2006 Porsche Cayman S

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Engine and engine cooling6
2. Tires2
3. Engine1
4. Power train1
5. Unknown or other1

Latest complaints

• Aug 10, 2013PA73,000 mi
  Engine
  Traveling in a straight line on a dry road at around 65mph, the vehicle's engine expired in a huge plume of coolant/oil. Flatbedded to a porsche dealership, a technician using a boroscope found (according to the dealership) "scoring to #5 cylinder and evidence that a valve had hit the top of the…

  Traveling in a straight line on a dry road at around 65mph, the vehicle's engine expired in a huge plume of coolant/oil. Flatbedded to a porsche dealership, a technician using a boroscope found (according to the dealership) "scoring to #5 cylinder and evidence that a valve had hit the top of the piston. There was also a huge amount of metal debris in the oil filter." this was a result of something failing in the engine, rather than the cause of the failure. The porsche dealership did not care to determine the cause of the failure. I suspect intermediate main shaft (ims) failure. One year beyond certified pre-owned (cpo) warranty and $20K for a new engine. *tr

• Nov 9, 2012NY34,150 mi
  Power train
  Car: 2006 cayman s with 34,150 miles on it. I don't race it (on or off the track). 90% of my commute IS highway driving at 70 mph, with the occasional acceleration (no downshifting) to 80-90 mph. I bought the car as certified pre-owned with 5,000 miles on it. I put ~29,000 miles on the car over…

  Car: 2006 cayman s with 34,150 miles on it. I don't race it (on or off the track). 90% of my commute IS highway driving at 70 mph, with the occasional acceleration (no downshifting) to 80-90 mph. I bought the car as certified pre-owned with 5,000 miles on it. I put ~29,000 miles on the car over an ~8 month period of time the event I was driving into work. About 1000 yards from my house, I was casually (read: not aggressive, not racing, etc) shifting from 2ND to 3RD gear, when the shifter suddenly went limp. I could put the shifter into the slots for 3RD, 4TH, 5TH, or 6TH gear, but the gears weren't actually shifting. The car was stuck in 2ND! Luckily the car was stuck in a low gear, and I was able to get the car back home. Luckily I was driving in a neighborhood with little traffic, there are numerous situations where serious personal injury or death could have occurred the symptoms: car IS stuck in a gear; gear shift IS limp - moves freely, not able to engage the repair I had the car towed to the porsche dealership. They informed me that the gear shift cable had snapped; I've found other posts with similar photos, full description available at: http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-problems-complaints/75482-broken-shifter-cable.html my thoughts per many message boards, this looks to be a more pervasive issue. Perhaps not enough to meet porsche's recall criteria, but I would argue that their recall criteria IS flawed! If this happens to even 1% of their cars, make the simple (relatively cheap) fix, and protect the lives of their customers. *tr

• Sep 18, 2011CA68,412 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  The engine failed whilst taking part in a driving event at willow springs raceway. oil starvation caused #6 conrod big-end bearing failure at approximately 4000rpm leading to internal destruction of the engine and an enormous plume of white smoke out through the exhaust. fortunately I was on a…

  The engine failed whilst taking part in a driving event at willow springs raceway. oil starvation caused #6 conrod big-end bearing failure at approximately 4000rpm leading to internal destruction of the engine and an enormous plume of white smoke out through the exhaust. fortunately I was on a straight part of the track at the time and was able to retain control and stop the car safely. please note that although this failure happened on a race track and at a seemingly high speed, I am an experienced racing driver and the car was not being unduly abused. this vehicle IS sold in germany where it IS perfectly legal for it to achieve its 170mph top speed when driving conditions allow and the company's advertising campaigns focus on its sporting capabilities. clearly, however, the car shouldn't be advertised as a sports model if it cannot be driven in a sporting manner (in a controlled environment) without catastrophic failure.

• Sep 12, 2011NJ13,250 mi
  Engine and engine cooling

  As I was accelerating for a merge, the car bucked and hesitated despite having my foot on the gas. I shifted gears and it was the same problem then there was an odd noise from the engine. I pulled off and the oil pressure warning light came on just as I stopped the engine. I had the car towed to the repair shop.

• Aug 24, 2011TX51,780 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  Motor failed unexpectedly while accelerating, causing loss of power and loss of control. mechanic inspection says that it was not my fault, as the failure occurred at 3500 rpm and there was no stress that should cause failure. no sludge found in engine, oil changes done on time. failure…

  Motor failed unexpectedly while accelerating, causing loss of power and loss of control. mechanic inspection says that it was not my fault, as the failure occurred at 3500 rpm and there was no stress that should cause failure. no sludge found in engine, oil changes done on time. failure necessitates a completely new motor at a cost of $16,000. after investigation, it appears that complete motor failure between 40-50k miles on the 2006 porsche cayman s IS fairly common.

