i reached the top of the hill, the front end of…
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 porsche boxster s. While driving uphill at 100 mph, the vehicle vibrated violently when the brake pedal was depressed. Also, the steering pulled to the right and the steering wheel detached from the steering column. The vehicle struck a curb and the passenger side air…
My engine failed due to a part called the intermediate shaft. The car is a 2003 porsche, boxster s with 47,000. This problem is well documented on line and appears to be a manufacturing problem. The dealership i went to, knew right away about the failure as they see at least 1 per month. When this…
I have a 2003 porsche boxster s with 32,000mi on it. On the 8th of march, the engine failed with an intermediate shaft bearing failure requiring the replacement of the engine. Porsche cars north america are not helpful. Such a catastrophic failure of the engine in my opinion is dangerous and should…
On saturday, may 16th this boxster suffered engine failure while traveling at ~ 30 mph. The engine failed with no prior warning. The initial indication was a loud and distracting flapping noise that sounded like something had been picked up on the car's undercarriage. This was followed within a…
Other Porsche Boxster S years
← 2002 Boxster S · 2004 Boxster S →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Boxster S | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 Boxster S | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 Boxster S | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 Boxster S | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 Boxster S | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Boxster S | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 | 7 | 2 |
| 2002 Boxster S | 1 | 2 |
| 2001 Boxster S | 2 | 2 |
| 2000 Boxster S | 3 | 1 |
See all Porsche Boxster S problems by year, every Porsche model, or the Porsche VIN decoder.
Similar Porsche models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Porsche Boxster S?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Porsche Boxster S?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Porsche Boxster S a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Boxster S model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.