Porsche Cayenne
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017–2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database — the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific Porsche Cayenne? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
AI Interpretation
High ConfidenceAverageNHTSA complaint data for the Porsche Cayenne (2017–2026) shows complaints concentrated in the Unknown/Other and Electrical System categories, with notable counts for Air Bags and Engine. The 2019 model year accounts for the most complaints, while 2025 and 2026 have very few. Crash-related complaints are low at 3, and the vehicle has 28 recalls across the analyzed years.
- Unknown/Other and Electrical System together account for over half of all complaints.
- The 2019 model year has the highest number of complaints (37), while 2025 and 2026 have the fewest (0 and 1).
- Air Bags (18 complaints) and Engine (14 complaints) are also frequently reported components.
- Electrical System issues are a recurring theme, with 29 complaints.
- Air Bag system concerns appear in 18 complaints.
- Engine-related problems are noted in 14 complaints.
The 2019 model year shows elevated complaints (37), driven primarily by Electrical System and Unknown/Other components, suggesting potential issues in that year.
The 2025 and 2026 model years have the fewest complaints (0 and 1), which may indicate improved reliability or lower reporting rates, but data is limited.
- Inspect the Electrical System, including battery, wiring, and infotainment, for any issues.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls before purchase.
- Request service records for Air Bag and Engine components.
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle, focusing on reported components.
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
28 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 109 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
109 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
i was driving my car and at a stop sign i started accelerating when the light turned green - i must have been going 45 mPH after the light and all of a sudden my car went into hyper acceleration speeding up to 80 mph, i was pumping my brakes and the car was still raging to accelerate. I almost ran into a semi truck in front of me becuase i could not stop my car from accelerating, my foot was on the brake padel not the accelerator and it would slow down but as soon as I take the foot off of the brake - it would go into a rage accelration again, my car also gave WBA restricted warnings while accelerating. I was finally about 2 miles of stoping and accelerating pull into a sholder with my brakes slammed, and parking brake pulled, the car finally came to a stop. I was also being followed by other cars and could have caused them to run into me as i tried to stop the car.
In-car entertainment, transmissions controls, audio controls, climate controls (front and rear) , car will shut off without turning the key in off position, often times the vehicle will just terminate a call with no warning - no explantion, the rear camera on the screen in reverse show the rear of the car but it stays on for like 10 seconds when moving forward in drive, all of these are selected one the center console but placing your hand and fingers on the panel you accidentally select features or controls - this is dangerous because you hit things that you don't want and is distracting. the entertainment system does not have the features they represent that they do and you are constantly distracted with trying to find a feature that it doesn't have or can't find; using the phone will not allow you to use the keypad until stopped. so what you end up doing is using your iPhone which becomes a safety issue. there are so many problems that I can't message all. If you can give me a link I can't send or upload about 50 videos. I think all around to use the center counsel because hazardous design as to how to use a feature - it's a massive safety issue and hazard. I believe that many owners have been in accidents and caused damages and perhaps deaths. Porsche will not respond after the first call a few months ago. I was told by a dealer to contact the BBB - they told me that Porsche cars of America has a D minus rating and never has responded to customer complaints. I did discover that they made massive changes in the 2024 model. no wonder - I will stop here - will; attach a few photo's but there is no explanation. please help!!
Remote lock using a phone app locks the door while the trunk is open. This is considered a health and safety concern as individuals assume the vehicle is locked and secured while the vehicle is exposed to theft, misuse, or even the safety of passenger
The drivers side wiper leaves a streak at drives eye level during most rain events. My dealer has replaced the wiper 3 times but this has not fixed the issue. My Dealer has verified this is happening and verified this happens on all Porsche Cayenne vehicles of this age and model. According to FMVSS 104 and SAE J1903 the area A (drivers viewing area) must be 99% cleaned. This streak is an arc about 2" tall and the full length of the wiper travel. Changing the speed of the wiper system does not eliminate the streak. This has not caused a crash yet but I feel it may in the future.
The contact owns a 2022 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that the message that the mileage could not be recorded was intermittently displayed while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the rearview camera was intermittently inoperable after shifting to reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the cameras were replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 5 months later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired because the failure could not be duplicated. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V896000 (Back Over Prevention), which the contact associated with the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Instrument cluster anti-glare film or delamination on center and left instrument cluster. The film is wearing away in certain irregular sport and shapes. The overall wear is impacting the visibility to the center cluster under certain conditions leading to obscure visibility to important information, including vehicle speed or other warning light. It has been raised to the dealer, then to Porsche NA, but the dealer has stated they (Porsche NA) will not cover the repair, even though the vehicle is under a CPO warranty. This first started appearing this year and has gotten worse over time. No unusual cleaning, harsh chemicals or other abrasive object were used. The nature of film is slick issue is inconsistent with this and does not appear on other parts of the user interface - just the more important ones. Porsche NA initially blamed the dealership, and then later denied my claim and now escalating.
The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V896000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera failed to display a clear image on the screen. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the rear vehicle detection sensor failed to alert the driver of a nearby vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase on 5/29/25, the mileage was 21,000. The contact had taken the vehicle to another dealer for other repairs, and the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was flagged for Odometer Fraud, and the actual mileage was 90,000. The dealer found an odometer tampering device still located on the vehicle, but deactivated the device. The contact called the State Attorney General's Office for New Jersey.
