2002 Porsche 911 Turbo: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 14

What fails most often

1 Engine 79% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
5 Steering 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 11 complaints (79% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Steering: 1 complaints (7% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 14 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 21%
warning lights, check engine2 · 14%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 7%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 7%
steering or power steering problems1 · 7%
windows, sunroof1 · 7%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine	11	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0
Fuel system	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

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.
Engine · 2015-11-21 · NHTSA complaint #10795267
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.
Engine · 2013-05-12 · NHTSA complaint #10511586
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.
Engine · 2013-04-30 · NHTSA complaint #10510189
Power steering fluid valve makes a noise. Research on 6speedonline.com and rennlist.com note that this will fail, overfill the reservoir, and cause a major fire perhaps killing me. Porsche has upgraded the part knowing of this failure and has a public tsb to this effect.
Steering · 2007-10-08 · NHTSA complaint #10205203
The car, a 2002 porsche 911 turbo 6-speed, pops out of 2nd gear occasionally while driving. I know of at least 6 other owners with cars built between 2001-2003 with the same problem.
Powertrain · 2003-12-20 · NHTSA complaint #10050833
This problem is affecting cars in warmer climates. I would like to see porsche cars of north america halt delivery of these cars until this issue is resolved. No safety defect listed.
Engine and cooling · 2001-10-16 · NHTSA complaint #752546

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20011
20021
20031
20071
20121
20138
20141
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,551 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).

On average one model year of the 911 Turbo has 5 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 14, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (21%), warning lights, check engine (14%), jerking, harsh shifts (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2002 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.