2011 Porsche Cayman problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (3) · Engine (2)
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (389)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 28-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c40 engine oils. note that this bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which c40 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 27-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c20 engine oils. note that the bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which c20 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 26-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche c30 engine oils. note that the bulletin includes all models back to model year 1984, for which c30 engine oils are allocated.
Power Train 2026-09-22 · No. 25-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
manufacturer's certificate for overview of approved porsche a40 engine oils. note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 1997 to 2020, for which a40 engine oils are assigned. model years 1997-2001 are not available for selection in the system.
Wheels 2026-09-14 · SPTL2609 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
special tools and equipment information for alignment machines - q3 2026 software spec update available
Electrical System 2026-09-01 · No. 12-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical information for damage to nano plug contacts due to utilization of incorrect measuring equipment
Showing the 6 most recent of 389 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2021-08-29 · Engine“the vacuum pump retaining screws vibrated out, causing an oil leak and reduced functionality of the braking system. this is the second 2011 porsche cayman s that i have owned to have this problem. the first cause a fire and i received minor burns from the incident. fortunately this time no fire was caused and the vehicle is repairable. please see n…”
2021-08-29 · Engine · 🔥 fire“the vacuum pump (porsche part number 9a1-110-090-02) cover retaining screws vibrated out causing the cover to damage the fuel lines and causing an engine oil leak. the fuel and oil were ignited by the exhaust or stray spark cause by the vacuum covers rotation and hitting other metal objects. this vacuum pump provides vacuum to the brake booster and…”
2020-05-27 · Power Train · 27,024 mi“the linkage for the manual transmission has a high failure rate. it has separated twice now, each time failing in about 5,000 to 7,000 miles requiring being towed into the dealership for service. very dangerous if this happens in traffic and your linkage fails while shifting and you are now not in any gear. *bf *tr consumer stated while pullin…”
2015-04-12 · Power Train · 34,235 mi“while shifting from 5th to 6th gear, i felt something (presumably the shift cable) snap. the car was locked in gear, and i was unable to shift to another gear. in looking online i found complaints by several other porsche owners that shift cables on their cars had broken. *tr…”
2012-01-29 · Power Train · 7,020 mi“i was driving the car at approximately 47 mph in traffic and the on board computer displayed the warning message "transmission temperature too high" followed by the message "transmission emergency run". the car at this point stopped moving and i coasted to a stop in traffic. the immediate cut off of the power train and pdk transmission poses a seri…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.