Most common 2004 Porsche 911 problems
Share of the 8 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Porsche 911 complaints by model year
Best 911 years: 2000, 2001. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2004 Porsche 911:
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 owners say
Engine & cooling
Yesterday as I was driving in freeway, my friend was following me from behind, he noticed smoke and coolant leaking making his car's windshield dirty. So we stopped at gas station and noticed good amount of coolant leakage from underneath which make the back of the car and tires big mess. I noticed, before my friend's call, the handling and grip of the car was little off, I didn't know why but then I realized leaking made the tires slippery. Tow the car to my house and just wanted to report this. It seems lot of people complain about this issue when I started reading about it last night.
The event happened in 2008. Purchased Porsche gt 3 from Porsche dealer in 2006. Accelerating onto a limited access highway from an entrance ramp the car made a violent fishtail movement in a counterclocwise direction causing a 180 deg. Spin. I tried to correct but no response and then applied brakes heavily but car continued its movement eventually hitting a concrete barrier in the right rear. The car had to be towed and eventually totaled by the insurance company. At the impact site I did notice fluid on the road and also back up the road. Since my wife was injured and needed to be taken to the hospital, I was more focused on tending to her but as I look back and also reading about the coolant problems this car is having I would not be surprised if this car had a discharge of cooling fluid. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Porsche 911 a good car?
Based on 8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 911 rates average: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the 911 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?
The engine & cooling — 8 complaints, 100% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the body & structure (1) and transmission & drivetrain (1).
How many recalls does the 2004 Porsche 911 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2004 Porsche 911. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Porsche 911?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000 and 2001. See the full Porsche 911 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Porsche 911 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 17,000 miles; 100% 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.