2011 Porsche Cayenne S
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Porsche › Cayenne S › 2011
These records cover every 2011 Porsche Cayenne S. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S. Newest first.
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…
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo vehicles, 2011-2012 Panamera and Panamera 4 vehicles, and 2011 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo vehicles. The affected vehicles have camshaft controllers that may come loose inside the engine, potentially resulting in an engine stall.
Risk and remedy
Risk
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fastening screws for the camshaft adjusters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 12, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH08.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Owner complaints
17 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2011 Porsche Cayenne S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate properly. The contact stated that there was water intrusion in the headlight housings. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that…
The contact owns a 2011 Porsche Cayenne S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate properly. The contact stated that there was water intrusion in the headlight housings. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the headlamps needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V656000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the contact had not yet received the notification. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
- Service brakes
I came to a complete stop on a city street. I let my foot off the brake, then applied my foot back on the brake and the brake pad wouldn't go down, it was hard.
- Engine
The coolant pipe design IS flawed. The barb IS glued and pressed in the aluminum body. Over time the glue loses its properties and the barb comes out thus causing massive coolant leak and the engine can overheat. The part was redisgned around 2015 where the barb IS now threaded, but the original part IS a safey hazard for the older models with potential huge repair costs.
- Power train
Vehicle acts as if going over speed bump over 18mph also jerking and tugging on you as you accelerate making for hard turning in parking lots feels like front wheel IS locking up also noticing safety concern wile coming to stop in traffic under about 3MPH the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly…
Vehicle acts as if going over speed bump over 18mph also jerking and tugging on you as you accelerate making for hard turning in parking lots feels like front wheel IS locking up also noticing safety concern wile coming to stop in traffic under about 3MPH the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly learches forward as if engine has more power or something becomes un jammed. Transfer case has been replaced once already now out of warranty it feels as if a safety concern IS the issue
- Power train
Transfer case failed 2016 ; was replaced by dealer and failed again 2017. While driving failure affects shifting and acceleration.
- Engine · Power train
I was pulling forward on a level city street and turning left from a stop sign. there was a significant amount of shuddering and feeling of a loss of power. this was a significant safety issue due to oncoming traffic. over a period of several months this had been increasing in severity but the…
I was pulling forward on a level city street and turning left from a stop sign. there was a significant amount of shuddering and feeling of a loss of power. this was a significant safety issue due to oncoming traffic. over a period of several months this had been increasing in severity but the dealer could not identify the problem. I took it to the dealer and was able to repeat the problem for them. they identified the transfer case as the issue. it was replaced. I also had to replace the tires due to the dealers identification that the transfer case had caused differential tread wear damage to a rear tire. as a former military aviator, there IS no doubt in my mind that this IS a safety issue. porsche needs to identify what the issues are (design, manufacturing, servicing, etc) and remedy them. surprisingly, this IS a known problem because the service adviser informed me that they keep transfer cases in stock. they retail for $3944, plus the new vent kit (mine does not have it) and then add labor, and tires if they have been damaged. that IS a lot of expensive inventory to have on hand if porsche wants to claim there IS not a problem.
- Engine
Engine stalled while driving. car taken to porsche dealership where they determined the camshaft controller needed to be replaced as it was broken. paid $4000 in repairs in 2016. porsche has since issued a recall for this issue, however they will not reimburse for the previous repairs as they noted. no response on timing.
- Engine
The screws holding my camshaft actuator failed and I experienced immediate engine lose as well as braking lose due to no vacuum. At the time of my engine failure it was a known issue for porsche (see WC-22) whereas they did not make public aware or proactively fix the issue. This ended up costing…
The screws holding my camshaft actuator failed and I experienced immediate engine lose as well as braking lose due to no vacuum. At the time of my engine failure it was a known issue for porsche (see WC-22) whereas they did not make public aware or proactively fix the issue. This ended up costing me approximately $7500 out of pocket (in addition to several emotional damage due to financial constraints and the immediate danger when the engine failed at highway speed in the far left lane). Porsche has subsequently issued a recall (recall AH-08 and nhtsa campaign 17v368000) but had not contacted affected owners yet. I'D like a full refund of my expenses plus interest. I also feel they should be fined or pay impacted owners like myself a penalty due to their improper mishandling.
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Engine · Service brakes
Very scary and dangerous experience engine stalled after filling up with gas. The vehicle required two or three attempts to start. I exited the gas station onto the ramp for the interstate. The car suddenly locked up less than a mile down the interstate while driving 70, mph. There was no power…
Very scary and dangerous experience engine stalled after filling up with gas. The vehicle required two or three attempts to start. I exited the gas station onto the ramp for the interstate. The car suddenly locked up less than a mile down the interstate while driving 70, mph. There was no power braking or power steering at all. Fortunately, I remained in the far right lane and momentum carried the vehicle off the next exit ramp before vehicle completely shut off. I have had a host of other issues including psm failures, start/stop mode deactivated errors, ignition problems, braking issues, unnecessary repairs, time/energy, missed work, rental cars, misdiagnoses, etc. I am certain the symptoms are consistent with camshaft defect affecting many other cayenne s, turbo, and panamera s owners per several internet forum discussions. This IS really dangerous. I am disappointment earlier notifications were not issued and I hope this matter IS addressed before someone dies.
