What 90 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S

I own a 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S (in service Nov 2, 2020) with a performance+ HV battery. I am currently facing a third round of module replacements.  The service chronology and detail is set forth in the attached e-mail I sent to Porsche and the attached service reports. The safety concern I have is that when the defective modules fail, the vehicle suddenly becomes inoperable. The last failure incident in April 2026 resulted in the vehicle blocking in two other vehicles until it could be removed on a flatbed. I simply do not feel safe driving a vehicle that could shut down whenever the next module failure happens. There are 33 modules in the HV battery.  15 have been replaced already and it is clearly an ongoing issue as the vehicle is currently in service for a third round of module replacement after the vehicle shut down only 4 months and less than 2,000 driving miles after the previous module replacement. As a result of my increasing safety concerns, I requested Porsche replace the entire obviously defective HV battery. As set forth in the attached response, it refused to do so, stating that the "path forward remains continued diagnosis and repair in accordance with Porsche’s technical guidelines." My belief, and I know I am not the only one based on my review of Taycan message boards, is that Porsche is slow playing how it addresses what is a clear defect in many HV batteries to get to the end of the 8-year battery warranty by doing periodic piecemeal module replacements and then taking the position that post-warranty module issues are an "aging" problem for which Porsche is not responsible. 

NHTSA ODI 11746903

While driving my Porsche Taycan through a high-speed intersection, the vehicle suddenly displayed battery and chassis system error messages instructing me to pull over immediately. Before I could safely move the vehicle to the side of the road, it completely lost propulsion, speed control, and steering capability, causing the vehicle to abruptly slow to 0 mph in active traffic and leaving me stranded in the middle of the roadway. This created an immediate safety hazard, as approaching vehicles nearly collided with my car because it effectively performed an unexpected emergency stop without warning. Approximately one month earlier, the vehicle experienced the exact same failure while parked, displaying battery and chassis errors and losing power and steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Porsche dealership, where it remained for approximately one month; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the problem and returned the vehicle to me, stating that no fault could be found. Just two days after the vehicle was returned, the identical failure occurred again while I was driving. After restarting the vehicle multiple times at the roadside, I was eventually able to move it to a safer location, where it failed again shortly thereafter. The vehicle is currently at the Porsche dealership and is available for inspection. The dealership has indicated that the issue may be related to the high-voltage battery but has not yet identified the root cause or completed repairs. The only prior warning of this defect was the nearly identical battery and chassis system failure that occurred approximately one month before this incident.

NHTSA ODI 11746390

I have had two delaminations of my tires, one in August 2023, and one just this week - June 2026. Pictures are attached. Both tires had more than 50% tread left, and the tread was delaminating from the sidewall. MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4S Max Performance Summer Tires in 285/40ZR22

NHTSA ODI 11745976

My 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S (VIN [XXX]) has a recurring, dangerous brake failure that remains unresolved after multiple dealer repair attempts. At low speed, the automatic emergency braking system activates on its own and begins decelerating the car. As the car slows to roughly 5 mph, the brake pedal drops, braking pressure disappears, and the vehicle keeps rolling forward. Pressing the pedal as hard as I physically can does not bring the car to a stop. On more than 5 occasions I have had to steer around the vehicle in front of me to avoid a collision. The failure is intermittent and unpredictable, which makes it especially hazardous. The problem has existed since early in my ownership. On [XXX] (16,631 miles), Porsche Livermore found multiple brake booster faults and replaced the brake booster assembly, re-bled the brakes, and recoded the PSM control unit (RO [XXX]). The dead-pedal emergency-stop failure continued. I returned on [XXX] (40,904 miles) for the same problem; the dealer recoded the PSM unit and reset the brake pedal value but classified the pedal travel as "normal" (RO [XXX]). I returned again in May 2026 (46,585 miles) reporting that the dead-pedal emergency-stop failure still remained. The dealer could not duplicate it and called it "operating as designed" (RO/Invoice [XXX]). No crash or injury has occurred only because I was able to take evasive action each time. The defect is unresolved and creates a serious risk of a crash, and I am reporting it so it is on the federal safety record. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11745252

