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2012 Porsche Cayenne

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 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

20 reports with mileage · 7 unknown

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.

  • Power Train. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. 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.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

7 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 28, 2024
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out around passenger side airbag. I was told that if the vehicle was in an accident the airbag might not deploy correctly. The Porsche dealer looked at it and recommended replacing it. This is a very common issue.

NHTSA ODI #11632899

Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 2022
Unknown Or Other

The transfer case on my car has been confirmed by two different mechanics that it needs to be replaced. Porsche no longer makes or sells the original transfer case and components, so the entire transfer case needs to be replaced, at a cost of approximately $5,000. Porsche extended the warranty for the transfer case for up to 1…

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The transfer case on my car has been confirmed by two different mechanics that it needs to be replaced. Porsche no longer makes or sells the original transfer case and components, so the entire transfer case needs to be replaced, at a cost of approximately $5,000. Porsche extended the warranty for the transfer case for up to 10 years, but I was never notified or made aware of this extension. Because my transfer case issue was identified 6 months outside of the extended warranty, the full cost of this repair is my liability. I believe that Porsche is aware that the original transfer case has design flaws and reliability issues, and while they did extend warranty coverage, they made no effort to communicate the extension. If so, I would have had the transfer case inspected while still under warranty.

NHTSA ODI #11492273

Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2022
EngineUnknown Or Other

I own a 2012 Porsche Cayenne. Transfer case broke at 33,000 miles and was replaced by the dealer, and now it broke again at 55,000 miles. Repair cost is $6,340 plus tax. It broke under the warranty period but Porsche gave me the runaround and told me they wouldn't check it until after some body damage was complete (more details …

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I own a 2012 Porsche Cayenne. Transfer case broke at 33,000 miles and was replaced by the dealer, and now it broke again at 55,000 miles. Repair cost is $6,340 plus tax. It broke under the warranty period but Porsche gave me the runaround and told me they wouldn't check it until after some body damage was complete (more details below). Honestly feel like I'm getting gouged with faulty parts. Many other Porsche Cayenne owners seem to be reporting this problem on forums. (e.g. https://rennlist.com/forums/cayenne-958-2011-2018/1290994-transfer-case-failure-2.html) More details - 1. We asked the Porsche dealership to review the car for mechanical issues and repair bumper body damage while the transfer case was under warranty. 2. The Porsche dealer declined to review any mechanical issues until the bumper body damage repair was complete. 3. The Porsche was taken in for service to repair the body work first in late March per Porsche's guidance while the transfer case was still under warranty. 4. The body work was delayed due to Porsche's supply chain issues, and by the time it was complete it was after May 2nd which was when the warranty expired for the transfer case. 5. When the Porsche dealer received the car after May 2nd it identified the transfer case broke. This has been a recurring issue with a car as one transfer case broke at ~33,000 miles and was replaced at a Porsche dealership. Now the second transfer case broke at 55,000 miles (this case only lasted 22,000 miles). 6. Porsche declined to make an exception to the warranty and recommends replacing the transfer case at a price of $6,340 plus tax which will likely last for between 22,000 - 33,000 miles based on prior data points.

NHTSA ODI #11473037

99,700 miles · Dec 16, 2020
Unknown Or Other

RECALL WORK MISHANDLED AND CAUSED PROBLEM: I WENT TO PORSCHE FOR A REGULAR OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL ON CAMSHAFT AND THEY CAN ALSO BE PERFORMED WHILE THE CAR IS IN. NOW WHEN I WENT TO GET MY CAR BACK THEY SAID THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND WHEN THEY CHECKED THE TECH SAYS THE PARTS SEEMS TO BE ALL NEW…

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RECALL WORK MISHANDLED AND CAUSED PROBLEM: I WENT TO PORSCHE FOR A REGULAR OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL ON CAMSHAFT AND THEY CAN ALSO BE PERFORMED WHILE THE CAR IS IN. NOW WHEN I WENT TO GET MY CAR BACK THEY SAID THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND WHEN THEY CHECKED THE TECH SAYS THE PARTS SEEMS TO BE ALL NEW AND IT WAS DONE AT A DIFFERENT WORK SHOP. THEY ASKED ME TO GO TO THE SHOP AND CHECK WITH THEM. BUT I TOLD THEM IT WAS DONE FEW MONTHS BACK AND I HAD NO ISSUES AT ALL AND THE CAR DIDNT HAVE ANY ISSUES WHEN I GAVE IT FOR OIL CHANGE( NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). ALSO WHEN I ENTERED THE CAR I WAS ABLE TO SMELL A THICK OIL SMELL WHICH I INFORMED BECKY THE SERVICE CONSULTANT AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE OIL SPILL WHEN THEY DID OIL CHANGE. I ASKED IF THE ISSUE MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE CAMSHAFT WORK THEY DID BUT THEY PROMPTLY SAID IT WAS NOT RELATED. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE AUTO SHOP ( PORSCHE CERTIFIED SHOP) TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT. THE SHOP CHECKED AND DIDNT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THEIR PARTS THEY REPLACED SINCE IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY THEY WENT AHEAD REPLACED THE PART AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SIGN DIDNT GO AWAY, SO THEY PERFORMED SMOKE TEST AND FOUND OUT THE INTAKE LEAK COMING FROM A SENSOR SEAL ON THE VALVE COVER. THEY SAID THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE CAMSHAFT WORK THAT HAS CAUSED A LARGE AIR LEAK IN THE ENGINE SETTING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ALSO WHEN THEY CHECKED THE COVERS THEY FOUND THAT THERE WERE 2 ALUMINIUM SCREWS THAT WERE BROKEN . WHEN THE COVER WAS REMOVED THE ALUMIMIUM SCREWS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WERE NOT AND THE OLD ONES WERE USED WHICH LEAD TO TENSION AND THEY WERE BROKEN THE AUTO SHOP HAS PROVIDED ME WITH ALL THE DETAILS AND EVIDENCE OF THE ISSUE ALONG WITH VIDEO TO SHOWCASE.I NEED NHTSA ASSISTANCE TO HELP ME GUIDE ON THIS ISSUE CAUSED BY THE DEALERSHIP TO MY CAR WHILE WORKING ON THE RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #11383645

