RoadVitals

1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Apr 29, 2015
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Dec 30, 2004
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, most frequently naming the airbags category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 116 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
04V601000

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Dec 30, 2004
8,638 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SOFTTOP STRUCTURE CATCH LEVER TENSION CAN EASE RESULTING IN A CRACK.
The risk: THE SOFTTOP CAN INADVERTENTLY OPEN STARTLING THE DRIVER, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ROOF ALIGNMENT AND ROOF LOCKING PINS. IN ADDITION, THE TWO ROOF LOCKING MOTORS WILL BE REPLACED. ALSO A NEW SENSOR SYSTEM WITHIN THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY WILL PROVIDE AN IMPROVED CONTROL SIGNAL TO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IF THE ROOF IS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED WHEN THE DRIVER DRIVES OFF. THE RECALL BEGAN JANUARY 18, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT PORSCHE AT 1-800-545-8039.
PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Apr 29, 2015
1 injury reported

I WORK AT A SMALL REPAIR FACILITY WHO SPECIALIZE IN FOREIGN CARS. I PERFORMED WORK ON MY CUSTOMERS 1996 911 CAB. THE HORN WAS BLOWING ALL THE TIME, MY CUSTOMER REMOVED THE FUSE AND ASKED ME TO CHECK THE PROBLEM. I REMOVED THE AIR BAG AND FOUND THE RUBBER INSULATOR HAD BROKEN AND THE RETAINING FRAME WAS MAKING CONSTANT CONTACT. I REPLACED THE RETAINING FRAME PART# 993 347 08 801 . INSTALLED THE AIRBAG AND REINSERTED THE FUSE. THE HORN IS NOW WORKING. I ALSO CHECK FOR CODES IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. FOUND CODE 2 AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON , CODE 30 IGNITION CIRCUIT SIDE AIRBAG PASSENGER . I ADVISED THE CUSTOMER AND HE TOOK THE VEHICLE. HE RETURNED A COUPLE HOURS LATER . THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG HAD DEPLOYED ,CAUSING BURNS TO HIS CHEST AND A NEAR CRASH. I CHECKED AND FOUND A RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED SOME TIME AGO TO REPLACE THE HORN RELAY FOR THIS CONCERN. NHTSA 98V089001. IT HAS THE CORRECT RELAY IN THE VEHICLE. MY QUESTION IS HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER INCIDENTS OF POST RECALL DEPLOYMENT? THE CUSTOMER IS OF COURSE BLAMING MY SHOP. I HAVE NOT REMOVED THE AIRBAG OR ANY THING ELSE AS I AM REQUESTING HELP FROM PORSCHE IN DETERMINING THE ROOT CAUSE OF DEPLOYMENT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM REPLACING THE AIR BAG AND STEERING WHEEL IF IT IS AN ERROR ON MY PART. BUT DO NOT WANT TO GO THRU THE EXPENSE JUST TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN IF THE RELAY OR CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CAUSE. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND A DELICATE MATTER BUT FURTHER NEED TO KNOW WHO I SHOULD CONTACT FOR ASSISTANCE. ALSO NO WARNING LABELS ARE ATTACHED ANYWHERE STATING THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD AGREE THAT AN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT UNEXPECTED COULD BE FATAL. A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD ALSO AGREE THERE SHOULD BE A WARNING OF SOME SORT ON THE RELAY OR FUSE BOX STATING THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10713564
Incident
Apr 25, 2015
Mileage
71,748 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

No. D8

Product knowledge for the chassis and VIN numbering systems

PIWIS2401f

Information for PIWIS tester update 42.500.008

PIWIS2302s

EQUIPMENT

Information for PIWIS tester update 42.300.050 & .052

No. 33-23

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Instructions on manufactures certificate for approved Porsche C30 engine oils

No. 32-23

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Instructions on manufacturers certificate for approved C20 engine oils

No. 35-23

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Instructions on manufactures certificate for approved Porsche A40 engine oils

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003110—
1998010—
1997010—
1996Viewing110—
1995110—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.