Porsche owners have filed 1,416 complaints with NHTSA across 26 models. On average the car was 5.49 years old when the problem happened, and 35.2% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Porsche
The systems Porsche owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Porsche | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 11.8% | 1.2% | |
| Power Train | 11.4% | 1.9% | |
| Electrical System | 9.7% | 0.7% | |
| Air Bags | 5.4% | 3.9% | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4.9% | 0% | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4.7% | 1.5% | |
| Unknown Or Other | 4.7% | 1.5% | |
| Exterior Lighting | 3.6% | 0% |
When Porsche problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 5.49 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 35.2% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 53 | Of 1,416 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 25 | Of 1,416 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Porsche models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Porsche | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAYENNE | 32.7% | 6.8 yrs | 9 | |
| TAYCAN | 18.9% | 1.8 yrs | 10 | |
| MACAN | 13.5% | 4.5 yrs | 12 | |
| BOXSTER | 8.3% | 7.7 yrs | 5 | |
| PANAMERA | 7.2% | 6.2 yrs | 5 | |
| CAYENNE S | 6.3% | 6.9 yrs | 4 | |
| CAYENNE TURBO | 2.3% | 5.7 yrs | 1 | |
| CAYMAN | 2.2% | 6.0 yrs | — | |
| 911 | 1.9% | 8.7 yrs | 2 | |
| 911 GT3 | 1.3% | 6.2 yrs | — | |
| 911 TURBO | 1.3% | 5.8 yrs | — | |
| 944 | 0.9% | 7.8 yrs | — | |
| BOXSTER (987) | 0.6% | 5.9 yrs | 1 | |
| BOXSTER S | 0.6% | 7.1 yrs | 2 | |
| 718 CAYMAN | 0.4% | 1.8 yrs | — |
Porsche complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | — | |
| 2025 | — | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | — | |
| 2023 | 6 | — | |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 2 | — | |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | — | |
| 2015 | 1 | — | |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2013 | — | — | |
| 2012 | — | 1 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2010 | — | — | |
| 2009 | — | — | |
| 2008 | — | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | — | |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 2 | — | |
| 2002 | 3 | — |
What Porsche owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Engine 167 Read
The motor experienced a catastrophic failure causing the rod to blow through the top of the engine, cutting a fuel line and causing a fire. It was later determined and passed to me via unofficial sources that this was due to a manufacturing defect where the incorrect camshaft bearings were used on specific pistons. Via online and first account conversations, it seems this has happened at least 12 other times. Those vehicles which can be found online were complete losses. Via second hand conversations, Porsche technicians said this was the first instance where the fire didn't consume the entire vehicle so they could RCA the problem
My vehicle has camshaft and crankshaft correlation problems due to the well-known problem with its screws and other things. I reported it to Porsche and they told me that it has already been repaired but I don't understand how to fail again and deny help for its repair
The contact owned a 2020 porsche macan gts. The contact stated that after the vehicle had been parked overnight, they had returned to the vehicle and discovered that the vehicle had completely burned down. The contact had contacted the fire department, due to the vehicle still smoldering. The fire had already dissipated. The fire department along with the contact's insurance had concluded the fire had started in the engine compartment. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. A fire report was made. The vehicle deemed totaled. The contact contacted the dealer (porsche naples 3147 davis blvd, naples, fl 34104; (239) 227-2800) who were informed of the issue, however, nothing had come of it. The manufacturer was made aware however no one had reached back out to the contact regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 4,500
Power Train 162 Read
The contact owns a 2006 Porsche Cayenne S. The contact stated that the front of the vehicle was facing uphill, the contact decided not to reverse down the hill and was attempting to turn the vehicle around to drive down the hill. The contact put the vehicle in park and was hanging over the driver’s front door attempting to see where the edge of the hill was to back up the hill and drive down the hill. However, the gear went into neutral, and the vehicle unexpectedly moved, rolling down the hill. The contact jumped into the moving vehicle and depressed the brake pedal as the back of the vehicle hit the ground smashing the muffler into the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed of the recall. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, left arm and shoulder, and the head. The contact had bruises on both legs and arms, and a large laceration on right shin which required medical attention. In addition, the contact was traumatized. The vehicle was repaired by replacing the plastic bushing on the selector lever cable. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V446000 (Power Train) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact the vehicle would be repaired and the vehicle and paying for the damages. The contact was provided a claim number however, the contact was unsuccessful in reaching a representative. The a
2004 porsche cayenne. Consumer writes in regards to transmission shift lever safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was parked and rolled into another vehicle which, then crashed into a vehicle. The transmission shift lever failed and was replaced. The consumer requested to be reimbursed for the repairs to the vehicles. *js *js - (recall related incident) ts
