Are Porsche Cars Reliable? Here Are The Facts (With Examples)

In this article, we will find out if Porsche cars are considered reliable and dependable cars.

Are Porsche cars reliable?

Porsche cars are very reliable. The classic 911 model is very liable and the 2016 model of the 911 is rated as one of the most reliable cars you can get. But it is worth mentioning that Porsche cars are more expensive to service and repair than average cars.

Let’s dig into the details!

How reliable are Porsche cars compared to other car brands?

Most reliability surveys cover car brands that sell in high volumes. Therefore, the reliability of niche cars like Porsche is often not recorded or reported because the statistics are not accurate.

Reliability results are often skewed towards the cost of repairing the vehicle and the time taken for the repair. The abundance of reported faults on a particular model is often not considered.

The J.D. Power V.D.S. nominated Lexus at the most reliable brand of car for 2019.

The Toyota and Porsche brands shared second place.  The most dependable vehicle in the 3-year age range was the Porsche 911. This is the first time Porsche has won this award.

British Warranty Direct awarded these models as the five most reliable cars for 2019:

• the Toyota iQ,
• Mitsubishi Lancer,
• Vauxhall Agila,
• Hyundai Getz,
• and Honda Jazz .

All of these cars scored an R.I. of 10 or <10 compared to Porsche models that came in with R.I.s in the 246.00 – 430.00 range.

One of the main skewing factors with this survey is the expense of the repair.  Porsche repairs, out of the warranty, are not cheap, and so Porsche’s reliability featured badly in this study.

What Car? magazine undertook a reliability survey in 2018, focusing exclusively on sports cars, convertibles and coupes in the 1-4-year range. They named the BMW2 Series (97.0%) as the most reliable car in this category. Second place went to Mazda MX-5 (95.2%) and third place to Porsche 911 (94,5%).

The Porsche Cayman came seventh in this survey (91.00%). Porsche’s sports cars, convertibles, and coupes are all considered very reliable cars.

Which Porsche model is the most reliable?

There is not one Porsche model that stands out as being more reliable than the other models. J.D. Power’s 2019 V.D.S. study voted the Porsche 911 (2016) the most dependable vehicle, so one could assume that this is the most reliable Porsche model.

British Warranty Direct, however, named the Boxter and Cayman as being more reliable than the Porsche 911 (977) (2004 – 2012) or the Porsche Cayenne.

• The Boxster often has minor faults such as the exterior framework, the interior trim, electrical problems, or air-conditioning problems.
• Porsche Cayman, which has the same engine as the Boxter, is considered equally reliable but its repairs are slightly more expensive. Common complaints with this vehicle are electrical, engine and steering system faults.
• The Cayenne and 911 are the most expensive models to repair. Average costs for the Cayenne are  $1045 and electrical component failures are common. The 911 has failures in electrical components, engine repairs, axle and suspension. The average cost of repair for the 911 is $1250.

The website www.carbuyer.co.uk rates vehicle reliability out of 5.

All Porsche models scored 4 or more in this study, except the Panamera which scored 3.5. Carbuyer.co.uk stress that Porsche customers are generally satisfied with their cars and Porsches are known for their durable reputation.

The repairs are expensive when the car is out of warranty. In many cases, the cars were too niche to feature in their customer reliability satisfaction surveys.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS coupe was rated the most reliable Porsche in this survey. 

Which Classic Porsche 911 Should You Buy Today?

The first 1963 classic sleek two-door Porsche sportscar commonly known as the 911 is a highly sought-after old classic Porsche.

It has been modified over the years into six different models.

• 901 (1963 – 1989)
• 964 (1989 – 1994)
• 993 (1995 – 1998)
• 996 (1999 – 2004)
• 997 (2004 – 2012)
• 911 (2012 – Present)

Here are some of the most popular models:

• The pre-1998 (pre-996 models) air-cooled models
• The 993’s shape is most loved, and it has the best air-cooled engine
• The long-nose 1972 –1973 models are highly sought after
• The 1987– 1989 G series cars are good investments
• The mid-1970s 911s are wonderful to drive
• The 1978-1983 911SC may be less expensive
• Carrera 3.2 (1984 – 89) and Carrera 3.0 (1976 – 77) are highly sought-after
• 964 1989 model is highly recommended

If you are looking to invest in the 911 classic:

• Make sure that the engine number and VIN match the paperwork
• Check the bodywork of the car
• Do a pre-purchase inspection
• Check that the car has a good service record
• Check how often the car has been driven
• Go for a color that will resell easily
• A car with lower mileage (<16000 Km or <10000 miles) is a better investment
• Go for coupes not convertibles
• Stretch your budget to the limit

How much maintenance should you expect on a Porsche?

All Porsches purchased and registered in the USA and Canada come with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty. Outside these countries, the warranty is typically 2 years/unlimited mileage.

In addition, there is a 2-year warranty covering genuine Porsche parts and a 12-year long-life warranty covering rust in the bodywork.

Porsches need a service check for every 10,000 miles (16,000 Km) or once a year.

The Porsche Cayenne SUV typically costs around $8,000-$10,000 to maintain over a 5-year period.

Porsches are generally more expensive to maintain and repair than most luxury German cars, such as Mercedes Benz and BMW, but Porsches’ costs are significantly less than Ferrari, Bentley, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini.

What makes a car reliable and dependable?

Every motorist wants a reliable car, but how do you find out which cars are more reliable than others? There are several on-line studies that compare the reliability of cars according to the manufacturer, type and model.

In most cases the survey looks at:

• The number of times the car fails
• The repair expense
• The disruption to the motorist based on the time  taken to repair the car
• The problems that arise after the vehicle is 3-years old

J.D. Power is an American market research company that has been issuing its Vehicle Dependability Study (V.D.S.) for the last 30 years.

This survey compares car faults over a 12-month period on 3-year-old vehicles, and the data is supplied by verified owners. A reliability score is given from 1 (not reliable) to 10 (very reliable).

British Warranty Direct, on the other hand, use their large database of car faults to produce a Reliability Index (R.I.) each year.

If the R.I. of the car scores <100 the car is more reliable than average and a score >100 indicates that the car is less reliable than average.

The R.I. also takes the age of the car into account and the most susceptible weaknesses in the car. The R.I. method of analysis strongly favors cars that are cheaper to run and cheaper to repair.

What Car? automobile magazine undertook a reliability survey in 2018 on 31 brands of 1-4-year-old second-hand cars. This survey recorded vehicle problems over a 12-month period based on the cost of repairs and the time taken to repair the car.

These and other surveys state that reliability is key for prospective buyers of used cars as it favors long-term resale values.

What have we found about Porsche’s reliability?

Porsches are consistently rated very reliable cars. They can be consistently driven hard and fast every day and they do not have major repair problems. They stay reliable when compared with other high-performance brands.

The Porsche brand is reliable, and the 911 has been voted the most dependable and durable car in the automobile market for 2019.

It is reassuring to know that if you are going to drain your hard-earned savings account on an indulgent vehicle, this vehicle will give very few problems and a lot of mileage.

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