A Long Wait for Carrera GT Owners

Owning a luxury sports car but being unable to drive it must be a very frustrating situation for any owner. Porsche Carrera GT owners found themselves exactly in that predicament. However, it seems that this situation is finally coming to an end.

In April 2023, Porsche issued a recall for all Carrera GTs sold in the United States, and subsequently announced the recall in Japan as well.

The reason was an issue with suspension components. Specifically, the material used (X46Cr13) was found to not provide sufficient resistance to intergranular stress corrosion when exposed to salt and long-term mechanical stress. In other words, salt and wear could cause cracks in the suspension arms, which posed a risk of accidents.

Details of the Recall Response

At the time, Porsche did not have replacement parts ready, so they took the following approach:

1. First, inspect the affected parts
2. If no abnormalities are found during inspection, the vehicle can continue to be used without restrictions
3. Once replacement parts become available, owners will be notified again
4. If abnormalities are found during inspection, owners are advised to refrain from using the vehicle until repairs are completed

In other words, Carrera GTs that Porsche inspected and deemed problem-free were allowed to continue driving until replacement parts were ready.

Long-Awaited Replacement Parts and Additional Benefits

And now, about 17 months later, new suspension parts have finally been made available.

Furthermore, according to an anonymous source in the U.S., Carrera GT owners are receiving perks beyond just the new suspension arms.

When a car is left unused for a long time, various issues can arise—such as deterioration of fluids like oil and drying or cracking of rubber components. To address this, Porsche’s internal documents reportedly state: “Customers are entitled to receive up to $3,240 worth of complimentary maintenance to restore vehicles that have not been driven for an extended period back to a drivable condition.”

Even more interestingly, benefits are also being offered to Carrera GT owners who continued driving their cars. According to the same internal documents, all Carrera GTs will be provided with new tires.

“New Pilot Sport Cup 2 N-spec tires for the Carrera GT have been prepared. During the campaign, each customer will receive a new set of tires free of charge.”

The tire set—265/35R19 front and 335/30R20 rear—is by no means inexpensive. Even for owners of cars worth hundreds of millions of yen, this is surely a welcome bonus.

The Charm of the Carrera GT Returns

With this response, affected Carrera GTs in the U.S. will be repaired in sequence, and many more vehicles are expected to be brought to dealer service centers in the coming weeks.

Repairs to a high-end supercar may not directly impact the daily lives of most people. However, if it means more opportunities to hear the magnificent sound of the V10 engine outdoors, that is certainly welcome news. The Carrera GT remains a dream car for many and continues to hold its status as a premium Porsche. We hope it will keep running strong for many years to come.

I will write a follow-up once information about the response in Japan becomes available.