What 62 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid Coupe

CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS SNAPPED WHILE IN OPERATING MODE.BEING MADE OF ALUMINUM NOT STEEL AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP OPERATING. PORSCHE USA REFUSED TO COOPERATE CITING AN OUT OF WARRANTY REASON.VEHICLE ONLU HAD 84000 MILES WHEN THIS FACTORY DEFECT HAS EFFECTED THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI 10928336

MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE -RELATED TO DEFECT IDENTIFIED IN VOLUNTARY WORKSHOP CAMPAIGN WC-22-IN THE ALUMINUM CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS WHICH HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHEER OFF, WHICH PREVENT THE CAMSHAFTS FROM RUNNING. IF THIS OCCURS IN THE CAMSHAFT THAT OPERATES THE VACUUM PUMP, THE POWER BRAKING WILL ALSO FAIL, WHICH WILL RESULT IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BRAKE THE CAR WITHOUT THE VACUUM POWDERED BRAKES. THE BOLTS THEMSELVES MAY ALSO DROP INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL. IN MY CASE VEHICLE HAD DEALER ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK 3-4 DAYS EARLIER- EVERYTHING "PERFECT". ON DAY OF FAILURE STOPPED FOR GAS AND AFTER RESTART HEARD A NEW "TICKING" AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED DEALER WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO COME OVER. I DROVE ABOUT 3-4 MILES TO DEALER NEW PSM FAILURE AND ANOTHER I DID NOT GET WHEN CAR LOST POWER AND SEEMED TO BRAKE POORLY.. ROLLED INTO DEALER AND STILL THERE- ENGINE PULLED --MAY BE COMPLETE LOSS. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED TODAY THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE AS WC-22

NHTSA ODI 10926441

FAULTY CAMSHAFT BOLTS IN EARLY V8'S OF THIS GENERATION (2011 MODELS) RESULTING IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND SOMETIMES BRAKES. VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD, LUCKILY WAS NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEED OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI 10918673

THE CAR STOPPED WHILE BEING DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY SUBURBAN ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED THE PSM LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE SUDDEN STOP. THE CAR WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE ROAD AND FLAT BEDDED TO PAUL MILLER PORSCHE IN PARSIPPANY, N.J. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN(S) FOUND THAT AT LEAST ONE ALUMINUM BOLT FROM THE CAM SHAFT ADJUSTER HAD SHEARED OFF AND FELL THROUGH THE ENGINE CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS PURCHASE BRAND NEW ON JUNE 15, 2011. THE CAR HAD BEEN SPECIAL ORDERED SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DELIVERY DATE. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE. IT APPEARS THAT PORSCHE CAYENNES AND PANAMERAS MANUFACTURED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD OUR CAR WAS MADE WERE RECALLED IN CHINA FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE-ALUMINUM CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS SHEARING OFF INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSING TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. THIS CAR WAS OUT OF THE PORSCHE 4 YEAR/50K WARRANTY PERIOD. I NOTIFIED PORSCHE NORTH AMERICA OF THIS INCIDENT AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER OUR GEICO MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN INSURANCE. GEICO SENT OUT INSPECTORS TO EXAMINE THE CAR AND DEEMED IT A TOTAL LOSS. WE SURRENDERED THE CAR TO GEICO AND WERE PAID WHAT THEY DEEMED THE CAR WAS WORTH. THE LAST TIME WE SAW THE CAR WAS AT PAUL MILLER PORSCHE IN PARSIPANNY, N.J. ON JULY 26TH WHEN WE EMPTIED IT OF OUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT IN THIS INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY A CAR SUDDENLY STOPPING WHILE BEING DRIVEN IS HUGE DANGER. HAD THIS OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY OR IN FASTER TRAFFIC THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.

