2019 Porsche Cayenne Complaint Log

Bubbled dashboard is considered as a safety issue that airbag may NOT be properly deployed when an accident occurs.

At approximately 52,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic transmission / driveline failure while in use. The failure created serious concern about safe operation and reliability and left the vehicle disabled or unsafe to continue driving normally. An authorized Porsche dealer evaluated the vehicle and stated that the repair would require replacement of the entire transmission assembly at very high cost. No practical parts-level repair option has been provided. I am reporting this because a sudden major powertrain failure at this mileage may indicate a safety-related defect.

The contact owns a 2019 Porsche Cayenne. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V896000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact called a local dealer and the manufacturer but was advised that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

While driving my 2019 Porsche Cayenne S on the freeway, the check-engine light came on, followed by a message on the dashboard that read “Engine Control fault – Driving permitted – Visit workshop.” Moments later, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated from about ~75 mph to around 55 mph, even though my foot was still on the accelerator. I am [XXX] pregnant and had our [XXX] child in the car at the time. The unexpected loss of speed in fast-moving traffic was frightening. I had to quickly change lanes to reach the slower lane and avoid being hit by other vehicles. After reaching safety, I drove the car to an authorized Porsche dealership, where technicians found an active water-pump leak with coolant entering the vacuum system, which may have caused turbocharger and engine-power failure. This is after I replaced the water pump last year at another porsche dealership. A photo taken during the incident shows the dashboard warning message as it appeared. This incident created a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle displayed “driving permitted” even though it was at risk of a sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds. The car and the failed components are available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SAFETY ASSESSMENT: 2019 Porsche Cayenne S Dashboard Material Failure Vehicle Identification: VIN [XXX] , Current Odometer: 46639 Assessment Date: 12/11/2025 Evaluator: [XXX] , Registered Owner/Operator ________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The dashboard upper assembly in this vehicle exhibits progressive adhesive delamination and synthetic leather separation (colloquially “bubbling”) across the instrument cluster housing and passenger airbag deployment zone. This defect, while initially cosmetic, presents measurable safety risks under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) by compromising passive restraint systems, driver visibility, and interior structural integrity during collision events. The failure pattern is consistent with documented manufacturing defects affecting 2018-2022 Cayenne production units. ________________________________________ TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Defect Manifestation: •Multi-point adhesive failure between dashboard substrate and synthetic leather wrap •Bubbles ranging 2-8cm diameter directly above passenger-side airbag module •Progression rate: 15% surface area increase over 4-month observation period •Material: Thermoplastic olefin (TPO) substrate with polyurethane coating exhibiting UV-degradation and outgassing Root Cause: Inadequate adhesive curing during manufacturing combined with incompatible material expansion coefficients, resulting in progressive de-lamination under thermal cycling. ________________________________________ SAFETY CONCERNS 1. PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT (FMVSS 208 Violation Risk) 2. DRIVER VISIBILITY IMPAIRMENT (FMVSS 101 Violation Risk) 3. INTERIOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY (FMVSS 201/214) 4. SECONDARY PROJECTILE HAZARD 5. OCCUPANT HEALTH & COGNITIVE LOAD This defect constitutes a latent safety hazard that degrades over time, not a static cosmetic issue. The combination of airbag deployment trajectory interference, driver visibility impairment, structural integrity compromise. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Porsche leather dashboard shrunk and is loose; I was told airbags may not deploy correctly. Porche recommended replacing the dashboard. This is a very common issue.

leather dashboard bubbles up and could effect the deployment of the passenger airbag

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out, I was told that if the vehicle was in an accident the air bags might not deploy properly . the Porsche dealer looked at it and recommended replacing it . this is a very common issue .

The leather dashboard has shrunk to the point where the the Porsche dealer recommend replaceing it. This appears to be an issue serious enough to prevent the airbag from deploying correctly if in an accident. This appears to be a common issue.

Seals around both headlights appear to be improperly/weakly sealed. Water intrusion is coming in from light rain or even a car wash causing entire headlight system to shut off until the moisture dries up often while driving. This vehicle has matrix adaptive led headlights and there is no self service bulb to replace since they’re leds. Local Porsche dealer service advisors appear to know this is a common issue but state Porsche has yet to do a recall and they have no fix option and only offer to sell me a full headlight assembly replacement.

the dashboard has a fitted leather coating covering the airbag... the leather and its surrounding seals has melted.. almost entirely.. and it is rippled and uneven all around... this is widespread for these models and may cause problems with the airbag in the dash...the airbag has to be able to deploy without any problems.. the dash should be fixed so it is safe

