2017 Porsche 718 Cayman Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts337.5%
- Engine112.5%
- Interior & seats112.5%
- Exterior lighting112.5%
- Powertrain (other)112.5%
- Visibility112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
seat belt will not retracted back it stays completly loose.
I have a Porsche 718 Cayman [XXX] I purchase this vehicle October 16, 2020 with only 1,500 miles on the odometer from Porsche of Tucson 4690 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85711. Purchase Porsche extended platinum warranty for 96/100,000 miles. My passenger side 3- point seatbelt will not retract back properly. This is definitely a safety issue for the passenger. I set up an appointment to have it fix with the Porsche of Tucson dealership. I was told that it would not be covered under the platinum warranty. The odometer mileage I have now on my Porsche 718 Cayman is 13,685. I believe it should be covered due to a safety issue and especially with low mileage on the Porsche 718 Cayman with passenger seat belt not retracting back it stays loose on the passenger when seat belt is on. As a driver I never sit in the passenger side and just recently notice the belt being twisted and not properly aligned when my passenger complaint about belt. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I SUSTAINED SERIOUS BURNS TO MY CALF FROM MY THE EXHAUSTS ON MY 2014 BOXSTER S, AND MY 2017 CAYMAN, ON TWO OCCASIONS. BOTH CARS SUFFER FROM THE SAME DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT: AN EXCESSIVELY PROTRUDING CENTRAL EXHAUST PIPE. THE FIRST INJURY WAS SUSTAINED ON FEBRUARY 19, 2017, WHEN I LEANED AGAINST MY 2014 BOXSTER S, AND THE REAR OF MY CALF MADE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE PROTRUDING EXHAUST PIPE. THE SECOND INJURY OCCURRED ON AUGUST 11, 2018, WHEN I PLACED A SUITCASE IN THE TRUNK OF MY 2017 718 CAYMAN, AND THE FRONT OF MY CALF TOUCHED THE EXHAUST. THE 718/BOXSTER S EXHAUSTS ARE UNREASONABLY DANGEROUS AS IT IS EXTREMELY EASY, EVEN WHEN BEING VERY CAREFUL, TO INADVERTENTLY MAKE CONTACT WITH THE HOT PIPES. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PURPORTED 'WARNINGS' IN THE OWNERS' MANUALS, THEY ARE INSUFFICIENT AND FLAT-OUT ABSURD, AS THEY CANNOT BE ADHERED TO IF ONE USES THE TRUNK. I AM ASKING THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS PATENTLY DANGEROUS DESIGN DEFECT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
I have a Porsche 718 Cayman [XXX] I purchase this vehicle October 16, 2020 with only 1,500 miles on the odometer from Porsche of Tucson 4690 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85711. Purchase Porsche extended platinum warranty for 96/100,000 miles. My passenger side 3- point seatbelt will not retract back properly. This is definitely a safety issue for the passenger. I set up an appointment to have it fix with the Porsche of Tucson dealership. I was told that it would not be covered under the platinum warranty. The odometer mileage I have now on my Porsche 718 Cayman is 13,685. I believe it should be covered due to a safety issue and especially with low mileage on the Porsche 718 Cayman with passenger seat belt not retracting back it stays loose on the passenger when seat belt is on. As a driver I never sit in the passenger side and just recently notice the belt being twisted and not properly aligned when my passenger complaint about belt. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
BOTH HEADLIGHTS GET FOGGY CONDENSATION DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR LOSE AND MAKING RATTLING NOISE WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS POOR CONTACT WITH FRONT WINDSHIELD. POOR VISIBILITY ON RAINY DAY
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The passenger side (right rear) inside CV joint grease boot clamp failed and leaked grease. I discovered it while switching out Winter to Summer tires. I have included pictures. In researching the defect I found that it is a common occurrence with the Porsche 718 Cayman and occurs with low mileage. I believe the clamp was defective or not installed correctly during the assembly process. If I didn’t catch the leak it could have resulted in a drive axle failure and breakdown on the road endangering myself or other vehicles. My car is not tracked and is used for pleasure driving. Because I caught the leak early the Porsche dealer was able to install a new clamp. I have included the repair invoice. There were no warning messages indicating the clamp failure. My car is maintained yearly by my dealer. In addition, during my research, I read that low mileage water pump failure is also a common occurrence with 718 Cayman’s.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
BOTH HEADLIGHTS GET FOGGY CONDENSATION DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR LOSE AND MAKING RATTLING NOISE WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS POOR CONTACT WITH FRONT WINDSHIELD. POOR VISIBILITY ON RAINY DAY
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .