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When the majority of the world is asked what brands they associate with making reliable vehicles, there’s a good chance Porsche won’t often be the first answer. However, it should be! The iconic Porsche 911 is very reliable, and not just in terms of sports cars!

Is the Porsche 911 a reliable car?

2022 Porsche 911 Guards Red driven on track at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, Georgia
2022 Porsche 911 | Porsche

According to J.D. Power, it’s as reliable as reliable gets. The J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study results state that the Porsche 911 is the most dependable vehicle one could own. Not only is this the second year in a row that the Porsche 911 has taken the most dependable title, but this is also the third time in just four years it has achieved this status.

Interestingly, in the overall study of vehicle dependability, Porsche as a whole ranked higher than many brands that are notorious for their reliability. According to J.D. Power’s data, the industry average number of problems per 100 vehicles produced by any given brand is 192. However, their data shows that Porsche overall comes in well under average at just 162 problems per 100 vehicles.

Even more impressive is the fact that Porsche is right up there with two staples of vehicle dependability; Toyota and Lexus. They have 158 and 159 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively.

Here are some brands Porsche beat out for dependability

2022 Porsche 992 911 GT3 on Racetrack
Porsche 911 GT3 | Porsche

Porsche’s dependability rating ranks off the charts when compared to its German counterparts. BMW just squeaked under the industry average with a rating of 187 problems per 100 vehicles. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz falls into the above-average category, with 195 problems reported per 100 vehicles. The most problematic of the big hitters in the German market is Audi, with an astonishing 232 problems reported. Ouch. 

However, Porsche coming out ahead of the likes of its fellow German manufacturers is much less surprising than a couple of other brands it also beat out. 

Way down on the list, surprisingly, comes Honda. J.D. Power reports Honda has 230 problems per 100 vehicles sold. That’s pretty surprising, considering Honda’s longtime seat on the throne as the king of reliability. If anyone was searching for a reason to buy a Porsche 911 instead of a Honda Civic, there you go! It’s for reliability’s sake!

How long does a Porsche 911 last?

A pair of vintage 1970s Porsche sports cars, including a 1975 930 Turbo and a 1974 2.7 Carrera MFI, driving in the hills outside Vienna
Vintage Porsche 911s | Daniel Pullen/Future Publishing via Getty Images

As with any vehicle, its ability to last is largely affected by how well it is taken care of. As a blanket statement, it’s safe to say that just about any vehicle can have a relatively long lifespan so long as its owner is on top of regular maintenance and repairs.

However, there are a handful of examples that prove that a Porsche 911 can go far beyond the scope of what’s considered a long-lasting vehicle. For example, Top Gear published a story in 2020 highlighting a single-owner 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo that had over 800,000 miles on it at the time. Considering the car is used as a daily driver, it’s likely much higher than that by now, too!

Additionally, Motor1 highlighted a 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo that already has an astonishing 207,000 miles on it. At nearly 30,000 miles a year, this 911 accumulated double the average driver’s annual mileage.

Porsche 911 offers a perfect blend of fun and dependable

The Porsche 911 is widely regarded as one of the best sports cars of all time. So, knowing that one can reliably daily drive one is truly just icing on the cake.

If you’re in the market for a fun weekend car and don’t want to worry too much about how much it’s going to cost in the long run, the Porsche 911 is the perfect vehicle for you!

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