2004 Porsche 911 Turbo problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (4) · Engine And Engine Cooling (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 (365)
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 365 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2018-05-09 · Engine · 78,000 mi“after 1 hour of slow 880-n highway stop and go driving in traffic, a large column of steam was observed coming from rear driver side of vehicle while exiting interstate. immediately observed huge coolant puddle developing on freeway offramp, and alerts on dashboard gauges ("check coolant level"). upon stopping the car it was observed one of the coo…”
2013-07-28 · Engine · 28,000 mi“summary: failure of coolant hoses during normal operation of vehicle, resulting in immediate flushing of all coolant onto road surface and into engine bay. immediate engine shutdown required to prevent further damage. observed risks include: panic situation to operator and passengers of vehicle; catastrophic engine failure due to overheating and co…”
2013-06-09 · Engine · 52,300 mi“the coolant fittings failed, almost causing an accident.. there was no oncoming traffic. *tr…”
2013-05-11 · Engine · 55,478 mi“my 911 turbo suffered a coolant system failure, as has been well documented for this particular engine, the gt1 3.6 liter in the 2001-2007 turbo, gt2 and gt3. i was driving on the highway when i noticed smoke coming from the rear of the car. upon pulling to a stop the car had dumped most of its coolant. it was flat-bedded to the dealer and the s…”
2012-02-13 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 💥 crash“at a driver education event in kent, wa, a porsche turbo had a failure in the coolant fittings that caused the car to dump all of its coolant on the pavement. i was behind the car in a porsche gt3 and upon driving over the coolant lost traction and totaled my car. the speed of the turbo at the time of failure was approx 90 mph, the car continued …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.