2004 Porsche 911 Carrera problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Suspension (1)
Safety recalls (1)
Suspension:front:macpherson Strut 2020-12-11 · campaign 20E091000 · 584 vehicles
Defect: Ohlins USA, Inc (Ohlins) is recalling certain Front Struts, part number POS 5N20. These struts were sold as part of Ohlins strut kits part number POZ MN02, intended for installation on 1999-2005 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S (generation 996), and 2001-2006 Porsche 911 Turbo / Turbo S (generation 996) and kit part number POZ MN05, intended for installation on 2005-2012 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S (generation 997), and 2006-2013 Porsche 911 Turbo / Turbo S (generation 997). The pin of the strut
Risk: If the pin fails, it will cause separation of the strut from the vehicle, affecting vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ohlins will notify owners, and dealers will request the return of all unsold kits containing the subject part from dealer/distributor inventory for a full refund. All owners who purchased one of the kits (POZ MN02 or POZ MN05) will receive replacement front struts (POS 5N20 or POS 5N21 - These parts are interchangeable), along with new top mount interface solutions, free of charge. The recall began December 22, 2020. Owners may contact Ohlins customer service at 1-800-336-9029.
Service bulletins (376)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-29 · GR13D801-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
parts information for parts withdrawal - radio & satellite radio receiver. note that part 91164559100 is also applicable to the following models not in the product list: 911 (1970-1989), 914 (1970-1976), 924 (1976-1985), 924s (1986-1988), 928 (1978-1995), 944 (1982-1991), 964 (1989-1994), 968 (1992-
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 28-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c40 engine oils. note that this bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which c40 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 27-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c20 engine oils. note that the bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which c20 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 26-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c30 engine oils. note that the bulletin includes all models back to model year 1984, for which c30 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 25-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche a40 engine oils. note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 1997 to 2020, for which a40 engine oils are assigned. model years 1997-2001 are not available for selection in the system.
Wheels 2026-09-14 · SPTL2609 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
special tools and equipment information for alignment machines - q3 2026 software spec update available
Showing the 6 most recent of 376 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-01-26 · Suspension · 106,000 mi“the contact owns a 2004 porsche 911. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph he heard a loud creaking sound coming from the front-end. the contact stated that he was entering the highway and the sound became louder while speeding to merge. the contact stated that after driving over some slight imperfections in the roadway, the front-e…”
2014-07-15 · Engine · 28,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 porsche 911 carrera. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was shifted into neutral and failed to restart after multiple attempts. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing, who informed the contact that the intermediate shaft (ims) …”
2012-06-12 · Vehicle Speed Control · 57,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owns a 2004 porsche 911 carrera 4s. the contact was driving 25 mph and tapped the brakes to disengage the cruise control but instead of the vehicle decelerating, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a preceding vehicle. the airbag also failed to deploy. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the vehicle h…”
2010-11-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 29,000 mi“catastrophic engine failure of 2004 porsche 911 4s w/o warning. well documented early version of model 996 intermediate shaft failure requiring complete engine replacement. known product defect subsequently corrected in later versions. no notification by manufacturer or distributor to consumers. hazardous and costly major product defect. *tr…”
2009-10-19 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine · 9,700 mi“the contact owns a 2004, porsche, 911 carrera. the contact stated his engine had to be replace due to the intermitten shaft failure. contact stated he was driving at 55mph when he started to press the accelerator pedal and the vehicle engine started to slow down and would not respond. contact then started to exit of f the highway and doing so all t…”
2005-09-29 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine · 3,389 mi“dt: the consumer stated that the 2004 porsche 911 carrera stalled while driving 10-20 mph. the vehicle has been having problem for over a year. the vehicle was taken to the dealership several times. the dealer could not find the cause of the problem. the dealer changed the spark plugs, but the code showed that cylinder six was faulty. the problem…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.