2008 Porsche 911 (997) Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Porsche 911 (997), grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine240.0%
- Body & structure120.0%
- Powertrain (other)120.0%
- Transmission120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Catastrophic coolant loss due to failure of a known issue by manufacturer. The coolant loss resulted due to failure of the epoxy that held the hose to the manifold. The epoxy failure affected 3 of the hoses. This was part of a DOT bulletin affecting this model year. Failure on my vehicle came later after warranty had expired due to low mileage. Also in 2021 the rear lid spoiler failed (another known high failure issue known to manufacturer) due to hydraulic fluid loss. Both repairs came at a extremely high cost and manufacturer refused consideration for help unless vehicle was repaired at their own dealer. This after I had made contact and advised them of location of vehicle at a service facility that is recognized by manufacturer as a credible alternative to their dealer.
COOLANT FITTING FAILURE ON THE GT3/GT2/TURBO GLUED IN FITTINGS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Catastrophic coolant loss due to failure of a known issue by manufacturer. The coolant loss resulted due to failure of the epoxy that held the hose to the manifold. The epoxy failure affected 3 of the hoses. This was part of a DOT bulletin affecting this model year. Failure on my vehicle came later after warranty had expired due to low mileage. Also in 2021 the rear lid spoiler failed (another known high failure issue known to manufacturer) due to hydraulic fluid loss. Both repairs came at a extremely high cost and manufacturer refused consideration for help unless vehicle was repaired at their own dealer. This after I had made contact and advised them of location of vehicle at a service facility that is recognized by manufacturer as a credible alternative to their dealer.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
FLYWHEEL BROKE THREE TIMES: 1ST REPLACEMENT: THE CAR WAS 20 MONTHS OLD, 16,515 MILES. 2ND REPLACEMENT: THE CAR WAS 37 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 37, 355 MILES (21,000 MILES LATER). 3RD REPLACEMENT: THE CAR WAS 49 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 49,624 MILES (12,000 LATER). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
2008 PORSCHE TURBO, CLUTCH PEDAL FAILURE. CLUTCH BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE AT SPEED. WRESTLED CAR OUT OF GEAR AND MOVED TO SIDE OF ROAD. CLUTCH FLUID LOW, NO VISIBLE LEAKS. REFILLED, CLUTCH OPERATED FINE. REPORTED TO DEALER, NO PROBLEM FOUND. CLUTCH FAILED AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER, NO LEAKS FOUND BUT FLUID MISSING. DEALER REFILLED AND CLUTCH OPERATED OK. 2 MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM, NO VISIBLE LEAKS, LOW CLUTCH FLUID. MANY, MANY 997 TURBO OWNERS ARE REPORTING SIMILAR EVENTS ON WEB FORUMS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .