USED Porsche 911 (997) - WHAT GOES WRONG & should you buy one?

We reckon the Porche 997 911 is the sweet spot between the old-school goodness of classic Porsches and the modernity that means they're livable and able to be driven every day? Plus, with pricing kicking off for as (little) as $70K, there's a 997 911 for every budget.

But what goes wrong with them, what are they like to live with and should you seriously consider buying one? We do a deep dive to find out.

💰 Our exclusive deals!

---

---

Skip ahead:
00:00​​​​​​​ - Intro
00:23 - What is it?
06:17 - Exterior issues
08:56 - Interior issues
11:38 - Practicality and features
16:12 - Safety
17:17 - What's it like to drive?
20:29 - What goes wrong?
24:05 - Should you buy it?

---

#porsche #porsche911 #porsche977 #german #performance #carreview #cars #car #carexpert #carenthusiast

--

Listen to the podcast!

[yanis_s]

Damn, those wheeels... How can you buy such an iconic car and then put such an uggly wheels???

[P_FamilyJAR]

Those wheels should go into the “what goes wrong” section….

[supaflask]

When the owner advertises the car for sale
*blue wheels not included*

"Well, thank F for that!"

[Lan_gtg]

Don't buy one that looks like this one 😂

[darbyjames]

Fuck that is an absolute shitter. Those blue rims make it look like mid tier NPC matchup in Midnight Club LA.

[joebot]

My son specs all his cars in Asphalt 9 with these wheels. I took his tablet away for crimes against humanity.

[kenrichards]

18 months ago I bought one of these (997.1 Carrera S) in the 6 speed and hard top. This video covers all the key points for anyone looking to do the same, so, nice work boys.
I love mine and wouldn't swap it for the BMW or Nissan, it's of a completely different character.
Approaching 20 years old and 100, 000km, my 997 is still tight, fresh and feels quite modern. I love it's small size too. Tiny by comparison to modern cars. It feels substantial and high quality.
The cup holders, while a beautiful piece of industrial design, somewhat impractical, so more form over substance there.

[williamii]

I have. 997.1 here in south Florida. I hardly drive it - 50k miles - our 2-door Wrangler is the daily. Tons of Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston’s, Rolls’, Gwagens, etc here in Palm Beach, but I have to say my 997 always gets second looks, even from Ferrari drivers. Lots of gas pump convos. This car punches far above its weight in respect. However - you would think that after refining this model for so many years, it would be a quality build. It’s all the little but expensive annoyances that get to you- disintegrating A/C channel flap foam, designed to save 1oz of weight but fail after warranty; the broken plastic retainers for the too-clever cup holders ; the melting console knobs and cheap plastic screen; clever door latches that fail - just all kinds of annoying crap that’s ridiculous to try to fix. My 997 looks really high-end from the outside, the leather seats, dash, headliner, etc are terrific - but after awhile all the little things, just opening the door even, feel cheap.

[davethetaswegian]

Everyone has beaten me to the punch, but ugh those wheels.

[simonrichards]

I’ve owned 996 Turbo and 997 Turbo. Cool cars for sure but the cost of owning one now make them pretty hard to own. Now VW own Porsche servicing and parts have gone through the roof.
Both of my cars required coolant hoses replaced at 70, 000km. Seriously expensive but if you don’t then you’re up for an engine meltdown with NO warning. Brace yourself, set of front brakes, coolant hoses replaced and full service at 70, 000km, just under $20, 000. I’m pleased I’ve owned a few Porsches but no more for me. Cheers

[Thorold]

Used to work at The Bend Motorsport Park, seen many Lambos, Ferraris and other exotics go home on the trailer regularly, rarely seen a Porsche fail, just saying.

[smacfe]

The 997 Gen 2 was a MASSIVE improvement over the Gen 1 997's. Made in a completely new factory built with significant global assistance from quality engineering giants, most notably Toyota, the increase in the quality of the cars is staggering. Porsche has forever eliminated any quality criticisms it once had. As an enjoyable daily driver sports car, this series is unbeatable, however, even in S trim, could use a bit more power to make it a hard core sports car. I had an extremely early 997 Gen 2 911 S Cabriolet, one of the first off the new line, and finally gave in to the senior Toyota executive that had pestered me for years to sell him this particular car which he had apparently seen on the line while he was advising Porsche.

[richieduck]

Did he get those wheels from Supercheap Auto

[ddsgardening]

All my life I've wanted one I better get my act together 68 now😂

[patrickw]

05 997.1 Carrera S owner here in Aus, love the review, they are a fantastic car.. Bloody good looking and practical.
I'm a dad with a 2 year old and a 4 year old.. This was my dream car from my teenage days and I managed to make it work.. I fit two booster seats in the back, a stroller in the frunk, there's still enough room for a few shopping bags.. SUVs suck, rebel by buying a 911 :P
Maintenance wise, it's been pretty solid, I am very mechanical and these are an absolute breeze to work on for the most part.
Granted I did obsess far too much over the fear mongering on rennlist over bore scoring but I scoped it when changing the plugs and it's in pretty good shape with over 170, 000ks on the clock, uses well below the Porsche stated oil consumption figures.. And bloody hell don't stress about soot on the tail pipes, its a tail pipe! they get dirty!

I picked the .1 over the .2 because you can get them in manual, 997.2 is near impossible to find in 6mt. Also if you live in an area with sh!t roads, you'll curse your council daily because being a 911, you feel the road, bumps and all.

[Landofsmiles]

Adam, yourself and Jim are a great team, and both of you are an enjoyable and easy listen. Great show as usual. Ps, if those wheels were black, they'd set that car right off. IMO

[Nickdoomofficial]

Most common problem with my 911 is it doesn't exist. I hate when that happens.

[kingkire]

"Just because you can afford to buy one, doesn't mean you can afford to own one"

This phrase was invented because of Porche.

[ForgetfulFoot]

Current Adelaide 981 Cayman owner here. Also owned a few 987.2 Caymans in the past too. Good review. Love the 997 and have always wanted to own one. But I just didn't want to roll the dice with the older cars. Best to play it safe and drive a solid newer Cayman until I can afford a 997.2 or 991. The Cayman is likely just as good to drive anyway.

[edstraker]

Jim is an absolute fountain of knowledge on all things mechanical. You guys are the perfect pairing. 👍