Porsche Cayman: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Porsche Cayman: 9 model years scored from 24 NHTSA owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns. Worst year 2014, best year 2014.
Porsche Cayman: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Porsche Cayman ranges from 83/100 in 2014 to 93/100 in 2011 — a 10-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Fuel/Propulsion System (2 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 — 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 Cayman 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.
2011–2012
Mean score 92/100. Owners of these years complain about Power Train more than anything else (3 complaints). 1 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2014–2016
Mean score 87/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Air Bags more than anything else (6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,380 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,420 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,560 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,700 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 88 | BUY | $4,853 | 7 | 0 |
| 2015 | 90 | BUY | $4,986 | 4 | 2 |
| 2014 | 83 | BUY | $5,131 | 7 | 4 |
| 2012 | 91 | BUY | $5,650 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 93 | BUY | $5,796 | 5 | 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.
Photographs and every generation of the Cayman, through the years →
Cayman sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Cayman 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 Cayman
Across every Cayman 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.
- Air Bags6 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Engine5 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train4 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other3 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System3 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Seat Belts2 complaints across all Cayman years · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement$360–$800
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 Cayman years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 93/100, on 5 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Porsche Cayman problem?
6 of the complaints filed against the Cayman across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04