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2011 Porsche Cayenne

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 21.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 18 of 30 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

5 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2024
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

Porsche dash material is separating from the substrate of the structure. This material is directly between the airbag and the now loose material on the surface of the dash (leather). Porsche will not repair this and recommends a replacement at an estimated $10,000 USD. There is a significant risk to safety as the now loose up…

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Porsche dash material is separating from the substrate of the structure. This material is directly between the airbag and the now loose material on the surface of the dash (leather). Porsche will not repair this and recommends a replacement at an estimated $10,000 USD. There is a significant risk to safety as the now loose upper material will interfere with the deployment of the airbag on the passenger side, adding potential harm and injury to a passenger inside the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11627588

Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2024
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

The original Porsche leather upper dashboard has shrunk, causing exposed staples, and rippling of the leather , including rippling and bunching of the leather that is covering the passenger dash airbag assembly. I have been informed that in the event of an accident causing airbags to deploy, the passenger airbag would likely no…

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The original Porsche leather upper dashboard has shrunk, causing exposed staples, and rippling of the leather , including rippling and bunching of the leather that is covering the passenger dash airbag assembly. I have been informed that in the event of an accident causing airbags to deploy, the passenger airbag would likely not deploy correctly, and further injury could also occur because of exposed staples and hardware that should not be exposed. My Porsche dealer and independent dealer have both advised replacement of dash (for a very large sum of money). I have also taken the vehicle to multiple upholstery shops and all have declined to fix the problem solely due to the airbag risk/liability. This is very common issue for late model porsche full leather option dashes, and specifically Cayenne models seem to be heavily affected. At this point, I am worried about the safety of my vehicle, and continue usage, and the dealer price to fix out of pocket is prohibitive (the part itself from the porsche dealer is >$6000, not including significant labor charges to remove and replace the full dash). Cayenne owners have been quoted over $10,000 to fix the issue from dealers. Thank you for your time

NHTSA ODI #11627391

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2024
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

The leather on my Porsche Cayenne dashboard has shrunk and is pulling away from the front of the dashboard. My mechanic tells me that this is a possible safety issue because if the vehicle is in an accident, the front passenger airbag may not deploy correctly and recommends replacing (expensive). In checking various Porsche onli…

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The leather on my Porsche Cayenne dashboard has shrunk and is pulling away from the front of the dashboard. My mechanic tells me that this is a possible safety issue because if the vehicle is in an accident, the front passenger airbag may not deploy correctly and recommends replacing (expensive). In checking various Porsche online forums, this appears to be a common issue among owners with the more expensive leather dashboards.

NHTSA ODI #11626222

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2020
EngineUnknown Or Other

COOLANT LEAKS WHILE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. LEAK IS DUE TO FAULTY PLASTIC THAT WAS REDESIGNED TO METAL TUBING DUE TO COMMON REPORTED ISSUES. PLASTIC TUBING CONNECTED TO COOLANT SYSTEM WILL BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED, CAUSING OVERHEATING AND LOST OF COOLANT. THIS ISSUE IS COMMONLY REPORTED ABOUT THE 2011 CAYANNE WITH A DEALERSHIP …

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COOLANT LEAKS WHILE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. LEAK IS DUE TO FAULTY PLASTIC THAT WAS REDESIGNED TO METAL TUBING DUE TO COMMON REPORTED ISSUES. PLASTIC TUBING CONNECTED TO COOLANT SYSTEM WILL BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED, CAUSING OVERHEATING AND LOST OF COOLANT. THIS ISSUE IS COMMONLY REPORTED ABOUT THE 2011 CAYANNE WITH A DEALERSHIP COST OF UP TO $4500.

NHTSA ODI #11299300

55,000 miles · Jun 17, 2015
Unknown Or Other

TRANSFER CASE ISSUE IS RESULTING IN A JERKY VEHICLE. THIS IS PART OF THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND OVER TIME WILL CAUSE WEAR IN FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS OF AN AWD VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #10725799

Official recalls

3

22V656000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Aug 30, 2022

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.

16V169000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages

Mar 23, 2016

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles manufactured April 28, 2010, to January 11, 2016. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly circlip, installing any missing circlips, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AG02.

12V065000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Feb 21, 2012

PORSCHE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CAYENNE, CAYENNE S, CAYENNE S HYBRID, AND CAYENNE TURBO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 8, 2010, THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2012 BECAUSE THE HEADLAMPS MAY COME LOOSE AND DETACH FROM THE FENDER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A DETACHED HEADLIGHT COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VISIBILITY AND AN INCREASED RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: PORSCHE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP LOCKING ASSEMBLIES, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 9, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PORSCHE AT 1-800-767-7243.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.