I am reporting a safety defect with my 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS. The leather dashboard is delaminating and lifting away from its underlying structure. This defect is concerning because: The delamination is occurring on the drivers side but will eventually expand in the area covering the passenger-side airbag. If the airbag deploys, the raised/lifted dashboard material may interfere with or obstruct proper deployment, posing a serious risk to passenger safety. Porsche Cars North America (PNA) has been notified, but they classify this issue as “cosmetic” and refuse to repair it voluntarily under warranty or goodwill. Furthermore, The issue was not disclosed by the dealer at purchase. I have consulted two Porsche dealerships, both of which confirmed Porsche considers this a cosmetic defect not covered by the Certified Pre Owned warranty. However, given the location and potential interaction with the airbag system, I strongly believe this constitutes a safety-related defect that requires investigation. Online forums show this is a common issue across many models made by Porsche during this time but specifically SUV's. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether the delaminating dashboards in Porsche Cayenne models create a safety hazard that requires a recall and mandatory repair.
Dashboard leather is separating and was told this could affect the airbag deployment in the case of an accident. Porsche dealership is asking 10k outside of warranty to replace the dash. If it was just cosmetic I could deal with it, but now that it is a safety concern for my passenger I feel forced to overspend. Even a reduced amount would help but a whole dash replacement sounds excessive to make sure the leather is not obstructing the airbag.
Much like thousands of Cayenne drivers, I am constantly let down by an ongoing issue with Adaptive Cruise Control failures with an error message that reads, “Adaptive Cruise Control unavailable.” THIS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH IF NOT REPAIRED AS VEHICULAR COLLISION RATES INCREASE DRAMATICALLY TO NO AVAIL. Porsche dealers are notoriously recalcitrant about taking adequate responsibility for these failures. The cost of repairing Porsche’s poor craftsmanship is either prohibitive or they are disinterested in repairing these problems within an acceptable timeframe. It is long past due for the Federal government to intervene and compel Porsche to recall and repair their Adaptive Cruise Control failures. I had my cameras recalibrated three (3) times in three (3) weeks and yet the problem persists without meaningful redress. HELP!
I was driving the auto and parked in my garage without any indication of a fault. I attempted to start the car about 30 minutes later and the car would not start and gave an error message that said "change driver" I tried both keys and neither would allow the car to be started. There was no starter noise indicating a weak battery. I had to have the car towed to the dealer after the tow company found a way to unlock the drive shaft with a key that is part of the car service tools. I could not move the car if I had stopped on a roadside. The dealer had never seen this issue before. The car was in the shop for a week to correct the fault from March 23 to March 31. The dealer claimed it was a software fault. There were no warning indicators or messages that something was wrong with any component or system.
Problem with the hybrid system and the engine control system. Unit changed automatically and unexpectedly from battery power mode to engine power mode when on battery power mode only. This change is not supposed to happen. This failure happened when starting the unit, put on drive and starting to move forward. This failure caused the unit to charge forward with more power unexpectedly. Causing almost to collide. At the time of the failure “engine control system” warning and “e power not available” warning lid up. The unit has been for service for 10 times with the same warnings powering up. At this time the unit has been on service for almost four month.
The car is notifying me that the drivers airbag is not working. the message that appears is: “Airbag system error, please visit workshop”
othe car's tach increase several hundred RPM as the computer tries to match revs when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd gear in Normal Mode and 2nd to 1st gear in Sport Mode.. When that happens, the car lurches forward. owhat seems to be happening is the engine is over-revving while disengaged from a gear on shifts from 3rd to 2nd and even more so on 2nd to 1st causing a lurch forward when the lower gear engages
The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the steering wheel felt loose. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tie rod bolt, track bolt, and hexagon head bolt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the steering wheel was making abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer - Porsche South Shore (185 W Sunrise Hwy, Freeport, NY 11520) who test drove the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the abnormal sounds. An unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and she could not control the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the second dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 750.
While coming to a stop the vehicle lurches around 1200 rpms as the rpms are falling. The vehicle appears to already be in 1st gear when this happens. This can be replicated in all driving modes. observation: when braking or even when coasting to a stop the vehicle will slow down rapidly, as if the brakes are being tapped hard (the brake pressure is constant and occurs even when not braking) for a brief second and then release causing a lurching motion. This lurching motion is enough to concern while driving as a possible loss of traction. it feels as if the car is engine braking. This issue puts the driver, passengers, and other vehicles at a safety risk. I have had passengers state that it gives them motion sickness. I have reported this to the dealer and they had the car twice. The second time was for a substantial amount of time. The dealer is on record stating that they can recreate it, observe it, but have not been able to fix it. they have reset the software on several systems including the transmission. there are no third party devices on the car, the car is stock, there are no warning lights.This has been the case since day one of having the car (brand new).
when decelerating and car is in gear 2 it lurches the car forward while braking, basically fighting the attempt to slow the car down. I attribute this to aggressive downshifting, but is a safety issue because the operator then needs to compensate by pressing down on the brake pedal harder to stop the car. This has happened inconsistently when driving, but occurs more frequently than not.
On my Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid model, the check engine light came on at less than 1000 miles. Porsche does not know why this happens but I've heard them claim that it's a software problem that has to do with how the car communicates with the charging system. Based on my research, there has been many other owners of the same vehicle with this problem. My vehicle has been in the shop for well over 30 days and Porsche still doesn't know what to do.
When the vehicle is decelerating and the transmission is in gear 2 the vehicle will lurch forward interfering/fighting with the normal operation of the brakes. This consistently happens when braking to a stop. The vehicle has 260 miles and I have driven it perhaps 4 - 5 times for a total of 30 miles. This is demo vehicle bought from a Porsche dealership and under full warranty.
Showing 20 of 109 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific Porsche Cayenne
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Porsche Cayenne has 109 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Porsche Cayenne has 28 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 3 of the Porsche Cayenne's 109 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision — always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Porsche Cayenne vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Porsche Cayenne vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Porsche Cayenne has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.