Reliability & cost of ownership
Porsche Boxster Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Porsche Boxster? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Porsche Boxster problems by model year
39 recall entries and 163 owner complaints on file across 15 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Boxster | 1 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Boxster | 2 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Boxster | 3 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2013 Boxster | 1 | 10 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Boxster | 1 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Boxster | 0 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Boxster | 0 | 16 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Boxster | 3 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Boxster | 4 | 12 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 Boxster | 4 | 10 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Boxster | 4 | 13 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Boxster | 3 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 Boxster | 3 | 28 | No NCAP test | Full reliability report → |
| 1998 Boxster | 4 | 32 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1997 Boxster | 6 | 22 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Porsche Boxster, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine and engine cooling43 complaints
- air bags28 complaints
- electrical system25 complaints
- power train21 complaints
- structure18 complaints
- engine15 complaints
- seat belts11 complaints
- service brakes9 complaints