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Before you buy a used Porsche 911 (996).

2000–2005 · Petrol · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Porsche 911 (996), real photo of this generation
MercurySable99 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

Carrera 3.4 / 3.6

Petrol

  • IMS intermediate shaft bearingEngine (intermediate shaft bearing)
    Period mentioned
    1997–2008 (highest risk 2000–2005)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

Turbo / GT2 / GT3 (3.6)

Petrol

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Porsche 911 (996)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
Carrera 3.4 / 3.6Petrol12
Turbo / GT2 / GT3 (3.6)Petrol13

According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Porsche dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Porsche brake recalls (2004–2024)Brakes

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

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Porsche body, seat and fitting recalls (2004–2023)Bodywork

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

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Hydraulic leak from a loose connector boltSteering / clutch

Engines: Turbo / GT2 / GT3 (3.6) (Petrol)

How to check it: Verify VIN and tighten connections to official torque.

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On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Engine (intermediate shaft bearing)

  • Look out for: Often none before it breaks. Sometimes noise or knocking and metal particles in the oil filter. When it fails it usually destroys the engine.

    Ask them to check: Identify the bearing type by year and engine, check the oil filter for metal particles and confirm whether a replacement bearing has already been fitted.

Cooling

  • Look out for: Sudden coolant loss over the rear wheels; corroded front pipes that drip; plastic oil-cooler elbows that crack.

    Ask them to check: Ask whether the pipes have been welded or pinned; look for coolant residue in the engine bay and under the car.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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