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2012 Porsche Cayenne SProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 6 owner complaints about the 2012 Porsche Cayenne S, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 22V-656 the manufacturer reports only 30% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Porsche Cayenne S
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 30%Owner complaints62 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage85kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 30, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Rutger van der Maar, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Porsche Cayenne S has problems

6 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train51
Engine10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2012 Porsche Cayenne S recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

30%repaired · 2024 Q3

Exterior lighting: headlights

Recall 22V-656 · Aug 30, 2022 · 222,858 vehicles · 67,551 repaired

Risk. Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Exterior lighting: headlights

Recall 12V-065 · Feb 21, 2012 · 20,278 vehicles

Risk. A DETACHED HEADLIGHT COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VISIBILITY AND AN INCREASED RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Porsche.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Cayenne S year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cayenne S median. How we score

'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'11'12'13'14'15'19'20'21'24
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Porsche Cayenne S safety ratings

2012 Porsche Cayenne S SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Cayenne S owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WHEN DRIVING CAR, IT FEELS ROUGH AND IS HARD TO ACCELERATE SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE. THE TRANSFER CASE SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM AND IS COMMON AMONG THESE CARS. IT'S UNSAFE AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY.
Complaint 11183519 · Mar 1, 2019
THE TRANSFER CASE HAS GONE OUT FOR THE 4TH TIME SINCE IF WENT OVER 50K, AT LOW SPEEDS ITS CLUNKY AND DRAGS AND BUMPY WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. I FOUND OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM MUTLI TIMES AS MYSELF AND THIS IS NOT CHEAP TO FIX. THE DEALER KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT HELP…
Complaint 11183067 · Feb 28, 2019 · 102,000 miles
THE PORSCHE DEALER INFORMED ME THE BUMPING NOISE WHILE ACCELERATING IS THE TRANSFER CASE. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL 2012 CAYENNE CARS. THE TRANSFER CASE WILL MAKE THE BUMPING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. IT WILL EVENTUALLY SLIP TO THE DANGEROUS POINT. THIS IS WHEN YOU ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC AND…
Complaint 11157213 · Dec 10, 2018 · 85,000 miles

Own a 2012 Cayenne S?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.