Porsche 911 Targa 4S: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Porsche 911 Targa 4S has 10 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 Targa 4S: which years to avoid
Across 7 scored model years the Porsche 911 Targa 4S ranges from 76/100 in 2022 to 94/100 in 2016 — 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: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 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.
How the 911 Targa 4S 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.
2015–2017
Mean score 93/100. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (5 complaints).
2021–2023
Mean score 85/100, about 2 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Fuel/Propulsion System more than anything else (10 complaints). 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,470 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 88 | BUY | $4,629 | 3 | 1 |
| 2022 | 76 | BUY | $4,798 | 10 | 0 |
| 2021 | 90 | BUY | $5,109 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 93 | BUY | $4,525 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,660 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 93 | BUY | $4,806 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 94 | BUY | $5,394 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 92 | BUY | $5,543 | 8 | 0 |
| 2014 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,870 | 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 Targa 4S sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 911 Targa 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 Targa 4S
Across every 911 Targa 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 System10 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System7 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Engine6 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Visibility/Wiper3 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other2 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Power Train2 complaints across all 911 Targa 4S years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
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 Targa 4S years to buy?
2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2016 at 94/100, on 2 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Porsche 911 Targa 4S problem?
10 of the complaints filed against the 911 Targa 4S 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