What 17 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Porsche Cayenne Platinum

I am reporting a safety defect with my 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS. The leather dashboard is delaminating and lifting away from its underlying structure. This defect is concerning because: The delamination is occurring on the drivers side but will eventually expand in the area covering the passenger-side airbag. If the airbag deploys, the raised/lifted dashboard material may interfere with or obstruct proper deployment, posing a serious risk to passenger safety. Porsche Cars North America (PNA) has been notified, but they classify this issue as “cosmetic” and refuse to repair it voluntarily under warranty or goodwill. Furthermore, The issue was not disclosed by the dealer at purchase. I have consulted two Porsche dealerships, both of which confirmed Porsche considers this a cosmetic defect not covered by the Certified Pre Owned warranty. However, given the location and potential interaction with the airbag system, I strongly believe this constitutes a safety-related defect that requires investigation. Online forums show this is a common issue across many models made by Porsche during this time but specifically SUV's. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether the delaminating dashboards in Porsche Cayenne models create a safety hazard that requires a recall and mandatory repair.

NHTSA ODI 11690525

Dashboard leather is separating and was told this could affect the airbag deployment in the case of an accident. Porsche dealership is asking 10k outside of warranty to replace the dash. If it was just cosmetic I could deal with it, but now that it is a safety concern for my passenger I feel forced to overspend. Even a reduced amount would help but a whole dash replacement sounds excessive to make sure the leather is not obstructing the airbag.

NHTSA ODI 11669823

The car is notifying me that the drivers airbag is not working. the message that appears is: “Airbag system error, please visit workshop”

NHTSA ODI 11488919