The contact owns a 2011 Porsche Cayenne S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to illuminate properly. The contact stated that there was water intrusion in the headlight housings. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the headlamps needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V656000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the contact had not yet received the notification. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The worst 2011 Porsche Cayenne S problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine12
- Transmission3
- Brakes2
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine12
- Transmission3
- Brakes2
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
- Visibility1
Recalls 3
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- 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 years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.
Recall number 22V656000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo vehicles, 2011-2012 Panamera and Panamera 4 vehicles, and 2011 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo vehicles. The affected vehicles have camshaft controllers that may come loose inside the engine, potentially resulting in an engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fastening screws for the camshaft adjusters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 12, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy is available. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH08.
Recall number 17V368000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Porsche is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 cayenne, cayenne s, cayenne s hybrid, and cayenne turbo vehicles manufactured from march 8, 2010, through january 31, 2012 because the headlamps may come loose and detach from the fender.
- Risk
- A detached headlight could lead to loss of visibility and an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headlamp locking assemblies, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 9, 2012. Owners may contact porsche at 1‑800‑767‑7243.
Recall number 12V065000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S 420
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Parts Information for Parts Withdrawal
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils
- Special Tools and Equipment Information for alignment machines
2011 Porsche Cayenne S fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8L 8‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
What 2011 Porsche Cayenne S owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I came to a complete stop on a city street. I let my foot off the brake, then applied my foot back on the brake and the brake pad wouldn't go down, it was hard.
The coolant pipe design is flawed. The barb is glued and pressed in the aluminum body. Over time the glue loses its properties and the barb comes out thus causing massive coolant leak and the engine can overheat. The part was redisgned around 2015 where the barb is now threaded, but the original part is a safey hazard for the older models with potential huge repair costs.
Vehicle acts as if going over speed bump over 18mph also jerking and tugging on you as you accelerate making for hard turning in parking lots feels like front wheel is locking up also noticing safety concern wile coming to stop in traffic under about 3mph the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly learches forward as if engine has more power or something becomes un jammed. Transfer case has been replaced once already now out of warranty it feels as if a safety concern is the issue
Transfer case failed 2016 ; was replaced by dealer and failed again 2017. While driving failure affects shifting and acceleration.
I was pulling forward on a level city street and turning left from a stop sign. There was a significant amount of shuddering and feeling of a loss of power. This was a significant safety issue due to oncoming traffic. Over a period of several months this had been increasing in severity but the dealer could not identify the problem. I took it to the dealer and was able to repeat the problem for them. They identified the transfer case as the issue. It was replaced. I also had to replace the tires due to the dealers identification that the transfer case had caused differential tread wear damage to a rear tire. As a former military aviator, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a safety issue. Porsche needs to identify what the issues are (design, manufacturing, servicing, etc) and remedy them. Surprisingly, this is a known problem because the service adviser informed me that they keep transfer cases in stock. They retail for $3944, plus the new vent kit (mine does not have it) and then add labor, and tires if they have been damaged. That is a lot of expensive inventory to have on hand if porsche wants to claim there is not a problem.
Engine stalled while driving. Car taken to porsche dealership where they determined the camshaft controller needed to be replaced as it was broken. Paid $4000 in repairs in 2016. Porsche has since issued a recall for this issue, however they will not reimburse for the previous repairs as they noted. No response on timing.
The screws holding my camshaft actuator failed and I experienced immediate engine lose as well as braking lose due to no vacuum. At the time of my engine failure it was a known issue for porsche (see wc-22) whereas they did not make public aware or proactively fix the issue. This ended up costing me approximately $7500 out of pocket (in addition to several emotional damage due to financial constraints and the immediate danger when the engine failed at highway speed in the far left lane). Porsche has subsequently issued a recall (recall ah-08 and the federal safety agency campaign 17v368000) but had not contacted affected owners yet. I'd like a full refund of my expenses plus interest. I also feel they should be fined or pay impacted owners like myself a penalty due to their improper mishandling.
Very scary and dangerous experience engine stalled after filling up with gas. The vehicle required two or three attempts to start. I exited the gas station onto the ramp for the interstate. The car suddenly locked up less than a mile down the interstate while driving 70, MPH. There was no power braking or power steering at all. Fortunately, I remained in the far right lane and momentum carried the vehicle off the next exit ramp before vehicle completely shut off. I have had a host of other issues including psm failures, start/stop mode deactivated errors, ignition problems, braking issues, unnecessary repairs, time/energy, missed work, rental cars, misdiagnoses, etc. I am certain the symptoms are consistent with camshaft defect affecting many other cayenne s, turbo, and panamera s owners per several internet forum discussions. This is really dangerous. I am disappointment earlier notifications were not issued and I hope this matter is addressed before someone dies.
The coolant pipe cracks and cause leak
Compare the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S
Other model years
Questions about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S
Is the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S reliable?
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S, 2.8 times a typical Cayenne S model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S?
Engine and cooling, with 12 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles. Next is transmission (3).
How many recalls does the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S have?
3 recalls, covering exterior lighting and engine.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 17V368000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Porsche Cayenne S have bad engine?
The Porsche Cayenne S model years with the most engine complaints are 2004 (17 complaints) and 2011 (12 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S get?
Official estimates for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S range from 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.8L 8-cyl, AWD) gets 16 city and 22 highway.
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