1999 Porsche 911 Carrera

I OWN A 1999 CARRERA CABRIOLET. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH DISPLAYS CONTINUOUSLY AND THE FRONT DRIVER' S SIDE LAP BELT DOES NOT ENGAGE. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. THE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEMS AND THE PARTS WERE NEVER OBTAINED AND THE WARRANTY REPAIR NEVER COMPLETED. THE SEAT BELT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY WORK BUT NOW IT IS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THIS IS APPARENTLY A RELATIVELY COMMON OCCURRENCE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. I BELIEVE THAT PORSCHE IS NOT MEETING FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS BY ITS FAILURE TO PROVIDE SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT IS NOT DEFECTIVE AND BY ITS FAILURE TO REPAIR SUCH DEFECTS. THE DEALER ESTIMATE TO GET THE SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG FUNCTIONING IS $1200. MY CAR PRESENTLY HAS ONLY 11,000 ORIGINAL MILES. NOT ONLY WAS THIS DEFECT NOT CORRECTED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THAT AN AUTO WITH SUCH FEW MILES HAS MALFUNCTIONING SAFETY EQUIPMENT. I BELIEVE THAT PORSCHE IS NOT LIVING UP TO FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS BY SELLING AUTOS WITH MALFUNCTIONING SEAT BELTS AND AIRBAGS AND DOES NOT PROVIDE CORRECTIVE ACTION. *NM

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. MY '1999 911 CARRERA JUST HAD IT'S 30000 MAJOR SERVICE COMPLETED AT STEVINSON PORSCHE IN DENVER, CO. THE NEXT DAY THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD BE "$250 AND UP". I HAVE SINCE READ THRU NUMEROUS FORUMS THAT THIS IS A "REPORTED"/"COMMON" ISSUE INVOLVING THE SEAT BELT WIRING SYSTEM AND THAT PORSCHE IS AWARE OF IT, HAS A REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE, BUT THAT IT IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THE CORRECTION TO THIS SAFTEY ISSUE. HAS THERE BEEN A "RECALL" ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM?*AK

I BELIEVE PORSCHE IS VIOLATING FEDERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND REFUSES TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I HAVE OWNED A 1999 PORSCHE 996 C2 AUTOMOBILE, [XXX] SINCE LAST NOVEMBER, 2003. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 46,000 MILES AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT DISPLAYS ON THE DASHBOARD AND CONTINUES TO DISPLAY. IT INDICATES THAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT FUNCTIONAL. I HAVE SPOKEN TO PORSCHE SERVICE MANAGERS, ADVISORS AND MECHANICS, ALL OF WHOM SAID THE PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY SEAT BELT CONTACTS AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND WIRING. THEY SAID PORSCHE HAS A KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PRESTIGE PORSCHE IN DENVER, COLORADO, A FACTORY DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSED MY CAR. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED I NEED THE KIT INSTALLED TO SOLVE THE AIRBAG PROBLEM. THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY $500. PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA (PCNA) HAS BEEN WELL AWARE OF THE AIRBAG PROBLEM. EVERY SERVICE ADVISOR AND MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY KNEW OF THE AIRBAG PROBLEM AND OF THE KIT TO FIX IT. PCNA HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY AWARE THAT THEY HAVE CREATED A KIT FOR THE FIX. PCNA HAS NOT ISSUED SERVICE ADVISORIES, TECHNICAL ADVISORIES OR, A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. NO NOTICE OF THE PROBLEM WAS GIVE TO CAR OWNERS. PCNA REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OR CORRECTIVE FIX FOR MY CAR. THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE; IT IS A FEDERALLY MANDATED SAFETY EQUIPMENT ISSUE WHICH REQUIRES PCNA TO RECALL ALL SUCH CARS AND CORRECT THE AIRBAG FAILURE. PLEASE HELP ME. IF I AM WRONG ABOUT PCNAS RESPONSIBILITY, PLEASE SO INFORM ME. IF I AM CORRECT, PLEASE GIVE ME CITATIONS FOR THE FEDERAL STATUTES, RULES, REGULATIONS AND CASES WHICH SUPPORT MY POSITION. TO DATE MY CAR IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. I MUST ADDRESS THIS ISSUE SOON AND DO APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT REPLY AND ASSISTANCE.*AK UPDATED 07/25/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)