116 of the
702 complaints filed about the Porsche Cayenne
are about the transmission —
17% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2014.
116
Complaints
17%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
The hybrid cooling system on my 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid repeatedly displayed a red dashboard warning while the vehicle was in motion: "Hybrid coolant level too low / Park vehicle safely / Let vehicle cool down." This warning appeared on multiple occasions at speeds of approximately 22 mph, 38–40 mph, and 47 mph, as documented in timestamped photos and videos taken in November 2025. A separate warning in July 2025 read: "Engine cannot be started / Remove charger plug." The warnings indicate a potential thermal management or hybrid cooling system failure. A moving vehicle being instructed to park and cool down presents a safety risk to the driver and others, particularly if the condition causes sudden power loss or thermal event. The vehicle was serviced at an authorized Porsche dealer in 2025. Despite that service activity, the hybrid coolant warning recurred while driving in November 2025, suggesting the underlying condition was not fully resolved. The issue was reported to the manufacturer (PCNA), who acknowledged it under a case number and offered a service voucher. The selling dealer attributed the concerns to a manufacturer charging-cable campaign. Neither response addressed the recurring in-motion warning or confirmed the hybrid cooling system was repaired. Timestamped photo and video evidence is available showing the dashboard warnings and vehicle speed at time of occurrence. Complete repair orders have been requested but not yet provided. The component may be available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11745533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. Driving Conditions & Baseline State I was operating my new 2026 Porsche Cayenne (current mileage approx. 717 miles) at highway speeds inside a tunnel near LAX. The vehicle was functioning normally under normal driving conditions until the incident occurred suddenly and without any prior warning signs. 2. Onset of Failure & Dashboard Alerts - While maintaining speed, the vehicle suffered an immediate, simultaneous electronic and mechanical malfunction. The dashboard abruptly displayed an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) error/failure warning, along with auto start/stop failure. Immediately following this alert, the vehicle experienced a severe, sudden loss of mechanical power and propulsion. 3. Vehicle Behavior & Safety Hazard Pressing the accelerator pedal failed to yield normal engine response or acceleration. The drop in power felt as though the vehicle entered an unprompted "limp mode" or suffered a critical powertrain/software communication failure, severely limiting my ability to maintain highway speeds. Because this occurred inside a highway tunnel, the sudden deceleration presented an immediate and extreme safety hazard, nearly causing a rear-end collision with the traffic behind me. I was forced to navigate the underpowered vehicle out of the active lanes of traffic under highly dangerous conditions. After pulling over to a safe area and cycling the ignition (turning the vehicle off and back on), the mechanical power partially/fully returned, suggesting a transient or software-driven electronic control unit (ECU) fault. The historical error codes should be stored in the vehicle's modules. 4. Post-Incident State The vehicle was presented to McKenna Porsche (Norwalk, CA) the following day for diagnosis of the power loss and ACC failure. Safety Implications & Requested Action This component failure constitutes a critical safety defect. A total or partial loss of propulsion at highway speeds poses an unreasonable risk of severe injury or crash.
NHTSA complaint #11742202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At approximately 52,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic transmission / driveline failure while in use. The failure created serious concern about safe operation and reliability and left the vehicle disabled or unsafe to continue driving normally. An authorized Porsche dealer evaluated the vehicle and stated that the repair would require replacement of the entire transmission assembly at very high cost. No practical parts-level repair option has been provided. I am reporting this because a sudden major powertrain failure at this mileage may indicate a safety-related defect.
NHTSA complaint #11731119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving through a parking lot, less than five miles an hour, and suddenly heard a horrible knocking sound. Stopped and looked under the car. Nothing. Drove it very slowly to mechanic less than a mile away. Front drive shaft had collapsed and fallen down, according to the mechanic.
NHTSA complaint #11706265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2019 Porsche Cayenne S on the freeway, the check-engine light came on, followed by a message on the dashboard that read “Engine Control fault – Driving permitted – Visit workshop.” Moments later, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated from about ~75 mph to around 55 mph, even though my foot was still on the accelerator. I am [XXX] pregnant and had our [XXX] child in the car at the time. The unexpected loss of speed in fast-moving traffic was frightening. I had to quickly change lanes to reach the slower lane and avoid being hit by other vehicles. After reaching safety, I drove the car to an authorized Porsche dealership, where technicians found an active water-pump leak with coolant entering the vacuum system, which may have caused turbocharger and engine-power failure. This is after I replaced the water pump last year at another porsche dealership. A photo taken during the incident shows the dashboard warning message as it appeared. This incident created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle displayed “driving permitted” even though it was at risk of a sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds. The car and the failed components are available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11698394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Porsche Cayenne. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V446000 (Power Train) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer previously completed the recall remedy. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was sent confirmation of the VIN being clear of recalls. In addition, the contact stated that the VINTool shows 1 recall associated with the VIN however, per the NHTSA VIN Tool shows no recalls associated with the VIN.
NHTSA complaint #11693403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Everytime when vehicle coming to a stop car lurches forward few feets. It just happens when car downshifts from second to first gear transmission pushes you forward few feets, You just need to be very carefull because it can push you into another vehicle or pedastrian. Porsche is aware of it and have a software update in Europe only but not in USA
NHTSA complaint #11626672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car is very jerky, I bought in for engine or transmission mount because the idle shakes the whole car. They said its normal. Which I don't think it's normal.