During low speed driving (roughly 20mph) in congested highway traffic, I attempted to shift gears on the manual transmission in my 2008 porsche cayenne gts. Upon doing so, the clutch pedal lost all resistance and pinned directly on the floorboard. As I began navigating toward the shoulder, smoke began pouring into the cabin. As I reached the shoulder, the car caught on fire. I escaped unharmed but the entire car burned and was totaled. Porshce has since been exceptionally reluctant to speak with me. This event happened in october (2009). My insurance company (state farm) has subrogated on my behalf and three months later, porsche is still not disclosing the findings of their investigation nor has anyone from porsche been in contact with me since early novemeber. This was a low mileage vehicle (roughly 12,000 miles) and maintenance was performed accordingly to the manufacturer's recommendation. As porsche's first model of their popular family SUV to have a manual transmission - I fear for the safety of other owners and their children
Electrical System 137 Read
Sunday September 8 I plugged my Taycan into my charger at approxmately 1PM. Later I went into my garage approximately 3PM to get something, and it was filled with smoke. After extinguishing the fire, I noticed the cause was the PLUG attached to the Porsche charger had caurght fire and melted the outlet which then caught my garage wall on fire. Had I not been home, my house would have caught fire
Vehicle was parked and yellow smoke began billowing out from under glovebox on passenger side followed by fire flames between dash and window. And under glove box melting entire passenger side under glove box area ABS floor. Fore reignited after being put out icompletely initially
The contact owns a 2004 porsche cayenne s. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact heard a loud "boom" noise and fire started coming from the glove box in the interior of the vehicle. Fire marshals were called onto the scene to attempt to extinguish the fire, after 3 hours the fire was extinguished. A report was made with the fire marshals. The contact stated no injuries were sustained at the scene. The vehicle was not towed and remains on contacts property. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA campaign number: 04V069000 (electrical system) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that since they did not purchase the vehicle from a porshe dealer there was nothing they could to do assist the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000
Air Bags 76 Read
I was involved in an accident October 12, 2021 in which the passenger side of my car was hit. The damage was from the front passenger door to the rear bumper. The total damage to date 02/18/2022 is approximately $25K. In the incident - not one single air bag deployed. I suffered a concussion as I hit my head upon impact. I reported the incident directly to Porsche within 2 weeks of the accident. I was transparent with all information and provided all requested documents to Porsche. However, I was advised in December that their engineers weren't able to inspect the airbags and the car worked as it was supposed to in the accident. Strangely enough - I am still waiting as of today 02/18/2022 for my car repairs to be completed by the body shop. So there was ample time for Porsche to inspect the airbag system - 4 months to be exact. Porsche touts it's safety as a top selling feature and I am yet to receive a resolution to the incident of the airbags not deploying during the accident
I'm submitting this information because I was in a accident and my airbags didn't deploy, taking speed and location of impact into consideration I think the airbag should've deployed, the vehicle that crossed over from the left 3rd lane to make a right turn was luckily hit on rear passenger door of SUV avoiding center pillar and rear tire, however their vehicle airbag did deploy for its front passengers and my passenger EV sports sedan airbags did not. Currently my EV passenger sports sedan hasn't been assessed, it has been towed to Tysons Corner Collision Center in Vienna, VA. I had no airbag failure notices prior to 9/25 accident which occurred on E Market Street and Cardinal Park Drive., Leesburg, VA The claim has been submitted to USAA
Car was struck on left side, just forward of the passenger compartment by a large vehicle traveling approx. 55mph. Car was severely damaged and driver suffered head trauma. Side air bag failed to deploy. No airbags deployed
Fuel/Propulsion System 69 Read
Rubber fuel hose from wheel well routed over exhaust header to fuel rail attached to cam tower started to leak on engine and fire started. I was right there and caught it before the fire got too big
Fuel smell filling the cabin due to cracked fuel pump. Likely associated with fuel pump cover recall notice (recall code AH06) Dealerships refused coverage
SUMMARY OF SAFETY DEFECT: Active, unmitigated toxic gasoline vapor leak inside the cabin of a 2004 Porsche Boxster, presenting an acute fire and toxic chemical exposure hazard upon filling the tank and starting the vehicle. DEALER & CORPORATE EVASION: Ignored Warnings: Dealership intake and repair orders (such as Frank's Automotive RO #XXX) logged raw fuel odors but omitted proper fuel system diagnostics. Compromised Inspection: Authorized personnel at Porsche South Austin (PSA), including service advisor [XXX], used "gold certified" credentials to falsely clear the vehicle without remediation. Corporate Denial: In Case #XXX dated XXX PCNA Executive Case Specialist [XXX] formally refused to authorize an independent diagnostic inspection, hiding behind the franchise model to abandon consumer safety. REQUESTED ACTION: NHTSA should open a defect inquiry into unmitigated fuel vapor leaks and investigate authorized dealer practices of overriding safety concerns via unverified test-drive clearances. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine And Engine Cooling 67 Read
