Porsche 911 Carrera S: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Porsche 911 Carrera S has 15 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 S: which years to avoid
Across 8 scored model years the Porsche 911 Carrera S ranges from 71/100 in 2022 to 94/100 in 2018 — a 23-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Fuel/Propulsion System (12 of them).
Safest years: 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 — scored 70 or better.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,430 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,670 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 87 | BUY | $4,848 | 6 | 1 |
| 2022 | 71 | BUY | $5,045 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 89 | BUY | $5,028 | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 | 88 | BUY | $5,168 | 12 | 1 |
| 2019 | 94 | BUY | $4,680 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 94 | BUY | $4,814 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,950 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,440 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 92 | BUY | $5,607 | 16 | 0 |
| 2014 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,570 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,710 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 89 | BUY | $6,158 | 6 | 2 |
| 2011 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,190 | 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 S sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 911 Carrera S 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 S
Across every 911 Carrera S 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 System25 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System17 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine16 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train9 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Exterior Lighting5 complaints across all 911 Carrera S years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
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 S years to buy?
2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 94/100, on 2 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Porsche 911 Carrera S problem?
25 of the complaints filed against the 911 Carrera S 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