NHTSA complaint #11621314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Drive train consists of an engine, transmission, transfercase, driveshafts and differentials. The Transfercase has failed prior to the normal life cycle. Porsche recognizes this problem on this series of SUV and extends the warranty for 10 years and unlimited mileage. Porsche announced this extension in June 2024. However this does not cover the early models in this series 2011-2013 with the same drivetrain and transfercase. So in effect this failure of the transfer case is not covered on 2014 - 2011 Porsche Cayenne's models with the same transfercase because Porsche delayed the notification to customers. Even though the SUV may have low mileage, they will not warranty or cover my failure.
NHTSA complaint #11615239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When car downshifts from 2nd gear to 1st gear, it lunges / jerks forward, even as brakes are applied. Porsche mechanic and Porsche Cars North America both indicate nothing is wrong with the transmission. THIS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE. EVERYDAY FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. EVERY STOP.
NHTSA complaint #11609566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The transmission has quite a bit of slop or play when placing it in park. I do not believe it could be parked safely in a residential driveway. Tranny knocks a little in low gears.
NHTSA complaint #11601645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving vehicle, noticed some slippage/clunking when turning. Took vehicle to Porsche dealer, they said transfer case needed to be replaced. Car has 12,600 original miles on it. Dealer said there was an extended warranty on the transfer case that had expired. In researching, it became obvious that there is a Porsche design problem that affected several model years for the Cayenne. As a mechanical engineer I am concerned that a transfer case failure at freeway speeds could be dangerous. Separately an auto mechanic shop opined that driving without replacing could be a safety concern. In my opinion there should have been a recall rather than a extended warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11556846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Strong odor of gasoline traveling through the vents injected into vehicle. Fuel filter has a crack. Underhood electrical problems that may cause a fire
NHTSA complaint #11540647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At slow speed, under acceleration, the transfer case slips, and makes a thumping noise. Over time, the car has poor acceleration when trying to get up to speed with other cars. The dealer has confirmed that this is a problem with Porsche Cayennes. Thank you.
NHTSA complaint #11525322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2011 model Porsche Cayenne S. From the service records, I can tell the car has had two transfer cases already replaced and is in need of another. The first transfer case was replaced in mid-2016 by the dealer at about 46,000 miles. The second transfer case was replaced just over 12,000 miles later, at 58,500 miles, in late 2019. Both replacements were done by the previous owner. This should have been the newest and most updated transfer case with the new control modules and GNC-coated plates, but this does not appear to have solved the problems Porsche is having with the transfer cases. It is now mid-2023, and an independent shop says I need another transfer case in my car at 76,000 miles. It is hard to believe that Porsche considered the upgraded parts (2018+) to be a permanent solution, especially when it only lasted about 17,000 miles. I will hopefully be able to have my local dealership dissect the transfer case I am replacing so that I can learn more about what actually failed on this updated unit. Transfer cases are a major part of the vehicle and should be expected to last just as long as other major components (ex. engine, transmission). It is very unsafe when any major part of the drive train fails. PS. One of the main reasons for purchasing this specific cayenne was because I believed the transfer case it had installed in 2019 would have solved all of these issues and I would not need to replace it again.
NHTSA complaint #11521164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled in the middle of a road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated; however, the contact had been hearing an abnormal rattle and knocking sound from under the floorboard. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the bolts from the transfer case had loosened, and the case had separated from the drive shaft. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
NHTSA complaint #11518090 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2011 Cayenne Turbo: Vehicle has had recent transfer case servicing. Experiencing a grinding sensation on roundabouts, and turns that almost feels as if the brake is applied. If issue continues to worsen, it could easily cause an accident as a sudden speed reduction on a roundabout, or turn may prompt unaware/inattentive drivers to rear-end me, or worse. Dealership is citing transfer case failure, however, my vehicle is one year removed from the end of the extended warranty campaign and is no longer eligible for a replacement unit.
NHTSA complaint #11501597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When downshifting and just before Coming to a complete stop and vehicle lurches/surges forward even though my foot is on the brake pedal. This happens in every drive mode with or without Autostart/stop engaged. It is Significantly challenging in stop and go traffic because it’s difficult to gage when the car will come to a complete stop. I have to make accommodation for the car lunging forward which is unpredictable because sometimes it’s a subtle surge forward and other times I have no control or idea how far forward the car is going to move. This makes this is especially dangerous when cars are quickly changing lanes in front of me in stop and go traffic during rush hour. Emergency braking DOES not help this! I have experience this. The collision warning Went off in the car and emergency braking was engaged just at the Knick of time! Adverse weather conditions could have easily made that a very bad accident. I should be able to Do normal every day driving And stopping, for example stopping to a red light, or stop and go traffic without having to activate emergency functions in my car and putting myself at unnecessary risk because of a “glitch” with Porsche. This normal every day driving. I returned my car to the dealership who told me it’s normal performance for this car along with. I along with many other owners have researched this and found out that software upgrades have been done to correct this problem which are not available yet in the United States. This issue needs to be resolved immediately to prevent potential accidents.
NHTSA complaint #11500459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When accelerating from a stop the car skips/shutters. This generally occurs gears 2-3. This problem has placed me in danger when trying to accelerate while making left hand turns.
NHTSA complaint #11496686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started wobbling with a loud sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the driveshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred several times. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was already repaired under warranty. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11496258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.