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Porsche BoxsterModel year report

2006 Porsche Boxster Problems

Complaints
5filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
22,000miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 3.2L 6-cyl RWD · 17 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2006 Porsche Boxster (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2006 Porsche Boxster. The part named most often is engine, with 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by air bags (1) and brakes (1). 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 75% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 22,000 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 372 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 54 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “Driving on freeway at about 70 MPH and intermediate shaft failed. Created dangerous situation as engine started billowing smoke, obscuring traffic causing many cars to swerve dangerously and had stop abruptly. Car towed to repair shop empire autohaus, inc. Where problem was diagnosed. Owned car for three years with zero problems and regular service. Learned that many Porsche automobiles with the m96 engine (up to 25%) with less than 90,000 miles have had same problem and has yet to be addressed by manufacturer.”

NHTSA complaint #10542089, filed 2013-09, 81,254 miles

Air bags: “The contact stated each time the engine was started or while driving various speeds, the airbag light illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined while the airbag light was illuminated, the airbags would not deploy in the event of a crash. Also, the dealer determined the front passenger side seat needed to be adjusted forward so the airbag light would not illuminate. After the contact adjusted the seat as instructed by the dealer, the problem persisted. The manufacturer was not alerted. …”

NHTSA complaint #10169952, filed 2006-10, 3,800 miles

Brakes: “I purchased the 2006 Boxster in july 2010 from a private party, and soon afterward, started to experience intermittent ABS/psm system failure warning lights. The original Porsche warranty was due to expire in january, 2011. I took the car to flemington Porsche in flemington n.j. Three times in august, 2010, but they were unable to diagnose the source of the problem. The warning lights persisted. …”

NHTSA complaint #11353456, filed 2020-09, 27,000 miles

Electrical system: “I awoke one saturday morning after it had been raining all night to find my spoiler up (which is only supposed to go up at 75 MPH), my car windows down and my rear lights on. When I attempted to move the vehicle and shut the windows, nothing worked. The car ran okay, as far as I could tell, but the alarm started to go off while driving and I ended up having to disable the battery just to stop all of the malfunctions that were happening. There were multiple fault codes on in the on board computer, the convertible top would not go down and many of the internal buttons/switches did not work. …”

NHTSA complaint #10482947, filed 2012-11, 17,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

75% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,000 and 27,000 miles.

25%0–1025%10–2525%25–500%50–7525%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 22,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2006120121201312020120211
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2006 Porsche Boxster version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Boxster RWD2.7L 6-cyl5-speed manual182721$3,900
Boxster RWD2.7L 6-cyl6-speed manual182621$3,900
Boxster RWD2.7L 6-cyl5-speed automatic162419$4,350
Boxster S RWD3.2L 6-cyl6-speed manual172520$4,100
Boxster S RWD3.2L 6-cyl5-speed automatic162419$4,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2006 Porsche Boxster in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 372 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 372 bulletins →

Other model years of the Porsche Boxster

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2013107,1841—25—Not enough data
2006522,0000—20—Not enough data
20051638,0480—21—Stable
20031219,0002—21—Not enough data
20021037,6002—20—Not enough data
20011353,2082—20—Not enough data
2000549,0001—20—Not enough data
19992850,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19983249,1001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19972256,0003—20—Stable

All Porsche Boxster model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Porsche Boxster have?

NHTSA recorded 5 consumer complaints for the 2006 Porsche Boxster as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Porsche Boxster is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 2 complaints (40% of the total), followed by air bags with 1.

Has the 2006 Porsche Boxster been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Porsche Boxster get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Porsche Boxster (Boxster S, 3.2L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2006 Porsche Boxster reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 22,000 miles and the middle half falls between 17,000 and 27,000 miles; 75% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.