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ProblemsByVin Index / 2018-PORSCHE-PANAMERA / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2018 Porsche Panamera owner complaints

12 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 1 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Listed by category, newest first within each section.

powertrain 4 complaints shown

4 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/08/2025 ODI #11703784.0

The main water pump on my 2018 Porsche Panamera 4S failed prematurely. This is not a simple external coolant leak; the internal seal failed, allowing pressurized engine coolant to migrate into the vehicle's vacuum system. The coolant traveled through the vacuum lines and contaminated the vacuum solenoids and change-over valves. This failure mode presents a significant safety hazard because the vacuum system controls critical engine components, including turbocharger wastegates and exhaust flaps. Contamination of these components can lead to sudden loss of power, "limp mode" activation while driving at highway speeds, or unexpected engine behavior, increasing the risk of a crash. Cross-Reference to Known Defects: This vehicle utilizes the EA839 V6 engine platform, which is shared with Vol

10/07/2021 ODI #11435883.0

The auto in question was, and is, under the new car warranty - While driving forward, one of the automobile's display screens displayed an error message stating "Transmission error - Reverse gear not available"; this in itself is not a major issue as the car was in a forward gear. The major safety issue is that the car would not shift gears once this error message cam up. The error has occurred multiple times and, thankfully, did not happen at a critical time - i.e. merging onto a highway. The first time this happened was on August 6, 2020. Porsche was notified of the issue and I was told there was no fix at the time. It happened multiple other times and every time the dealer told me that there wasn't a fix. Porsche did apply a "temporary" fix in the November/December, 2020 timeframe

07/19/2024 ODI #11603332.0

Transmission fault causes car to be stuck in gear and will not shift. This issue appears to be happening quite frequently with these ecars, regardless of mileage. It's dangerous, especially if it occurs on the highway .

01/16/2025 ODI #11636331.0

On my 4th visit to the Porsche dealership and the problem is still not resolved. There are MANY references to the same problem online. The problem: error message on the dash stating REVERSE NOT AVAILABLE and car goes into 3RD gear only and stays there. Only final solution is new transmission which Porsche resists doing It has happened 6 times now. attaching a photo and I have many more of these from 2024

engine 3 complaints shown

3 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $3,100 · see engine cluster analysis →
11/12/2025 70,000 mi ODI #11698937.0

The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating - Park Vehicle" in red letters was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, but was not diagnosed; however, the contact was advised by the dealer that the failure could be related to the coolant pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

07/27/2025 ODI #11676431.0

This vehicle has an engine which has rocker arms that are known to fail. The manufacturer has not issued a recall to fix this issue which can result in a catastrophic engine failure. They have acknowledged the rocker arms in pre 2018 models to be defective and insufficiently reinforced to handle the strain of the valve train.

01/09/2018 3,186 mi ODI #11061469.0

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 Porsche panamera. While making a left turn at 10 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle stalled. After three attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure recurred multiple times. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer (Porsche west broward, 4641 sw 148th ave, davie, fl 33331, (954) 719-0199). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 3,186.

electrical 2 complaints shown

05/08/2023 ODI #11520904.0

The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V033000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 issue and advised the contact to park the vehicle outside the garage until parts became available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

03/02/2022 ODI #11454836.0

Technology change from 3g to 5g. This discontinues the safety notifications including crash /location alerts. Porsche offered a free replacement, and after dealers had difficulty in installing, Porsche offers a minimum compensation, instead of fixing problem. this will affect all Porsche from 2018 and prior that were set up for 3g network connection . Thank you

airbags 1 complaint shown

06/25/2024 ODI #11596435.0

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and pealing out. Vehicle will not deploy the airbags if in accident. It needs to be replaced. It is a common issue. It is a safety hazard.

brakes 1 complaint shown

04/28/2025 83,000 mi Crash ODI #11657200.0

The contact owned a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that when he was parking the vehicle, as he had shifted from reverse (R) to drive (D) to straighten the vehicle in the parking spot, the vehicle had inadvertently accelerated at an unknown speed. The contact stated that the vehicle ran through an intersection and crashed into five parked vehicles. The contact stated that he had depressed the brake pedal and was not able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that his vehicle was stopped by the last vehicle he had crashed into. The contact stated that the police had arrived and issued a report. The contact stated that the vehicle air bags had deployed and that he was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact stated that he had bruises on both his ankles and calves an

suspension 1 complaint shown

02/26/2026 ODI #11720639.0

The ride height sensor on the right front suspension is mounted to the upper control arm via a plastic bolt and bracket. This plastic mounting component failed under normal driving conditions. The failure caused the ride height sensor to malfunction, which directly affects the vehicle's air suspension system and its ability to maintain proper ride height and handling characteristics. When driving, I received multiple chassis height warning messages stating that the chassis was too high or too low or malfunctioning. The ride height sensor is a critical component of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system. Its failure can result in: - Incorrect suspension height, affecting vehicle stability and handling - Suspension system faults that may trigger unexpected warning conditions

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-28. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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