2016 Porsche Cayenne: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
38
Complaints
2
Recalls
0
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
42.1
Severity index
Severity index 42.1 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 14 | 36.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 10 | 26.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | 18.4% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 6 | 15.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 13.2% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 13.2% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 7.9% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 2.6% |
The single most-reported system is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, cited in 14 of 38 complaints (36.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 3 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 4.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V169000 | 23/03/2016 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles manufactured April 28, 2010, to January 11, 2016. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge. |
| 22V656000 | 30/08/2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model ye |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.