RoadVitals

2013 Porsche Cayenne Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Sep 18, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
40%
of 40 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Porsche Cayenne submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 18, 2024

The Drive train consists of an engine, transmission, transfercase, driveshafts and differentials. The Transfercase has failed prior to the normal life cycle. Porsche recognizes this problem on this series of SUV and extends the warranty for 10 years and unlimited mileage. Porsche announced this extension in June 2024. However this does not cover the early models in this series 2011-2013 with the same drivetrain and transfercase. So in effect this failure of the transfer case is not covered on 2014 - 2011 Porsche Cayenne's models with the same transfercase because Porsche delayed the notification to customers. Even though the SUV may have low mileage, they will not warranty or cover my failure.

NHTSA ID
11615239
Incident
Aug 12, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 10, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal noise while shifting from first to second gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,300.

NHTSA ID
11493099
Incident
Aug 1, 2022
Mileage
102,300 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 29, 2021

GRINDING & CLUNKING NOISE FROM DRIVE TRAIN AT LOW ENGINE SPEEDS. TOOK IT TO PORSCHE DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER, 2020. THEY DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD IT IS OK TO DRIVE. THE NOISE IS GETTING WORSE FROM INITIAL WHINING TO GRINDING & CLUNKING NOISE. ONLINE FORUMS INDICATE THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CAYENNE & MACAN MODELS OF PORSCHE. PORSCHE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE ON THERE WEBSITE WITH WARRANTY EXTENSION. WHEN I CALL THE PORSCHE CUSTOMER SUPPORT. THEY ARE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. I THINK IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND NEED TO BE ADDRESS BY PORSCHE

NHTSA ID
11414407
Incident
Oct 1, 2020
Mileage
113,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 24, 2020

CAR HAS PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION. IT HESITATES AND DRIVES LIKE THE CAR IS BEING HELD BACK. ACCELERATION IS NOT SMOOTH. ROUGH AND SHUDDER AND HERKY JERKY. IT HAS A FAULTY TRANSFER CASE WHICH IS WELL KNOWN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ID
11376082
Incident
Nov 23, 2020
Mileage
56,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 25, 2020

MULTIPLE TRANSFER CASE FAILURES. FIRST AT 50K MILES (SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS, FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE JOLT AS THE GEAR FINALLY CHANGED)'TRANSFER CASE WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE ($7000K LATER). SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATER AT 55K MILES (SEVERE JOLT WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR)'TRANSFER CASE REPLACED UNDER PARTS WARRANTY. THIRD FAILURE HAPPENED ANOTHER 6 MONTHS LATER AT 60K MILES (SEVERE JOLT WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR). THIS LAST FAILURE'YET TO BE FIXED'HAS HAPPENED WHILE I AM ON A ROAD TRIP, AND IT RISKS ME BEING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. THIS ISSUE IS RAMPANT AMONG 958S. PORSCHE REALLY NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS ISSUE. IT'S REPORTED RAMPANTLY ON FORUMS, WITH MANY OWNERS REPORTING MULTIPLE SUCCESSIVE FAILURES LIKE I HAVE EXPERIENCED.

NHTSA ID
11325912
Incident
May 23, 2020
Mileage
60,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 19, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 PORSCHE CAYENNE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DIRVING THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FORM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THIS OCCASION WAS THE THIRD TIME THE PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11310074
Incident
Jan 16, 2020
Mileage
70,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 26, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 PORSCHE CAYENNE. WHILE DRIVING, A LOUD UNKNOWN NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000.

NHTSA ID
11282514
Incident
Nov 5, 2019
Mileage
85,000 mi
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 20, 2019

PURCHASED A 2013 CAYENNE PORSCHE GTS WITH 67K MILES ON IT. NOTICED A KIND OF THUMPING SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING, USUALLY APPEARING AT 3K RPMS. VEHICLE SHUDDERS AND ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC TO DIAGNOSE THE FAULT AND THEY IMMEDIATELY KNEW WHAT IT WAS, ENGINE TRANSFER CASE FAILURE. THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW ALLOWING WATER INTO THE TRANSFER CASE THAT PORSCHE IS AWARE OF AND YET TO ADDRESS. ON SOME OCCASIONS PORSCHE WILL PAY FOR THE $5K REPAIR BUT THE PART IS STILL REPLACED WITH A TRANSFER CASE WITH THE SAME FLAW. TRANSFER CASE FAILURE CAN LEAD TO A SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY IF SOMEONE IS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND ADDRESSING THIS WITH A RECALL FOR 2013 AND 2014 CAYENNES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER DUE TO TRANSFER CASE FAILURE, NEATLY RESULTING IN A HIGHWAY COLLISION.

NHTSA ID
11269753
Incident
Oct 10, 2019
Mileage
67,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 22, 2019

WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME ON THE HIGHWAY DOING ABOUT 30 MPH IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC MY 2013 CAYENNE GTS STARTED TO JERK BETWEEN SHIFTING GEARS. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BUMPY ROAD AT LEAST BUT THEN AFTER THE TRAFFIC WAS OVER AND I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP SOME SPEED TO UP TO AROUND 40-45MPH THE CAR SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. MY LIFE LITERALLY FLASHED IN MY EYES I WAS SO LUCKY TO GET OUT OF IT WITH NO INJURIES AFTER RESEARCHING AND VISITING MY MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A TRANSFER CASE ISSUE AND IT'S A VERY COMMON THING TO HAPPEN ON CAYENNES WITH GASOLINE ENGINE

NHTSA ID
11257179
Incident
Sep 21, 2019
Mileage
65,190 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 13, 2019

TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE ISSUES IMMEDIATELY AFTER ACCELERATION BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. VEHICLE STUMBLES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN LEFT FROM A STANDSTILL, KNOWN ISSUE IN THE PORSCHE COMMUNITY, MY ISSUE FIRST STARTED AT 68K MILES, GOT THE TRANSFER CASE REPLACED, NOW SAME ISSUE WITH THE TRANSFER CASE AGAIN AT 79K MILES, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, MY WIFE, AND 2 KIDS AT THE AGE OF 8 YEARS OLD AND 7 MONTHS OLDS WAS ALLMOST IN AN ACCIDENT WITH AN TRACTOR TRAILER DUE TO THIS TRANSFER CASE, SOMEONE PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, PORSCHE MANUFACTURER HASN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS KNOWN PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
11255257
Incident
Sep 5, 2019
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 7, 2019

FAILURE OF TRANSFER CASE AT 51,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 78,000 MILES. PORSCHE ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM NATIONWIDE BUT WILL NOT COVER REPAIR. VEHICLE SHUTTERS/STUTTERS AND DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEARS (4 TO 5). THIS FAILURE IS DESCRIBED COUNTLESS NUMBER OF TIMES ON THE INTERNET IN VARIOUS FORUMS. PORSCHE NORTH AMERICA REFUSES TO COVER REPAIR & WARRANTY REPAIR ON SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
11242302
Incident
Aug 6, 2019
Mileage
78,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 6, 2019

VEHICLE IN MOTION SUDDENLY SHUTTERS AND SLOWS. SOMETIMES VEHICLE WILL FAIL TO MOVE FROM STATIONARY. DEALER DIAGNOSED TRANSFERE CASE PROBLEM. INTERNET IS FULL OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. PORSCHE ADMITS DESIGN FLAW, BUT WILL NOT ASSIST. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM. VEHICLE HA 60,000 MI ON ODOMETER.

NHTSA ID
11218352
Incident
Jun 3, 2019
Mileage
60,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 23, 2019

TRANSFER CASE FAILING 43,000 MILES. TOXIC FUMES ENTERING CABIN, VEHICLE JERKS AND AND DOES NOT FUNCTION. WIFE WAS ALMOST KILLED AS VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WAY OF A SEMI- TRUCK. GATHERING DATA NOW TO BEGIN LEGAL PROCEEDING. THE NHTSA WILL ALSO BE NAMED IN THE LAWSUIT AS THEY ARE FAILING TO PROPERLY PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM DANGEROUS VEHICLES.

NHTSA ID
11191076
Incident
Jun 12, 2018
Mileage
43,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 25, 2018

TRANSFER CASE FAILS VERY OFTEN. IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO JERK AND UNSTABLE DURING DRIVING. PORSCHE HASN'T ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON CAYENNES.

NHTSA ID
11163332
Incident
Dec 24, 2018
Mileage
72,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 31, 2018

TRANSFER CASE FAILURE AT 43,000 MILES. KNOWN DEFECT COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF FAILS

NHTSA ID
11123796
Incident
Aug 14, 2018
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 22, 2018

4 WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE SLIPS WHEN DRIVING, ONGOING FACTORY PROBLEM, FAULTY DESIGN FROM FACTORY OFFERED TO COVER SOME, I FEEL SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THE SHOULD COVER THE ENTIRE COST

NHTSA ID
11103370
Incident
Apr 1, 2018
Mileage
70,000 mi

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

Data on this page last refreshed .