AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
2016 Porsche Macan Turbo
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Porsche Macan Turbo, most frequently naming the airbags and interior & seats categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 418 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags266.7%
- Interior & seats133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
4 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2016 Porsche Macan Turbo. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V131000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11466413
- Incident
- May 27, 2022
- Mileage
- 59,000 mi
WHEN AN ADULT SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ON TOP OF A NORMAL BED PILLOW NEEDED BECAUSE OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS, THE AIRBAG PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR THAT SEAT OCCUPANT TURNS OFF. I NOW HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT SINCE I AM UNPROTECTED AS A RESULT OF FRONT AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DUE TO PILLOW USE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I AM A 65 YEARS OLD MAN, WEIGH 200 POUNDS AND AM 6 FEET TALL. I HAVE OWNED AT LEAST 7 PORSCHES OVER MY LIFETIME AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS IS A PROBLEM. BY THE WAY, IT IS NOT A PROBLEM IN THE LATEST 911. THE BACK SEATS ARE OBVIOUSLY LESS COMFORTABLE. WE SPENT EXTRA MONEY TO BUY THE MOST COMFORTABLE FRONT SEATS AVAILABLE FROM PORSCHE BUT NOW REALIZE THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS USELESS AND UNSAFE FOR ANY ADULT NEEDING A PILLOW FOR SITTING. WE WILL NOT BUY A MACAN AGAIN. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER MECHANICS (VIA ACTUAL DEMONSTRATION) WHO WERE, FRANKLY, FLABBERGASTED AT THIS FINDING OF WHICH THEY AND THE SALES AND SERVICE PEOPLE WERE ALLEGEDLY UNAWARE. THEY COULD OFFER NO WORKAROUND. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR MOVING AND IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT KIND OF ROAD IS BEING DRIVEN ON OR WHAT BRAKING MIGHT BE HAPPENING OR NOT. I BELIEVE THE AIRBAG SYSTEM SEAT SENSORS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT DESIGNED SAFELY TO ALLOW FOR THE USE OF A CUSHION OR PILLOW BY AN ADULT AND STILL HAVE AIRBAG PROTECTION TURNED ON. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CONFIGURATION AND COULD HARM THE UNINFORMED OR UNAWARE. PORSCHE OWNERS DO TEND TO BE OLDER AND MIGHT HAVE MEDICAL ISSUES REQUIRING SUCH THINGS AS A PILLOW FOR SITTING MORE COMFORTABLY. I FIRST NOTICED/UNDERSTOOD THIS PROBLEM APRIL, 2018, AND HAD THE DEALER BRING AROUND NEW 2018 MACAN TO TEST FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT ALSO HAD THE SAME RESPONSE OF TURNING OFF THE AIRBAG WHEN A PILLOW WAS USED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT.
- NHTSA ID
- 11094143
- Incident
- Apr 23, 2018
- Mileage
- 17,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
Porsche Tester Software Update Information Software Version: 44.300.000
VAS 621001A Matrix Headlamp Aimer – Automatic Shipment / Maha Installation
VAS 621001A Matrix Headlamp Aimer – Automatic Shipment / Maha Installation
ENGINE
Allocation of Approved Engine Oils MY 2027 (13/26)
PiUS Update Information Software Version: 3.2
PiUS Update Information Software Version: 3.2
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.