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What 11 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Porsche Macan Turbo

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 (11)Crash / fire / injury (5)Brakes (3)Body & structure (2)Electrical system (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Airbags (1)Driver assistance (1)Engine (1)Steering (1)

3 of 11 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Jul 23, 2026BrakesCrash

I was driving at a low speed, less than 30 mph, and was approaching a curve in the road. I attempted to slow down by pressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not decelerate. Instead, it seemed to accelerate. I panicked and repeatedly pressed the brake pedal several more times, but the vehicle remained out of control. The vehicle left the roadway, went down a steep slope, struck bushes and tree branches, and eventually came to a stop. All four airbags deployed, and I observed smoke that appeared to be associated with the airbag deployment. The front ,side,underside and lower portion of the vehicle sustained impact damage. At no time before the accident did I observe any warning lights or messages indicating a problem with the braking system or any other vehicle system. Based on my experience during the incident, I believe the vehicle experienced a brake malfunction, as the brakes did not respond when I attempted to slow or stop the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11752523

Jan 15, 2026Transmission & drivetrainBrakesCrash

On November 12, 2025 the transmission, power train, and/or other components on my Porsche Macan S failed. My Macan was parked (gear selector in "Park") on a level surface, the ignition turned off and the key removed from the ignition when it was tapped from behind by another vehicle that was exiting a residential garage. The Macan proceeded to roll over two hundred feet from the impact, jumped two curbs, crossed a street with active traffic, and finally stopped when it hit a tree. There was extensive damage to my vehicle but fortunately there were no injuries because the Macan was unmanned at the time of impact. If there were pedestrians and/or other vehicles crossing the path of the Macan they would have been hit. There were no warning signs prior to the failure. This incident has been reported to Porsche Cars North America, Inc. ("PCNA"). I requested an inspection of my vehicle at an authorized Porsche repair dealership but was told: "PCNA has determined that our involvement would not be required in this matter therefore, we are unable to investigate it further". PCNA has disavowed any responsibility for the manufacturer's defect that endangers other drivers, pedestrians and me, given the risk of reoccurrence.

NHTSA ODI 11711211

Oct 13, 2021SteeringElectrical systemBrakesCrash

My daughter accidentally tried to reverse in auxiliary mode- she had the radio on and did not realize the engine was not on The car went into reverse and she had no brakes or steering to stop the car Mercedes - BMW- Range Roger - Tesla - we have checked these cars and it isn’t possible to do this scenario in those cars Porsche said the car is fine and if she was 6’3” and weighed 250 it would be difficult but possible to apply enough pressure to the brakes - she weighs 100 pounds so it wasn’t physically possible My husband has a Five year old convertible Mercedes - he tried to recreate this scenario in his car. The first thing that happens is the emergency brake won’t let him reverse . When he released the brake with the engine off and the radio on it did reverse but the brakes worked normally I have friends with Tesla / BMW / and Range Rover all check their cars and they all have safety features preventing the car to go in reverse or it still has normal brakes My daughter had an accident and luckily nobody was hurt This seems dangerous

NHTSA ODI 11436581

Working with the data? Download all 11 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 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 2021 Porsche Macan Turbo verdict →