49,900 miles · Aug 26, 2019
Unknown Or Other

DASH BOARD LEATHER IS PEELING AND SHRINKING

NHTSA ODI #11246515

10 miles · Mar 13, 2017
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

GPS MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING , SERVICE TEST NO ERROR CODE BUT VISIBLE GPS MALFUNCTION ! MANUFACTURE CAN'T IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM SUGGEST TO REPLACE THE NEW PCM. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVER TO BELIEVE ON THE GPS WHILE DRIVING ON IT. IT IS DESIGN FRAUD AND CARELESS OF SERVICE WHEN THE DEVICE IS MALFUNCTION AND SYSTEM CAN'T …

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GPS MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING , SERVICE TEST NO ERROR CODE BUT VISIBLE GPS MALFUNCTION ! MANUFACTURE CAN'T IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM SUGGEST TO REPLACE THE NEW PCM. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVER TO BELIEVE ON THE GPS WHILE DRIVING ON IT. IT IS DESIGN FRAUD AND CARELESS OF SERVICE WHEN THE DEVICE IS MALFUNCTION AND SYSTEM CAN'T DETECT IT. CUSTOMER HAS PICTURES AND VIDEOS SUPPORT THE CLAIM. VIDEO LINK: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/OPEN?ID=0B1W2Q8JZJUB7RGZSBHNTQ0O1S1K

NHTSA ODI #10960415

1,400 miles · Feb 27, 2012
Equipment Adaptive/mobilitySeatsUnknown Or Other

I RECENTLY PURCHASED PORSCHE CAYENNE S 2012 AND I'M HAPPY ABOUT THE SUV BUT THE COMFORT ENTRY FEATURE DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND DEALER ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BUT DIDN'T OFFER ANY SOLUTION. IT WORKS SOME TIME AND IT DOESN'T OTHER TIMES. WHEN YOU SET YOUR POSITION AND SAVE THE POSITION WHEN Y…

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I RECENTLY PURCHASED PORSCHE CAYENNE S 2012 AND I'M HAPPY ABOUT THE SUV BUT THE COMFORT ENTRY FEATURE DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND DEALER ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BUT DIDN'T OFFER ANY SOLUTION. IT WORKS SOME TIME AND IT DOESN'T OTHER TIMES. WHEN YOU SET YOUR POSITION AND SAVE THE POSITION WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE SAME KEY IT SUPPOSED SAVE ALL YOUR PREFERENCES LIKE SEAT,SIDE MIRRORS AND OTHERS BUT IT DOESN'T WORK MOSTLY...! I CHECKED IN FORUMS AND MOST OF THEM DO COMPLAIN OR THEY JUST GOT USED TO IT. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION WE PAID CLOSE TO $5000.00 TO THIS FEATURE AS AN OPTION. I REQUEST YOU TO INVESTIGATE ON THIS ISSUE AND IF YOU SEE A PROBLEM PLEASE ASK THE PORSCHE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10449465

Official recalls

4

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.

12V329000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger

Jul 12, 2012

PORSCHE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 PANAMERA TURBO, 2012 PANAMERA TURBO S, AND 2012 CAYENNE TURBO VEHICLES. THE TURBINE WHEEL OF A TURBOCHARGER MAY FRACTURE DUE TO A CASTING DEFECT. IF A FRACTURE OCCURS, VEHICLE PERFORMANCE WILL BE DECREASED AND THE TURBINE SHAFT MAY FRACTURE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE SHAFT FRACTURES, OIL MAY BE DRAWN INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, RESULTING IN SMOKE AND THE INCREASED RISK OF A FIRE.

Remedy: PORSCHE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TURBINE WHEELS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 31, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PORSCHE AT 1-800-767-7243.

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.