Germany · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Porsche VIN decoder
Porsche is a German maker of sports cars, SUVs and electric cars, from the 911 to the Cayenne, Macan and Taycan. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has been listed on the stock exchange since September 2022, but it remains part of the Volkswagen Group: Volkswagen AG holds 75.4% of its share capital, and Porsche SE holds about 12.5% directly, according to Porsche's annual report.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 104 model pages
- 142 recall campaigns
- 1,965 owner complaints
- model years 1995–2026
- 2 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: Germany
| Country of origin | Germany |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 1995–2026 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 2 |
| Model pages | 104 |
| Other model names in NHTSA data | 11 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 142 |
| Owner complaints | 1,965 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 87 (4.4%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 40 (2.0%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 47 (2.4%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 1 (0.1%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Porsche builds the 911 and Taycan at its Zuffenhausen headquarters in Stuttgart, the Macan and Panamera in Leipzig, and the Cayenne at the Volkswagen Group plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. NHTSA's vPIC database lists only the German codes WP0 and WP1 for Porsche, because under the international VIN standard the WMI reflects the country where the manufacturer is headquartered rather than the plant.
Porsches have been sold in the United States since the 1950s, when the importer Max Hoffman sold a large share of the company's output. NHTSA holds recall campaigns and owner complaints for U.S.-market Porsches, and this page summarises them by model. The notes below explain Porsche's two WMIs and why a European-market Porsche may not decode the same way.
NHTSA’s files hold 142 vehicle recall campaigns and 1,965 owner complaints for Porsche vehicles from model years 1995 to 2026, summarised here on 104 model pages. The Cayenne has the most complaints (499), followed by the Taycan (271) and the Macan (235). Of those complaints, 87 report a crash, 40 a fire, 47 at least one injury and 1 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 2 WMIs to Porsche; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WP0 | DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AG | Germany | Passenger Car |
| WP1 | DR. ING. H.C.F. PORSCHE AG | Germany | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2026.
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayenne | 2003–2026 | 27 | 499 |
| Taycan | 2020–2025 | 27 | 271 |
| Macan | 2015–2025 | 10 | 235 |
| Boxster | 1997–2021 | 11 | 163 |
| 911 | 1995–2026 | 20 | 134 |
| Panamera | 2010–2026 | 18 | 114 |
| Cayenne S | 2003–2024 | 15 | 105 |
| 911 Turbo | 2001–2023 | 8 | 79 |
| 911 GT3 | 2004–2023 | 8 | 59 |
| 911 Carrera | 1997–2023 | 16 | 42 |
| Cayenne Turbo | 2003–2020 | 13 | 41 |
| Cayman | 2006–2021 | 7 | 29 |
| Macan S | 2015–2020 | 8 | 20 |
| 718 Cayman | 2016–2025 | 7 | 18 |
| Boxster S | 2000–2014 | 5 | 16 |
| Cayman S | 2005–2014 | 2 | 12 |
| Panamera 4S | 2010–2021 | 10 | 11 |
| Carrera | 1995–2001 | 1 | 11 |
| Panamera Turbo | 2010–2020 | 9 | 7 |
| Panamera S | 2010–2016 | 4 | 7 |
| 718 Boxster | 2016–2024 | 8 | 6 |
| 911 Carrera S | 2005–2023 | 5 | 6 |
| Macan Turbo | 2015–2020 | 7 | 5 |
| Panamera S E-Hybrid | 2012–2016 | 2 | 4 |
| 911 Carrera S Cabriolet | 2005–2006 | 1 | 4 |
| 911 Turbo S | 2005–2023 | 4 | 3 |
| Cayenne GTS | 2008–2021 | 3 | 3 |
| 911 Carrera Cabriolet | 1995–2003 | 2 | 3 |
| Cayenne S E-Hybrid | 2015–2020 | 2 | 3 |
| Panamera 4 | 2011–2021 | 9 | 2 |
Show 74 more Porsche modelsHide the other models
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Other Porsche models in NHTSA data
NHTSA also lists these Porsche model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: 911 (997), 911SC, 968, 987 Cayman, 996 Turbo, Boxster (987), Cabriolet, Cayenne (E2), Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe, Cayman GT4, Targa.
Which WMI codes does Porsche use?
Porsche uses two WMIs, both held by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. In NHTSA's vPIC database, WP0 is the passenger-car code and WP1 is the code for multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), the U.S. class that covers SUVs. The third character therefore shows which of the two U.S. vehicle classes vPIC assigns a Porsche to.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WP0 | Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG | Germany | Passenger car |
| WP1 | Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG | Germany | MPV (SUV class) |
The third character of WP0 is the digit zero, not the letter O; the letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN. Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) also lists WP0 under Porsche AG in Stuttgart. See the WMI code guide for how these codes are allocated.
Do European-market Porsche VINs pass the U.S. check-digit test?
Not necessarily. Porsches built for the U.S. follow 49 CFR Part 565, with a calculated check digit in position 9 and a model-year code in position 10. Cars built for Europe before July 2022 came under rules that mirrored ISO 3779, which leaves positions 4 to 9 to the manufacturer and requires no check digit. The EU has required one for new vehicle types since 6 July 2022, but not a year code. An older European-market Porsche VIN may therefore fail the U.S. formula without having been altered.
Porsches are often imported between markets, so check which standard a car was built to before treating a failed check digit as a warning sign. The European VIN decoding guide explains how to read a European VIN.
Related Volkswagen Group brands
Porsche is part of the Volkswagen Group, alongside Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, SEAT and Škoda. Each of these brands has its own WMIs, so the first three characters identify the company that built the vehicle.
What is the difference between WP0 and WP1 on a Porsche VIN?
NHTSA's vPIC database lists WP0 for Porsche passenger cars and WP1 for multipurpose passenger vehicles, the U.S. class that covers SUVs. Both belong to Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
Will a European-market Porsche decode fully here?
Often only partly. Our decoder uses NHTSA's vPIC data, which is most complete for vehicles built for North America. The WMI will identify Porsche, but model and engine details for a European-market car may be missing.
Does this page show Porsche recalls?
It shows NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints for Porsche models sold in the U.S., grouped by model and model year. For one specific car, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a Porsche Centre.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Volkswagen (32) Germany · 255 recall campaigns
- Audi (66) Germany · 214 recall campaigns
- Bentley (29) United Kingdom · 55 recall campaigns
- Lamborghini (18) Italy · 39 recall campaigns
- SEAT (no NHTSA model pages) Spain
- Škoda (no NHTSA model pages) Czech Republic
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.