Owners have filed 31 complaints
about the 2015 Porsche Macan with NHTSA between 2014 and 2026.
The largest single group is the airbags.
Across this model's run it ranks 8 of 9 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 49
Against the median year of the Porsche Macan. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 31
18% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2015 Porsche Macan
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Airbags
722.6%
Transmission & Drivetrain
516.1%
Median failure at 77,513 miles
Engine & Cooling
516.1%
Median failure at 32,000 miles
Body & Structure
39.7%
Median failure at 31,510 miles
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
26.5%
Median failure at 63,000 miles
Brakes
26.5%
Median failure at 55,000 miles
Steering
26.5%
Other & Unspecified
13.2%
Fuel & Propulsion
13.2%
Lights
13.2%
Median failure at 44,000 miles
Suspension
13.2%
Electrical System
13.2%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
19.1%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
327.3%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
545.5%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
218.2%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Oct 2014peak 4May 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2015 Porsche Macan
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C...
Recalls on the 2015 Porsche Macan
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202248758,856 units in Canada
Lights And Instruments
Issue: On certain vehicles, covers were not installed over the horizontal headlamp adjusters. As a result, the headlamps may be adjusted horizontally. Canadian regulations do not allow for horizontal headlamp adjustment unless the vehicle is equipped with a built-in aiming device. Safety Risk: Headlamps that are not properly adjusted could cause reduced visibility or glare for oncoming drivers, and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Porsche will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to install caps over the headlamp adjustment screws.
Recall 20211136,082 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat occupant sensor mat could stop working over time. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: The airbag warning light or passenger airbag OFF light will turn on if the sensor mat stops working. Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Porsche will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the front passenger seat cushion and occupant sensor mat.
Recall 202005411,349 units in Canada
Fuel System
Issue: Over time, small cracks could develop in the fuel pump outlet. If this happens, there could be a fuel odour or fuel leak under the rear seat area. Safety Risk: A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Porsche will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the fuel pump service cover. The fuel filter flanges will be inspected, and replaced if any cracks are found.
Recall 201919233,832 units in Canada
Label
Issue: Certain wheels were made without a marking that is required by Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: This small error does not affect safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has made changes to include the required marking on all new parts.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Alta Loma, CA
AIR BAGS
Same passenger airbag issue as what everyone else is reporting! A recall is needed again for this!
NHTSA complaint #11739185 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Huron, OH
AIR BAGS
My airbag light has remained on, uninterrupted, for over about one month now. I had the fault code read by an independent shop and they informed me that the fault was the occupant sensor for the passenger seat (BodySense front passenger seat occupancy sensor mat). They also informed me that this was the subject of a recall. Recall 17V-133/AMA2. I contacted a Porsche dealer as to the problem, made an appointment and took the car to the dealer. The dealer informed me that the recall on this part had already been completed. I expressed my concern that the recalled part obviously failed again, but the dealer indicated that corporate would not allow them to replace it again under the prior recall. I then filed a claim with Porsche NA. After weeks of back and forth with Porsche NA, they denied my claim, despite the fact that a previously recalled part had failed again. Performing some investigation since, I have learned that I am not alone and that the previously recalled Generation 1 seat occupancy sensor mat was replaced with a generation 2 mat, but that those were also failing. In fact, in January 2021 Porsche investigated this matter and did conduct another recall in February of 2021. However, for whatever reason my car was not part of that recall, though it suffers the same issue as to the failure of the Generation 2 mat. Any assistance you are able to provide is appreciated. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11704555 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Littleton, MA
SUSPENSION
The rear subframe of my 2015 Porsche Macan has suffered severe corrosion to the extent that it was no longer safe to operate the vehicle. This corrosion led to an unexpected failure of the subframe, causing the rear end of the vehicle to essentially collapse. As a result, significant damage occurred to both the control arms and the rear differential. A local independent repair shop specializing in German-made vehicles (Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, VW) assessed the subframe and confirmed that it was in extremely poor condition, having prematurely rotted and failed. Porsche offers a 12-year limited warranty against corrosion for body panels, but this warranty does not extend to the subframe. The cost of repairs to address the damage, performed by the independent shop, amounted to $3,600. It is worth noting that this issue is widely recognized among owners of 2015-2018 Porsche Macan and Audi Q5 models, as both vehicles share the same subframe. The problem appears to stem from a design flaw related to the inferior materials used in the construction of the subframe. Porsche is aware of this recurring issue, yet has not taken any corrective action to resolve it.
