Porsche preliminary evaluation PE13009
Rapid coolant loss. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the hoses/lines/piping/fittings on 31 model years (2001–2011). Opened Apr 26, 2013, closed Mar 10, 2014 after 10 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn April 26, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-009 to investigate 10 complaints alleging incidents of sudden coolant loss while traveling on public roadways in certain model year (MY) 2001 through 2007 Porsche 911 vehicles. The complaints alleged that pipe ends joined by epoxy to certain cooling system components may fail suddenly and separate, resulting in large volumes of coolant leakage. The investigation was opened to assess evidence of a design or manufacturing defect in the coolant pipe fittings and any related safety consequences. In response to ODI?s Information Request letter, Porsche identified a manufacturing quality issue with the supplier?s application of adhesive to coolant pipe fittings that resulted in elevated failure rates in approximately 6,800 early production 997 generation vehicles (MY 2007 and early MY 2008).ODI?s analysis of field data showed that the age-adjusted failure rate for these vehicles was approximately six times greater than MY 2001 through 2005 996 generation vehicles and MY 2008 through 2011 997 generation vehicles built after a process improvement for adhesive application was implemented by the supplier. Most of the leak complaints reviewed by ODI did not appear to involve complete separation of the fittings and many were detected when the vehicle was parked. There were no crashes or injuries reported to be related to the alleged defect in any of the subject vehicles. ODI identified two allegations that coolant leakage resulted in loss of control incidents, but neither involved vehicles affected by the assembly process quality issue. A third loss of control allegation involving a vehicle built during the period affected by the supplier process concern is not counted since ODI was unable to contact the owner to confirm the incident. See the full closing resume in the document file for PE13-009 for additional information about the subject cooling system and ODI?s analysis of field data related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2001 Porsche 911; 2002 Porsche 911; 2003 Porsche 911; 2004 Porsche 911; 2005 Porsche 911; 2003 Porsche 911 GT2; 2004 Porsche 911 GT2; 2010 Porsche 911 GT2; 2011 Porsche 911 GT2; 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS; 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS; 2003 Porsche 911 GT3; 2004 Porsche 911 GT3; 2007 Porsche 911 GT3; 2008 Porsche 911 GT3; 2010 Porsche 911 GT3; 2011 Porsche 911 GT3; 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS; 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS; 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS; 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2005 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo; 2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S; 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo S; 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE13009 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE13009 still open?
No. It closed on Mar 10, 2014 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE13009 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 31 model years: 2001 Porsche 911, 2002 Porsche 911, 2003 Porsche 911, 2004 Porsche 911, 2005 Porsche 911, 2003 Porsche 911 GT2 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.