How many recalls does the 1999 Porsche Boxster have?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1999 Porsche Boxster model year. Whether one car had the recall work done depends on that car, so check its VIN with NHTSA.

1997: 23 owner complaints, Not judged

Our take: only with records and an inspection. Owners filed 2.8 times the complaints of a typical year of this model.

Year verdict

Maybe

2.8× a typical year

More owner complaints than usual. Buy only with records and an inspection.

Confidence: Medium

Close to the Pass line, so a few complaints either way could tip it.

NHTSA did not answer for 10 years, so this may change.

Past 100,000 miles

Not judged

No complaints in its first 12 years give a mileage past 100,000 miles. Many owners never write the miles, so that is not a clean bill of health.

How the dial was counted

Year verdict: Typical year: 6 complaints, the median of 8 nearby years. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 1998; this one had 17.

Same car, better year: 2001 or 2002 Boxster (both Worthy)

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WhipWorthy sticker

1999 Porsche Boxster

Complaints28From owners
Loading owner complaints
Recalls3On file
Loading recalls
NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.
Loading crash ratings
MPG17 to 20Combined, EPA
Loading fuel economy

Complaints are unverified owner reports, not adjusted for how many were sold.

Compare this car Every Boxster year

Car report

Park this car in My Garage and see its recalls at a glance.Car Hunt Pass or Pro

Value signals

We do not price cars.

These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.

Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Fuel: $4,000 to $4,700 a year.The EPA’s estimate for 15,000 miles a year, 55% in town, at its fuel prices. Each version
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
Have the VIN? Check it is this car, and see its open recalls at NHTSA.
VIN
On the dash at the base of the windshield, or on the driver’s door sticker.

What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

The full record

Tap to open

What owners complain about

28 complaints; the part named most is the engine

Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Apr 23, 1999 to Jan 10, 2012. 64% name a part that is usually costly to fix.

Owners reported 1 crash and 1 injury in these complaints.

Engine16 · 57%Usually costly to fix
Air bags7 · 25%
Electrical3 · 11%

What one owner wrote about the engine

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…

Filed Jan 10, 2012NHTSA complaint 104432491 of 14 owner quotes

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7 more parts, and 14 owner quotes

Every part owners name for the 1999 Porsche Boxster, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Transmission and drivetrain, Body and frame.

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SourceOwner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Porsche Boxster. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Seller kit

Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points

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Walk up to the seller ready

Questions to ask the seller of a 1999 Porsche Boxster, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.

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Write your offer

A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email

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Send the seller a fair offer

Type the asking price and your own offer for the 1999 Porsche Boxster, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.

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When problems show up

Too few complaints give a mileage

Too few complaints mention a mileage to show a pattern. 3 complaints of 28 gave one, and a part needs at least 15.

SourceMileage from owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Porsche Boxster. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Will it outlast the loan?

The month of your loan each problem zone lands in

Not enough owner complaints for the 1999 Porsche Boxster mention a mileage to lay against a loan. Have a mechanic look it over all the same.

Recalls

3 recalls on file

Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.

Lights
May 11, 2009 · Recall 09E025000
Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798.
Lights
Apr 7, 2009 · Recall 09E012000
Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
What can happen
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
The fix
Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Transmission and drivetrain
Jan 23, 2003 · Recall 03V004000
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.
What can happen
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.
The 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.

SourceRecalls listed by NHTSA for the 1999 Porsche Boxster. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Crash ratings

NHTSA did not answer

NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight. The tests changed for 2011 models, so these stars do not line up with newer ones.

NHTSA did not answer just now, so we cannot show crash ratings for this car. Try again in a minute. You can also check it on their site.

Fuel economy

17 to 20 mpg combined, across 2 versions

The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in. Figures for 2007 and older use the EPA's 2008 method, so they may be lower than the original sticker.

Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L
Boxster · Rear wheel drive · Premium gas
City
15 mpg
Highway
22 mpg
Combined
17 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,700
This one on fueleconomy.gov
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L
Boxster · Rear wheel drive · Premium gas
City
17 mpg
Highway
24 mpg
Combined
20 mpg
Miles per gallon. Yearly fuel, EPA$4,000
This one on fueleconomy.gov

SourceEPA fuel economy data, fueleconomy.gov. EPA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

True cost to own

The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years

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What it really costs to own

What the 1999 Porsche Boxster costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.

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Every year of the Boxster

2 Worthy, 2 Maybe, 0 Pass, of 21 years on file, 2 with no answer

Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.

Best and worst years of the Boxster

NHTSA did not answer for 21 years, so the chart may be missing some.

SourceNHTSA owner complaints and recalls for the Boxster. NHTSA, checked Nov 2, 2026.

Before you buy this one

5 checks, with a close look at the engine

Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.

Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 3 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the engine. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look hard at the engine. It is usually costly to fix.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the engine.
Start it cold if you can. Listen for knocking or ticking, and watch for warning lights and smoke.

Going to see it? Take the checklist52 checks with the bad signs to look for, saved on your phone.

Check this exact car

The verdict is about the model year. These checks are about the one in front of you. Most are free or a few dollars.

VIN for these checks

Copy it, then paste it into each check. Nothing is sent until you open one.

Official checks on this VIN

Open recallsFree
NHTSA
Safety recalls on this VIN that are not fixed yet, from the last 15 years.
A recall already fixed does not show.
Check recalls at NHTSAnhtsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
Theft and total lossFree
NICB VINCheck
Whether an insurer reported it stolen and not found, or wrote it off as a total loss.
Only insurer records. Five checks a day.
Open NICB VINChecknicb.org (opens in a new tab)
Title brandsA few dollars
NMVTIS, the federal title system
Salvage, flood, junk and rebuilt brands from any state, and the last miles on the title.
No repairs, service or recalls. Sold by approved sellers listed on the site.
See the approved sellersvehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov (opens in a new tab)
Title statusVaries by state
The state motor vehicle office
Whether the title is branded in that state and, where the state offers it, whether a lender still has a lien.
It will not name the owner. Each state asks its own way, and some only by mail. Ask to see the seller’s title too.
Find your state’s officeusa.gov (opens in a new tab)

What a paid report adds

A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:

Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.

It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.

Red flags in a history

Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.

Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.

Model year	Owner complaints	Verdict
1997	23	Not judged
1998	34	Maybe
1999	28	Maybe
2000	5	Not judged
2001	13	Worthy
2002	11	Worthy
2003	19	Not judged
2004	4	Not judged
2005	19	Not judged
2006	5	Not judged
2007	2	Not judged
2008	1	Not judged
2009	3	Not judged
2010	2	Not judged
2011	2	Not judged
2012	1	Not judged
2013	10	Not judged
2014	2	Not judged
2015	3	Not judged
2021	No answer	Not judged
2024	No answer	Not judged

The verdict on the 1999 Porsche Boxster

Value signals

What owners complain about

Seller kit

Write your offer

When problems show up

Will it outlast the loan?

Recalls

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Transmission and drivetrain

What can happen

The fix

Crash ratings

Fuel economy

Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L

True cost to own

Every year of the Boxster

Before you buy this one

Check this exact car

Official checks on this VIN

What a paid report adds

Before you pay

Pre purchase inspection

Insurance quote

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Lights

What can happen

The fix

Transmission and drivetrain

What can happen

The fix

Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L

Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L