Porsche Reliability Guide: An In-depth Look
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There are no arguments that Porsche is a reliable car brand. The better question should be if they are reliable for daily driving. Porsche cars offer an outstanding level of reliability, more than you will achieve on other supercars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, or even BMW.
Although RepairPal doesn’t think Porsche is a reliable car brand. However, with our few experiences with Porsche, there is no reason not to recommend them to a user. By the way, nobody should spend that high amount of money on a Porsche without expecting a decent car that is very reliable.
The reliability of Porsche cars can be a blind pick in a sealed box. The reliability of their cars is not spread evenly across all models. With a Porsche car, you are assured of some high-level spirited driving.
These cars are well-built and can handle great speeds without breaking down. It is important to note that Porsche was awarded the 2021 most dependable car of the year.
Here's a detailed review of Porsche’s reliability and what to consider before choosing one.
Table of Contents
Are Porsche Reliable Cars?
Porsche is a good reliable car, although we cannot place their reliability in the category of Hondas, Mazdas and Toyota. Porsche won the 2021 JD Power dependability award as the most dependable car.
The Porsche brand has secured this position for three consecutive segments, making it the most reliable car in its category. The boast of Porsche reliability scaled with its Porsche 911. The car outranked all cars in its segment in all aspects.
A Porsche car can last more than ten years if you are big on maintenance. You also need to figure out the advised maintenance routine for them. For instance: it is advisable to change your Porsche oil filters after 3,000 miles or three months.
However, a few people do not believe that Porsche cars are reliable. According to RepairPal, Porsche is the most unreliable, ranking 32nd out of 32 car brands, with a poor reliability rating of 2.0/5.0.
This is also considering that they have an extremely high repair and maintenance cost, almost twice the average annual repair cost for other car models.
RepairPal also indicates a higher chance of severe and minor damages. This might be true for some Porsche cars, but on an overall scale, Porsche cars are not that bad.
I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy a Porsche car with an air suspension, turbos and automatics. We cannot guarantee their reliability.
You might consider getting the 2017 Porsche 718. The engines are powerful; the six-speed transmission is better than any manual gearbox I’ve seen. A few Porsche cars have great gas mileage and excellent fuel efficiency.
Some Porsche cars also have high safety ratings, so we will refer to them as reliable, safe cars.
Why Porsches Are Considered Reliable
1. Engine and Performance
As a sports/high-performance car, it is expected of Porsche cars to achieve high performance. Our concern is about the durability of their engines. Unlike other supercar brands like Lamborghini and Ferrari, Porsche is not riddled with numerous problems like its counterparts.
Porsche has a line-up of many reliable engines, although the first release of 356 models had many unreliable engines. The 911 and 912 Porsche cars have some of the best engines that you will love to drive.
The Porsche brand makes owning air-cooled engines look cool. They optimized the need for an improved driving experience.
Driving a Porsche car goes beyond speed aesthetics. It integrates the beauty of great handling, comfort, and aero dynamism. If you need a Porsche car for speed, you should choose from the Porsche 911 turbo, GT2, or GT3 models.
2. Safety and Technology
Porsche are relatively safe cars, although the level of safety achieved on all models is not the same. The Porsche 911 is a safe car, but the new Taycan is one of the safest Porsche cars.
Before 2020, there wasn’t any data to rate the safety of Porsche cars on IIHS or NHTSA. However, the Porsche Cayenne was recently awarded a Euro NCAP five-star safety rating, with a 95% adult occupant safety rating.
You must understand that none of the Porsche cars has any IIHS safety award. However, we can’t neglect the work Porsche put into the overall safety of its cars.
Porsche is a sports car, and users will always have the urge to race to the end of the world. You must know that no amount of safety technology will defy physics. If you Ram your Porsche car into a 3-ton pickup truck, you might be physically fit to tell the story.
Porsche safety technology includes:
- Porsche active safe
- advanced driver-alert
- Night vision assist
- Traction management
- autonomous braking system
- Collision and brake assist
- Advanced lighting
- Eight standard airbags and optional side airbags
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keeping assist
The Porsche brand went as far as integrating a maintenance technology that informs users when their car needs servicing.
3. Durability
For improved durability, Porsche sustains German engineering standards. This is one of the major reasons why Porsche cars last long. Although, there are a few problematic Porsche.
On an overall scale, Porsche did a good job in its engineering process and ensured that there are reduced chances of wear and tear.
There are high chances that your Porsche car will last up to 200,000 miles, but RepairPal predicts a 21% chance of major repairs and a 0.8 chance of visiting the mechanic for minor repairs.
4. Fuel Economy
You will enjoy an impressive level of fuel economy on Porsche cars. The Porsche 718 Boxster is one of the most fuel-efficient sports cars. You can also go for the Porsche Cayenne e-hybrid.
The fuel efficiency achieved by the Porsche 911 is not bad either.
Why Porsche Is Considered Unreliable
Repair and Maintenance Cost
One of the major reasons why Porsche cars are considered unreliable is because of the high cost of ownership and repairs. You will spend an annual average of $1,192 to repair and maintain your Porsche car. This is costlier than the $652 average on other cars.
The high cost of maintenance of Porsche cars is owing to its parts' expensiveness and the difficulty of sourcing their high-quality materials.
Porsche Reliability: Pros
- Great engine
- Decent fuel economy
- Impressive handling and comfort
Porsche Reliability: Cons
- Expensive
- High cost of repair and maintenance
- Less safety ratings
- They can be problematic.
Verdict
Considering the high cost of ownership and repairs, we might not recommend Porsche to an average car user. Porsche cars are good for daily driving.
The steering performance, handling, comfort, and engine reliability are impressive. But the cost of keeping these cars on the road is expensive. You will need to be sure of your decisions and make sure that you don’t pick from the problematic ones.