Component/system: High-voltage (HV) battery system and power electronics. 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo, VIN [XXX] . Vehicle available for inspection. Safety risk: Since January 2025, the vehicle has repeatedly displayed a "pull over and park safely" emergency warning and shut off unexpectedly while driving at highway and surface road speeds. Sudden loss of propulsion at speed created serious collision risk. Dealer-confirmed: Porsche Woodland Hills documented (July 2025): "vehicle just shut off on him as he was driving — multiple occurrences." A second shutdown was confirmed August 2025: "vehicle shut off while driving — high voltage battery error." Four or more repair visits under my ownership for this same defect. Fault codes confirmed by authorized Porsche dealers: P0AA600 (HV Battery Voltage System Isolation Fault — highest severity), P0A4000 (Rotor Position Sensor Fault), U178800 (Front Axle Power Electronics Drive Fault), P061B00 (Torque Calculation Fault). November 2025: Porsche Downtown LA isolated all 33 battery modules, found modules 6, 19, and 32 defective — all physically replaced. Vehicle out of service 9+ weeks. Shutdown warning recurred during same visit. Porsche NA (Case #XXX) denied repurchase. Warning lamps: "Pull over and park safely" warning and HV battery error appeared suddenly before each shutdown. No gradual symptoms. Recurring since January 2025. Additional: Prior owner records show HV battery water intrusion (February 2024) requiring full battery removal and reinstallation. In July 2024, dealer cleared "numerous inactive fault codes" without disclosure prior to my purchase. Porsche NA has acknowledged the issue by offering goodwill compensation while refusing repurchase. Cumulative out-of-service days for this defect exceed 75 days across multiple repair visits. I request NHTSA investigate whether this defect exists across other Taycan vehicles and whether a recall is warranted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11738439

The tungsten carbide coating on the PSCB (Porsche Surface Coated Brake) rotors has failed at 44,000 miles. This is not normal wear. The Taycan’s regenerative braking system handles the substantial majority of deceleration under normal driving conditions, meaning the mechanical brakes on this vehicle have seen a fraction of the use they would on a comparable internal combustion vehicle at the same mileage. Coating failure under these conditions is consistent with a material or manufacturing defect. Porsche has issued Technical Service Bulletins addressing PSCB disc replacement on the 2020 Taycan, indicating this is a known issue. Porsche Cars North America was contacted twice requesting goodwill consideration and denied both requests, citing warranty expiration without addressing the vehicle’s braking profile or the existence of related TSBs. The cost of OEM PSCB rotor replacement is approximately $7,500–$10,000 including labor. No safety-equivalent aftermarket replacement exists for this proprietary system, leaving owners with no practical alternative to the full OEM repair cost.

NHTSA ODI 11735150

The vehicle has now gone into Turtle Mode three times in the last month. Twice to dealership without fixing issue. Turtle mode renders the car undriveable. There is no propulsion, car won’t go over 20 mph

NHTSA ODI 11734713

There are .recalls.on the Vehicle I had been unaware of and I dropped off my vehicle for exterior buffing while person Buffing vehicle he heard a loud explosion and when he looked the vehicle was up in flames the vehicle burned. There was a Risk of someone getting Harm , Killed and Damages to other vehicles on the property in same lot vehicle was being buffed . Police and Fireman were dispatch to location.

NHTSA ODI 11732488

I am reporting a safety issue with my Porsche Taycan. On two separate occasions within the past month, the vehicle has experienced a sudden and complete loss of power while I was accelerating hard on the highway. In both instances, the vehicle immediately entered “turtle mode,” severely limiting performance to the point where there was effectively no power available to maintain speed or safely maneuver with traffic. The only way to restore normal operation was to fully stop the vehicle, turn it off, and restart it. This creates a dangerous situation, especially at highway speeds, as it exposes me and other drivers to a high risk of collision due to the sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion.

NHTSA ODI 11728424

I was charging at a Tesla Supercharge using the OEM Porsche converter and my car experienced a catastrophic electrical fault. The charge completed but the charger was hard to pull out and then my car had battery fault errors and said it needed immediate service. I took it to the dealer and they pulled these error codes and said severage battery componets had failed including a failed high-voltage battery controller, which is mounted on top of the HV battery and the high-voltage booster (which distributes DC voltage). Porsche is not claiming responsibility and presented me a $17k bill to replace. I'm concerned the temp sensors went off and that this could have led to a fire so I wanted to flag to your office. Here are the fault codes provided from Porsche: B192BF0 - High-voltage DC charger (booster) in wrong mode P33E500 - Quick battery charging (DC), Charge stn., initialization error U15AB00 - Quick battery charging (DC), Communication error between vehicle and charging station U15AE00 - Quick battery charging (DC), Charging station communication failure U15B300 - Fast battery charge (DC) – cable testing error P33F000 - High-voltage system activation, Malfunction B1A88F0 - Actuator for right charge port door – travel error U15AC00 - Signal damping log, Malfunction B200000 - Control unit – function restriction U140900 - Internal temperature measurement, Implausible signal

