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.
2018 Porsche Cayenne owner complaints
13 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle . Listed by category, newest first within each section.
other 3 complaints shown
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
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.
electrical 3 complaints shown
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
While the vehicle was charging, the protective sheath near the power outlet of the charging cable had possible electrical or fire damage. No warning lights were illuminated. Upon turning off the power and unplugging the outlet, it was determined that the plastic near the plug melted and caused the power to short. I have been unsuccessful getting the manufacturer to resolve the issue. A recall under APB6 was issued but did not include model year 2018 which uses the same cable that is impacted with the recall.
The high-voltage battery pack in my 2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] , approximately 81,000 miles) has experienced a noticeable and progressive reduction in battery range and performance. On February 20, 2026, Porsche White Plains (an authorized Porsche dealer) performed an inspection but was unable to duplicate an active fault code and declined to generate a battery State of Health (SoH%) report. No warranty repair was authorized. Porsche Cars North America (PCNA), Case #XXX, has since moved to close my statutory warranty claim, citing the absence of a duplicated fault. However, under New York State's adopted CARB emission warranty standards (6 NYCRR § 218-9.1), high-voltage propulsion batteries in TZEV/PZEV vehicles are warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles from the date
airbags 2 complaints shown
This is not accident related, but what appears to be a systemic issue related to Cayenne and Macan leather dashboards. The issue is related to delamination of the leather dash cover that can impede the safe deployment of the passenger airbag. Many cars are affected and the repair can be a significant expense to owners (~$10K) for vehicles less than 8 years old. There should be a recall to address a largely unaware owner base for a potential safety issue.
The Porsche Cayenne that equipped with leather dashboard are peeling off over the time. If the vehicle in an accident, the airbag on the passenger side dashboard may not deploy correctly. I am finding many cayenne owners are having this issue. I really hope NTSB can issue a recall.
powertrain 1 complaint shown
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.
visibility 1 complaint shown
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.
tires 1 complaint shown
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Cayenne equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Latitude Sport, Tire Size: 295/35/R21, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and the front passenger’s side tire started deflating. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road and was later towed to the local dealer who determined that the front passenger’s side tire sidewall had blown out. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the vehicle had not driven over any object to cause the failure. The tire manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
lighting 1 complaint shown
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?
engine 1 complaint shown
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 k