2018 Porsche CAYENNE

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2018 Porsche CAYENNE has 18 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: intermittent lack of acceleration when taking left turns from a dead stop. car was a dealer loaner with 9000 miles on speedometer. i purchased the car in august, 2018. within the first 1000 miles and in less than four weeks i experienced a serious lack of acceleration on two occasions when maki.

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

3 complaints

17%

• INTERMITTENT LACK OF ACCELERATION WHEN TAKING LEFT TURNS FROM A DEAD STOP. CAR WAS A DEALER LOANER WITH 9000 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN AUGUST, 2018. WITHIN THE FIRST 1000 MILES AND IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS LACK OF ACCELERATION ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN MAKI
• THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING, THE ROAD WAS THE GARDEN STAT PARKWAY IN NEW JERSEY , HAPPENED IN MID NIGHT
• 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 unexp

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“INTERMITTENT LACK OF ACCELERATION WHEN TAKING LEFT TURNS FROM A DEAD STOP. CAR WAS A DEALER LOANER WITH 9000 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN AUGUST, 2018. WITHIN THE FIRST 1000 MILES AND IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS LACK OF ACCELERATION ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN MAKI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

3 complaints

17%

• THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING, THE ROAD WAS THE GARDEN STAT PARKWAY IN NEW JERSEY , HAPPENED IN MID NIGHT
• 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 unexp
• 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.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING, THE ROAD WAS THE GARDEN STAT PARKWAY IN NEW JERSEY , HAPPENED IN MID NIGHT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

3 complaints

17%

• 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 unexp
• 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 p
• 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 b

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 unexp”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

2 complaints

11%

• 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
• 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 b

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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 ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

2 complaints

11%

• 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.
• 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 significan

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 18 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: INTERMITTENT LACK OF ACCELERATION WHEN TAKING LEFT TURNS FROM A DEAD STOP. CAR WAS A DEALER LOANER WITH 9000 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN AUGUST, 2018. WITHIN THE FIRST 1000 MILES AND IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS LACK OF ACCELERATION ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN MAKI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING, THE ROAD WAS THE GARDEN STAT PARKWAY IN NEW JERSEY , HAPPENED IN MID NIGHT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: 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 unexp
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)