RoadVitals

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera

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.
3
Latest Apr 30, 2025
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 Feb 22, 2013
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.
1
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

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera, most frequently naming the engine, exterior lighting and other / unspecified categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 423 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

  • Engine133.3%
  • Exterior lighting133.3%
  • Other / unspecified133.3%

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
13V058000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

Feb 22, 2013
2,263 units potentially affected
The defect: Porsche is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 911 Carrera and Carrera 4 vehicles manufactured from March 7, 2012, through November 12, 2012, and equipped with a standard (not sport) exhaust system. The exhaust tail pipe may fracture and separate from the rear muffler.
The risk: If the exhaust tail pipe separates from the muffler it may become a hazard for other vehicles on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear mufflers free of charge. An interim notice was mailed to owners on May 9, 2013. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.Manufacturer number AD01View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP21001ClosedDefect Petition

Backup Lights Fail To Illuminate

Opened Jan 15, 2021
Closed Jul 9, 2021

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a defect petition received on November 20, 2020 requesting an investigation into the failure of reversing lights to illuminate in certain Model Year (MY) 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera vehicle with manual transmissions. The reversing lights fail to illuminate when the subject vehicles are shifted into reverse.The reversing lights provide a warning to other drivers and pedestrians when the vehicle is reversing. The reversing lights also provide some illumination for the driver when reversing at night. Failure of the reversing lights can cause an increased hazard to the vehicle, its occupants, surrounding vehicles and nearby pedestrians. As of April 14, 2021, NHTSA has identified only one consumer complaint alleging a failure of the reversing lights in NHTSA's database. This complaint was received from the petitioner. Neither NHTSA nor Porsche have received any allegations of crashes or injuries associated with the failure of the reversing lights to illuminate.Porsche determined that the reversing lights on the MY 2012-2015 Porsche Carrera vehicles were becoming inoperative due to the failure of the transmission side actuation mechanism. Porsche determined the weld between the shift rod and the stopper plate was below manufacturing specifications in some vehicles due to production weld process variations. Porsche modified production weld specifications to improve the strength and consistency of the weld joint between the shift rod and stopper plate. In January 2021, Porsche initiated a Service Action (228/20) on MY 2012-2015 Porsche Carrera vehicles with active notification of potentially affected customers to remedy the reversing light failure in the affected vehicles. Warranty coverage on the affected components has been extended to 15 years from the new vehicle delivery date with unlimited mileage. Porsche will replace the transmission in the affected vehicles with a new transmission with the modified weld specifications for the shift rod - stopper plate joint. NHTSA believes there is a high likelihood that many affected vehicles will be remedied with this action.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Porsche in response to an Information Request letter and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, as well as Service Action (228/20) initiated by Porsche offering extended warranty coverage, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A denial report will be posted in the Federal Register.The ODI report cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11376617

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH

Recent owner complaints

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

Other / unspecified
Filed Apr 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel was turned to the right to follow a sharp bend in the road, and the vehicle turned too wide. The contact turned the steering wheel to the left to straighten the vehicle when the rear of the vehicle started to fishtail. The contact slowed down but had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle started bouncing and shaking. The contact stated that the shaking was more violent while driving above 40 MPH. The contact had taken the vehicle to tire shop. The tire shop removed all four tires and inspected the tires and the rims and determined that the driver's side front and rear tire rims were severely bent. The tire shop advised the contact to replace all four wheels. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had purchased the aftermarket wheels in December of 2024. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

NHTSA ID
11657814
Incident
Jan 20, 2025
Mileage
42,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 30, 2020

2013 PORSCHE CARRERA. CONSTITUENT WRITES IN REGARDS TO MANUFACTURER OR DESIGN DEFECT WHICH CAUSES BACK UP LAMPS TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY. *LD *JS

NHTSA ID
11376617
Incident
Nov 30, 2020
Engine
Filed Nov 10, 2013

AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROX. 30 MINUTES AND SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR 20 MINUTES, CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. BATTERY WAS STRONG AND THE ENGINE TURNED OVER AS IN A NORMAL START, BUT THERE WAS NO IGNITION. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS OVER A 15 MINUTE PERIOD, CAR FINALLY RESTARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. SIMILAR OCCURRENCE APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK LATER. HAS NOT RECURRED SINCE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10551667
Incident
Aug 14, 2013
Mileage
3,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

TSTR 2642

Porsche Tester Software Update Information Software Version: 44.300.000

SPTL 2607a

VAS 621001A Matrix Headlamp Aimer – Automatic Shipment / Maha Installation

101/25

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PCCM+ 9x1.I

SPTL 2607

VAS 621001A Matrix Headlamp Aimer – Automatic Shipment / Maha Installation

18/26

POWER TRAIN

Warranty Information: Warranty Extension for Transmission Electronics Control Unit (18/26)

13/26

ENGINE

Allocation of Approved Engine Oils MY 2027 (13/26)

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 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025000—
2024000—
2023010—
2022010—
2021010—
2020150—
2017120—
2016000—
2015000—
2014310—
2013Viewing311—
2012030—
2011010—
2010010—
2009010—
2008010—
2007010—
2006010—
2005310—
2004710—
2003320—
2002430—
2001110—
2000220—
1999132038.5
1998000—
1997100—

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.