Porsche 997 years to avoid — most common problems

The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic sports cars in automotive history, and the car has gone through numerous generations and upgrades over the years. It’s Porsche’s longest production model in the current lineup, and the 997 brought up some serious improvements over its predecessor.

Drivers were mostly complaining about the headlights and interior design of the 996, so the 997 introduced a new era to Porsche fans. It featured upgraded headlights and a body that still appears modern today, but there are some Porsche 997 years to avoid you should be aware of. Don’t worry, there are mostly minor issues with this model, but we still want to make sure you get the most reliable model year.

Most common Porsche 997 problems

The Porsche 997 was in production for two sub-generations and a total of 10 model years. While it had a significantly improved interior and exterior, some issues of the previous generation remained unsolved. There’s the problem of the intermediate shaft bearing below the crankshaft that was supposed to ensure proper rotation independently from the camshafts.

However, this component was prone to wear and tear and when it breaks down, in some cases it causes burst metal fragments to block oil lines. It was one of the most common issuers with the 996 and early 997 models sadly still had this problem. Another common issue concerns the engine cylinder’s bore scoring and even some coolant leaks.

Finally, there’s also the matter of faulty alternator connections and this one often led to Porsche 997 owners complaining about power loss. Overall, none of these issues should present a big problem if you apply proper maintenance and inspect the 997 you’ve got your eyes on before purchasing.

The intermediate shaft bearing problem

Well, the first thing we have to deal with here is the infamous intermediate shaft bearing. It’s a component that ensures the long life of the engine and its chains in particular, which is important for cars with such capable powertrains as the 997.

Namely, the intermediate shaft bearing should be replaced every 4 years or every 50,000 miles, and you must check this when buying a used 997. Sure, you can replace it yourself, but it almost always triggers immense expenses and if it fails, debris can clog the internals of the engine with metal fragments. So, there won’t be proper cooling and lubrication and that could even lead to a completely seized engine.

This issue was mostly present with the 997 model years 2004, 2005, and 2006, so buying later models should sufficiently protect you from this trouble.

Problem with cylinder bores

The Bore scoring issue is one of the most relevant problems that potential owners of the 997 should pay attention to. This problem mostly happens with the sixth cylinder of the Porsche 997’s engine as the protective lining between the cylinder and the wall degrades and the cylinder changes its shape due to friction.

The slight damage that gets created this way can cause increased oil consumption and compromised engine oil, so it’s a problem that deserves taking a look into. It can also happen if you don’t know what oil your car takes and it’s crucial to set the oil change appointments based on the 997 requirements.

Coolant leaks

Some Porsche 997 drivers have complained about the coolant leaks and while this problem may not be as common as previously mentioned owners, it’s still a bothersome feat. It takes some time to inspect the engine cooling system and find the source of the leak and the faulty water pump was the source only in a handful of situations.

In other cases, the reason for coolant leaks was in the degraded oil cooler seals on the rear passenger side of the engine. It can also be a matter of coolant hoses, and it’s worth inspecting the 997’s engine temperature and cooling system before buying one.

Faulty alternator connections

Finally, one sort of unexpected issue for the 997 was poor alternator connections that sometimes led to improper battery charging. The alternator provides a boost to the battery while the engine is running and it charges it so you have the full battery capacity for the next time you try ot crank the engine.

If the alternator connections issue is left unattended, it could lead to difficulties turning the car on the next time you get behind the wheel. Sure, it’s possible to jumpstart a car with a bad alternator, but that’s not the long-term solution you should be looking for.

Which Porsche 997 years to avoid?

Considering all the mentioned problems of the 997, we’ll proceed by giving you a list of model years that are best to avoid. The 997 is a reliable car overall, but some model years had more issues than others in both production phases.

We have the 997.1 and 997.2 sub-generations, and most of the problematic model years come before the facelift:

First-generation Porsche 997 (model years 2004 to 2006)

The Porsche 997.1 started production in 2004 where the standard 996 left things, and it carried on a few of the main issues of the 996. So, it’s crucial to avoid 2004, 2005, and 2006 model years due to all those struggles regarding the intermediate shaft bearing.

On the other hand, these model years also had some issues with engine cooling and even improper lubrication, but the latter was likely caused by the IMS failure. We also can’t overlook the problem with the exhaust weld that sometimes caused the exhaust pipe to simply hit the floor. This issue even caused Porsche to initiate a recall in 2006 to fix the coupe and convertible 911 models that were caught up in it.

Second-generation Porsche 997 (model year 2009)

The second generation of the Porsche 997, or the 997.2 model to be precise, started its journey in 2009 and lasted until the end of production in 2013. However, the 2009 model, regardless of the facelift improvements, still had some issues that made it one of the “worst” Porsche 997 production years.

It received the most complaints, although to be honest, there weren’t many complaints about this model overall. So, we have to consider that as well when debating on the reliability of the model as a whole. The main issues that the 2009 model came with include bore scoring, excessive oil consumption and even some oil getting trapped in the engine, and coolant leaks.

On top of that, there’s the issue that drivers caused themselves by revving the car too high before the engine reached operational temperature. That’s another thing to have in mind, as well as the exhaust problem that caught up with the 2013 model year.

Best Porsche 997 years

As we already mentioned, the 997 is a model that proved to be quite reliable and there weren’t many driver complaints, to begin with. However, it’s still worth looking into the problematic model years since the car holds its value quite well, especially when it comes to the 997.2 models.

As promised, we’ll also give you a brief overview of the best Porsche 997 years, so you can make a perfect compromise and settle for a reliable model:

• 2007 Porsche 997
• 2008 Porsche 997
• 2010 Porsche 997
• 2011 Porsche 997
• 2012 Porsche 997
• 2013 Porsche 997

Once again, we have to say that the 2013′ model year had some difficulties with the exhaust, but there was an official recall to deal with it. So, at least make sure to check if your ride has been recalled before finally making the purchase. Otherwise, 997.2 models are pretty solid, and the 2011-2012 model years received only a few reliability complaints.

When it comes to the early model years, it’s just enough to avoid the 2004-2006 ones due to the IMS faults. The 2008 model stands out as the most reliable production year for the Porsche 997.1 generation.

Is Porsche 997 worth buying?

If you want a straight answer – yes, Porsche 997 is worth buying both due to its reliability and the impressive price range that it maintains. So, if you are looking for a fun sports car that you’ll also be able to sell and retrieve almost the entire purchase amount, it’s a highly recommended generation of 911.

It’s still more modern than the 996 both when it comes to the interior and the exterior, and the 997.2 gen doesn’t fall much behind the latest 911. You can settle for a naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six in the GT3 RS edition, or go for the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter engine for the GT2 version, both of which are pretty reliable.