Reviews of OEM Porsche water pump

So far, PCV valve, all fluids done & flushes, did transfer case fluid & was informed water pump leaking. Told them do it.

Common issue and is the water pump. Covered under extended warranty from Porsche bc its a known fault.

The general consensus was water pump, a moderate to complex job. I have a great Indy that got at it straight away whilst they’re doing my ceramic front pads, and confirmed water pump failure! Also replacing a thermostat and a sensor in the head that seems to be melted! There has been zero damage caused as I stopped immediately as the message appeared! 1 of the 3 parts is on back order from Germany allowing 5 working days postage, the car will be put back together early part of the week after next due to delay! On an internet deep dive it’s clear that the water pump failure is an Achilles on the turbo engine, scores of people have suffered the same fate! I’m at 40k miles second owner with fastidious and comprehensive service history, oil and filter every 5k miles etc! The bill will top out at £2.5k which is a fraction of what Porsche U.K. charge for this job which is a fair amount of labour for a moderate to complex job! I Would advise anyone to change the water pump if they’re ever anywhere near it doing other maintenance if this goes and you’re miles from home then it’s a recovery job and like I say they seem to be a little decrepit for my liking and a problem to many!

I have a 2003 Boxster S with the later 3.2L three chain engine and six speed, with the later glass top which I bought 10 years ago. These are the sweet spot for the 986 in my opinion. This one now has 70k on it and other than maintenance (oil changes, filters, plugs, etc.), a water pump, brakes, an AOS, a clutch (before me), a window regulator and tie rod ends, it hasn't needed any work. Compared to other German cars at 21 years old, that is nothing. I did install a 996 instrument cluster, a factory valved PSE exhaust, factory console delete (recommended if you are tall) and some Alcantara trim.

Best was a factory 944 Turbo water pump, bought from Porsche. It was a raw casting. No machining work at all.

Just looking at Pelican, a new genuine Porsche water pump is about another $700, so $2k seems in the right ballpark if that's what they're using.

I’m now on my third water pump. The shop replaced the last one with an aluminum water pump from Porsche to avoid having it fail again in the future.