On two occasions and on two separate vehicle engine camshaft failed while driving. Dealer and manufacturer were aware of problem. Feel free to provide any further information
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating - Park Vehicle" in red letters was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, but was not diagnosed; however, the contact was advised by the dealer that the failure could be related to the coolant pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000
The contact owns a 2006 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to overheat. The contact stated that she was able to navigate the vehicle off the road. The contact then stated that the coolant had drained from the vehicle. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coolant pipes detached, and the radiator hose needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned that the radiator hose was previously replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000
Unknown Or Other 66 Read
I was backing my Porsche out of my garage with my foot on the brake. The car backed slowly as expected for a few seconds, then flashed a red display on the dashboard (see attachment) warning of an electric system error. It immediately self-accelerated in reverse at a high rate of speed across the street. The brakes did not work. Within 4-5 seconds it hit my neighbor's house and crashed into a room. I was trapped in the car and had to have the fire department get me out. The video police downloaded from the camera over my garage confirmed my account to them (as written above). I can provide the video if you would like to have it. A DMV examiner told me that about a year prior, around June 2022 an exactly similar accident was referred to him involving a Porsche Taycan accelerating out of control in reverse (see attachment)
[XXX] the salesman at cars 4 your budget sold a 2016 Porsche VIN#[XXX] ON XXX to [XXX] DOBXXX. The vehicle's odometer was tampered with by [XXX] he had the miles rolled back by a friend of his. The customer has no idea this was done to the vehicle the miles were rolled back before the vehicle went to [XXX] auto auction were the vehicle went unsold [XXX] kept the vehicle and contiuned to drive it for persoal use before financing the vehicle to Mr. [XXX] for $19,000 ON XXX. [XXX] boss [XXX] Has knowledge of this transaction and was fine with it has long a [XXX] gave him a cut of the profits from the sale. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear axel carrier side section fractured in half. This can lead to loss of control of the vehicle when driving. Recall was issued for some models/years with specific batches, but mine was not included even though it’s the same issue
Exterior Lighting 51 Read
Component/System: Exterior lighting — right front low beam headlight. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2019 model year vehicle has 65,000 miles Safety risk: The right low beam headlight failed, reducing forward visibility on the right side during nighttime driving and in low-visibility conditions. This creates risk of failing to see pedestrians, road hazards, or lane markings, and may cause oncoming drivers or law enforcement to misidentify the vehicle as a motorcycle. Dealer/service confirmation: Failure has not yet been confirmed by a dealer. Manufacturer/other inspection: No additional inspections conducted. Prior warning symptoms: No warning lamp or dashboard message appeared prior to failure. The headlight went out without prior indication
Passenger low beam led stopped functioning at 39k, with no warning light of it ceasing to function. Safety of passengers and driver were at risk. Went through diagnostics at dealership, diagnosed to need a complete headlight assembly replacement. Was told by Porsche dealership as well as independent shops that this is a “known problem” with these Macan headlights. Did the replacement and 2k miles later, same issue presents. Blinker works, high beam works, running light works. Low beam non functional
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 1,416 Porsche complaints.
Porsche against the rest
| Measure | Where Porsche sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #0 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #0 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 3.7% | across all 1,416 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Porsche problems by model
12 Porsche models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 14 Porsche models have no complaints on record at all.
| Model | Owner complaints | Years | Most reported system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche Cayenne | 2003–2026 | Power train | |
| Porsche Taycan | 2020–2026 | Electrical system | |
| Porsche Macan | 2015–2026 | Air bags | |
| Porsche Boxster | 1997–2016 | Engine and engine cooling | |
| Porsche Panamera | 2010–2026 | Engine | |
| Porsche 911 | 1981–2026 | Engine | |
| Porsche Cayman | 2006–2016 | Power train | |
| Porsche 944 | 1981–1991 | Fuel/propulsion system | |
| Porsche 718 Cayman | 2017–2026 | Seat belts | |
| Porsche 718 Boxster | 2017–2026 | Power train | |
| Porsche 924 | 1981–1988 | Fuel system | |
| Porsche 968 | 1992–1994 | Power train |
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,109,349 of them, covering 2,013 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Porsche?
Owners have filed 1,416 complaints across 26 Porsche models. On its own that number reflects how many Porsche cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (5.49 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Porsche?
The most reported system is Engine with 167 complaints.
Do Porsche problems show up under warranty?
35.2% of Porsche complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Porsche model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.
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