2018 Porsche Cayenne problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel/Propulsion System (2) · Visibility/Wiper (1) · Tires (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Porsche Cayenne model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Equipment 2018-11-28 · campaign 18V844000 · 142 vehicles
Defect: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid Platinum Edition, Macan Turbo and Macan GTS vehicles, 2017-2018 Cayenne S, Macan, Cayenne Platinum Edition and Macan S vehicles and 2018 Cayenne vehicles equipped with the optional ski bag. The ski bag fastening strap may have been sewn with incorrect thread, possibly resulting in the strap seams tearing and the ski bag being un
Risk: If the ski bag detaches during a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ski bags, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AJ12.
Service bulletins (684)
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 684 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-02 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the high-voltage battery pack in my 2018 porsche cayenne s e-hybrid (vin: [xxx] , approximately 81,000 miles) has experienced a noticeable and progressive reduction in battery range and performance. on february 20, 2026, porsche white plains (an authorized porsche dealer) performed an inspection but was unable to duplicate an active fault code an…”
2025-12-20 · Power Train“driving through a parking lot, less than five miles an hour, and suddenly heard a horrible knocking sound. stopped and looked under the car. nothing. drove it very slowly to mechanic less than a mile away. front drive shaft had collapsed and fallen down, according to the mechanic. …”
2025-05-27 · Tires“the contact owns a 2018 porsche cayenne equipped with michelin tires, tire line: latitude sport, tire size: 295/35/r21, dot number: (n/a). the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and the front passenger’s side tire started deflating. the vehicle w…”
2024-10-17 · Air Bags“this is not accident related, but what appears to be a systemic issue related to cayenne and macan leather dashboards. the issue is related to delamination of the leather dash cover that can impede the safe deployment of the passenger airbag. many cars are affected and the repair can be a significant expense to owners (~$10k) for vehicles less than…”
2024-08-21 · Unknown Or Other“the porsche cayenne that equipped with leather dashboard are peeling off over the time. if the vehicle in an accident, the airbag on the passenger side dashboard may not deploy correctly. i am finding many cayenne owners are having this issue. i really hope ntsb can issue a recall.…”
2024-06-12 · Electrical System“while the vehicle was charging, the protective sheath near the power outlet of the charging cable had possible electrical or fire damage. no warning lights were illuminated. upon turning off the power and unplugging the outlet, it was determined that the plastic near the plug melted and caused the power to short. i have been unsuccessful getting th…”
2023-03-17 · Exterior Lighting“our 2018 porsche cayenne has a problem with the headlights and water intrusion that is affecting the functioning of the headlights. i took it to someone to look at and they said this should not be happening, that it is a manufacturer defect. i googled my car / year and there is a recall for headlight issues but for some reason my vin is not include…”
2021-08-15 · Unknown Or Other“the day we took our porsche home, we noticed a lot of heat generation in the car- but we thought it will be fine going further, given the attention to detail of porsche's automobile engineering. the following days were not any better for my daughter- she missed a major accident because of the unexpected burnt smell and loud warnings of an overheat…”
2021-05-09 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control · 15,944 mi“2018 porsche cayenne: at highway speeds, randomly a serious unsafe to operate 'service necessary' warning appears on the instrument panel and the cruise control malfunctions. with the service necessary warning indicated, the vehicle is unsafe to operate. this unsafe vehicle is not drivable with cruise control for approximately the next hour. this…”
2019-11-27 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 5,000 mi“when trying to accelerate into traffic vehicle will experience what feels like a dead spot in the accelerator and then lurch forward at a high speed this condition has been reported on numerous complaint site concerning various porsche vehicles and specificall concerning porsche cayenne dealer says car is fine.unsafe to drive since you never know w…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.