I purchased a Used Porsche Pre-Owned Certified 2019 Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV on February 22, 2025, and within 4 to 6 weeks, the front brakes started to squeal very loudly when the vehicle comes to a near- stop. The dealership (Porsche River Oaks, 4007 Greenbriar Dr, Houston, TX 77098) tells me that this is normal squealing due to the type of brakes that this car has (PSCB). The squeal is louder than typical brake squealing and shouldn't appear on such a newly purchased certified car. I am reading multiple complaints on the internet about the squealing problems with the Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) that I have on my vehicle. I am also seeing that. Porsche Cars North America, Inc has issued a Technical Service Bulletin 120/22ENU 4652 published on Sept 9, 2022, on how to fix this problem for its customers with a special brake disc and brake pad with better acoustical properties. The parts for this repair are extremely expensive. My car is supposed to be under warranty, but the service technician has offered to only clean the brake pads which the service advisor tells me should suppress the brake squeal for a short period of time, but then told me that the noise will come back due to the type of PCSB brakes this car has. I feel like I have been tricked into buy a car with defective squealing brakes and Porsche Cars of North America knew about the problem with these PSCB brakes. My worry is that Porsche Dealerships, know how to temporarily fix this squealing problem when they sell these vehicles by cleaning the brake pads.

The A/C in this 5 year old vehicle no longer works. There are no warning lights or anything to suggest the A/C is no longer functioning, other than turning it on to see if it works. The weather would need to be warm enough to test it. The dealer said it is due to the Evaporator core, and to replace it would cost $8,000.00. Upon search, many others have had this same malfunction. Audi uses the same part in their vehicles and in 2021, they revised their new car warranty to include the A/C evaporator for 10 years/100k miles. Porsche should also commit to this action as they are using the exact same faulty part and these vehicles cost even more than the Audi’s.

The dashboard material cover is pulling away lifting up from the dashboard where air bags are located.Not safe

When car downshifts from 2nd gear to 1st gear, it lunges / jerks forward, even as brakes are applied. Porsche mechanic and Porsche Cars North America both indicate nothing is wrong with the transmission. THIS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE. EVERYDAY FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. EVERY STOP.

Porsches with LiFePO4 Lithium batteries (like mine 2019 Cayenne S) have a software/hardware error that causes the battery to incorrectly send a code to the battery management system so that it will suddenly shutdown the battery permanently and will require a full battery replacement, which the dealers abuse its customers by charging $3,000 to $5,000 dollars and give a battery replacement date as almost one year later. Porsche has internal TSBs but it is not recalling all the customers to have the software update for the controller/sensor bug/defect so that the battery management system will not overcharge the Lithium battery and damage it or cause the battery to issue a software code that preventsbthe battery from waking up or be usable. Texas has temperatures of 110 F, and becoming stranded because the battery gets incorrectly/permanently shutdown is a death sentence to Porsche customers. Porsche is being arrogant with their customers and deeply profiting from this know defect. There are a series of small battery shops that are making money from Porsche’s defective battery controllers/sensors and charge around $500 to $800 to replace the battery sensor/controller and programming the new controller as long as you send them your dead battery. Porsche will not reprogram rhe battery controller/sensor if you replace the original battery, with no explanation on why. Anybody driving a Porsche vehicle that have these battery defects in the controller/sensor/programming will perish, together with their passengers, if the battery gets shutdown and become unusable in a 100+ F, 110+F or if yhey get stranded in a freezing situation. It's a deadly time bomb waiting to happen, if it hasn't happen already since Porsche is not being straightforward. Porsche even sells these defective Lithium LiFePO4 batteries on old cars 2019 models and others, and does not disclose to them that the battery can die unexpectely and hjat the battery is not within the warranty.

In September 2022 the yellow battery warning light appeared on my dash while my car was still under warranty. Porsche had an open Campaign WMJ9 that involved a software update that resolved the issue. Last month, June, while my car was now out of warranty the same yellow warning light appeared but this time the dealership recommended i replace the battery at a cost of $3,200 Porsche refuses to accept that these 2 instances are related and that the battery should be covered since the software update during my first service visit didn't offer a long term solution. to make matters worse the lithium battery used in my vehicle has been an issue for porsche to say the least.

Driving Light Control Error keeps on popping up on the Dash

Car died suddenly at a traffic light stop. It was later diagnosed by dealership that the battery and starter have failed.

2019 Porsche Cayennes (and other Porsche models) have LiFe P04 lithium batteries that have an internal Battery Control Module that causes a "Battery Low " indication. Porsche has been updating the software/ firmware for this module, only for it to fail again. Eventually, the battery will fail, lose charge, and become dead. There are no after market batteries available and if you are 1 mile out of the warranty period, Porsche forces you to buy a new replacement battery from them for over $2,000.00 USD plus labor. This battery failure condition for vehicles with this type of battery is well known by Porsche and they now use a completely different type of battery in their newer models. This failure should be considered a Safety issue and concern since the battery powers every safety feature the vehicle has to offer. There are pages upon pages of testimonies on the Rennlist forum website for Porsche owners and all have been advised to contact Porsche Cars North America and only a small percentage have had any luck with that. Porsche should release a recall to modify the system to the newer, more dependable battery for affected vehicles.

