Porsche PET Explained: Porsche Parts by VIN
Inside the group, outside ETKA
ETKA covers Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and SEAT, and those four share numbers freely because they share platforms. Porsche joined the group later and kept its own parts system, which is why a number from a Cayenne will not resolve in an ETKA search.
Some Cayenne and Touareg hardware genuinely is shared, and you will occasionally find the same component under both a Porsche and a Volkswagen number. Those are the exceptions rather than the rule, and the catalog is the place to confirm one rather than assume it.
Reading a Porsche number
A Porsche number runs eleven digits, written like 991 351 045 00. The first three identify the model series, the middle blocks give the assembly group and the part, and the final two digits mark the version.
The model series is the useful part to learn first. Porsche names generations by code rather than year, so 991 is one generation of 911 and 997 is the one before it. A loose number starting 991 tells you which car it came off before you look anything up.
Why the VIN still matters
Porsche builds a great deal of variation into each model. Brakes, suspension, cooling and interior hardware change with option packages, and two cars of the same generation can take different parts throughout.
The catalog reads the build from the VIN and shows the version that car actually left the factory with. Working from the generation code alone narrows the search but does not finish it.
Older cars stay in the catalog
Porsche supports its back catalogue further than most manufacturers, and parts for cars decades old remain listed with current numbers. If you work on air-cooled cars this matters more than the model tree suggests at first glance.
Numbers on those cars have often been superseded several times. See what a parts supersession is for how the chains work and why the last link is the one to order.
Frequently asked questions
Does an ETKA login cover Porsche?
No. ETKA covers Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and SEAT. Porsche publishes through its own catalog, PET, with its own numbering.
What does a Porsche part number look like?
Eleven digits, such as 991 351 045 00. The first three are the model series, the middle blocks the assembly group and part, the last two the version.
What does 991 mean at the start of a number?
It is the model series. Porsche identifies generations by code rather than year, and 991 is one generation of the 911.
Do I need a Porsche dealer account?
Not with VINsearch. One login opens Porsche PET in the browser along with the rest of the 53 manufacturer catalogs, from a $5 day pass.