Selling a Porsche Carrera GT that can't be driven

One short run, one recall that grounds the car

The EPA lists the Carrera GT for the 2004 and 2005 model years only, as a two-seater with a gasoline engine. Wikipedia gives production as 2003 to 2006, with assembly in Leipzig. The drivetrain is unusual. Behind the seats sits a 5.7-liter Porsche M80/01 V10, a 68-degree engine with an aluminium block and heads, driving the rear wheels. It shifts through a 6-speed manual with a twin-plate ceramic dry clutch that Porsche calls PCCC. The fuel tank holds 92 liters, good for a listed range of 241 miles, per Wikipedia.

Recall 23V241000: the spherical joints

Porsche reported this campaign to NHTSA on April 5, 2023, for 2004-2005 cars. The spherical joints that connect the wishbone suspension parts on the front and rear axles can fail from damage. NHTSA files it under suspension and flags it DO NOT DRIVE. The remedy starts with dealers inspecting the joints; what follows depends on whether damage is found. The campaign lists 489 vehicles. That count covers the whole campaign, which NHTSA describes as certain 2004-2005 Carrera GTs.

The recall was reported in 2023, about 18 years after the last model year in EPA data. Any Carrera GT that has sat since then may still have it open. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before you plan anything else.

Complaints and recalls by model year

These are the tallies NHTSA held on October 10, 2026, each one a complaint an owner decided to file. They say nothing firm about how dependable a Carrera GT is. Part of why a late Carrera GT year shows fewer filings is that it was driven for fewer years; EPA lists 2005 as its final year.

Repair it or let it go?

Start with the recall, because the inspection is the dealer's job, not yours. The advice is not to drive it until the repair has been performed, so get the dealer's findings in writing.

After that, weigh what else is wrong. Long storage tends to add its own items to the list. Our guides on broken suspension and a car that has sat for years walk through how to think about it. If the list keeps growing, our page on selling with an open recall covers that situation.

Selling it whole

1. Pull together the paperwork: title, VIN, odometer reading, plus any dealer letters about the joint recall.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say how it sits. Under the do-not-drive advice the car should not be driven onto a truck, so tell us whether it rolls, steers and brakes, and and where it is kept: garage, car cover, dealer service bay.
4. Leave it complete. Keep the wheels, the seats and the engine cover on. Anything already removed should be mentioned when you ask.

We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. No title? See selling with no title. Looking at the car that followed it? See the 918 Spyder, or every Porsche we cover.