2002 Porsche 911 Turbo 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 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo, 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
- Engine1280.0%
- Fuel system16.7%
- Steering16.7%
- Transmission16.7%
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
FROM A STOP I ACCELERATED IN A STRAIGHT LINE ONTO A FREEWAY ON-RAMP. APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER I NOTICED A SQUEALING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE BELTS. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED A LARGE VOLUME OF STEAM COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. HAVING READ ABOUT OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES WITH THIS ISSUE I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE FREEWAY AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE, STOPPED THE CAR, AND TURNED IT OFF TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AS ALL COOLANT HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE.
THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD CATASTROPHIC COOLANT FAILURE. A HOSE ON MY COOLANT SYSTEM POPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ALL OF THE COOLANT TO GUSH OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THE CAR DID SLIP A BIT I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO 911 TURBO'S OFTEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT 8 HOSES WERE ATTACHED ONLY WITH A GLUE THAT CAN GIVE OUT AT ANY TIME. MY LOCAL PORSCHE SHOP WANTS $3000 TO DROP THE MOTOR AND REPAIR/FIX THE 8 HOSES. FROM MY READING ONLINE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS OFTEN TO THIS MOTOR IN CARS FROM 2001-2013. *TR
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD CATASTROPHIC COOLANT FAILURE. A HOSE ON MY COOLANT SYSTEM POPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ALL OF THE COOLANT TO GUSH OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THE CAR DID SLIP A BIT I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS TO 911 TURBO'S OFTEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT 8 HOSES WERE ATTACHED ONLY WITH A GLUE THAT CAN GIVE OUT AT ANY TIME. MY LOCAL PORSCHE SHOP WANTS $3000 TO DROP THE MOTOR AND REPAIR/FIX THE 8 HOSES. FROM MY READING ONLINE THIS ISSUE HAPPENS OFTEN TO THIS MOTOR IN CARS FROM 2001-2013. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
POWER STEERING FLUID VALVE MAKES A NOISE. RESEARCH ON 6SPEEDONLINE.COM AND RENNLIST.COM NOTE THAT THIS WILL FAIL, OVERFILL THE RESERVOIR, AND CAUSE A MAJOR FIRE PERHAPS KILLING ME. PORSCHE HAS UPGRADED THE PART KNOWING OF THIS FAILURE AND HAS A PUBLIC TSB TO THIS EFFECT. *JB
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
THE CAR, A 2002 PORSCHE 911 TURBO 6-SPEED, POPS OUT OF 2ND GEAR OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 6 OTHER OWNERS WITH CARS BUILT BETWEEN 2001-2003 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *LA
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 .