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2016 Porsche Macan S Diesel

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

29 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 27, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Airbags problems dominate (45% of complaints).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#85 of 633Among the 2016 models with a matured record, the 2016 Porsche Macan S Diesel ranks #85, scoring higher than 86% of them. See the 2016 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity92
Recall load100
Trend48

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20172025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2016 Porsche Macan S Diesel, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (13)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Airbags

45%

13 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out. I was told that if the vehicle was in an accident the airbag might not deploy correctly. The Porsche dealer sa…

Read the airbags complaints →

Engine

14%

4 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

THE EMERGENCY INDICATOR CAME ON WHILE I WAS OPERATING MY CAR. IT SAYS THE CAR IS TOO HOT. PULL OVER TO COOL DOWN' WHILE DRIVING IN A HIGHWAY. NO PRIOR INDICATION BEFOR…

Read the engine complaints →

Steering

14%

4 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

The steering felt loose as if the car can loose control

Read the steering complaints →

Electrical system

7%

2 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

TRAVELING ON ROADWAY, WARNING ON DASH "ELECTRONIC STEERING FAILURE", UNABLE TO STEER VEHICLE, RAN OFF ROADWAY, TOTALED CAR. PORSCHE SAYS THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM.

Read the electrical system complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 29 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 1 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Porsche before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  3. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  4. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2016 Porsche MACAN S DIESEL beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2016? See how every Macan S Diesel model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2016 Porsche Macan S Diesel against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2016 Porsche Macan S Diesel as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.