NHTSA complaint #11693107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Littleton, MA
STRUCTURE:BODY
The rear subframe of my 2015 Porsche Macan has suffered severe corrosion to the extent that it was no longer safe to operate the vehicle. This corrosion led to an unexpected failure of the subframe, causing the rear end of the vehicle to essentially collapse. As a result, significant damage occurred to both the control arms and the rear differential. A local independent repair shop specializing in German-made vehicles (Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, VW) assessed the subframe and confirmed that it was in extremely poor condition, having prematurely rotted and failed. Porsche offers a 12-year limited warranty against corrosion for body panels, but this warranty does not extend to the subframe. The cost of repairs to address the damage, performed by the independent shop, amounted to $3,600. It is worth noting that this issue is widely recognized among owners of 2015-2018 Porsche Macan and Audi Q5 models, as both vehicles share the same subframe. The problem appears to stem from a design flaw related to the inferior materials used in the construction of the subframe. Porsche is aware of this recurring issue, yet has not taken any corrective action to resolve it.
NHTSA complaint #11693107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Rafael, CA
AIR BAGS
Dashboard has an issue where staples have come out, I am told this may impact the air bags in an accident. Dealer recommended selling the car. This is recurring issue that is very common.
NHTSA complaint #11672654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Rafael, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dashboard has an issue where staples have come out, I am told this may impact the air bags in an accident. Dealer recommended selling the car. This is recurring issue that is very common.
NHTSA complaint #11672654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Higganum, CT
ENGINE
Coolant pipe burst or started a sudden leak and lost all the coolant while driving. I had to have the vehicle towed and repaired which costed me $2750. Porsche is aware of the problem but does not have a solution, until someone is killed when the vehicle stalls while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11630066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bayville, NJ
AIR BAGS
Steering wheel feels loose. able to wiggle the wheel top to bottom and side to side at leas 1/4-1/2 inch of play. According to research on the internet dues to a possible broken plastic bushing in the steering column [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11605486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bayville, NJ
STEERING
Steering wheel feels loose. able to wiggle the wheel top to bottom and side to side at leas 1/4-1/2 inch of play. According to research on the internet dues to a possible broken plastic bushing in the steering column [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11605486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Greensboro, NC
SERVICE BRAKES
BREAKS FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING ALMOST GOT INTO NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT DUE TO FRONT BREAK HOSE LEAK/SNAP (without any warning) MECHANIC HAD ANOTHER PORSHE MACAN TOWED IN WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.
NHTSA complaint #11577902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Jose, CA
POWER TRAIN
Transfer Case is jerky and hesitant when starting from a stop. Causes the driver to pause when they should be accelerating.
NHTSA complaint #11575653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owings Mills, MD
ENGINE
Coolant venting hose leaking. Apparently, a known problem with Porsche design but nothing has been done about it. It cost me $3,500 to get it fixed after the car stopped in the middle of highway and had to get towed to the Porsche Dealership. Someone has to do something about it!
