Porsche Carrera GT Recalled for Potential Suspension Failure
The Carrera GT is one of the most sought-after Porsche models of all time, and its seven-digit sales price numbers reflect its exceeding rarity. Even so, the car, which was last produced 17 years ago, has a new recall.
Porsche is recalling 2004 and 2005 Carrera GTs for a potential suspension failure. The automaker said the wishbone components on the front and rear axles in affected cars do not meet its life durability expectations. Over time, salt and other materials can cause corrosion, leading to cracks or fractures in the joints. A component failure could impact vehicle control and increase the crash risk.
Drivers may notice a noise or vibration if there’s an issue, but the failure could happen without warning. Thankfully, most of us are unlikely ever to see a Carrera GT in person, much less own one, so the risk of being injured by one is quite low.
Since we’re talking about an ultra-low-production supercar discontinued several years ago, parts are not readily available. Porsche said it would inspect the components first, and if there were no abnormalities, the driver could continue using the car normally. If the inspection shows an issue, the driver is advised not to drive the car. Owners will be notified when parts are available for retrofit, and Porsche said it would reimburse expenses and provide alternative transportation as necessary.
[Image: Porsche]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Thiiiisssss... is something you should tell Doug about.
"Drivers may notice a noise or vibration if there’s an issue, but the failure could happen without warning."
Son came to town the other week for a friend thing, 'my car is making a noise' read the ancillary text. He tells his mom it sounds like the back. Spouse and I swapped cars with him and spent a lovely Saturday evening trying to determine if it was the front left or front right wheel bearing (or some of both). Also the front tires appear to be out of balance.
Terrible noise by our standards (like unsafe bad), but hey son is a real live Mechanical Engineer lol. Nothing obvious with the side-to-side and top-to-bottom test with the front tires off the ground. For a brief moment considered paying ridiculous price for house brand wheel hubs from the parts store (stopped in at two) and doing the job overnight (son was leaving next day). But no, that is not the way in our family.
Sent son home in spouse's vehicle; kept his. Ordered real parts from a real brand from rockauto, the ones that included new hub nuts. Also ordered headlights (again) and Trico Ultra wiper blades (still saved $$$). Did some cleanup on his vehicle while awaiting parts.
Installed new wheel hubs -- old front left and old front right both failed the 'rotate with hands while holding close to left ear off the vehicle' test; left side was worse (mom was correct). Did nothing about wheel balance issue; let the budding adult deal with it in his time. Went for a nice evening drive to aim the new headlights.
For the record, the old hubs came from amazon and were on the vehicle for 4 years and not much mileage. Life Lesson: DO NOT BUY OFF-BRAND BEARINGS FROM AMAZON. Amen.
Drove the vehicle to deliver it (kids these days are spoiled),but also to get mom's vehicle back (it matters to her). Wheel balance is not good at 70 mph, and by the way what is that new sound DO WE HAVE A LOOSE WHEEL HUB is what my spidey sense was asking. Slow to 60 mph and realize we are in East Nowhere and really second guessing the decision not to bring along the 35mm socket and the large torque wrench for this journey. Recent TTAC videos of runaway tires causing mayhem on replay in my brain. Stop at the next exit and remove wheel covers and compare the exposed thread count on either side of the front axle. (Science, but barely.)
Life Lesson: Do you really trust that vehicle you are passing? How many assumptions are you making about my life decisions when you zoom around me? Back to story.
Jumping ahead: Borrowed torque wrench and socket from tire store open on Sundays, also had them balance the front wheels. New question: Do I trust someone else's beaten-up torque wrench? Was able to watch the balancing process and I have Questions about modern tire balance machine (for another time).
I wonder if anyone will take up the offer of a loaner, considering that roughly zero of these cars are daily drivers. A decade ago, one was in an acquaintance's Porsche specialist shop getting a $22,000 clutch job. The Carrera GT had 9,000 miles, which was well within the expected range for clutch life, and the service was most likely done at his shop to save money over the dealer's rate. My whole car doesn't cost me $2.44 a mile to operate, let alone the clutch.
And Doug Demuro just bought one.