There are 3 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2001 Porsche Boxsterin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) failure due to premature degradation of plastic wiring harness connectors for ABS wheel speed sensors located in each wheel well. ABS warning light illuminated alerting to the disabling of the system. Issue confirmed by independent repair facility. Dealer was engaged, but denied coverage due to vehicle being out of warranty and no recalls initiated.
There are thousands of complaints/postings appearing on the Internet, including fixes, (many of which may be equally dangerous) whereby the vehicle's central locking mechanism fails, making it impossible for passengers to egress through either door or window. The locking mechanism on the driver's side door has a cheap part that is known to commonly fail. When it does, neither the driver nor passenger door may be opened from either inside or outside of the vehicle. The central locking system is tied in with the door lock, and the windows may sometimes also fail when the lock mechanism fails. We had to remove a fuse from her car to reset the windows so we could extricate her. The Internet is replete with unofficial fixes for this problem, frequently using home-made parts, and Porsche representatives commonly acknowledge the issue and charge a great deal to repair using the same flawed parts. In the event of a crash, both driver & passenger may be trapped with no possible means of egress, without disassembling the driver's side door, which would be impossible in an emergency. I am shocked and outraged that this condition has been allowed to go unaddressed for years, despite being so commonly known that there are literally hundreds of Internet posts and videos telling owners how to temporarily fix their cars using either Porsche parts, or in many cases, home-made parts which would also be seriously dangerous. It is unbelievable that NHTSA has never acted on this issue to compel Porsche to make so many thousands of vehicles safe. Merely googling "Porsche Boxster Lock Problem" will produce literally hundreds of videos demonstrating the problem and several home-made fixes. The American driving public deserves better than this from NHTSA and Porsche. Please do something about this while I look for a replacement car for my 16 year old daughter, whom I pray will not ever be in an accident in this car and become trapped, causing her death!!!
THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL FAULTING WITHIN THE DASHBOARD AND THE FIRE ORIGINATED WITHIN THE VEHICLE WHERE THERE IS EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL FAULTING WITHIN THE DASHBOARD SUFFICIENT TO IGNITE THE WIRING INSULATION AND IMMEDIATE COMBUSTIBLES INTO OPEN FLAME.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026