VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Porsche 9281978–1995
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Best Years to Buy a Porsche 928
Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.
Porsche 928 Years to Avoid
9 recalls · 0 complaints
Top issue: No complaints on record
3 recalls · 0 complaints
Top issue: No complaints on record
2 recalls · 1 complaint
Top issue: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Porsche 928 — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1993 | 0 | 1 | — | 99 | 40 | 78 | Excellent |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | — | 95 | 40 | 76 | Good |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | — | 95 | 40 | 76 | Good |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1987 | 2 | 1 | — | 89 | 40 | 72 | Good |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 | — | 95 | 40 | 76 | Good |
| 1985 | 2 | 0 | — | 90 | 40 | 73 | Good |
| 1984 | 0 | 1 | — | 99 | 40 | 78 | Excellent |
| 1983 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 40 | 79 | Excellent |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 | — | 95 | 40 | 76 | Good |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 | — | 94 | 40 | 75 | Good |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 | — | 90 | 40 | 73 | Good |
| 1979 | 3 | 0 | — | 85 | 40 | 69 | Good |
| 1978 | 9 | 0 | — | 55 | 40 | 50 | Avoid |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Porsche 928 Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the 928 compares — best year within each era shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year 928 to buy?+
The 1983 Porsche 928 scores highest on our Buyer Score (79/100) — combining a reliability score of 100/100 with a value score of 40/100. It has 0 recalls and 0 NHTSA complaints on record.
Which 928 years have the most problems?+
The 1978, 1979, 1987 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 1978 928 leads with 9 recalls and 0 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common 928 problems?+
The most frequently reported Porsche 928 issues involve: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.