Most common 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo problems
Share of the 5 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Porsche 911 Turbo complaints by model year
Best 911 Turbo years: 2003. Years to avoid: 2007. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo:
Rapid coolant loss
On April 26, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-009 to investigate 10 complaints alleging incidents of sudden coolant loss while traveling on public roadways in certain model year (MY) 2001 through 2007 Porsche 911 vehicles.The complaints alleged that pipe ends joined by epoxy to certain cooling system components may fail suddenly and separate, resulting in large volumes of coolant…
What 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo owners say
Engine & cooling
After 1 hour of slow 880-n highway stop and go driving in traffic, a large column of steam was observed coming from rear driver side of vehicle while exiting interstate. Immediately observed huge coolant puddle developing on freeway offramp, and alerts on dashboard gauges ("check coolant level"). Upon stopping the car it was observed one of the coolant hoses leading from the water pump had come loose. These are hose fittings which are epoxied into the aluminum water distribution system which come loose over time after the epoxy becomes brittle with age. The engine deposited its entire coolant system quantity rapidly onto the exit offramp of the highway which May potentially cause a crash. This is an extremely well documented issue affecting gt1 block engines made by Porsche in the 996tt, 996 gt2, gt3, and 997 tt vehicles.
At a driver education event in kent, wa, a Porsche Turbo had a failure in the coolant fittings that caused the car to dump all of its coolant on the pavement. I was behind the car in a Porsche gt3 and upon driving over the coolant lost traction and totaled my car. The speed of the Turbo at the time of failure was approx 90 MPH, the car continued to accelerate down the straight-away after the failure but stopped after realizing the car was smoking. This is a common issue with the 996 series, more commonly in the gt3 than the Turbo. This is well documented in forums such as rennlist.com. Http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=679777&referrerid=108168. I have heard of a pca chapter that has required that cars on the track run with water wetter or fix this issue with getting the fittings welded. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo a good car?
Based on 5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 911 Turbo rates few complaints: about as many complaints as a typical year of the 911 Turbo at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo?
The engine & cooling — 5 complaints, 100% of all complaints for this model year.
How many recalls does the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Porsche 911 Turbo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007. See the full Porsche 911 Turbo years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 55,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.