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What 12 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (12)Crash / fire / injury (1)Engine (3)Airbags (2)Electrical system (2)Lights (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Body & structure (1)Brakes (1)Fuel system (1)

2 of 12 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Feb 23, 2023Electrical system

Porsche and VW has a drainage issues with certain model vehicles. The drainage plug is set in the trunk near the battery, main system cpu and amplifier. Water gets drain into the lower compartment of the trunk and causes electrical issues with the vehicle. It's been a design flaw from porsche since before the Cayenne was created. To repair the damage it cost upwards of $3,000 per damage battery, electrical components, amplifier are all billed separate. Porsche warranty refuses to honor the design flaws in correct the issues. Owners are not made aware of the issue until it becomes an issue then porsche wants no part to do with it. The drainage location can cause an electrical fire and engine malfunction while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11508794

Oct 6, 2017Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 PORSCHE CAYENNE S E-HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND A WARNING MESSAGE THAT READ "ENGINE FAILURE, DRIVE ON POSS" APPEARED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OVER TO A DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT, BUT FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER (PORSCHE OF ARLINGTON, 3100 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, ARLINGTON, VA, 22202) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE FAILED AND A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW THROTTLE AND SOFTWARE UPDATE; HOWEVER, LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE CASE ESCALATED AND SOMEONE WOULD RETURN THE CALL. NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,600.

NHTSA ODI 11032080

Working with the data? Download all 12 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-hybrid verdict →