NHTSA ODI 11727349

While driving the vehicle, an error message (Engine Control Error) will pop up. The car will come to an immediate stop…forcing the driver to shut off car and restart it. This has happened multiple times and in one instance occurred on the highway. It almost caused a catastrophic accident as the car came to an abrupt stop in the middle lane of the highway. I’ve taken the car to the dealership multiple times and they have not been able to fix it. I’ve read many Taycan message board posts and it seems like this is a common issue amongst multiple years of Taycans. This is a serious safety issue and a recall should be issued with a remedy for this. Due to this, I cannot drive the car on the highway as I’m scared of it happening randomly. This is a known issue and one that should be recalled and handled appropriately by Porsche.

NHTSA ODI 11720540

The EV had a “Engine Control Error” and suffered engine failure on Jan 6th 2026 at 5:17pm. It happened out of nowhere without any warning at low speed.

NHTSA ODI 11712514

Made a turn into a street and driving at slow pace (about 20mph) and the vehicle suddenly shuddered and came to complete stop and died in the middle of the road. I had no time to pull over. No warning. It just happened. Fortunately, no oncoming or cars behind me. There was a red dash board warning “Engine Control Error”. I turned off the vehicle and restarted.

NHTSA ODI 11709797

This vehicle can not be driven on straight roads of freeways without the "take over steering warning" engaging. This is problematic, this morning on icy roads driving on straight roads the warning engaged, braked and cut power and put the vehicle into a slid on icy roads. This warning also happen frequently on freeway driving, suddenly braking and almost causing drivers behind the vehicle to react to the sudden braking putting this vehicle in jeopardy of rear end collisions or other possible accidents.

NHTSA ODI 11706605

The vehicle experiences a sudden and dangerous malfunction while driving. Without any prior warning, the vehicle begins to shake and then immediately brakes on its own, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of traffic. Only after the vehicle has already braked and shut down does an “Engine Control Error” message appear on the display. There is no advance alert and no time for the driver to react or move out of traffic. This is exceptionally concerning especially as this vehicle was being used a primary mode of transportation for my 2 young toddlers who were present in the vehicle during these failures. The vehicle was purchased directly from Porsche as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in June 2025, and was represented by Porsche as having passed all safety and mechanical inspections at the time of purchase. Despite this, the vehicle has continued to experience catastrophic failures. Following the initial shutdown incident, the vehicle was towed to Porsche for service on September 2. Porsche stated that the issue had been repaired and assured that the vehicle was safe to operate. However, on September 29, the same failure occurred again. The vehicle shook, abruptly braked in active traffic, shut itself down, and only then displayed the engine control failure message. This shows that the underlying defect was not corrected and continues to pose a serious safety hazard. The problem is severe, unpredictable, and reproducible. It places the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists at immediate risk because the vehicle becomes immobilized in traffic with no prior warning and no ability to pull over safely. The vehicle has been inspected by Porsche technicians, but the root cause remains unknown, and Porsche has been unable to provide a successful repair or assurance of safety. This pattern strongly indicates a critical defect in the engine control or power-management system that renders the vehicle unsafe for public road use.

NHTSA ODI 11703735

Just took the car back from the dealer after a major recalls and EV motor Failure

NHTSA ODI 11700183

During my ownership, the vehicle experienced multiple dangerous failures. It suddenly lost power while driving with my 2‑year‑old child onboard, and on another occasion the steering wheel locked for several seconds on the freeway. The car has had numerous recalls, and the dealer later confirmed an EV motor failure but offered no buyback. These defects created serious safety risks and caused significant financial loss, which I believe requires NHTSA’s attention.

