Porsche Cayenne problems, reliability and known faults
If you are considering buying a used Porsche Cayenne, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 2 known faults for this model. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Is the Porsche Cayenne reliable?
The Porsche Cayenne has 2 known faults in our database, 0 of them rated high severity. The most serious are gearbox (the Cayenne shares its running gear with the Volkswagen Touareg) and bodywork (on the first Cayenne the drains in the ventilation well in the bulkhead). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Generation 1 of 12 known faults · 10 owner reports · 5 good notes
Porsche Cayenne Mk1 955/957 (2003 to 2010) problems
Transmission/DrivetrainMedium severity📝 Editorial
The Cayenne shares its running gear with the Volkswagen Touareg, and many Touaregs were suffering centre bearing failure on the rear propshaft after about 60,000 miles, with dealers charging £900 to £1,000 for a complete shaft where specialists can fit the bearing alone for around £250. Touareg owners have reported failures at 51,000 and 58,000 miles.
Rough guide
£250-1000
Typical symptoms
vibration through the floor at speed
clonk or rumble from under the centre of the car on take-up
knock from underneath over bumps
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All
Typical mileage:
50000-80000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
Bodywork/ChassisMedium severity📝 Editorial
On the first Cayenne the drains in the ventilation well in the bulkhead, below the windscreen, can block, so rainwater floods into the car instead of draining away. The damage to electronics and carpets has run to as much as £11,000.
Rough guide
£11000
Typical symptoms
Wet carpets or water in the footwells
Electrical faults after heavy rain
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All engines
Typical mileage:
unknown miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the Mk1 955/957
10 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Gearbox and clutch · July 2019A June 2015 Cayenne S diesel experienced transfer box problems twice, possibly related to tyre tread depth differences.
Electrics · August 2018The keyfob for a 2005 Porsche Cayenne stopped opening the doors remotely, though the physical key still worked to unlock and start the vehicle.
Engine · July 2018An oil leak was found from the timing cover and oil guide housing of a 2013 Cayenne 3.0 V6 diesel, costing the owner £900 after a Porsche contribution.
Bodywork · November 2016The rear light cluster lenses of an October 2012 Porsche Cayenne decomposed, requiring replacement of all four clusters for £289 after contributions.
Electrics · October 2016A 2006 Cayenne experienced frequent failures of its headlight bulbs, requiring repeated replacements.
Electrics · September 2016A 2010 Cayenne 3.0 diesel displayed multiple dashboard warnings simultaneously, including ABS, steering lock, PSM, chassis, and parking brake faults.
Electrics · March 2016A 2012 Cayenne hybrid showed airbag and PSM warning lights, lost power, and had a non-working start/stop system, likely due to a weak secondary battery.
Engine · October 2015A new Porsche Cayenne diesel was delivered with a whistling noise, likely from the turbocharger.
Engine · March 2013Early V8 engines in the Cayenne suffered from a knocking noise due to wear in the Alusil bore liners.
Gearbox and clutch · February 2011A Cayenne experienced centre bearing failure on its rear prop shaft after 60,000 miles, with repair costs for a new part around £900 to £1,000.
What owners like about the Mk1 955/957
5 notes
This SUV offers exceptional handling for its size, making it a leader in its class.
The diesel engine provides an excellent combination of usable power and good fuel economy.
The Cayenne offers generous rear passenger legroom and a substantial boot, providing ample space.
The car delivers a remarkably smooth and forgiving ride, especially on motorway journeys.
The E-Hybrid model is a sensible choice for a company car due to its low CO2 emissions.
Other years0 known faults · 4 good notes
Other Porsche Cayenne years: owner reports
What owners like
4 notes
The Cayenne achieved a Five Star Euro NCAP rating, with strong scores for adult, child, and pedestrian protection.
Even the standard Cayenne Coupe delivers impressive performance, proving to be far from slow.
The cabin of the Cayenne Coupe is impeccably finished and surprisingly spacious for occupants.
The infotainment system in the Cayenne Coupe is considered excellent and top-notch.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 4 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Porsche Cayenne advert and we check it in seconds.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: November 2026
Porsche Cayenne buying questions
What should I check when viewing a used Porsche Cayenne?
Ask the seller about the gearbox and bodywork faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for vibration through the floor at speed and wet carpets or water in the footwells. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against its known faults before you travel. Check a Porsche Cayenne advert →
What is the real MPG of a Porsche Cayenne?
Owners report 25.4 mpg on average across the Porsche Cayenne engines with data, about 77% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 238 owner submissions. Porsche Cayenne Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Porsche Cayenne owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
Knowing what a Porsche Cayenne goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.