The Porsche 718 Boxster spans 2017–2026 with 12 recorded NHTSA recalls and a 3.5/5 ForCar reliability score. The years to approach with caution are 2017, 2023, 2026 (most owner complaints); the cleanest are 2018, 2019, 2020. It delivers up to 24 mpg combined and NHTSA-rated safety.
How we score: NHTSA crash-test safety (40%), recall frequency across all years (25%) and the share of owner complaints involving a crash, fire or injury (35%). Based on NHTSA & EPA data — not user reviews.
Overview
The Porsche 718 Boxster is one of the most popular vehicles in its class, produced from 2017 to 2026 across multiple generations.
How to read a Porsche 718 Boxster VIN — every digit explained
Every Porsche 718 Boxster carries a unique 17-character VIN stamped at the factory. Each position is a code — together they spell out where, when and how your car was built. Here's exactly what every digit means.
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Porsche and the country it was built in (real Porsche codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled this 718 Boxster.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- GermanyWP0 · WP1
Digits 4–17 — the engine code (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard, identical on every car. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the VIN is stamped on your 718 Boxster, see the complete guide to reading a VIN.
How many recalls does the Porsche 718 Boxster have?
The Porsche 718 Boxster has 12 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2017–2026. Pick a year below to see its recalls — then verify open recalls against your specific VIN.
2019 Porsche 718 Boxster recalls 1
Fuel System, Gasoline
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017-2019 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S vehicles and 2018-2019 718 Boxster GTS and 2018-2019 718 Cayman GTS vehicles. In the event of a crash, a crossmember may detach from the luggage compartment bracket, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of fire.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will secure the crossmember with additional rivets, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA3.
2018 Porsche 718 Boxster recalls 2
Fuel System, Gasoline
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017-2019 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S vehicles and 2018-2019 718 Boxster GTS and 2018-2019 718 Cayman GTS vehicles. In the event of a crash, a crossmember may detach from the luggage compartment bracket, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of fire.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will secure the crossmember with additional rivets, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA3.
Air Bags
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2018 718 Boxster, Boxster S and Boxster GTS, 718 Cayman, Cayman S and Cayman GTS, 911 Carrera, Carrera T, Targa 4 GTS, Carrera 4, Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Carrera GTS, Carrera 4 GTS, Carrera Cabriolet, Carrera S Cabriolet, Carrera 4S Cabriolet, Carrera GTS Cabriolet, Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Targa 4, Targa 4S, Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo S Exclusive Series, Turbo Cabriolet, Turbo S Cabriolet and GT3 vehicles. The side air bag impact sensors may not have been properly tightened to the vehicle.
Risk. In the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the air bag sensors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 17, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA4.
2017 Porsche 718 Boxster recalls 5
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016 911 GT3 RS and 911 R vehicles and 2017 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4, 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Targa 4, 911 Targa 4S, 911 Turbo S, 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S vehicles. The passenger frontal air bag inflator initiator may fail to ignite during a crash.
Risk. If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2017. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH03.
Visibility:windshield
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Targa S, 911 Targa 4S, 911 Turbo Cabriolet, 718 Boxter and 718 Boxter S vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Risk. In the event of a crash, if the windshield separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will rebond the windshield, free of charge. The recall began on May 12, 2016. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for the recall is AH04.
Air Bags:side/window
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2017 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman, 718 Cayman S, 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera S, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Turbo, 911 Turbo S, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, and 911 Turbo Cabriolet vehicles. The seat mounted side air bag inflator initiator may fail to ignite during a crash.
Risk. If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the side air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AG10.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera S, 911 Carrera 4, 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Targa 4, 911 Targa 4S + GTS, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman, and 718 Cayman S vehicles. The screws that fasten the fuel collection pipes in the engine compartment may shear off, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will install improved fastening screws, free of charge. The recall began March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH01.
Fuel System, Gasoline
What's wrong. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017-2019 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman and 718 Cayman S vehicles and 2018-2019 718 Boxster GTS and 2018-2019 718 Cayman GTS vehicles. In the event of a crash, a crossmember may detach from the luggage compartment bracket, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of fire.
Fix. Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will secure the crossmember with additional rivets, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA3.
Best and worst years for the Porsche 718 Boxster
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint volume across 10 tracked years, the worst years are 2017, 2023, 2026 and the best (fewest complaints) are 2018, 2019, 2020.
