2017 Porsche 911 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (1) · Power Train (1) · Engine (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Porsche 911 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module 2019-07-17 · campaign 19V533000 · 7,517 vehicles
Defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2017 911 and Boxster, 2016 Cayman and Panamera vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have a defective power supply capacitor that can result in air bag deactivation or inadvertent deployment of the air bags.
Risk: Deactivated air bags increase the risk of injury. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will install new software and replace the air bag ECU as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 13, 2019. Owners received a second notice and the recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKB4.
Visibility:windshield 2017-03-02 · campaign 17V135000 · 21 vehicles
Defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Targa S, 911 Targa 4S, 911 Turbo Cabriolet, 718 Boxter and 718 Boxter S vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the windshield separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will rebond the windshield, free of charge. The recall began on May 12, 2016. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for the recall is AH04.
Air Bags:side/Window 2016-12-30 · campaign 16V946000 · 85 vehicles
Defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2017 718 Boxster, 718 Boxster S, 718 Cayman, 718 Cayman S, 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera S, 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4S, 911 Turbo, 911 Turbo S, 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, and 911 Turbo Cabriolet vehicles. The seat mounted side air bag inflator initiator may fail to ignite during a crash.
Risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the side air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AG10.
Service bulletins (539)
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.
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
Electrical System 2026-09-01 · No. 12-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical information for damage to nano plug contacts due to utilization of incorrect measuring equipment
Showing the 6 most recent of 539 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-29 · Power Train“on the day of delivery of this porsche approved certified pre-owned vehicle (purchased may 24, 2022, from porsche nashua, nashua, nh), traction control and all-wheel-drive warnings appeared on the drive home from the dealership. the valve lift solenoid/actuator was replaced under warranty; the vehicle spent 7 days in the shop. within four months (s…”
2025-09-24 · Engine“while driving 40 miles per hour a sudden explosion happened with no warning. thought it was the engine due to the smoke coming out of rear of the vehicle but realized that engine was still on and steam was coming out. all coolant drained out of vehicle and on road. vehicle was towed to a porsche dealership in duluth ga. the coolant tank exploded ca…”
2024-12-17 · Visibility/Wiper“the rear window seal is severely breaking apart, severely cracked and others are melting. this may affect condensation inside the vehicle and potentially be a safety hazard. several reports on this problem can be seen at porsche forums. i believe this is a manufacturing defect and is a potential safety hazard on many porsche vehicles.…”
2022-08-11 · Electrical System“my air conditioner/heater fan does not come on after car has been sitting for a few days in a humid climate. this problem is documented with a temporary fix on the static.nhsta.gov site. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/mc-10186302-0001.pdf the problem is it happens to me every week or so. there is no permanent fix. this is a safety issue be…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.