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

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.

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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.

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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.

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A 'HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE' MESSAGE IS RECEIVED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION (NORMAL DRIVING, AND/OR ACCELERATED DRIVING), OR UPON INITIAL START-UP OF THE ENGINE. THE HYBRID SYSTEM THEM FAILS TO 'E' CHARGE AS IT SHOULD. AFTER A FEW DAYS ERROR MAY DISAPPEAR, BUT RANDOMLY RESURFACES EACH TIME.

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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.

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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 .

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TRANSFER CASE ISSUE IS RESULTING IN A JERKY VEHICLE. THIS IS PART OF THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND OVER TIME WILL CAUSE WEAR IN FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS OF AN AWD VEHICLE.

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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

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THE FACTORY PROGRAMMING OF THE COMPUTER AND SPEED CONTROL IS INCORRECT. PORSCHE STATES THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING WITHIN CHARACTERISTICS AND SPECIFICATIONS [AND ACCORDING TO US LAW A VARIANCE OF UP TO 18% IS ALLOWED IN THE SPEEDOMETER.] HOWEVER, PORSCHE HAS TAKEN THE US LAW TO MEAN THAT IT IS ALLOWED TO INTENTIONALLY PROGRAM ITS COMPUTERS TO THE SAME SPECIFICATIONS AS ANALOG GAUGES. PORSCHE CANNOT DEMONSTRATE THAT THE INACCURACY IN THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT EFFECTING THE HYBRID OPERATIONS OF THE VEHICLE. THE INACCURATE SPEED READING MAY ALSO CREATE INACCURATE ODOMETER READINGS. IN ADDITION THE VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH HARD BRAKING WHICH IS ESPECIALLY PRONOUNCED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNDER CRUISE CONTROL. AND IN CERTAIN INSTANCES THERE IS LAG ON ACCELERATION. PORSCHE HAS REFUSED TO REPROGRAM THE SPEEDOMETER CONTROLS TO ACTUAL SPEED. GIVEN THAT THE ONLY PROBLEMS ON THE VEHICLE ARE RELATED TO THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE, IT SEEMS THAT PORSCHE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING A SOLUTION BY REPROGRAMMING THE ONBOARD COMPUTERS. *TT

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WHEN ROLLING SLOWLY (<15MPH) 1-2 SECOND STALL/BOG AFTER PRESSING ACCELERATOR BEFORE CAR ACCELERATES, CREATING A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESP WHEN MERGING WITH TRAFFIC, CHANGING LANES, ETC. *TR PORSCHE NORTH AMERICA DENIES THIS IS A PROBLEM AFTER INSPECTION AND SAYS ITS "PERFORMING TO SPECIFICATION". SEPARATELY, SEVERAL PORSCHE DEALERS HAVE VERBALLY ACKNOLWEDGED AND/OR CONFIRMED THIS ISSUE AND CALL IT A "FIRST YEAR" HYBRID MODEL PROBLEM.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN EXTREME GLARE WAS REFLECTING FROM THE DASHBOARD ONTO THE WINDSHIELD, OBSTRUCTING HIS VISION. THE DEALER OFFERED TO PLACE A BLANKET OVER THE DASHBOARD AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

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VEHICLE FAILS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE HESITATES/ BOGS DOWN FOR 5 TO 8 SECONDS BEFORE ACCELERATING REGARDLESS OF THE THROTTLE POSITION. THIS INTERMITTENT FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED OR REPLICATED BY THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. IT IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE SINCE IT IMPAIRS THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO ENTER FLOWING TRAFFIC SAFELY. THE FAULT HAS OCCURRED 9 TIMES ALREADY.

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