ForCar aggregate — our own analysis of complaint volume, not published by NHTSA.
| Year | Owner complaints | Top issue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 718 Boxster | Visibility/wiper | Avoid | |
| 2018 718 Boxster | — | Best | |
| 2019 718 Boxster | — | Best | |
| 2020 718 Boxster | — | Best | |
| 2021 718 Boxster | — | Average | |
| 2022 718 Boxster | — | Average | |
| 2023 718 Boxster | Service Brakes | Avoid | |
| 2024 718 Boxster | — | Average | |
| 2025 718 Boxster | — | Average | |
| 2026 718 Boxster | — | Avoid |
What are the most common Porsche 718 Boxster problems?
The most-reported Porsche 718 Boxster problems are Wheels (1 reports), Seat Belts (1 reports) and Service Brakes (1 reports) — out of 4 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the model. Here's how they break down:
Most-reported components — tap a category to read what owners actually experienced:
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, all model years. Bar = share of total complaints. Full reports searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Porsche 718 Boxster specifications & dimensions
The 2017–2023 Porsche 718 Boxster measures 172″ long on a 98″ wheelbase, with a curb weight near 2,943 lb. Full dimensions below — engine, horsepower and trim decode from your VIN. For the original factory build — MSRP, trim and standard equipment — rebuild the Porsche 718 Boxster window sticker.
| Years | Length | Width | Height | Wheelbase | Curb weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2023 | 172″ | 71″ | 50″ | 98″ | 2,943 lb |
Source: NHTSA vPIC / Transport Canada vehicle specifications. Metric values converted to imperial; generation ranges approximate.
Porsche 718 Boxster cargo space, seating & interior room
How much the 718 Boxster holds — passengers and cargo. EPA measures its interior at 70 cu ft of passenger volume and 5 cu ft of cargo. Seating capacity and legroom vary by trim.
Exact seating capacity, third-row availability, legroom and headroom decode from your VIN or vary by trim — the original factory equipment & options list shows what each trim included.
Passenger & cargo volume from EPA fueleconomy.gov (largest configuration). Seats, legroom and headroom from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Porsche 718 Boxster tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What MPG does the Porsche 718 Boxster get?
The Porsche 718 Boxster returns up to 24 combined MPG (EPA), which works out to roughly $3,200/yr in fuel. Pick an engine to see MPG, annual running cost and CO₂ by year:
The 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster (4L 6-cyl) gets 21 mpg combined and costs about $3,650/yr to fuel, emitting 418 g/mi CO₂ (GHG 4/10, smog 4/10) — about $7,250 more than the average new vehicle over 5 years.
| Year | City | Hwy | Comb | Fuel/yr | CO₂ g/mi | Smog | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 718 Boxster | 19 | 24 | $3,650 | 418 | 4/10 | 4L 6-cyl | |
| 2024 718 Boxster | 19 | 24 | $3,650 | 418 | 5/10 | 4L 6-cyl | |
| 2023 718 Boxster | 19 | 24 | $3,650 | 418 | 5/10 | 4L 6-cyl | |
| 2022 718 Boxster | 19 | 24 | $3,650 | 418 | 5/10 | 4L 6-cyl | |
| 2021 718 Boxster | 19 | 24 | $3,650 | 418 | 5/10 | 4L 6-cyl |
The 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster (2L 4-cyl) gets 24 mpg combined and costs about $3,200/yr to fuel, emitting 375 g/mi CO₂ (GHG 5/10, smog 1/10) — about $5,000 more than the average new vehicle over 5 years.
| Year | City | Hwy | Comb | Fuel/yr | CO₂ g/mi | Smog | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 718 Boxster | 21 | 27 | $3,200 | 375 | 1/10 | 2L 4-cyl | |
| 2024 718 Boxster | 21 | 27 | $3,200 | 375 | 1/10 | 2L 4-cyl | |
| 2023 718 Boxster | 21 | 27 | $3,200 | 375 | 1/10 | 2L 4-cyl | |
| 2022 718 Boxster | 21 | 27 | $3,200 | 375 | 1/10 | 2L 4-cyl | |
| 2021 718 Boxster | 21 | 27 | $3,200 | 375 | 1/10 | 2L 4-cyl |
Source: EPA fuel-economy database (ForCar-hosted, 1986–2027) — best combined rating per engine & year, with EPA annual fuel cost and tailpipe CO₂. Trim & drivetrain vary slightly; decode your VIN for the exact figure.
