The 2007 Cayman S (987.1 generation) is a mid-engine sports car with Porsche's 3.4L flat-six. While generally well-built, it shares the M97 engine's catastrophic intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing weakness and bore scoring issues that can total the motor—both typically surfacing between 60k-100k miles.
IMS Bearing Failure (Intermediate Shaft)
Occasional · high severityTypical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: metallic debris in oil filter or drain pan, timing-related rattling on cold start, catastrophic engine failure without warning in worst cases
Fix: Preventive replacement requires engine-out or rear main seal access depending on method, 12-16 hours labor. If it fails, you're looking at full engine rebuild or replacement. Many owners do this proactively around 60k-80k miles.
Estimated cost: $2,500-3,500 preventive replacement; $15,000-25,000 if engine grenades
Bore Scoring / Cylinder Wall Damage
Occasional · high severityTypical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: blue smoke on startup especially when cold, excessive oil consumption (1qt per 1000 mi or worse), loss of compression, rough idle
Fix: Requires complete engine teardown, cylinder replating or sleeving, new pistons and rings. Often combined with IMS bearing service. 40-60 hours labor for full rebuild.
Estimated cost: $12,000-20,000
Rear Main Seal (RMS) Leak
Common · medium severityTypical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: oil pooling under car after sitting, oil spots on transmission bell housing, drips visible at engine/trans junction
Fix: Engine or transmission must be dropped for access. Often done alongside IMS bearing replacement to save on duplicate labor. 10-14 hours labor standalone.
Estimated cost: $1,800-2,800
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · low severityTypical onset: 60,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: clunking when shifting or engaging clutch, excessive drivetrain movement felt through cabin, vibration at idle in gear
Fix: Replace transmission mount bracket and bushings. Straightforward job, 2-3 hours labor. Often caught during other transmission-out services.
Estimated cost: $400-700
Coolant Expansion Tank Cracking
Common · medium severityTypical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: coolant smell in engine bay, visible coolant weeping from tank seams, low coolant warning light, steam from rear engine grille area
Fix: Plastic tank becomes brittle with age and heat cycles. Replace tank and pressure-test system. 1.5-2 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $300-500
Air-Oil Separator (AOS) Failure
Occasional · medium severityTypical onset: 70,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: oil smoke from exhaust under load, oil consumption increases, oil residue in intake tubing, rough idle or misfires from oil-fouled plugs
Fix: AOS diaphragm fails and allows crankcase oil into intake manifold. Replace AOS unit, clean intake, possibly replace spark plugs. 4-5 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $1,200-1,800
Fantastic driver's car when healthy, but the M97 engine is a ticking time bomb—only buy with full service history showing IMS addressed and clean borescope, or budget $5k-8k immediately for preventive work.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.