Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults
Free Porsche 911 Carrera 4 car check
Is the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 reliable? We analysed 857 real MOT tests across 138 vehicles to find out.
Got a specific Porsche 911 Carrera 4? Enter the reg for a free check:
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Common problems include tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, brake disc excessively pitted and headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Porsche 911 Carrera 4.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Number Plates
Number plates registered to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 MOT Pass Rate by Year
How likely is a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Problems — What Goes Wrong?
The most common reasons a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 fails its MOT, ranked by how often they occur. Check for these problems before you buy.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Mileage — What's Normal?
How many miles does a typical Porsche 911 Carrera 4 owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 MOT Data by Registration Year
Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 year you're looking at.
| Year | Tests | Pass Rate | Low Mi. | Typical Mi. | High Mi. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 70 | 82.9% | 33,679 | 53,863 | 71,181 |
| 2001 | 139 | 82.7% | 63,725 | 85,842 | 121,356 |
| 1989 | 106 | 81.1% | 51,983 | 70,742 | 108,632 |
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Mileage Distribution
Total mileage recorded across all Porsche 911 Carrera 4 MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.
Best Year to Buy a Used Porsche 911 Carrera 4
Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.
82.9% MOT pass rate from 70 tests
81.1% MOT pass rate from 106 tests
The best year to buy a used Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is 2002, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 82.9% across 70 tests. The 1989 model year has the lowest pass rate at 81.1% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How Does the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Compare?
MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.
| Model | Pass Rate | Tests | Typical Mileage | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche 911 Carrera 4 THIS CAR | 83.5% | 857 | 73,708 mi | 37 yrs |
| Porsche 911 | 85.2% | 977,057 | 55,056 mi | 47 yrs |
| Porsche Boxster | 82.8% | 726,695 | 55,739 mi | 29 yrs |
| Porsche Cayenne | 84.5% | 388,697 | 65,616 mi | 23 yrs |
| Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition Ecoflex | 89.1% | 1,667 | 47,516 mi | — yrs |
Compared to the Porsche 911 (85.2% pass rate) and the Porsche Boxster (82.8% pass rate), the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 sits in the middle of the pack on MOT reliability.
Found a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 you like?
Run a full vehicle history check on the specific car. See finance, stolen, write-off, mileage and MOT data for that exact vehicle.
Check a specific Porsche 911 Carrera 4Should you buy a used Porsche 911 Carrera 4?
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4 has an overall MOT pass rate of 83.5% across 857 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.
The most common problems on the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 are tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (17 recorded failures), brake disc excessively pitted (12), and headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (10). These are the faults most likely to cause an MOT failure on this model, so check for them carefully on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection. Many are wear-and-tear items that can be budgeted for, but a car that's already failing on multiple fronts may signal neglected maintenance.
A typical Porsche 911 Carrera 4 owner drives around 1,311 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.
In terms of longevity, most Porsche 911 Carrera 4 models stay on UK roads for around 37 years — a strong showing that suggests solid build quality and readily available parts. If you're buying one that's already approaching that window, the data suggests it has plenty of life left provided it's been maintained.
Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.