NHTSA complaint #11574518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ooltewah, TN
AIR BAGS
Passenger occupancy sensor is not working so airbag will NOT deploy in an accident for the passenger
NHTSA complaint #11572085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ooltewah, TN
AIR BAGS
My passenger occupant detector is faulty and unable to recognize if someone is sitting in that seat, therefore the airbags will not deploy in case of an accident. There has been already a recall on this item for my car, but obviously my car was is affected and my VIN isn’t included. So I think it’s needs to be reassessed
NHTSA complaint #11539063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Shrewsbury, MA
STEERING
The steering wheel column anchor pin was found shifting and had play. This caused the steering column to be loose in the vertical axis. This is considered a steering column failure and which could become impaired or unavailable during driving, posing a high risk to driver and others. I brought my car to the dealer for inspection, who confirmed the issue. They adjusted the pin to fix the issue, which is considered a temporary fix for this issue, as the full repair would require full steering column replacement. There were no warnings present, other than the vertical movement of the steering column.
NHTSA complaint #11492972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chattanooga, TN
ENGINE
I own a 2015 Porsche Macan turbo which I purchased new from the Chattanooga Tennessee Porsche dealer. On Tuesday, October 18 2022 while driving at normal highway speeds the engine coolant pipe failed and dumped all of my coolant onto the engine and roadway. Red warning lights came on and I pulled over and stoped the car it had to be towed to the Porsche dealership where I was subsequently charged almost $2000 for the replacement of the failed engine coolant hose and connected parts. Nine days previous to this total engine failure, I had my car at the dealership for my annual eight year service which was completed in full along with a multi point inspection which failed to identify this dangerous defect.
NHTSA complaint #11491375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 63,000 milesNaples, FL
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE SUNROOF DRAIN HOSES RIGHT SIDE FRONT AND REAR CRACKED (OR WERE INSTALLED CRACKED FROM MANUFACTURER), SO THE RAIN WATER CAN GET INSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE. WATER GET DOWN IINTO AND COLLECTED IN THE REAR RIGHT ELECTRIC COMPARETMENT, AND DAMAGED THE PARK ASSIST MODULE. AS A RESULT NO PARK ASSIST, AND SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AS A SWAMP.
NHTSA complaint #11413373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 63,000 milesNaples, FL
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
THE SUNROOF DRAIN HOSES RIGHT SIDE FRONT AND REAR CRACKED (OR WERE INSTALLED CRACKED FROM MANUFACTURER), SO THE RAIN WATER CAN GET INSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE. WATER GET DOWN IINTO AND COLLECTED IN THE REAR RIGHT ELECTRIC COMPARETMENT, AND DAMAGED THE PARK ASSIST MODULE. AS A RESULT NO PARK ASSIST, AND SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AS A SWAMP.
NHTSA complaint #11413373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 63,000 milesNaples, FL
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
THE SUNROOF DRAIN HOSES RIGHT SIDE FRONT AND REAR CRACKED (OR WERE INSTALLED CRACKED FROM MANUFACTURER), SO THE RAIN WATER CAN GET INSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE. WATER GET DOWN IINTO AND COLLECTED IN THE REAR RIGHT ELECTRIC COMPARETMENT, AND DAMAGED THE PARK ASSIST MODULE. AS A RESULT NO PARK ASSIST, AND SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AS A SWAMP.
NHTSA complaint #11413373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ruxton, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE WILL NOT UNLOCK USING ELECTRONIC KEY. THIS HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME AND LASTS FOR MONTHS. THE BATTERY IN THE KEY IS CHANGED, BUT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. THE PORSCHE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. ALTHOUGH A METAL KEY IS AVAILABLE TO UNLOCK THIS CAR, IT IS VERY CUMBERSOME AND WORTHLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. MY ESTIMATION IS ONE OF THE COMPUTERS IN THE CAR IS DEFECTIVE AND THEREFORE WON'T RECOGNIZE THE KEY (BOTH KEYS) AND COULD LEAVE THE DRIVER STRANDED. ADDITIONALLY, THE SENSORS IN THIS CAR FAIL FROM TIME TO TIME. IF A WHEEL SENSOR FAILS IT WILL SHUT DOWN THE CAR, EVEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS DID HAPPEN ONCE WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT FORTUNATELY ON A NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC; OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I MENTION THIS; WHEREAS, BOTH ELECTRONIC ISSUE COULD BE CONNECTED. NOTE: THE CALENDAR ON YOUR FORM BELOW ASKS WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW (2015) AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM TO THIS DAY. I WILL USE TODAYS DAY AS A REFERENCE. THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIX AND PORSCHE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
NHTSA complaint #11399736 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 89,026 milesOshawa, AA
POWER TRAIN
SHUDDER FROM A STOP WHEN ACCELERATING. TRANSFER CASE FAILURE. ONTARIO CANADA, NO COVERAGE IN CANADA BUT COVERAGE IN THE USA? THIS SHOULD BE WORLDWIDE.
