1994 Porsche 968 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 1994 Porsche 968, 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
- Powertrain (other)250.0%
- Electrical125.0%
- Transmission125.0%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
KNOWN PINION BEARING ISSUE HAS BEEN IGNORED BY PORSCHE FOR YEARS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF KNOWN CASES OF THIS BEARING FAILURE YET PORSCHE OUTRIGHT DENIES A PROBLEM. WITH LESS THAN 12,780 UNITS PRODUCED WORLDWIDE OVER FOUR YEARS, THE RATIO OF FAILED UNITS OF QUITE HIGH BY ANY STANDARD. THERE EXISTS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSUALTIES SHOULD THIS FAILURE BE IGNORED AND OCCUR WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. WHILE THERE TYPICALLY IS WARNING THAT THE BEARING IS FAILING, MANY PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOT KNOWING THE POTENTIAL RISK. PORSCHE SHOULD ISSUE A MODEL WIDE RECALL AND ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN ALL 968 PRODUCED OVER THE FOUR YEAR PRODUCTION RUN AS THE FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN UNITS FROM EACH YEAR OF MANUFACTURE. PLEASE VISIST WWW.968.NET FOR A DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER. YOU WILL HEAR THE NIGHTMARE STORIES FROM MANY 968 OWNERS - FROM THE FAILURE ITSELF, TO TRYING TO GET PORSCHE TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. YOU WILL ALSO FIND THAT PORSCHE DOES, IN FACT, KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND CONTINUES TO IGNORE IT AND DISMISS ANY CLAIMS FOR REPAIRS FROM OWNERS.*AK
THERE EXISTS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE PINION BEARING IN THE TRANSAXLE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY DEALERS, CONSUMERS, AND THE MANUFACTURER. TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF KNOWN FAILURES - CONSIDERING THAT PORSCHE PRODUCED LESS THAN 12,780 OF THESE VEHICLES WORLDWIDE OVER FOUR YEARS, THE RATIO OF FAILURES IS ALARMINGLY HIGH. TO DATE, PORSCHE HAS REJECTED CLAIMS FROM CONSUMERS FOR THE REPAIR OF FAILED UNITS AND CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM WHICH UNADDRESSED CAN RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND "COULD" RESULT IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS GONE UNRESOLVED LONG ENOUGH. PERHAPS THE SMALL NUMBER OF UNITS MANUFACTURED IS TO BLAME FOR THE PROBLEM TAKING SO LONG TO SURFACE AS A WIDEPREAD ISSUE, BUT THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTING THIS FAILURE ON VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS AND COMMUNITIES. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO HAVE AFFECTED ON A HANDFUL OF UNITS, THE NUMBER KEEPS GROWING AND HAS REACHED A LEVEL WHERE A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR ALL UNITS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT WWW.968.NET FOR A TASTE OF ANGRY OWNERS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ALL ELECTRICAL POWER STOPS ABRUPTLY IMMEDIATELY KILLING THE ENGINE AND ALL POWER TO LIGHTS. YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS SINCE THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL POWER. APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN A HIGHER ELECTRICAL LOAD IS INTRODUCED SUCH AS A/C OR HIGH BEAMS ARE USED. MOST RECENTLY, THIS HAPPENED ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHERE THE ONLY LIGHTS AVAILABLE WERE THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS. WHEN ALL POWER STOPPED AT CLOSE TO 60MPH IT WAS PITCH BLACK. WITHOUT KNOWING THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL OVER MISSING A TELEPHONE POLE AT 50MPH BY INCHES. THE RESULTING INSPECTION SHOWS THE WIRING HARNESS CLOSE TO THE WINDSHIELD UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER SHOWS THAT IF YOU WIGGLE THE WIRING HARNESS, ALL POWER IS RESTORED. THE ENGINE WILL START AT THIS POINT AND THE VEHICLE CAN CONTINUE UNTIL THE NEXT POWER SURGE WHICH THEN KILLS THE ENGINE AND ALL LIGHTS ONCE AGAIN. NO FUSES ARE AFFECTED BY THIS.*AK
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
PINION BEARING FAILURE IN POWER TRAIN OF PORSCHE 968 MODEL CARS - MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP TO DRIVING CONDITIONS OR WEAR AND TEAR. MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. EXTREMELY HIGH COST TO REPAIR - SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE RECALL. *JB
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 .