2002 Porsche 911 Turbo Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 79%of 14 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 49,300miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo, 79% of the 14 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 49,300 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Over time I noticed a coolant smell from the car whenever I would drive it with the windows down, especially when the car was in stop and go traffic. I then noticed a small puddle of fluid under the engine after the car was parked. I took the car to the service and was told the coolant pipe on the engine was loose and coolant was beginning to drip from the junction where the pipe attaches to the engine block. …”
NHTSA complaint #10510189, filed 2013-04, 36,645 miles“From a stop I accelerated in a straight line onto a freeway on-ramp. Approximately 10 seconds later I noticed a squealing sound from the engine belts. I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed a large volume of steam coming from the rear of the car. Having read about other peoples experiences with this issue I immediately exited the freeway as soon as I was able, stopped the car, and turned it off to prevent further damage as all coolant had exited the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10795267, filed 2015-11, 49,300 miles“The car was being driven under normal circumstances. I had catastrophic coolant failure. A hose on my coolant system popped off while driving causing all of the coolant to gush out of the bottom of the car, the car did slip a bit I was able to regain control and pull to the side of the road. It sounds like this issue happens to 911 TURBO's often due to the fact that 8 hoses were attached only with a glue that can give out at any time. My local Porsche shop wants $3000 to drop the motor and repair/fix the 8 hoses. …”
NHTSA complaint #10558119, filed 2014-01, 35,798 miles“On two separate occasions, the coolant fittings which mount in the cylinder head popped out. The fittings attach to the coolant hoses. In both cases the epoxy that held the fittings in had failed. Each time I was driving and coolant spewed all over the inside of the engine bay and then subsequently onto the road as I was driving. The first incident I was driving about 50 MPH (10/19/11 - 52230 miles on the odometer). When this first fitting popped out, since it was behind the alternator, damaged it requiring replacement of the alternator. …”
NHTSA complaint #10522635, filed 2013-07, 52,230 miles“Was traveling on free entry ramp, and as I entered the freeway and approximately 60 MPH, the car exhibited a brief shudder at which time the check engine light appeared and began to blink. I noticed a visible white cloud of smoke behind the car. The check engine light blinked for approximately 10-15 seconds and then remained off. I also noticed the temperature gauge rose above 180f, which is the approximate operating temperature per the temperature gauge. The gauge held slightly above 180f (~5 mm past 180f) for the duration of the drive, ! …”
NHTSA complaint #10511586, filed 2013-05, 85,255 milesRelated service bulletins
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- 11037812Sep 22, 2026Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils. Note that the bulletin includes all models back to model year 1984, for which C30 engine oils are…
- 11037808Sep 22, 2026Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils. Note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 1997 to 2020, for which A40 engine oils…
- 11035916Jul 22, 2026Allocation of Approved Engine Oils MY 2027 (13/26)
- 11034777Jun 25, 2026Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils (20/26)
- 11034776Jun 25, 2026Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils (19/26)
- 11034775Jun 25, 2026Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils (21/26)
- 11034774Jun 25, 2026Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils (15/26)
- 11034773Jun 25, 2026Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils (16/26)
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology