Porsche Panamera: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Porsche Panamera: 9 model years scored from 95 NHTSA owner complaints and 29 recall campaigns. Worst year 2011, best year 2013.
Porsche Panamera: which years to avoid
Across 9 scored model years the Porsche Panamera ranges from 63/100 in 2011 to 90/100 in 2019 — a 27-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (23 of them).
Safest years: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2011.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the Panamera 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.
2011–2017
Mean score 82/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (35 complaints). 11 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2019–2020
Mean score 90/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Unknown Or Other more than anything else (2 complaints). 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2013 (score 87). Worst: 2011 (score 63, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 89 | BUY | $4,696 | 5 | 1 |
| 2019 | 90 | BUY | $4,820 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 82 | BUY | $4,802 | 1 | 4 |
| 2016 | 86 | BUY | $5,245 | 3 | 4 |
| 2015 | 86 | BUY | $5,399 | 11 | 3 |
| 2014 | 86 | BUY | $5,539 | 12 | 3 |
| 2013 | 87 | BUY | $5,828 | 12 | 3 |
| 2012 | 83 | BUY | $5,970 | 15 | 5 |
| 2011 | 63 | CAUTION | $6,135 | 36 | 5 |
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 Panamera, through the years →
Panamera sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Panamera 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 Panamera
Across every Panamera 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.
- Engine37 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System22 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train14 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other11 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Air Bags5 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Service Brakes4 complaints across all Panamera years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
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 Panamera years to buy?
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2019 at 90/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Which Porsche Panamera years should I avoid?
The 2011 is the weakest year we score, at 63/100 (CAUTION), on 36 complaints and 5 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Porsche Panamera problem?
37 of the complaints filed against the Panamera across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04