The Lemon Index
Porsche's 4.6 L naturally aspirated plug-in hybrid V8 in the 918 Spyder, model years 2015.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 56/100, #23 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 1 engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. We found no government complaints we can tie to this engine's cars. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 918 Spyder | 0 | 56 (156 videos) | 5 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 5
1 of them is about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
15V335000 Engine And Engine Cooling · Porsche 918 Spyder 2015
In the affected vehicles, the wiring harness for the left rear radiator fan may contact an engine heat insulation plate.
18V287000 Suspension · Porsche 918 Spyder 2015
The connecting shafts of the longitudinal and transverse control arms may fail due to stress corrosion cracking, impacting vehicle handling.
16V520000 Seat Belts · Porsche 918 Spyder 2015
In the affected vehicles, incorrect screws might have been used when re-installing and/or re-securing the seat belt mount o.
16V885000 Suspension · Porsche 918 Spyder 2015
The affected vehicles have front lower control arms that may crack at the ball joint.
14V457000 Suspension · Porsche 918 Spyder 2015
The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with rear-axle control arms that may break, causing difficulty controlling the vehicle.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Porsche told dealers about
Porsche sent dealers 104 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Concerns: Oil intake pipe Information: In the course of endurance testing under high load, it has been…
- Symptom: Vehicle jerking while driving using the combustion engine
- Instructions for reprogramming the High Voltage Control Unit on 918 Spyder models in the event of a red or…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Porsche 918 Spyder 918 Spyder | 2015 |
Engine code: no public code (RS Spyder racing V8 architecture). Power: 599 hp, factory figures (engine only; 875 hp with the motors). Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Porsche 918 Spyder.
Quick answers
What cars have the Porsche 918 Spyder V8 engine?
In the US: the Porsche 918 Spyder, model years 2015–2015. See the version table for each one.
Is the Porsche 918 Spyder V8 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 56/100, #23 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 1 engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Its cars had 5 recalls (1 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Porsche 918 Spyder V8 make?
599 hp in factory figures, depending on the car (engine only; 875 hp with the motors).