2008 Porsche Cayenne S 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 2008 Porsche Cayenne S, 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
- Engine466.7%
- Fuel system116.7%
- Transmission116.7%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL, HIGH PRESSURE, AND PRESSURE PUMPS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY A DEALER DUE TO THE COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
COOLANT DISTRIBUTOR BOLTED TO THE BACK OF ENGINE BLOCK HAS A GLUED -IN PIPE THAT CONNECTS TO A HOSE. THE GLUED-IN PIPE IS LEAKING AND HALF WAY PUSHED OUT OF THE DISTRIBUTOR. THE IMMINENT FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD HAVE CAUSED IMMEDIATE OVERHEAT AND FIRE DUE TO CATASTROPHIC COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE. THE REPAIR IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. PORSCHE HAS A NEW PART THAT HAS THE PIPE THREADED IN INSTEAD OF GLUED. PORSCHE SHOULD RECALL THIS AND PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND SAFETY ISSUE. IMAGINE 8 GALLONS OF HOT COOLANT DISCHARGING ALL OVER, SAY A MOTORCYCLIST GOING 70 MPH. THIS ISSUE WAS NOTICED WHILE DOING OTHER COOLANT SYSTEM MAINTENANCE THAT WAS ALSO NECESSITATED BY POOR DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL, HIGH PRESSURE, AND PRESSURE PUMPS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY A DEALER DUE TO THE COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON MY 2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE S ( PURCHASED IN MARCH 2007) I HAVE AT LEAST 3 TIMES EXPERIENCED A INCORRECT DOWNSHIFT INITIATED BY THE AUTOMOBILE IN ALL CASES THE CAR/COMPUTER OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO SHIFT DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR ( GOING UP A STEEP HILL AT HIGHWAY SPEED, TRAVERSING A STEEP PARKING LOT AT LOW SPEED) ETC RATHER THAN SHIFTING ONE GEAR THE CAR SEEMS TO HAVE SHIFTED 2 OR 3 GEARS AT ONE TIME THE ENGINE REVVED TO ABOUT 5000 RPM WITHIN THE RED LINE LIMITS- VERY NOISY AND DISCONCERTING I EXITED THE PROBLEM BY MANUALLY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WHICH CLEARED THE PROBLEM THEN BACK TO DRIVE I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO MY DEALER WHO OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE VERY INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, HE ALSO SAYS HE CHECKED THE COMPUTER LOG AND COULD NOT FIND ANY REPORT AND THAT THERE NO SERVICE BULLETINS RELATING I THINK THAT THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BEING POTENTIALLY A MAJOR DRIVER DISTRACTION. *TR
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 .