Most common 1999 Porsche Boxster problems
Share of the 28 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Porsche Boxster complaints by model year
Best Boxster years: 2014, 2000, 2006. Years to avoid: 2005, 1998, 1999, 1997. Compare all years →
1999 Porsche Boxster recalls (1)
Power train › Automatic transmission
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.
Remedy: 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.
What 1999 Porsche Boxster owners say
Engine & cooling
I have a 1999 Boxster. At 9500 miles the engine blew up. Ira motors in danvers replaced it with a rebuilt engine. I have had numerous problems with this car since then but it has been under warranty. My car is always garaged in winter and has only 25,000 miles on the new motor. In mid oct. Of this year my car started running rough when started in the morning. It was due for it's 30,000 mi check up soon so I took it into the dealer. I spent $1000 for the check up and two days later picked it up and it was running rough again. Coughing, choking and stalling out. I left the car there. The dealer told me they couldn't duplicate the problem. I took the car home and when the weather got colder it happened again and again. I have taken it back to the dealer 4 times. The last time the service dept. …
Misfires during warm up, after warm up the engine runs smooth with high RPM of 1200 to 1300. I have to tap the accelerator pad to lower the RPM,after couple of seconds the RPM goes back up. When it reaches 190 degrees RPM goes higher to almost 1500, temperature goes to 210 degrees fan turns on from the radiator on the driver side but not on the passenger side, fan on the engine compartment sometimes turns on and sometimes not . Then the engine stops running at 210 degrees, start up but won't run. You have to wait for the temperature to drop down to 160 degrees, sometimes all the way down. Start it up then the engine runs.
Air bags
I have had a reoccuring airbag light coming on, the dealer has had it on 5 occasions, and the previous owner had it to two different dealers ons 4 occasions. I thought that the dealer had it repaired in January of 2003, then it came back on again in jan of 2004. The dealer states that the repair is the seat belt buckles. They have replaced them 3 times, I dont know what the prevoius repairs were prior to my owning the vehicle. This time when I took the vehicle in for repair, it was no longer under warranty, and I was given a goodwill by the manufacturer for 50% of the repair bill. What is going to happen in a year when this comes on again? What would happen if I had an accident when the light was on because of this? …
Airbag warning lamp staying on due to a poorly designed sensor system that relies on seat belt buckle and grounding system electrical resistances being incredibly stable over time. This is a design flaw that has been addressed by redesigned seat belt receptacles and replacing wires. If you don't fix this problem, you will never know if you have a real problem with the airbag system, which is obviously a safety issue. If you want to clear this lamp indication, you must shell out $500 to $1500 to do so. How does Porsche have the nerve to charge customers for an obvious design flaw on their part which leads to an airbag warning lamp being illuminated, which is a safety issue if not corrected. My incident is far from an isolated one. I've checked out other complaints via the internet.
Seat belts
Airbag warning lamp staying on due to a poorly designed sensor system that relies on seat belt buckle and grounding system electrical resistances being incredibly stable over time. This is a design flaw that has been addressed by redesigned seat belt receptacles and replacing wires. If you don't fix this problem, you will never know if you have a real problem with the airbag system, which is obviously a safety issue. If you want to clear this lamp indication, you must shell out $500 to $1500 to do so. How does Porsche have the nerve to charge customers for an obvious design flaw on their part which leads to an airbag warning lamp being illuminated, which is a safety issue if not corrected. My incident is far from an isolated one. I've checked out other complaints via the internet.
Dt*: the contact stated the driver and passenger side front seat belts in the vehicle have been replaced twice. On the first incident the passenger side seat belt would come unlocked when the child tugged on it. The dealership replaced the seat belt and the buckle assembly. On 2-01-06 the seat belts wouldn't retract. The dealership replaced the seat belts and the buckle assembly again. Now the seat belt is inoperable.
1999 Porsche Boxster engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Porsche Boxster a good car?
Based on 28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Boxster rates use caution: 3.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Boxster at the same age. It is one of the Boxster years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Porsche Boxster?
The engine & cooling — 16 complaints, 57% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the air bags (7) and seat belts (3).
How many recalls does the 1999 Porsche Boxster have?
There is 1 recall for the 1999 Porsche Boxster, the most recent from January 23, 2003 (automatic transmission). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Porsche Boxster?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2000 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 1998, 1999 and 1997. See the full Porsche Boxster years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Porsche Boxster problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 47% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.