Total Complaints
1 filings
PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S · model year
2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S
1 NHTSA complaints, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003PORSCHE911 CARRERA 4S carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2003 911 CARRERA 4S is engine and engine cooling:engine with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 2003 911 CARRERA 4S. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recalls (1)
04V07000018/02/2004
SEATS
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FITTED WITH FRONT SEAT BACKS, WHICH DO NOT MEET PORSCHE'S STRENGTH STANDARDS.
Recent Complaints
20100313ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2003 PORSCHE 911 C4S COUPE: CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IN NEW YORK. WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, IF HAD STILL BEEN ON I-87. MOMENTS BEFORE, DIVERTED TO NEARLY EMPTY RT-9. FROM WEB RESEARCH AND DISCUSSIONS WITH PORSCHE SERVICE CENTERS, I ESTIMATE THAT 1ST GEN WATER COOLED BOXER ENGINES IN BOXSTER AND 911 DURING '99-'08 HAVE HAD > 5% CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT SYSTEM (SHAFT, BEARINGS, LUBRICATION SYSTEM). THE 2ND GEN WATER COOLED BOXER ENGINES INTRODUCED IN 2009 ELIMINATED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. MY EXPERIENCE INDICATES PORSCHE AG AND PORSCHE NA HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING A COVER-UP BY PERSUADING AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTERS TO RETURN THE ENGINES UNOPENED TO PORSCHE AG, WHERE THEY DO A NICE BUSINESS SALVAGING THE CASE FOR REMANUFACTURED ENGINES SOLD BACK TO VICTIMS. THAT HAPPENED TO ME AT PEPE PORSCHE. AT FIRST, THEY SAID THE 'INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BOLT' BROKE. THERE IS NO SUCH PART, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A THREADED END. MY 3RD P
Mileage: 38,000
Compare 2003PORSCHE911 CARRERA 4S to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S have?▼
The 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S?▼
Yes, the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is SEATS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2003 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.