Porsche Cayman and Boxster Buying Guide: Common Problems and What to Check Before You Buy
The Cayman and Boxster are, for a lot of buyers, the most rewarding way into a Porsche: mid-engined, beautifully balanced, and historically cheaper than the 911 they share so much with. They’re also one of the easiest model lines to get confused about, because the name has moved around: the 718 badge only arrived in 2016, when Porsche switched the engine to a turbocharged four-cylinder. Cars before that are simply Boxster or Cayman, and they carry their own generation-specific weak points.
This guide maps those generations, the faults that matter at each, and the things a test drive and a seller’s word can’t tell you. It’s written to help you walk into a viewing knowing what to look for, and to know which checks to do before you ever get in the car.
One honest note up front, the same one we’d give on any car: verifying a car’s history and specification is a different job from inspecting its mechanical condition. You need both. This guide covers where each one fits.
A quick word on names
It trips up a lot of buyers, so it’s worth stating plainly. “Boxster” and “Cayman” are the convertible and the coupé of the same mid-engined car. The “718” prefix applies only to the generation launched in 2016, and within that generation, the engine itself splits into two very different characters: a turbocharged four-cylinder, and a later naturally aspirated six. Knowing which car a car advert is actually describing is the first step, and the table below is built to settle it.
The generations at a glance
| Generation | Years | Engine | Headline thing to understand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 986 Boxster | 1996–2004 | Flat-six (M96) | The value entry point; shares the early water-cooled engine concerns |
| 987 Boxster / Cayman | 2005–2012 | Flat-six (M96/M97 → 9A1) | Split .1/.2; the later .2 drops the IMS concern |
| 981 Boxster / Cayman | 2012–2016 | Naturally aspirated flat-six | Widely seen as the sweet spot; no IMS |
| 982 “718” Boxster / Cayman | 2016–present | Turbo flat-four; later NA flat-six | The rebrand and the engine debate: four-cylinder vs the 4.0 six |
A useful shorthand: on the older cars (986, 987.1) the engine-era risk dominates; on the newer ones (981, 982) the decision shifts to which engine you want and whether the spec justifies the price.
Common problems by generation
986 Boxster (1996–2004)
Today’s cheapest route into a mid-engined Porsche, and the one that needs the most homework, because it shares its engine family with the 996-generation 911. That means the same headline concerns: the IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing, where a failure can be catastrophic and the car’s inspection or upgrade history materially affects what you should pay, plus rear main seal (RMS) oil leaks. On a convertible, also budget time to check the roof mechanism and seals. A cheap 986 is rarely cheap to put right, so the history matters more than the sticker price.
987 Boxster / Cayman (2005–2012)
Treat this as two different cars. The early 987.1 carries the engine-era concerns of its time: IMS bearing risk and cylinder bore-scoring, the latter being a particularly well-known item on the larger “S” engines. The later 987.2, from 2009, moved to a direct-injection engine that designed the IMS issue out and greatly reduced bore-scoring risk, which is why it’s often considered the more relaxed buy. The Cayman coupé arrived a year after this generation’s Boxster. As with all these engines, confirming exactly which one is in the car you’re viewing is the single most important step.
981 Boxster / Cayman (2012–2016)
For many buyers this is the sweet spot: a naturally aspirated flat-six with no IMS concern, modern enough to live with easily, and widely regarded as one of the best-driving versions of the car. Bore-scoping is still sensible on any used example, but the dominant question here shifts from “will it have a major fault” to “is this the right specification at the right money.” The high-performance GT4 and Spyder versions of this generation use a larger 3.8-litre six from the 997 Carrera GTS: a different and sought-after proposition.
982 “718” Boxster / Cayman (2016–present)
This is where the decision becomes mostly about engine character. The core 718 uses a turbocharged four-cylinder: genuinely fast and a strong value buy on the used market, but it divided opinion on sound and feel compared with the outgoing six, and that perception affects resale. Porsche later reintroduced a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre six in the GTS 4.0, GT4 and Spyder, which enthusiasts tend to prize and which command a premium accordingly. There’s no single “fault” that defines this generation; the buying work is deciding which engine you actually want, then making sure the spec and history justify the price. Treat any specific mechanical concern on a given car as something to confirm on inspection rather than assume.