NHTSA complaint #11377003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 32,000 milesChicago, IL
ENGINE
THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT AS NEW AND CURRENTLY HAS 32,000 MILES AS OF 09.08.2020 WITH NO HISTORY OF ACCIDENT. SURPRISINGLY, I FOUND OIL LEAKS FROM TIMING CHAIN COVER AND OILS ARE LEAKING DOWN DUE TO USING DEFECTIVE ALUMINUM BOLT, WHICH GETS BROWN OFF AND CAUSES THE LEAK. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND MANY MACAN OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE, WHICH REQUIRES ENGINE REMOVAL TO REPLACE THE COVER AND BOLTS. SUCH JOB COSTS OVER $12,000 AND DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE FOR $70,000 VEHICLE WITH 32000 MILES TO GO THROUGH SUCH ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND CREATE A RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #11353767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 98,000 milesRobbinsville, NC
POWER TRAIN
TRANSFER CASE STARTED LURCHING AND CAUSING ERRATIC MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE AT LOW SPEEDS.
NHTSA complaint #11277441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 66,000 milesMinneapolis, MN
POWER TRAIN
THERE WAS A VIBRATION ON THE CAR EVERY TIME I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP, SEEMS TO ALWAYS HAPPEN BETWEEN 27MPH TO AROUND 30MPH. IT WAS VIBRATING MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON THE ACCELERATION TYPE, FAST ACCELERATION WILL SHAKE A LITTLE MORE. THE VIBRATION WAS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED FULLY WHILE SLOWLY PULLING OUT OF OR BACKING INTO A PARKING SPOT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION. AFTER A QUICK FIFTEEN MINUTES THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A TRANSFER CASE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FOR PORSCHE MACAN 2015. I WAS SURPRISED THAT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED.
NHTSA complaint #11270642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Moore, OK
ENGINE
I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON PUBLIC ONLINE FORUMS TO ATTEMP TO TRACE THE ROOT OF AN AGGRESSIVE OIL LEAK THAT COMES FROM A DEFECTIVE DESIGN IN THE BOLTS HOLDING THERE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING. IT APPEARS THE BOLTS WERE OVER TIGHTENED BY THE ROBOTS FROM THE FACTORY CAUSING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM ALMOST EVERY MACAN OWNER IN FORUMS LIKE MACANFORUMS.COM AT A VERY EARLY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLES. OWNERS EXPERIENCE AGGRESSIVE OIL LEAKS IN VEHICLES WITH AS LITTLE AS 10K MILES AND UP. MY CURRENT VEHICLE YA 56K MILES AND PORSCHE WANTS TO CHARGE $10,000 TO FIX IT WHEN IT IS A COMMON KNOWN ISSUES THAT SHOULD HAD BEEN ADDRESSED BY NOW SPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAD TO FIX SO MANY MACANS BY NOW WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. MINE JUST HAPPENED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY AND I'M LEFT WITH A 40K CAR WITH OIL LEAKS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE LETHAL ENGINE FAILURES IF NOT FIXED. IF YOU GO TO MACANFORUMS.COM AND JUST DO AN OIL LEAK SEARCH YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS OF MACAN OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES
NHTSA complaint #11268319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.