RoadVitals

2012 Porsche 911

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.
5
Latest Oct 22, 2024
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Porsche 911, most frequently naming the body & structure, driver assistance and electrical categories. 456 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

  • Body & structure114.3%
  • Driver assistance114.3%
  • Electrical114.3%
  • Engine114.3%
  • Fuel system114.3%
  • Exterior lighting114.3%
  • Powertrain (other)114.3%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 22, 2024

Tail light fall off the car while driving, catching it dangling from the car holding by only one wire. Upon inspection, they came off due to a broken plastic lug that was holding the taillights together. It appears that Porsche changed the taillight mounting design in the 991 after the 2013 model year, adding a metal piece to keep it together even after the plastic cracks, melts, or fails. Mine is 2012 so it will cost us a fortune for get it fixed, for something it was clearly a design failure from the beginning.

NHTSA ID
11621187
Incident
Sep 21, 2024
Body & structureElectrical
Filed Oct 18, 2023

1. Door panel Issue. I have a 2012 911, and have noticed last year that the door panels have popped up on both sides, it looks like the glue has given way. It seems that this is a common issue for Porsche 911. 2. Keyless Entry Issue. I was not able to lock my car by pressing by the door handle's button. I was able to unlock the car. I then tried on the passenger's side and was able to lock it. It's been going on for months, and every time it occurs I will have to spend minutes to get into the car.

NHTSA ID
11550582
Incident
Oct 18, 2023
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 8, 2023

Cruising on the highway and a transmission error comes up saying that there's no reverse gear. Got off the highway and even gears aren't engaring, no 2,4,6 gears. 1,3,5,7 gears are engaging. Turned off and parked the car for about an hour. Turned it on car drove fine but start/stop wasn't available and sport modes are not available. Had the car diagnosed at the dealer and the same symptoms and codes are exactly as SB-10054511-7606. The 2012 model year needs to be included.

NHTSA ID
11531070
Incident
May 5, 2023
Fuel system
Filed Aug 24, 2020

PORSCHE 991 911 AND 981 CAYMAN/BOXSTER MODELS HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE THE FOAM PADS SECURING THE FUEL TANK DEGRADE OR FALL OUT. THE INITIAL MANIFESTATION IS A SQUEAKING SOUND WHERE THE PLASTIC TANK RUBS AGAINST THE METAL BODY OF THE CAR. WITH PROLONGED MOVEMENT THE FUEL TANK CAN BE DAMAGED AND A FIRE COULD RESULT. PORSCHE IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS AN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO FIX IT BUT ONLY FOR CUSTOMERS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY CLAIM THE ISSUE IS ONLY A SQUEAKING SOUND BUT COMMON SENSE WOULD DICTATE PLASTIC RUBBING ON METAL SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY WILL WEAR AND START LEAKING. FUEL TANKS SHOULD BE SECURE AND NOT BOUNCING AROUND. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE MATTER FURTHER - HUNDREDS OF OWNERS HAVE HAD THE ISSUE OF AN IMPROPERLY SECURED GAS TANK.

NHTSA ID
11351045
Incident
Aug 15, 2020
Mileage
26,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 9, 2015
Fire reported

THE AUTOMOBILE LOST POWER ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. AFTER GLIDING TO A HALT, FIRE WAS NOTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY ENGULFED AND DESTROYED THE WHOLE CAR.

NHTSA ID
10781046
Incident
Sep 19, 2015
Mileage
25,000 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

102/25

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

PCCM+ 9x7.II

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)

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 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025020—
2024530—
2023350—
2022104050.0
2021560—
2020320—
2019210—
2018111—
2017331—
2016221—
2015810—
2014310—
2013600—
2012Viewing500—
2005301—
2004801—
2003901—
2002901—
2001801—
2000610—
1999810—
1998210—
1997310—
1996633—
1995120250.5
1994011—
1993020—
1992240—
1991140—
1990140—
1989050—
1988100—
1987100—
1984110—
1983110—
1979020—
1978010—
1977021—
1976020—
1975020—
1974030—
1973030—
1972010—
1970030—
1969030—
1967010—
1966010—

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.