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The 2018 Porsche Cayenne is one of the more expensive luxury SUVs on the market. The automaker claims that the newest lineup creates “more butterflies in more stomachs,” but that queasy feeling is probably just related to the money spent on this lemon. This high-end model features a defective engine and a malfunctioning electrical system.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2021 2022
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Electrical System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Visibility/wiper |
Problems with the Engine
When it comes to having an engine under the hood of a luxury SUV, there can be no shortcuts taken, but that’s precisely what Porsche did.
Just read this NHTSA review. “Intermittent lack of acceleration when taking left turns from a dead stop. Car was a dealer loaner with 9,000 miles on speedometer. I purchased the car in August, 2018. Within the first 1000 miles and in less than four weeks, I experienced a serious lack of acceleration on two occasions when making a left turn. I reported this to the dealer and was advised that it was probably driver error caused by operating the brake and accelerator using both feet. I do not drive an automatic car using two feet. Also, I was told by the dealer they checked with Porsche and there are records of this type of event. I checked on the internet and there are numerous identical complaints dating back several years.”
To further prove that this Porsche engine isn’t worth the cost, look at Service Bulletin #122-W5C2W-08. This communication states that the engine might start knocking, requiring the carbon deposits to be cleaned out. These concerns are not something that should be occurring on a newer SUV at this price point. Furthermore, it’s not the type of Porsche engine that can create butterflies. It’s certainly a far cry from the engines used in the company’s high-performance models. The only butterflies being experienced by owners are those occurring after regretting the purchase.
Problems with the Electrical System
When looking at the cabin of the Porsche Cayenne, it’s expected that all of the innovative technologies are going to work as designed, but that’s not the case either.
Read this Edmunds review. “Another disappointment was when using Apple CarPlay, the controls on the steering wheel for skipping to the next song (if you configure the spare button for that) do not work. Neither does making phone calls – you have to use Apple CarPlay via the touch screen unless you unplug the iPhone and it falls back to Bluetooth.”
While all of these problems are inconvenient and make the drive uncomfortable, there’s a larger issue at hand. Service Bulletin #122-C3T2Z-08 discusses how a Cayenne can display multiple fault codes if it isn’t driven regularly or for long enough. To clear these fault codes, a trained technician will need to get involved. So, for owners that simply want to keep this Cayenne as a second vehicle, or leave it at a vacation home, they will have to make a trip to the dealership after letting the vehicle sit. At this point, owners will likely have experienced too many “butterflies” and will choose a different luxury brand to do business with instead.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Porsche pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Mar 17, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Our 2018 porsche cayenne has a problem with the headlights and water intrusion that is affecting the functioning of the headlights. I took it to someone to look at and they said this should not be happening, that it is a manufacturer defect. I googled my car / year and there is a recall for headlight issues but for some reason my vin is not included. It should be. How do I go about having porsche north america fix this issue for me? |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 15, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The day we took our porsche home, we noticed a lot of heat generation in the car- but we thought it will be fine going further, given the attention to detail of porsche's automobile engineering. The following days were not any better for my daughter- she missed a major accident because of the unexpected burnt smell and loud warnings of an overheat of the engine by porsche in the middle of a highway. Due to her excellent driving record for the past 5 years, she was able to manage and stop in the middle of the highway at the curb of the road. She panicked so much so that, she stopped using the porsche and borrowed our other cars, benz and lexus. I requested her to give porsche another chance yesterday night. The same situation repeated again within a span of 10 minutes of her journey in porsche; she had to stop in the middle of the road again due to engine overheat and burning smell and I went to pick her up as she got really scared. My son immediately informed the hennessey porsche north atlanta, georgia, the usa about this repeated situation but seems like they do not care at all. I think you must be aware that dealerships play the most crucial role between your loyal customers and porsche. We have not dared to take the porsche out again after yesterday. The car smelled so burnt, the whole garage smelled bad and we had to move the car into the open driveway. The consumer stated the dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer offered 00. 00 in compensation. The consumer requested to be refunded totally for the vehicle. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Date | May 09, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | 2018 porsche cayenne: at highway speeds, randomly a serious unsafe to operate 'service necessary' warning appears on the instrument panel and the cruise control malfunctions. With the service necessary warning indicated, the vehicle is unsafe to operate. This unsafe vehicle is not drivable with cruise control for approximately the next hour. This breakdown is known to porsche (via their communications with me) and they are unable to rectify the error. In a 2020 porsche cayenne this failure has been rectified. Attached, invoices from five visits to porsche dealerships, all during the warranty period. Attached also photographs taken on various days, times and speeds, and traffic conditions of the service necessary warning on instrument panel and cruise control malfunctions. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Nov 27, 2019 |
| State | FL |
| Description | When trying to accelerate into traffic vehicle will experience what feels like a dead spot in the accelerator and then lurch forward at a high speed this condition has been reported on numerous complaint site concerning various porsche vehicles and specificall concerning porsche cayenne dealer says car is fine. Unsafe to drive since you never know when it will accelerate. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 13, 2019 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | The car lost power and stalled on the highway without warning, the road was the garden stat parkway in new jersey , happened in mid night |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jan 03, 2019 |
| State | MA |
| Description | Intermittent lack of acceleration when taking left turns from a dead stop. Car was a dealer loaner with 9000 miles on speedometer. I purchased the car in august, 2018. Within the first 1000 miles and in less than four weeks I experienced a serious lack of acceleration on two occasions when making a left turn, I reported this to the dealer and was advised that it was probably driver error caused by operating the brake and accelerator using both feet. I do not drive an automatic car using two feet. Also, I was told by the dealer they checked with porsche and there are records of this type of event. I checked on the internet and there are numerous identical complaints dating back several years. This lack of acceleration has occurred four more times. The dealer has been responsive and kept my vehicle on two occasions to try and duplicate the event to no avail. On one of these occasions the dealer replaced the transfer case but this did not solve the problem. Finally, the dealer called in the porsche zone manage who I am told was well aware of this condition and referred to it as a safety feature to prevent unintended acceleration. He claimed that this is perfectly normal operation. I call it a safety hazard. In four months I have driven the car 3200 miles. This so-called safety feature has engaged on only six occasions, always on left hand turns from a complete stop. When this happens I never know when the acceleration will cut out or how long I will not be able to accelerate. Up to now, the feature has never engaged in right hand turns, in forward or reverse. I have checked the owners manual carefully and there is no mention of "unintended acceleration" nor is there any mention of a safety feature programmed in the car. I have requested the dealer to by pass or eliminate this feature but thet say porsche won't allow it. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 11, 2018 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Passenger windshield wiper came off suddenly in use while on highway speed. Car has never been in a car wash as dealer thinks and has only six months in service. The force bent slightly the arm itself as it ripped off. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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