See how the 718 Boxster stacks up against the most fuel-efficient two-seaters, or calculate this 718 Boxster's real yearly fuel cost.
What engines does the Porsche 718 Boxster have? Power & range
The Porsche 718 Boxster is offered with 2 powertrains — 4L 6-cyl, 2L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 4.0L · 6-cyl | Automatic (AM-S7) | RWD | Premium |
| 4-cyl | 2.0L · 4-cyl | Automatic (AM-S7) | RWD | Premium |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
How much does a Porsche 718 Boxster cost to own?
A Porsche 718 Boxster holds its value well. A typical example keeps roughly 56% of its value after five years — losing about 44% to depreciation. Fuel, maintenance and insurance add to the total cost to own.
| Age | Value retained | Est. resale value | Lost to depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 84% | $25,200 | −$4,800 |
| Year 2 | 76% | $22,800 | −$7,200 |
| Year 3 | 68% | $20,400 | −$9,600 |
| Year 4 | 61% | $18,300 | −$11,700 |
| Year 5 | 56% | $16,800 | −$13,200 |
What goes into the five-year cost to own:
- Depreciation — the biggest cost: this 718 Boxster loses about 44% of its value over five years. See the full depreciation curve by age.
- Fuel — ≈ $16,000 over five years at roughly 15,000 miles a year.
- Maintenance & repairs — routine service, tires and wear items as the 718 Boxster ages.
- Insurance — varies by driver, state and trim; get a quote for your exact figure.
Resale & depreciation are ForCar estimates from typical segment value-retention curves — not a live market quote. Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov at ~15k mi/yr.
Is the Porsche 718 Boxster safe?
NHTSA crash-test ratings aren't published for the 718 Boxster yet — see the top-rated safest cars instead.
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How many miles does a Porsche 718 Boxster last?
A well-maintained Porsche 718 Boxster typically lasts 200,000–250,000 miles. With regular oil, transmission and timing service, most examples comfortably pass the 200,000-mile mark. Its ForCar Reliability Score is 3.5/5.
Check your Porsche 718 Boxster’s VIN — history, recalls & specs
Title records, open recalls, build details and paint code — straight from the VIN. Free.
Check this 718 Boxster’s VIN free →All Porsche 718 Boxster model years
A year-by-year snapshot of the Porsche 718 Boxster — recalls, best EPA fuel economy and NHTSA safety. Tap a year for full details.
| Year | Recalls | Best MPG | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 718 Boxster | 0 | — | |
| 2025 718 Boxster | 0 | — | |
| 2024 718 Boxster | 1 recall | — | |
| 2023 718 Boxster | 2 recalls | — | |
| 2022 718 Boxster | 0 | — | |
| 2021 718 Boxster | 1 recall | — | |
| 2020 718 Boxster | 0 | — | |
| 2019 718 Boxster | 1 recall | — | |
| 2018 718 Boxster | 2 recalls | — | |
| 2017 718 Boxster | 5 recalls | — |
Recalls = NHTSA campaigns that year · MPG = best EPA combined · Safety = NHTSA overall stars (tested years).
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the 718 Boxster?
By owner-complaint volume, 2017, 2023, 2026 drew the most reports. 2018, 2019, 2020 have the cleanest records.
How many recalls does the 718 Boxster have?
12 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2017–2026. Always check open recalls by your VIN. See all Porsche recalls and reliability across every model.
What MPG does the 718 Boxster get?
Up to 24 combined MPG (EPA), depending on engine — from the base 4-cylinder to the hybrid.
How many miles does a 718 Boxster last?
A well-maintained 718 Boxster typically reaches 200,000–300,000 miles with regular maintenance.
Is the 718 Boxster reliable?
Our ForCar Reliability Score for the 718 Boxster is 3.5/5, based on NHTSA safety, recall history and complaint severity.
What's the Porsche 718 Boxster warranty?
New Porsche models carry a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic (bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a 4 years / 50,000 miles powertrain warranty. Coverage can vary by model year and market — confirm with a Porsche dealer.
Where is the Porsche 718 Boxster made?
The assembly plant is encoded in the VIN — the 11th character. Decode your 718 Boxster's VIN above to see exactly where it was built; Porsche may build it at more than one plant depending on the year.
How much ground clearance does the 718 Boxster have?
Ground clearance varies by trim and drivetrain — AWD/4WD versions often sit higher. Decode your VIN or check the specific trim for the exact figure.