fpb111

I saw this on another forum.
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...s-failure.html
Has everyone/anyone filed a complaint with NHTS about their blown engine caused by IMS failure? Seems like there should be more than 6 of them.

Before everyone claims "It's not a safety issue" There are a number of motorcycles that have been recalled for "engine can stop abruptly with no warning, possibly causing loss of control and dangerous traffic conditions"
How about a stranded car with a 9qt oil slick behind it?

"MY 04 Boxster (58K) just suffered what appears to be IMS failure (still awaiting postmortem). This is a defect which should have led to a recall, and Porsche dealer employs have admitted as much to me. Recalls are triggered by complaints to the NHTSA. NHTSA complaints and investigations can be researched at their website: http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Owners . Complaints can easily be filed there. Between MY 2000 and 2010 there were only 6 IMS failures reported with std or S Boxsters: 1 in 02, 4 in 03, 1 in 04 - not enough to trigger an investigation, much less a recall. I assume this is the tip of the iceberg. If everyone with IMS failures went to that website and filed a complaint, perhaps an investigation might be triggered. The person I talked to at NHTSA, when I described the IMS failure, said "tell your friends".
Everybody who had the IMS fail should complain to the NHTSA. Hopefully it can trigger an investigation and force Porsche to recall the engines."

C4CRNA

Looks like it really is a low percentage of cars get this.

fpb111

Really only 6 failures in 10 years. The OMG! IMS FAILED ! MY ENGINE IS TOAST!! owners must be posting multiple times on every forum. Folks are always advocating for a class action suit. Here is leverage that does not cost anything except a few minutes filling out an online form.

Flat6 Innovations

This department contacted me on October 21, 2009 with a ton of questions, which I answered in detail.

They contacted me again about four months ago with more questions.

fpb111

What was the gist of the inquiry? Did you give them your statistics?

Flat6 Innovations

We don't have statistics.. Because the elements required to gather such information accurately do not exist. No one knows how many engines failed under warranty, how many were misdiagnosed, or how more importantly exactly how many engines were built.

Thats why I never post those numbers and always disagree with any percentages I see posted.

I told them that we average 4 IMS Failure calls/ emails per week. Thats all I could tell them.

DreamCarrera

How interesting. Way to add substance and detail to this thread.

DreamCarrera

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you mention a time or two that about 10% of M96 engines experience "IMS" related failures?

fpb111

Exactly YOUR statistics. One Porsche speciality shop. Not all 996-86-97 etc.

DaveSpeed

I would guess that the number of IMS issues increase as the cars get older.

So for me the IMS upgrade was a simple way to address the issue and I needed a new clutch and RMS anyway.

I do not believe it is a mass problem with xx% of all car having IMS failure but maybe it will be with the cars getting older. It seems that people have no problem doing regular maint on their car, i.e. belts, AOS, water pump, plugs....I think we should just look at replacing the IMS as scheduled maint like a clutch. IMHO

Flat6 Innovations

No. The article written by Jim Pasha of Excellence Magazine in December of 2008 mentioned this number, but it was the number that Jim had come up with. When he asked me for a number, I told him the same thing I posted here and that the number could not be calculated accurately.

I am VERY careful not to divulge any of these numbers in phone chats or emails/ postings because I will be quoted over and over again for years. Like I said, the elements of the equation that are required do not exist.

I have seen numbers from 5% to 25% but have no idea how they were based and I do not know how Jim Pasha based his 10% number either. He passed away while finishing the article, so we can't shoot him an email to ask him..

Quadcammer

wow, a little sensitive?

fpb111

Flat Six does not have THE answer. He only can tell his shop's experience.
If we tell every poster that starts with, "The OMG! IMS FAILED ! MY ENGINE IS TOAST!! Why hasen't Porsche been sued to oblivion...??" to log it with
NHTSA and take 5 minutes to fill out a report of the failure we might be able to get some Porsche attention.
http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Owners

Flat6 Innovations

Exactly. We don't have the numbers and know that we don't, which is the reason that I don't even try to post the stats.

Being M96 specialists we receive most of the failure calls from the US.. Typically someone has a failure, has never heard of the problems and immediately performs a Google search on the topic. Then our website pops up at the top of the list as the authority and they call us for info...

Nothing more and nothing less.

juankimalo

I tried to compile data in Soloporsche forum

We have more than 60 engine blown documented from Soloporsche users.
But after discuss it deeply, look through internet, talk to specialist, engineers from Porsche motorsport, nobody knows about any percentage
It happens.... that's all

One of the things I discovered was that there are no IMS failures documented in any Porsche forum concerning to m97 engines with reinforced bearing/shaft with larger diameter. I don't know if they could fail. I'm not an expert but I searched it and nobody knew about any case

I found several blown engines MY08 due to cilinder crack