Porsche 911: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy

The Porsche 911 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

Porsche 911: which years to avoid

Across 6 scored model years the Porsche 911 ranges from 74/100 in 2022 to 94/100 in 2018 — a 20-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Fuel/Propulsion System (6 of them).

Safest years: 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 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 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.

2017–2019

Mean score 93/100. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (3 complaints).

2022–2023

Mean score 78/100, about 2 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Fuel/Propulsion System more than anything else (8 complaints). The record falls 15 points against the years before it. 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.

Year-by-year data table

YearScoreVerdict Running cost / yrNHTSA complaintsRecalls
2025—DATA PENDING$5,53000
2024—DATA PENDING$5,42000
202381BUY$5,29861
202274BUY$5,448101
2021—DATA PENDING$5,79000
201992BUY$4,98040
201894BUY$5,11210
201793BUY$5,25840
2016—DATA PENDING$5,59000
2015—DATA PENDING$5,73000
2014—DATA PENDING$6,07000
201389BUY$6,428121
2012—DATA PENDING$6,35000
2011—DATA PENDING$6,49000

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.

Photographs and every generation of the 911, through the years →

911 sub-models & family

Variants & trims on record

Body, powertrain and trim variants of the 911 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.

911 C4 GTS911 Dakar911 GT2 RS911 GTS911 R911 S911 S Exclusive911 S/T911 Speedster911 Sport Classic911 Targa 4911 Targa 4 GTS911 Targa 4S911 Turbo911 Turbo Cabriolet911 Turbo Coupe

What goes wrong on the Porsche 911

Across every 911 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 System8 complaints across all 911 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
  • Exterior Lighting8 complaints across all 911 years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
  • Engine7 complaints across all 911 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
  • Electrical System6 complaints across all 911 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
  • Visibility/Wiper4 complaints across all 911 years · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement$490–$1,200
  • Unknown Or Other4 complaints across all 911 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 years to buy?

2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 94/100, on 1 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.

What is the most common Porsche 911 problem?

8 of the complaints filed against the 911 across all its model years sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component.

Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04