NHTSA ODI 11697761

The contact owns a 2020 Porsche Taycan. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V732000 (Electrical System) after owning the vehicle for a week. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who then stated that because the vehicle had an aftermarket charger inside, the repair could not be performed unless a charger was purchased from the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the aftermarket charger would not perform as needed, and the recall repair would not be successful. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11695449

Taycan HV battery cells/modules going bad causing the car to be a brick and not drivable and dangerous. Porsche is replacing the failed cells but it can be an ongoing issues that can spread to other cells.

NHTSA ODI 11692022

I brought my vehicle in to a Porsche dealer on May 24th 2025 for a noise coming from the front right wheel area. There were some other issues but those were not safety related. They stated the vehicle has an open recall campaign for a brake hose. That there is a risk it could break. It is now July 18th 2025 and the dealer has had the car the entire time since May 24th 2025. They are saying they can't complete the safety recall due to no parts. Porsche has issued a STOP order for dealers selling affected vehicles. Porsche has issued a STOP order for dealers to use affected vehicles as loaners. It seems I should STOP driving the car as well yet the dealer indicated it is to give it back to me unrepaired.

NHTSA ODI 11674481

I am writing to bring to your urgent attention a recurring and serious issue with my Porsche Taycan (VIN: [XXX] ). On multiple occasions while driving, the vehicle has suddenly lost all power and displayed the error message: "Engine control error. Stop the car in a safe place." When this occurs, the car becomes completely unresponsive and unable to move forward, posing a significant safety risk, especially when it happens in traffic. I am forced to stop, switch off the vehicle, wait for a couple of minutes, and restart it. The error message disappears after restarting, but the issue continues to recur. This has now happened three times in the past two months. I first brought the vehicle to the dealer after the initial incident, and they recommended a software update. However, after the issue reoccurred and I returned to the dealership, they were unable to retrieve any error codes. Despite these efforts, the problem persists. Given the severity of the issue and the risk it poses while driving, I am requesting immediate assistance and a thorough investigation into the root cause of this malfunction. This is not only a mechanical concern but a serious safety issue that requires urgent attention. Please let me know the next steps to have this addressed properly and whether a formal case can be opened for further diagnostics and resolution. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11657314

While driving, shortly after a turn, the electric motor has a fatal error resulting in complete loss of power while driving. The car has to be stopped in the middle of the road and powered down and then turned back on. This clears the fault but the problem has occurred 3 times within a month resulting in me not driving it anymore.

NHTSA ODI 11630335

While driving my electric vehicle, I experienced a sudden loss of power. The car abruptly stopped, leaving tire marks on the street, and the steering wheel began shaking. At the same time, an error message appeared on the dashboard, indicating an engine failure and instructing me to pull over immediately for safety. Fortunately, I was driving alone that day and had chosen an alternative residential route, which allowed for slower speeds and less traffic. Had this incident occurred during my usual commute, where I typically travel at least 45 mph on a heavily trafficked three-lane road, the outcome could have been catastrophic. I am certain that the sudden loss of power in such conditions would have led to a serious accident, endangering not only myself but also other road users. The service center required a full week to duplicate the issue. While there were no prior warnings, messages, or symptoms leading up to this event on my car after researching the incident it is clear that this same instance occurred in over 10,000 like kind vehicles under NHTSA recall number 21V-486. This unexpected failure poses a significant safety risk, and I am deeply concerned about the potential for recurrence, especially in less forgiving traffic conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11627616

The car once I started, it gave us a red warning that said electrical system problem. At that point, I was unable to put the car in drive or put the car in reverse. The only thing I was able to do is put the car in neutral. The car would not move. The same issue happened when I was driving with the car. It gave me the error message at which point I had to pull over on the shoulder.

NHTSA ODI 11622267

I was making a left turn after being stopped at a traffic light - just a few moments after the turn, all of a sudden I experienced violent jerking motions of the car, and lost all power in the middle of traffic, and rolled to a complete stop. This was an exceptionally dangerous place to just have the car stop responding. I noted an error message "Engine Control Error" with a red ring around it in the rightmost instrument cluster. I turned on my hazard lights; other electrical functions were still working in the car (e.g. music was still playing over the audio system). I power cycled car off and then on again, and cleared the error, and the car drove normally again. The problem did not recur despite driving about 5 miles more on the way home. I have stopped and started car and drove brief periods several times since then without issue. The state of charge was about 75%, having charged last night at home on AC to 80%. Ambient temperature outside was hot today, almost 90 degrees F, and very humid.

NHTSA ODI 11607758