PORSCHE 911 · model year

2002 PORSCHE 911

10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002PORSCHE911 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 911 is engine with 6 filings, followed by power train (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 2002 911. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE6
POWER TRAIN2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE1

Recent Complaints

20161129ENGINE

ALUMINUM COOLANT TUBES WHICH APPARENTLY ARE GLUED TOGETHER VIA THE OEM FACTORY BECOME OLD AND BRITTLE AND BLOW APART. COOLANT IS THEN POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE AT A HIGH RATE INTO THE CITY STREET. IN MY CASE, I WAS SITTING AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THE COOLANT PIPE BURST/SEPARATED. IN ORDER TO FIX/REPAIR THE ISSUE, THE ENGINE MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE 8 COOLANT TUBES MUST BE WELDED AND/OR DRILLED AND PINNED TO KEEP THE ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN

Mileage: 72,135

20150323POWER TRAIN

THE CLUTCH SLAVE FAILED ON MY 911 TURBO AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A GT2 SLAVE WHICH REMOVES THE HYDRAULIC ASSIST. *TR

Mileage: 52,400

20150213ENGINE

I NOTICED STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. STOPPED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACTED A TOW SERVICE. A COOLANT LINE CAME LOOSE DUE TO A FAILED FITTING AT THE MANIFOLD AND DISCHARGED THE ENTIRE RESERVOIR, LEAVING A PUDDLE OF COOLANT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *TR

20130513ENGINE

THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, BUT THERE IS A COOLANT SMELL WHICH REGULARLY HAPPENS AFTER A LONG DRIVE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THIS IS BECAUSE THE COOLANT FITTINGS WEEP; I'VE FOUND MANY FORUM POSTS, AND WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE LINES BURSTING AND/OR SPILLING IS COMMON IN 996 TURBOS ('01-'05). HE ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE PREVENTIVE WELDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COOLANT LINES DO NOT UNSEAT AND SPILL ALL OF MY COOLANT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD HAPPEN TOMORROW, OR COULD HAPPEN 50K MILES FROM NOW; EITHER WAY, I WOULD BE STRANDED WHEREVER I WAS. THE WORK TO COMPLETE THE PREVENTIVE MEASURE WAS QUOTED AROUND $5-6K, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD IT COMPLETED. *TR

Mileage: 39,000

20130502ENGINE

I OWN A 2002 911 CARRERA TURBO, WHICH HAS A WELL-KNOW AND DOCUMENTED DESIGN DEFECT IN THE ENGINE (GT1 MOTOR). IT IS KNOW AS THE COOLANT-PIPE FAILURE ISSUE. WHILE MY CAR HAS NOT YET SUFFERED A FAILURE, THERE IS A REASONABLE PROBABILITY THAT THE COOLANT PIPES MAY FAIL DURING REGULAR USE, CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL LIKELIHOOD OF PROPERTY DAMAGE AND PERSONAL INJURY TO MYSELF AND OTHERS UTILIZING THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. IT IS A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED BY WAY OF RECALL AND REPAIR. THERE IS A KNOWN SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. HERE IS A HYPERLINK TO ONE OF THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THIS ISSUE. HTTP://FORUMS.RENNLIST.COM/RENNFORUMS/997-GT2-GT3-FORUM/613440-GT1-COOLANT-PIPE-PREVENTION-FIX-ON-2011-GT3RS-SHARK-WERKS.HTML THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE REQUIRED BY THE NHTSA TO RECALL AND REPAIR ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT. THE COST OF REPAIR AND THE SAFETY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE BORNE BY THE INDIVIDUAL CAR OWNER. ALSO, HERE'S A VIDEO SHOWING HOW THE T

Mileage: 60,300

20121027ENGINE

INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 48,000

20121027POWER TRAIN

INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 48,000

20120803ENGINE

INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BEARING FAILED, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND LOSS OF ALL ENGINE OIL ON THE ROADWAY. LUCKILY, THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT THE TIME. *TR

Mileage: 85,200

20040614AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

AIR BAG SIGNAL LIGHT STAYED ON. DEALER STATED AIR BAG WAS INOPERATIVE. THE PART HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Mileage: 15,500

20030113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MISFIRE. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT ALL THE OIL HAD LEAKED OUT OF VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED A BEARING HAD BROKE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB

Compare 2002PORSCHE911 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 PORSCHE 911 have?
The 2002 PORSCHE 911 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 PORSCHE 911?
The most-complained component for the 2002 PORSCHE 911 is ENGINE with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 2002 PORSCHE 911 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.