2003 Porsche Boxster Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Boxster years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Porsche Boxster. That ranks 6th out of 14 Boxster model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (3 complaints, 25%), typically at around 12,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 12owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 3 | 25% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 8% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 8% | 32,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 8% | 119,774 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 8% | 77,312 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 8% | 95,166 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 8% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 8% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 8% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 8% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Porsche Boxster 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.
Vehicle has an open safety recall involving a condition that may increase the risk of a crash. During a visit to an authorized dealership for information regarding the recall, dealership personnel advised against completing the recall procedure. I was informed that due to the age of the vehicle and…
The contact owns a 2003 Porsche Boxster equipped with Landgolden Tires, Tire Line: L27, Tire Size: 265/35/ZR18, DOT Number: (N/A). While performing routine maintenance on the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear passengerâs side tire had experienced extensive tread separation. The online…
The contact owns a 2003 Porsche Boxster. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the indicator lights on the gear shifter for the park(P) and the four (4) position was flashing. In addition, while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to shift into fifth gear and the vehicle…
The ims bearings in the 2001-2005 porsche boxster would just stop the engine if not replaced. Hello, i bought my 2003 posche boxster brand new from rector porsche/audi dealership of burlingame back in 2003. I recently found out that porsche had a faulty part in their engine called the ims bearings…
Took my porsche boxster to the local porsche dealer for an oil change. They called me back and said my car had a gasoline fuel leak and needed a replacement fuel level sensor it was cracked and leaking fuel.. The service order at pickup said mechanic noted fuel dripping from gas tank...noted…
Other Porsche Boxster years
← 2002 Boxster · 2004 Boxster →
| 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 | 12 | 2 |
| 2002 Boxster | 10 | 2 |
| 2001 Boxster | 13 | 2 |
| 2000 Boxster | 5 | 1 |
| 1999 Boxster | 28 | 1 |
| 1998 Boxster | 32 | 1 |
| 1997 Boxster | 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 2003 Porsche Boxster?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, engine problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Porsche Boxster?
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 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Boxster model years, the 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.