Porsche 911 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Porsche 911 took 49,967 MOT tests in Britain and passed 88% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 49,967
- First-time pass rate
- 88%
- All cars
- 71%
What the 911 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics5.0% (all cars 11.3%)
- Tyres2.5% (all cars 6.4%)
- Exhaust and emissions2.1% (all cars 3.1%)
- Brakes2.0% (all cars 6.8%)
- Suspension1.6% (all cars 9.0%)
- Body and structure1.6% (all cars 3.5%)
- Visibility1.5% (all cars 4.8%)
- Number plates and VIN0.5% (all cars 0.4%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 1.1%
- Headlamp aim: too high 1.0%
- Position lamp: not working 1.0%
- Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 0.9%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 0.7%
- Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 0.7%
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 0.7%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 0.7%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 8.5%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 5.8%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 5.3%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 4.2%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 3.7%
- Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 1.4%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 1.1%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 1.1%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 315 | 82% |
| 1987 | 384 | 83% |
| 1988 | 372 | 84% |
| 1989 | 539 | 86% |
| 1990 | 700 | 86% |
| 1994 | 542 | 87% |
| 1995 | 654 | 88% |
| 1996 | 960 | 88% |
| 1997 | 735 | 86% |
| 1998 | 1,036 | 80% |
| 1999 | 1,253 | 80% |
| 2000 | 919 | 79% |
| 2001 | 1,534 | 81% |
| 2002 | 2,415 | 82% |
| 2003 | 2,660 | 80% |
| 2004 | 2,440 | 83% |
| 2005 | 2,841 | 85% |
| 2006 | 2,833 | 85% |
| 2007 | 2,474 | 87% |
| 2008 | 1,893 | 88% |
| 2009 | 1,476 | 89% |
| 2010 | 1,736 | 91% |
| 2011 | 1,265 | 93% |
| 2012 | 1,573 | 92% |
| 2013 | 1,290 | 92% |
| 2014 | 1,576 | 94% |
| 2015 | 1,724 | 95% |
| 2016 | 1,728 | 95% |
| 2017 | 1,930 | 95% |
| 2018 | 2,218 | 94% |
| 2019 | 2,415 | 95% |
| 2020 | 1,554 | 95% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 12,902 miles |
| 4 years | 15,510 miles |
| 5 years | 16,374 miles |
| 6 years | 21,827 miles |
| 7 years | 25,915 miles |
| 8 years | 29,507 miles |
| 9 years | 32,646 miles |
| 10 years | 41,069 miles |
| 11 years | 45,590 miles |
| 12 years | 42,576 miles |
| 13 years | 48,042 miles |
| 14 years | 57,410 miles |
| 15 years | 56,519 miles |
| 16 years | 58,228 miles |
| 17 years | 66,633 miles |
| 18 years | 69,833 miles |
| 19 years | 72,325 miles |
| 20 years | 78,223 miles |
Check a particular 911
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Porsche models
- Porsche Boxster
- Porsche Cayenne
- Porsche Macan
- Porsche Cayman
- Porsche Panamera
- Porsche 944
- Porsche Taycan 4S 93KWH
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.