The vehicle lurches forward dangerously when coming to a complete stop. The brakes seem to release as the vehicle lurches forward.

THERE'S AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE (it is an E-Hybrid) with ERROR MESSAGES THAT RUN IN A CONTINUOUS LOOP (ACC NOT AVAILABLE, PAS RESTRICTED, DRIVING LIGHT CONTROL ERROR, HIGH BEAM ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE, LANE KEEP ASSIST RESTRICTED). THE LOCAL DEALER HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A MONTH. WE WERE CALLED TWO TIMES TO PICK UP A "FIXED VEHICLE" AND EACH TIME WE HAD TO RETURN THE CAR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. I'VE CONTACTED PORSCHE CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT AS OF YET THERE IS NO RESOLUTION. IT IS VERY CONCERNING SINCE SOME OF THESE ERROR MESSAGES DO AFFECT VEHICLE SAFETY.

When braking to a stop, the car lunges forward even when foot is on the brake. This occurs at slower speeds around 5mph right before a dead stop.

The adaptive cruise control has failed 4 times. As a significant driver in terms of miles driven, the lack of cruise control increases my fatigue and jeopardize the safety of all. Porsche dealer in St Louis explained there it’s not known fx

The contact owns a 2019 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the blind spot monitoring system was inoperable and the message "blind spot monitoring not available" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to several different dealers who confirmed the failure was present but indicated that the failure could not be fixed. No further information was available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The surround video camera system frequently fails. One, several and sometimes all cameras randomly fail when triggered by placing transmission in reverse to park. Image is replaced by icon of camera with diagonal line through it. The dealer has attempted to fix this problem 4 times without success. They replaced all cameras and the video control unit. Many other owners of Porsche Cayenne, Macan and Taycans have reported this problem on various Porsche blogs. No one has reported a solution to the problem. The cameras are restored after turning off vehicle, leaving vehicle and locking vehicle. After waiting at least 15 minutes before rebooting vehicle, the cameras function normally. I have spoken to other Porsche dealers and none are aware of a solution to this problem. I have registered a complaint directly with Porsche and have not received any response in over 6 months.

TAILLIGHTS GETTING CONDENSATION

MATRIX HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK, AT ALL. NIGHTTIME DRIVING IS DANGEROUS WITHOUT THESE HEADLIGHTS.

I LOOKED IT UP AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY ANOTHER OWNER. I HAD THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE. NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11306756. *TR

LAST YEAR AROUND JANUARY, ADAPTIVE CRUSE CONTROL STOP WORKING AFTER DEALER "FIXED" ALMOST CLOSING A COLLISION ( VEHICLE IN MOTION), TODAY PARK ASSIST STOP WORKING 360 DEGREE VIEW COMPLETELY OFF AND NO SOUND OF PROXIMITY OBSTACLES, ( VEHICLE IN MOTION PULLING OF PARKING LOT)

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ACC Radar gats uncalibrated How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? no at all Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes 4 times in one dealer and 2 times on new dealer Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? only by porsche dealers Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes the message reads:ACC not Available, Driving permitted, Service necessary. It first appeared on January 19 2020 still not resolved.

THERE'S A ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. PERIODICALLY, THESE ERROR MESSAGES RUN IN A CONTINUES LOOP( ACC NOT AVAILABLE, HIGH BEAM ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE, DRIVING LIGHT CONTROL ERROR, PAS RESTRICTED AND CAMERA SYSTEM RESTRICTED). THE LOCAL DEALERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. I OPENED A PORSCHE COMPLAINT FILE, WHICH IS NUMBER 5574318. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS DELIVERED, WHICH WAS SIXTEEN MONTHS AGO. PORSCHE HAS MADE LITTLE EFFORT IN FIXING THE ISSUE. IT VERY CONCERNING SINCE WHEN THE ERROR MESSAGES ARE ROLLING THOUGH IT AFFECTS SEVERAL SAFETY FEATURES ON THE VEHICLE.

SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH WHEN MY CAR COMES TO A STOP THE BRAKES MALFUNCTION AND THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. IT TAKES UP TO ANOTHER CAR LENGTH TO FULLY STOP WHEN THIS HAPPENS - SOMETIMES JUST A FEW EXTRA FEET. IT HAS CAUSED ME TO DAMAGE THE FRONT END BY DRIVING INTO A BUSH. THE DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE BRAKE PROBLEM AND THEY STATE THE STEERING PROBLEM IS NORMAL. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE THE STEERING PROBLEMS TO THEM BUT BECAUSE THE BRAKE ISSUE HAPPENS ONLY A FEW TIMES A MONTH I WAS NOT ABLE TO.

THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF GAS THAT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE AUTOMOBILE. THIS HAPPENS DURING SLOW MOTION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON BOTH HIGHWAY AND LOCAL ROADS.