Porsche 911 Carrera 4S: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4S has 14 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S: which years to avoid
Across 10 scored model years the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S ranges from 56/100 in 2022 to 94/100 in 2016 — a 38-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a 911 Carrera 4S at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Fuel/Propulsion System (12 of them).
Safest years: 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2022.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,570 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 84 | BUY | $4,748 | 6 | 1 |
| 2022 | 56 | CAUTION | $4,945 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 86 | BUY | $4,928 | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 | 90 | BUY | $5,055 | 8 | 0 |
| 2019 | 93 | BUY | $4,630 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 94 | BUY | $4,764 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 92 | BUY | $4,916 | 8 | 0 |
| 2016 | 94 | BUY | $5,297 | 4 | 0 |
| 2015 | 88 | BUY | $5,457 | 16 | 0 |
| 2014 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,520 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,660 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 91 | BUY | $6,056 | 5 | 1 |
| 2011 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,090 | 0 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
911 Carrera 4S sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 911 Carrera 4S on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
Across every 911 Carrera 4S model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Fuel/Propulsion System23 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System19 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine14 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train7 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Exterior Lighting7 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
- Visibility/Wiper6 complaints across all 911 Carrera 4S years · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement$490–$1,200
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Porsche 911 Carrera 4S years to buy?
2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2016 at 94/100, on 4 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Porsche 911 Carrera 4S problem?
23 of the complaints filed against the 911 Carrera 4S across all its model years sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04