• Aug 23, 2011FL64,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  The engine experienced a cylinder failure in the #5 cylinder. the #5 piston 'clipped' a valve, the valve dropped into the cylinder, the piston impacted the valve and caused the #5 piston rod to break loose completely and punch a hole in the top of the engine core. there were also cracks in the #5…

  The engine experienced a cylinder failure in the #5 cylinder. the #5 piston 'clipped' a valve, the valve dropped into the cylinder, the piston impacted the valve and caused the #5 piston rod to break loose completely and punch a hole in the top of the engine core. there were also cracks in the #5 cylinder wall. I had to purchase a completely new engine from the manufacturer and have my local dealer install it. the final repair bill was $25,000.

• Aug 22, 2011KS18,000 miCrash1 injury
  Engine and engine cooling
  The porsche engine did not have proper oiling due to a lack of proper oil return design which causes the bearings to prematurely wear and the rod bolts to fail in these engines. we have over 35 cases of this happening at…

  The porsche engine did not have proper oiling due to a lack of proper oil return design which causes the bearings to prematurely wear and the rod bolts to fail in these engines. we have over 35 cases of this happening at http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxster-problems-complaints/59790-oiling-problems-blown-motors-nhtsa.html to owners of porsche boxsters and caymans from primarily the 2006 and 2007 model years. some of these failures have resulted in crashes or near-crashes as the engines fail the driver loses power steering and control of the vehicle. porsche has refused to admit there IS a problem with these engines but has redesigned the engines in 2009 to fix these oiling problems. porsche has even denied warranty claims where the failures occurred on a track during a driving school, although porsche advertises their cars as sports cars and consistently shows them on the track in advertising materials, television, etc. additional problems with the engines include increased oil consumption (1 quart per 250 miles) and cylinder scoring from improper assembly and/or design. my engine first failed at 18,000 miles and porsche made me pay over $5000 to get it fixed, the engine then consumed excessive amounts of oil and suffered from cylinder scoring after the porsche dealership rebuilt the engine in 2008. this caused the engine to need to be replaced in august 2011 for another $10,000. statistics and owner accounts are showing a serious design flaw in these engines that porsche refuses to admit and has not addressed with any sort of retro-fit kit, recall or fix. aftermarket companies have created solutions but porsche will not utilize these as they are not "porsche approved".

• Aug 15, 2011NJ22,947 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  In january of 2007 I bought a 2006 porsche caymann s form paul miller porsche in parsippany n.j. in 7\08\2010 the car began consuming oil at an alarming rate and I made an appointment with ray catina porsche in edison n.j. invoice#pocs45415. after their diagnosis they determined that the car…

  In january of 2007 I bought a 2006 porsche caymann s form paul miller porsche in parsippany n.j. in 7\08\2010 the car began consuming oil at an alarming rate and I made an appointment with ray catina porsche in edison n.j. invoice#pocs45415. after their diagnosis they determined that the car used 200ml. In 475mi., the car at the time had 17,393mi on the odometer, they said it was within specs. And I considered it part of the break in period. at 22000 mi I was experiencing an oil consumption rate of 1QT. Per 300 mi. also their consumption test and what i?m experiencing are different. it went from 1QT {946ml.}every 450-500 miles to 1QT every 250-300mi. I was resetting the trip odometer every time the car needed a quart of oil, the last time I reset the odometer before I brought it the ray catina this month was 278mi. when I brought it in the first time in 2010 it was a consumption rate of 1QT per 500mi.{that?s what I was experiencing} then they said it was normal. they currently have the car and it was determined that the motor was tearing itself apart from the inside and needs to be replaced, my point IS, if this 'normal' situation IS left unnoticed. This can lead to oil starvation and eventually catastrophic engine failure. this can lead to loss of power steering and may dump the 8 plus quarts of oil on the road. I was fortunate enough to find and almost force porsche to fix this potentially deadly situation before it got to that stage.

• Oct 30, 2010PA49,000 mi
  Unknown or other

  Transmission linkage cables broke, leaving me with only 2ND, 4TH and 6TH gears (reverse, 1ST, 3RD, and 5TH gears inoperable). I limped home in peak traffic with possible damage to the clutch.

• Nov 5, 2008MD3,500 miCrash
  Tires
  I had an accident on 11/2/08 in a porsche cayman s 2006 with the factory continental tires. The vehicle has less than 4000 miles on it. Coming a low speed corner at about 35 mph the vehicle lost control and slid down a ditch. The tires had separated from the outside edge of the wheel. The vehicle…

  I had an accident on 11/2/08 in a porsche cayman s 2006 with the factory continental tires. The vehicle has less than 4000 miles on it. Coming a low speed corner at about 35 mph the vehicle lost control and slid down a ditch. The tires had separated from the outside edge of the wheel. The vehicle suffered body damage on the right side door and other moldings. The vehicle IS currently at a porsche body shop waiting to be repaired. *Tr

• Jan 30, 2008UT5,600 mi
  Tires › Sidewall

  Tire failed on the freeway going 65 mph. No damage to the tire other than the side wall failure. Sidewall totally separated at the bead leaving the tire attached only to the outside rim edge. Continental has refused warranty replacement even though the tire IS less than one year old and less than 6,000 miles. Auto was a new porsche cayman s. *tr

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
• 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
• 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
• 11005798Special tools and equipment information VAS6292 Hunter Aligner License Program Change
• 11005786Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the brake hose 9J1611707F and 9J1611708F

Every Porsche Cayman S model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.