NHTSA ODI 10897068

THERE HAVE BEEN INCREASING REPORTS OF VARIOCAM CAMSHAFT DRIVE BOLT FAILURES ON THE 2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE V8 ENGINES. WHEN THESE BOLTS FAIL, ENGINE DAMAGE OCCURS, AND THE ENGINE TYPICALLY STOPS RUNNING. IN THE CASE OF THE TURBO MODEL - THIS CAN ALSO RESULT IN THE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY SINCE THE BRAKES ARE POWERED OFF A CAMSHAFT. THERE IS ALSO A LOSS OF POWER STEERING - MEANING YOU HAVE A 4,500LB VEHICLE WITHOUT BRAKES OR STEERING. PORSCHE HAD A LIMITED "WORKSHOP CAMPAIGN" FOR THESE VEHICLES THAT ADDRESSED A CERTAIN RANGE OF VIN# IN THE USA. IT IS WC-22 (I'M ATTACHING A PDF OF IT.) THE FAILURES ARE NOW BEING REPORTED WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY IN VIN#'S NOT COVERED BY THIS WORKSHOP CAMPAIGN. THE CAMPAIGN INVOLVES REPLACING THE VARIOCAM ASSEMBLY WITH ONE ASSEMBLED WITH STEEL BOLTS RATHER THAN ALUMINUM BOLTS. EARLIER VERSIONS OF THIS ASSEMBLY ALSO USED STEEL BOLTS, AND THE FAILURES APPEAR LIMITED TO ONES WHERE THE ALUMINUM BOLTS WERE USED. THE MOST COMPLETE DISCUSSION ON THIS CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://WWW.6SPEEDONLINE.COM/FORUMS/CAYENNE/319690-SNAPPED-CAMSHAFT-ADJUSTER-BOLT-ENGINE-BRAKE-HYDRAULICS-FAILURE.HTML THERE ARE OTHER WEBSITES AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE SAME FAILURE. HERE IS AN ARTICLE ON THE RECALL PORSCHE DID IN CHINA FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: HTTP://EUROPE.AUTONEWS.COM/ARTICLE/20150209/ANE/150209861/PORSCHE-WILL-RECALL-SOME-PANAMERA-CAYENNE-MODELS-IN-CHINA MINE HAS NOT FAILED YET - BUT IT APPEARS TO BE JUST A MATTER OF TIME, MINE HAS THE ALUMINUM BOLTS IN THE ASSEMBLY. I WOULD ASK THAT PORSCHE EXTEND THE WORKSHOP CAMPAIGN TO ALL THE VEHICLES WITH THE ALUMINUM BOLTS USED IN THE VARIOCAM ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE OF BOTH BRAKES AND STEERING THAT OCCURS WHEN THESE BOLTS FAIL IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. IT MAKES ME HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I'VE ASKED THE LOCAL DEALER ABOUT IT, AND THEY CLAIM MY VEHICLE IS NOT EFFECTED.

NHTSA ODI 10894489

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD IN A REMOTE NATIONAL PARK, THE TUBING THAT RETURNS COOLANT TO THE ENGINE BLOCK FROM THE RADIATOR ON MY 2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE S COMPLETELY BLEW APART. THIS ALUMINUM TO ALUMINUM TUBING CONNECTION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN HELD TOGETHER EXCLUSIVELY BY A THIN, INCOMPLETE RING OF EPOXY GLUE. THIS IS GROSSLY SUBSTANDARD ENGINEERING FOR ANY SUCH VITAL CONNECTION WITHIN THE ENGINE. PORSCHE HAS NEGLECTED TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN ISSUE IN MODEL YEARS SUCH AS MINE, BUT HAS CHANGED ITS DESIGN IN THE SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS (LIKELY BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THIS WAS DANGEROUS AND SUBSTANDARD ENGINEERING). THEY HAVE NOT SENT OUT ANY BULLETIN OR RECALL TO ADVISE DRIVERS OF THIS DEFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION OR PREEMPTIVELY REPAIR IT. I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN A DESERT WHERE I HAD TO WALK FOR HOURS TO GET HELP AND HAD TO HAVE $1000 TOW TO THE NEAREST CITY, ALL BECAUSE OF THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH PORSCHE IS ALREADY AWARE.

NHTSA ODI 10762247

ON FREEWAY 65-70 MPH WHEN PSM FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOS OF POWER JUST MADE OFF FREE WITH CHUGGING AND TO A STOP . TOWED TO DEALER ON A SUNDAY 8/2/15 MONDAY CALL ALUMINUM BOLTS IN VALVE ADJUSTERS ? CAN DAMAGE OR DID THE ENGINE . NO RECALLS ON THEM AND IS A KNOWN PROBLEM .

NHTSA ODI 10746230

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE AND STABILITY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT STATED THAT THEY HAD NO AVAILABILITY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE CEASED FOUR DAYS LATER BUT SOON RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 09/17/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED PORSCHE IS MAKING THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. UPDATE 09/18/13

NHTSA ODI 10538107