CSR

Porsche · NHTSA safety record

2021 Porsche Cayenne

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 21 safety complaints about the 2021 Porsche Cayenne with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 6 complaints, 29% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers September 2021 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

21 complaints on file

21

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 29%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 24%
AIR BAGS 4 · 19%
ENGINE 3 · 14%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 · 10%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 10%
STEERING 2 · 10%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 5%
SEAT BELTS 1 · 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 5%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 21.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 7.

8 6 4 2
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2021 Porsche Cayenne. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V896000 · December 19, 2025

The defect
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019-2025 Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid, 2020-2025 911, Taycan, 2024-2025 Panamera, and 2025 Panamera E-Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the driver assistance software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ASB2. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 19, 2026.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. · up to 172,107 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

22V040000 · January 28, 2022

The defect
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cayenne vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-271 (AMA9) were performed.
The risk
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 10, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANA1.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. · up to 1,241 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:COLUMN

21V493000 · June 30, 2021

The defect
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne vehicles. The screw connection between the steering column and steering box may fail, which can result in a detached steering column.
The risk
A detached steering column can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will install a new screw, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB4.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. · up to 27 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS

21V318000 · May 5, 2021

The defect
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne GTS, Cayenne GTS Coupe, 2020-2021 Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe vehicles. The passenger seat back heating element was not installed and may impact the calibration of the Occupant Classification System.
The risk
The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will install a heating element, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB0.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. · up to 136 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

21V271000 · April 21, 2021

The defect
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and Cayenne GTS Coupe vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
The risk
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lock nuts, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMA9.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. · up to 1,568 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STEERING

towed · 750 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the steering wheel felt loose. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the tie rod bolt, track bolt, and hexagon head bolt needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted and the steering wheel was making abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer - Porsche South Shore (185 W Sunrise Hwy, Freeport, NY 11520) who test drove the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the abnormal sounds. An unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that the failure

NHTSA complaint 11453894, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

14,000 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver's side seat belt independently tightened and loosened. The emergency light illuminated, and a seat belt warning chime sounded continuously. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the local dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

NHTSA complaint 11760839. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
On my 2021 Porsche Cayenne Base, which is equipped with the 3.0L V6 EA839 engine, I brought the vehicle to the dealership for a recall service. During inspection, the dealership found a leaking water pump and quoted $8,500 for repairs. There were no visible signs of a coolant leak on the ground, indicating an internal seal failure. My independent technician confirmed that coolant is leaking internally into the vacuum system. This EA839 engine architecture is shared across multiple Volkswagen Group models, including Audi A6, A7, A8, Q7, and Q8, where this water pump internal leak is a known, widespread manufacturer defect that has already triggered class action lawsuits.

NHTSA complaint 11760942. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Over approximately the past month, the leather covering on the dashboard of my 2021 Porsche Cayenne has rapidly begun lifting, buckling, and separating across a substantial portion of the dashboard. The deformation has become increasingly pronounced in a short period of time despite normal use and careful maintenance of the vehicle. I am concerned that this may present a safety issue because the passenger airbag deploys through the dashboard area. The dashboard material is visibly distorted and separating, and I am concerned that this deformation could potentially interfere with the intended deployment path or performance of the passenger airbag in a collision. This does not appear to be

NHTSA complaint 11759576, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery completely discharged and the safety switch in the battery malfunctions and battery can not be charged again. There are many complaints seen online about the battery problems Porsche has. This strands the car and me the driver. The dealer and independent mechanics said the same. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure.

NHTSA complaint 11755286. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Vehicle Information: 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]) Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle, the steering column bolt physically backed out and detached, causing an immediate, complete loss of steering control. This exact mechanical failure mirrors NHTSA Safety Recall 21V-493 (Porsche Campaign AMB4), which addressed loose, under-torqued steering column bolts leaving the factory. My specific VIN was excluded from the narrow initial recall population, proving a factory tracking failure by the manufacturer. The authorized Porsche dealership confirmed the failure stating the bolt backed out due to "vibrations." A vital steering bolt backing out under normal road

NHTSA complaint 11744923, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
Instrument cluster anti-glare film or delamination on center and left instrument cluster. The film is wearing away in certain irregular sport and shapes. The overall wear is impacting the visibility to the center cluster under certain conditions leading to obscure visibility to important information, including vehicle speed or other warning light. It has been raised to the dealer, then to Porsche NA, but the dealer has stated they (Porsche NA) will not cover the repair, even though the vehicle is under a CPO warranty. This first started appearing this year and has gotten worse over time. No unusual cleaning, harsh chemicals or other abrasive object were used. The nature of film is slick

NHTSA complaint 11737123, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Porsche Cayenne

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 5 2 —
2020 24 4 —
2019 45 6 —
2018 13 1 —
2017 17 2 —
2016 40 2 —
2015 14 2 —
2014 53 3 —
2013 40 3 —
2012 27 4 —
2011 30 3 —

Other 2021 Porsche models

Taycan 71 Macan 12

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Porsche on this site — 36 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst