2014 Porsche 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 2014 Porsche 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
- Engine228.6%
- Fuel system228.6%
- Airbags114.3%
- Electrical114.3%
- Powertrain (other)114.3%
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
IGNITION COIL FAILURE ON CYLINDER #3 DUE TO NO HEAT SHIELD BETWEEN COIL & CATALYST WHICH IS SITUATED JUST BELOW THE COIL. THIS RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND MISFIRES OF #3 CYLINDER. MECHANIC STATES THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL A PROPER HEAT SHIELD IS INSTALLED BETWEEN THE COIL & THE CATALYST. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME ON A FREEWAY AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH.
A SMALL ROCK CAME THROUGH THE FRONT AIR INLET ON DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR STRIKING THE FRONT AC CONDENSER. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF FREON THAT BOTH ENTERED THE CABIN THROUGH THE SYSTEM VENTS AND SPEWED AC OIL INTO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE CAR, LEFT FRONT TIRE, ETC. THIS PRESENTED A HAZARD FROM INHALATION OF FREON GAS SUCKED INTO THE HVAC SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF OIL CONTAMINATING THE FRONT TIRE OR BRAKE ASSEMBLY NO PROTECTION (GRILL,SCREEN, ETC) IS PROVIDED FROM THE FACTORY. THE FRONT CONDENSERS ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ONLINE FROM OTHER 2013 TO 2014 BOXSTER AND CAYMAN MODELS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2014 CAYMAN S, MANUAL TRANSMISSION. PORSCHE WAS UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. COST TO REPAIR $1200. *TR
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
Code P1023 Fuel Pump pressure/ quantity too low at start. Rough Start when engine is cold, high pressure fuel pump appears to be leaking. Replacement part is out of stock, unavailable. Unsafe to drive, could start a fire.
Fuel tank is rubbing against the body causing visible rub marks on the plastic tank itself. This is caused by foam pads either being misplaced or not installed at all from the factory. Porsche themselves have a TSB on it (SB-1403), but they will not handle the fix outside of warranty. This seems like a major safety issue where a plastic component holding flammable fuel is rubbing against the metal body and causing a potential failure point where fuel can leak onto hot components. Porsche has stated this is not a safety issue, but I cannot see how that is possibly the case. Many others online are facing the same issue and are getting quotes of $2k USD for the fix to be carried out. Please look into this as I do not feel safe driving my car knowing that the fuel tank can rub itself to failure at any point.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
DOOR PANEL IS WARPING AWAY FROM THE DOOR FRAME AT THE WINDOW. THIS APPEARS TO BE WHERE THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG DEPLOYS FROM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
IGNITION COIL FAILURE ON CYLINDER #3 DUE TO NO HEAT SHIELD BETWEEN COIL & CATALYST WHICH IS SITUATED JUST BELOW THE COIL. THIS RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND MISFIRES OF #3 CYLINDER. MECHANIC STATES THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL A PROPER HEAT SHIELD IS INSTALLED BETWEEN THE COIL & THE CATALYST. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME ON A FREEWAY AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH.
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
AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT I INTENDED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR BUT WHEN STARTING TO MOVE, THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE GEAR AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES IN DIFFERENT A FEW OCCASIONS. I AM WELL TRAINED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND MY PREVIOUS 300,000 MILES OF DRIVING WERE ON SIMILAR CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM DIFFERENT VENDORS. A LARGE NUMBER OF 981 OWNERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION REPORTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AS CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PORSCHE 981 FORUM HTTP://WWW.PLANET-9.COM/981-CHAT/90509-ACCIDENTALLY-SELECTED-REVERSE-STOPLIGHT.HTML THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF TWO DESIGN ISSUES WITH THIS CAR MODE: 1. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL BLOCK THAT PREVENTS SHIFTING INTO THE REVERSE GEAR WHEN INTENDING TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR (E.G. BY REQUIRING TO PRESS THE STICK SHIFT DOWN TO ENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR) 2. THE CAR HAS AN ELECTRONIC GEAR INDICATOR BUT IT STAYS BLANK WHEN THE CAR STOPS AND DISPLAYS THE ENGAGED GEAR ONLY WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AND ACHIEVED A CERTAIN SPEED, WHICH IS TOO LATE. THIS COMPLAINTS APPLIES TO 2014 PORSCHE 981 BOXSTER, BOXSTER S, CAYMAN AND CAYMAN S WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION ONLY. *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 .