1997 Porsche Boxster Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Boxster years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 22 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Porsche Boxster. That ranks 3rd out of 14 Boxster model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (7 complaints, 32%), typically at around 47,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 fires. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 22owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Porsche Boxster 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 7 | 32% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 32% | 72,100 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 23% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 18% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 14% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Porsche Boxster recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with tiptronic transmissions. The bearing sleeves can seize in the intermediate selector levers.
Risk: The transmission selector lever becomes increasingly difficult to move resulting in failure to activate the selector lever.
Fix: Dealers will replace the affected bearing sleeves of the lever with bearing sleeves of an improved design.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The ignition switch can crack and cause electrical failures.
Risk: This condition can cause failure of the air conditioning, heater blower, headlamps, and windshield wipers.
Fix: Dealers will install a new type ignition switch.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 porsche boxster. While attempting to engage in park gear, the shifter became very difficult to move out of the drive position. The vehicle was towed to an unknown independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission selector seized and the selector leveler…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 porsche boxster. The contact stated that the gear shift failed to shift into the park position. As a result, the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The contact had to shift the gear into neutral in order to start the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the gear…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 porsche boxster. The contact stated that the air bag light sporadically illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the seat belt buckles, harness and control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified…
I took my 1997 porsche boxster to my porsche service dealer in cincinnati, ohio with a seat belt warning light on. A diagnosis was done and code received, to the effect that my seat belts needed replacing, both driver and passenger, due to a electrical short in the seat belt warning/air bag system…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 porsche boxster. The contact stated the ignition switch was cracked and causing electrical failures to the air conditioner, wipers and head lights. The contact notices a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 98v113000 (electrical system:ignition:switch) but was advised…
Other Porsche Boxster years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Boxster | 3 | 2 |
| 2014 Boxster | 2 | 3 |
| 2013 Boxster | 10 | 1 |
| 2012 Boxster | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 Boxster | 5 | 0 |
| 2005 Boxster | 16 | 0 |
| 2004 Boxster | 4 | 1 |
| 2003 Boxster | 12 | 2 |
| 2002 Boxster | 10 | 2 |
| 2001 Boxster | 13 | 2 |
| 2000 Boxster | 5 | 1 |
| 1999 Boxster | 28 | 1 |
| 1998 Boxster | 32 | 1 |
| 1997 | 22 | 3 |
See all Porsche Boxster 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 1997 Porsche Boxster?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Porsche Boxster?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Porsche Boxster a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Boxster model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.