Porsche 911 S: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Porsche 911 S 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 S: which years to avoid
Across 9 scored model years the Porsche 911 S ranges from 76/100 in 2022 to 94/100 in 2018 — a 18-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Fuel/Propulsion System (6 of them).
Safest years: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 — 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.
How the 911 S changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2015–2019
Mean score 93/100. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (7 complaints).
2021–2023
Mean score 77/100, about 2 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Fuel/Propulsion System more than anything else (14 complaints). The record falls 16 points against the years before it. 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,680 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,420 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 78 | BUY | $5,298 | 6 | 2 |
| 2022 | 76 | BUY | $5,448 | 10 | 0 |
| 2021 | 78 | BUY | $5,978 | 10 | 1 |
| 2019 | 92 | BUY | $4,980 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 94 | BUY | $5,114 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 93 | BUY | $5,258 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016 | 93 | BUY | $5,597 | 4 | 0 |
| 2015 | 92 | BUY | $5,743 | 8 | 0 |
| 2014 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,870 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 90 | BUY | $6,428 | 12 | 0 |
| 2012 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,350 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,490 | 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 S sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 911 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 S
Across every 911 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 System14 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System11 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Exterior Lighting10 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
- Engine10 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Visibility/Wiper6 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other5 complaints across all 911 S years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
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 S years to buy?
2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022… 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 S problem?
14 of the complaints filed against the 911 S across all its model years sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04