- Engine
The coolant pipe cracks and cause leak
- Engine
The camshaft actuator bolts break and causing internal damage to the engine, the vehicle lose power suddenly and difficult to engage the brake pedal.
- Engine
Snapped aluminum camshaft sensor bolt resulted in total engine failure. this IS a known issue by porsche ag has resulted in an amendment in an existing service bulletin (WC-22) and also a recall of over 14000 cayennes and panameras in china.
- Engine
Faulty camshaft bolts in early V8'S of this generation (2011 models) resulting in loss of engine power, and sometimes brakes. Vehicle broke down in the middle of a busy road, luckily was not at highway speed or it could have been very dangerous.
- Engine
While driving on the road in a remote national park, the tubing that returns coolant to the engine block from the radiator on my 2011 porsche cayenne s completely blew apart. This aluminum to aluminum tubing connection appears to have been held together exclusively by a thin, incomplete ring of…
While driving on the road in a remote national park, the tubing that returns coolant to the engine block from the radiator on my 2011 porsche cayenne s completely blew apart. This aluminum to aluminum tubing connection appears to have been held together exclusively by a thin, incomplete ring of epoxy glue. This IS grossly substandard engineering for any such vital connection within the engine. Porsche has neglected to repair this known issue in model years such as mine, but has changed its design in the subsequent model years (likely because they realized this was dangerous and substandard engineering). They have not sent out any bulletin or recall to advise drivers of this defective construction or preemptively repair it. I was left stranded in a desert where I had to walk for hours to get help and had to have $1000 tow to the nearest city, all because of this dangerous design and construction of which porsche IS already aware.
- Engine
On freeway 65-70 mph when psm failure light came on and los of power just made off free with chugging and to a stop . towed to dealer on a sunday 8/2/15 monday call aluminum bolts in valve adjusters ? can damage or did the engine . no recalls on them and IS a known problem .
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2011 porsche cayenne s. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle, the engine and stability warning lights illuminated as the vehicle began to shake violently. The dealer was notified of the failure but stated that they had no availability to repair the vehicle.…
TL* the contact owns a 2011 porsche cayenne s. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle, the engine and stability warning lights illuminated as the vehicle began to shake violently. The dealer was notified of the failure but stated that they had no availability to repair the vehicle. The failure ceased four days later but soon recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 20,000. The vin was not available. updated 09/17/13*lj the consumer stated porsche IS making the necessary repairs. Update 09/18/13
- Visibility
TL* the contact owns a 2011 porsche cayenne s. The contact stated that an extreme glare was reflecting from the dashboard onto the windshield, obstructing his vision. The dealer offered to place a blanket over the dashboard and advised the contact to notify the manufacturer. The manufacturer was…
TL* the contact owns a 2011 porsche cayenne s. The contact stated that an extreme glare was reflecting from the dashboard onto the windshield, obstructing his vision. The dealer offered to place a blanket over the dashboard and advised the contact to notify the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 400 and the current mileage was 1,000.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11011666Parts information with parts withdrawal involving the hydro-mounting - 992199384F The affected vehicles are cars that use the part number mentioned.
- 11011572Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the oil separator. The affected vehicles are cars that use part number 0PC115099A
- 11011570Special tools and equipment information for the WiScope UV upgrade - affecting all Porsche models
- 11011563Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.020 & .021. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port.
- 11011561Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.017. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port.
- 11011552Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the camera and control unit with the camera - PAD980551 & PAD980568C. The affected vehicles are cars that use the part numbers mentioned.
- 11011200Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.016. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port.
- 11011195Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.010, .011 & .015. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port.
- 11009877Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.048
- 11009862Special tools and equipment information for the mobile data signal strength in the workshop
- 11008666Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche A40 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles.
- 11008661Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C30 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. All MY04-20
- 11008658Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. Vehicles affected are cars that use part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY
- 11008657Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.040. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port.
- 11008637Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.032. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port.
- 11008636Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.030. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port.
- 11008635Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the booster - 7PP035223M, 7PP035223AA, 99164548000. Vehicles affected are cars that use the part numbers listed.
- 11008624Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.025
- 11008610Technical information for the installation of wire harness for roof power supply
- 11008603Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. The cars involved are cars that use the part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY
- 11008598Technical information on replacement of thermostat housing for the Cayenne
- 11008486Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.021
- 11008479Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the chain tensioner - 0PB109507D
- 11008476Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.020
- 11008473Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the seat frame - 992885456CY
- 11008470Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.015
- 11008454Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the booster - 7PP035223M, 7PP035223AA, and 99164548000
- 11008449Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.010 & .011
- 11008441Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the engine oil (00004321093)
- 11008440Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.000 & .001
- 11007107Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the wire set - 976971227 & 976971227A
- 11007096Information on PIWIS tester update 42.900.030
- 11007041Information on PIWIS tester update 42.900.020
- 11007037Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the ball screw - PAF004835
- 11007036Information on PIWIS tester update 42.900.010
- 11006874Parts information for parts withdrawal involving a number of parts for the flange, fuel pump, and fuel filter
- 11006858Product Knowledge on the chassis/VIN numbering systems
- 11006850Information on PIWIS tester update 42.900.000
- 11005806Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the charger for the high-voltage battery
- 11005805Information on PIWIS tester update 42.800.070 & .072
Every Porsche Cayenne S model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.