Beyond the mechanicals: history and provenance red flags
Two cars with identical engines can be worth thousands apart on history alone. Before you focus on mechanical condition, the paper trail has to stand up:
- Service history gaps: especially around major-service intervals. Missing stamps aren’t automatically disqualifying, but they change the price.
- Mileage that doesn’t add up: MOT records should tell a consistent story year-on-year. A jump or a stall is worth understanding before you view.
- Outstanding finance: a car can’t be sold cleanly with money owed against it. This is a five-minute check that prevents a very bad day.
- Accident or write-off markers: a recorded repair isn’t always a deal-breaker, but you need to know it’s there and price accordingly.
- Specification that doesn’t match the car advert: claimed options that aren’t actually fitted are common, and on a Porsche the options are the value.
None of these require you to be in the same room as the car. All of them are checkable in advance.
What a car advert and a test drive won’t tell you
It helps to think of any Porsche purchase as three layers of truth:
- What the seller says: the car advert, the description, the conversation. Useful, but unverified.
- What the records say: MOT and mileage consistency, finance, stolen and write-off markers. This is data verification, and it can be done before you travel.
- What only a physical inspection reveals: bore-scope and compression results, suspension and bushing wear, clutch life, the things you can only find with the car on a ramp.
Most buyers do layer 1, skip straight to a test drive, and only reach layer 3 (a proper PPI) on the one car they’ve already half-committed to: sometimes after a long drive to see it. Doing layer 2 first is what stops you wasting a Saturday on a car whose history was never going to check out.
To be clear about the limits: data verification confirms a car is what it claims to be on paper. It does not replace a physical, mechanical pre-purchase inspection. The two do different jobs, and a careful buyer does both: in that order.
Pre-purchase checklist
- Confirm the exact generation and engine: Boxster or Cayman, which generation, and on a 718 whether it’s the four-cylinder or the 4.0 six.
- On 986 and 987.1 cars, confirm the IMS status and have the cylinders bore-scoped.
- On a Boxster, check the convertible roof operation and seals.
- Verify MOT and mileage history reads consistently year-on-year.
- Check for outstanding finance and any stolen marker.
- Check for recorded accident damage or write-off category.
- Cross-check the listed specification and options against what’s actually fitted.
- Then arrange a marque-specialist physical inspection on the car you’re serious about.
How Chequered Past helps
Chequered Past is the layer-2 step. You give us the registration; we check the official records on that car: the factory spec, MOT and mileage consistency, outstanding finance, stolen and write-off markers, keepers and the value, and we’re explicit about anything we couldn’t confirm.
What it does: tells you, before you travel, whether a car is what it says it is. What it doesn’t do: replace a physical inspection of mechanical condition. We’ll always tell you where that line is.
Run a history check on a Cayman or Boxster you’re considering →
Related guides and checks
Before you buy, run a vehicle history check on the car, and read what a history check covers and how it differs from a physical inspection.
Other model guides: 911, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera, Taycan.
Frequently asked questions
Should I avoid the 718 four-cylinder? Not on reliability grounds alone: the turbocharged four-cylinder is fast and represents strong value used. The hesitation most buyers have is about sound and character versus the older and newer six-cylinder engines, which is a matter of taste and affects resale. If that character matters to you, the 4.0-litre six variants are the ones to seek out, at a premium.
Which Cayman or Boxster has the IMS bearing issue? It affects the earlier cars with the M96/M97 engine family: broadly the 986 Boxster and the 987.1 Boxster and Cayman. The later 987.2 (from 2009) and the 981 use engines without that concern.
What’s the difference between a Cayman and a Boxster? They’re the same mid-engined car in two body styles: the Cayman is the fixed-roof coupé, the Boxster the convertible. They share engines and mechanicals within each generation, so the buying considerations are largely the same; the Boxster simply adds roof checks.
Can I check a car’s history before I go and view it? Yes. MOT and mileage consistency, outstanding finance, stolen and write-off markers, and specification can all be verified before you travel.