Gaari Means Car. Car Reviews & Car News

As others mentioned, intermediate shaft bearing failures have occurred with some Boxster (and 996) engines. LN Engineering makes a retrofit IMS bearing upgrade kit, and lots of information about the issue can be found on their website: http://lnengineering.com/ims.html

Rear main seal leaks are also a problem. Most frequently (or so I’ve read) the RMS leaks just a bit and, if caught early, can be replaced with an upgraded Porsche part. (In some cases the RMS has failed big time, where the entire inventory of engine oil dumps out in a short period of time. If that happens while you’re driving, at you don’t catch the oil pressure idiot light in time…new engine.) To access the RMS and replace the seal is maybe a $ 1000 job on its own. For a car with 66K miles on it, my guess is that either the RMS has already been refit with the upgraded part, or else the RMS won’t leak.

Check with the owner to review service history. It’s a good sign if the service history shows that all scheduled maintenance was performed on schedule. Also, see if you can take the car (before purchase) to a Porsche specialist for a thorough once-over, readout of engine computer data and codes, etc. If you’re really keen on the car, the few hundred $ for this could be money well spent for peace of mind.

Take it to an independent mechanic and have him look over the car. $ 200 spent now could save you thousands later.