Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Porsche Boxster, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Porsche Boxster failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 25,178 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
1,811 new Porsche Boxster cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (1,380), France (133), Italy (129).
- Average mass
- 1,355 kg
- Average power
- 190 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Porsche Boxster cars on Dutch roads are the 3.4 petrol (232 kW, 311 hp) and 2.7 petrol (195 kW, 261 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.4 petrol | 232 kW 311 hp | 78 |
| 2.7 petrol | 195 kW 261 hp | 47 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
134 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 65% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €88,737.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde63
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld17
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse11
- Band onvoldoende profiel11
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm9
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast7
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling5
- Band beschadigd4
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
966 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 157 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,102 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 89% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 4.3% | 12.2% |
| Tyres | 3.0% | 7.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.6% | 14.3% |
| Brakes | 1.4% | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 1.3% | 5.0% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.4% | 0.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
6 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 100,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
13 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 54% arrived as used imports, 46% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Porsche Boxster C RWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.0–10.9 L/100 km (about 22–24 mpg US), CO₂ 230–251 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxster · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 8.0 | 10.0 |
| Boxster · Two-seater · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 8.8 | 10.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2012 Porsche Boxster.
| 2011293 12 Aug 2011 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the seatbelt anchors were manufactured incorrectly and, as a result, may not rotate as designed. Failure of the seatbelt anchorage to rest… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
PORSCHE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 911 SPEEDSTER AND 911 GTS RS 4.0; AND MODEL YEAR 2012 BOXSTER (INCLUDING S AND SPYDER); CAYMAN (INCLUDING S AND R); 911 CARRERA (INCLUDING S, GTS, 4, 4S, AND 4 GTS); 911 TARGA 4 AND TARGA 4S; AND 911 TURBO AND TURBO S MODELS MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 31, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 10, 2011. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE MOUNTING HOLES IN THE SEAT BELT ANCHOR PLATES FITTED TO THE VEHICLE ARE TOO SMALL. IF THE HOLE DIAMETER IS TOO SMALL, THE ANCHOR PLATE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ROTATE ABOUT THE FASTENING BOLT AS DESIGNED.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Porsche told its dealers about the 2012 Porsche Boxster: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011666 | Parts information with parts withdrawal involving the hydro-mounting - 992199384F The affected vehicles are cars that use the part number mentioned. |
| 11011572 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the oil separator. The affected vehicles are cars that use part number 0PC115099A |
| 11011570 | Special tools and equipment information for the WiScope UV upgrade - affecting all Porsche models |
| 11011563 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.020 & .021. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11011561 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.017. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11011552 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the camera and control unit with the camera - PAD980551 & PAD980568C. The affected vehicles are cars that use the part numbers mentioned. |
| 11011200 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.016. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port. |
| 11011195 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.010, .011 & .015. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port. |
| 11011184 | Instructions on advanced technical information for a squeak and or rattle from the dash or instrument cluster area on the Boxsters, Caymans, and 911s. |
| 11009877 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.048 |
| 11009862 | Special tools and equipment information for the mobile data signal strength in the workshop |
| 11008666 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche A40 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 11008662 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C40 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 11008661 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C30 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. All MY04-20 |
| 11008658 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. Vehicles affected are cars that use part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY |
| 11008657 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.040. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008637 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.032. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008636 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.030. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008635 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the booster - 7PP035223M, 7PP035223AA, 99164548000. Vehicles affected are cars that use the part numbers listed. |
| 11008624 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.025 |
| 11008603 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. The cars involved are cars that use the part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY |
| 11008486 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.021 |
| 11008479 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the chain tensioner - 0PB109507D |
| 11008476 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.020 |
| 11008473 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the seat frame - 992885456CY |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)