Porsche Recalls 1/3 of All Carrera GTs over Suspension Failure

• Porsche is recalling 489 examples of its legendary Carrera GT from 2004 and 2005.
• Only around 1300 Carrera GTs were ever produced, so 489 vehicles is a pretty significant number.
• According to documents filed with NHTSA, spherical joints connecting the wishbone suspension components on the front and rear axles may fail due to mechanical stress or corrosion.

Take a minute today to empathize with the 489 Porsche Carrera GT owners who will need to take time out of their busy days to schedule a dealership appointment. Or, more likely to ask their assistant to schedule a dealership appointment for their recently recalled million-plus-dollar supercar.

Porsche issued a recall for 489 Carrera GTs over an issue with the suspension components, which could increase the risk of a crash. According to a recent filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the spherical joints that connect the wishbone suspension components on the front and rear axles can fail due to damage from mechanical stress and corrosion.

“The material used does not provide sufficient resistance to inter granular stress corrosion when exposed to salt and mechanical stress over service life,” Porsche’s defect notice reads. “This could result in cracks or fractures in the spherical joints, and possible [sic] the wishbone.”

Porsche said it first found the issue in an isolated case in August 2019, when one owner brought a Carrera GT in for an unrelated service. According to the filings, Porsche struggled with further analyses on more Carrera GTs, because of the age and extremely limited production run of the vehicle.

The recall notes that owners might be able to perceive noise and vibration due to a loosening or failure of the connection, but the component could also fail without warning.

Due to parts not being available, the company has a two-phase remedy plan. It first wants to inspect all the affected vehicles. If the issue doesn’t show up during the inspection, the vehicle will be cleared for unrestricted use and the customer will be notified when the remedy parts become available. If the issue does make itself known, Porsche will advise customers not to drive their vehicle until the fix is completed. This being the Carrera GT, Porsche will offer alternative transportation upon request.

In the unlikely event you own one, you can check the NHTSA recalls site to determine whether your Carrera GT is included in the recall.

Associate News Editor

Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.