Which year Porsche 911 is most reliable?

Based on 67,627 vehicles (1980–2020) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"

These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 911 at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 911 at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."

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Years to look for

2007–2018

Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other 911s

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Below model average

1980–1987

Lower pass rate than other 911s — worth checking the MOT history before buying

See common failures for 1980 →

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Dataset

67,627

vehicles · 1980–2020 · millions of MOT records

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CarHunch sweet spot — 1995–1997, 2002–2017

These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 83.4–95.4% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year	Pass rate	Vehicles
2020	79.8%	869
2019	84.0%	2,519
2018	91.5%	2,341	Recommended
2017	95.4%	2,061	Recommended
2016	91.6%	1,935	Recommended
2015	94.4%	1,878	Recommended
2014	94.6%	1,713	Recommended
2013	94.6%	1,370	Recommended
2012	93.3%	1,606	Recommended
2011	92.3%	1,302	Recommended
2010	91.2%	1,880	Recommended
2009	90.3%	1,622	Recommended
2008	89.5%	2,249	Recommended
2007	89.2%	3,177	Recommended
2006	87.1%	3,673
2005	87.1%	3,768
2004	85.4%	3,314
2003	84.3%	3,542
2002	83.4%	3,414
2001	82.8%	2,269
2000	82.0%	1,509
1999	80.6%	2,038
1998	81.2%	1,811
1997	83.9%	1,253
1996	85.0%	1,572
1995	84.0%	1,148
1994	81.7%	984
1993	81.8%	600
1992	82.5%	588
1991	80.3%	818
1990	80.3%	1,504
1989	80.8%	1,129
1988	79.9%	755
1987	69.8%	858	Below avg
1986	63.3%	899	Below avg
1985	70.7%	607	Below avg
1984	72.5%	534	Below avg
1983	70.1%	552	Below avg
1982	60.0%	687	Below avg
1981	49.5%	630	Below avg
1980	48.2%	649	Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

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Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?

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