Boxster

The only modern porsche not affected by IMS failure are the turbos, does that mean you should write off all the rest of the line-up because of this insiignificant risk?

I have done a lot of research on this IMS subject. I am now the owner of my third Boxster. I have never had any IMS problems. It seems the percentage of failure varies from about 7% to 20% depending on what you read. This effects all engines from 1997 up to 2008 except turbo and GT3. Even the 911 engines are effected, but Porsche seems to squash that reality. I have seen ceramic bearing kits and direct pressure oil feed kits. The main cause of the bearing failure is lubrication, especially at high revs when the bearing gets starved for oil. With every Porsche I have owned (eight) I always start the car and wait a few minutes to get the oil pumping inside the engine and then start out slowly never going over 2500 RPM for the first few minutes. The best advice I can give you is check the service records for this car (no service records = no purchase!) and always use the best oil available to you (Mobil 1 or Royal Purple) with documented oil changes.

I'm glad to see PorscheJim has not experienced the infamous IMS failure. I bought my first Boxster base last year and like many I couldn't believe I owned a high performance German for so little. I fully researched the 986's before buying and knew the risks of IMS failure. The previous owner worked on the car himself and said he changed the clutch and IMS and provided the receipt (not repair order) for the parts. The Pelican Parts replacement that he used (supposedly) is recommended to be replaced every 40k mi when the clutch is changed. I've spoken to more experienced Porsche mechanics and they all say if you need to change your clutch every 40k, you are either racing a lot or don't know how to drive. Regardless, the bearing failed at 30k, which was 105k mi on the odometer. I just returned from the Porsche dealership service desk and the manager told me there is no way to 100% guarantee a fix or that a bearing will not fail. He recommended changing the oil 3x the recommended amount and checking the oil frequently, and ultimately said, "cars break, just buy one and drive it". Three mechanics and many forum posts will tell you, it can happen any time, at any mileage. Bearings don't magically become immune to breaking down at some age. That's a silly concept if we really think about it. Regular maintenance and being vigilant about checking your oil to catch any issues is the only way to go. IMHO. - by the way, I'm moving over to the "bullet proof" Honday S2000 and saving my money for a Porsche that doesn't have an IMS.