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Porsche Cayenne jerking problems

38 of the 509 owner complaints about the Porsche Cayenne describe jerking or lurching, most of them for the 2014 model year.

owner complaints
38
worst model year
2014
typical repair cost reported
$5,000
typical mileage
56,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2021
    4
  • 2020
    4
  • 2019
    2
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    1
  • 2016
    1
  • 2015
    1
  • 2014
    7
  • 2013
    6
  • 2012
    4
  • 2011
    6
  • 2004
    1

What owners say

Filed Oct 9, 2026 · Electrical · 66,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2017 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated the vehicle experiencing a catastrophic powertrain and electrical failure. The vehicle experienced severe thermal overloading behind the dashboard, and the radio head unit was excessively hot causing chrome trim around the screen to melt. The CAN bus was corrupted, causing the instrument cluster to display inaccurate information including 30 PSI and information that there were wheels on the vehicle. Additionally, the PCM malfunctioned and ceased Bluetooth connectivity and displayed system status logs indicating up to 7 drivers. The failure spread to the critical driving and safety systems. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle shifted to neutral unexpectedly. While inserting or removing the key from the ignition cylinder, the vehicle violently jolted back and forth. Most critically, the electrical cross-firing had compromised the automated driver assist features. The contact stated that without warning, the steering wheel violently jerked, and the vehicle drove off the roadway. The GPS became inoperable. The contact disconnected and removed the telematics module; however, the failure persisted. There was a burning odor coming from the front of the vehicle on the driver side. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.

Filed Apr 7, 2026 · Brakes · WA

Vehicle: 2020 Porsche Cayenne VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 41,918 Complaint: My 2020 Porsche Cayenne exhibits a significant and repeatable lurching and abnormal braking pattern each time the vehicle decelerates to a stop. The behavior is consistent and pronounced enough to cause me physical motion sickness on every drive. I brought the vehicle to Porsche Bellevue (Bellevue, WA) for diagnosis. The service manager personally rode in the vehicle with me, experienced the lurching behavior firsthand, and acknowledged feeling it. He then stated the vehicle could not be repaired because this is simply how the car behaves — no repair order was written and no fix was attempted. I am filing this complaint because: (1) the behavior involves abnormal braking and deceleration which I believe constitutes a safety concern, (2) the authorized dealership confirmed the issue exists but refused to document or repair it, and (3) I am concerned other owners of this vehicle may be experiencing the same issue without recourse. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate whether this is a known issue across the 2020 Porsche Cayenne platform and whether it meets the threshold for a safety investigation or recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 21, 2024 · Transmission · IL

Everytime when vehicle coming to a stop car lurches forward few feets. It just happens when car downshifts from second to first gear transmission pushes you forward few feets, You just need to be very carefull because it can push you into another vehicle or pedastrian. Porsche is aware of it and have a software update in Europe only but not in USA

Filed Oct 22, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · CA

The car is very jerky, I bought in for engine or transmission mount because the idle shakes the whole car. They said its normal. Which I don't think it's normal.

Filed Aug 19, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · KS

When car downshifts from 2nd gear to 1st gear, it lunges / jerks forward, even as brakes are applied. Porsche mechanic and Porsche Cars North America both indicate nothing is wrong with the transmission. THIS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE. EVERYDAY FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. EVERY STOP.

Filed Jan 6, 2023 · Brakes, Transmission · TX

When downshifting and just before Coming to a complete stop and vehicle lurches/surges forward even though my foot is on the brake pedal. This happens in every drive mode with or without Autostart/stop engaged. It is Significantly challenging in stop and go traffic because it’s difficult to gage when the car will come to a complete stop. I have to make accommodation for the car lunging forward which is unpredictable because sometimes it’s a subtle surge forward and other times I have no control or idea how far forward the car is going to move. This makes this is especially dangerous when cars are quickly changing lanes in front of me in stop and go traffic during rush hour. Emergency braking DOES not help this! I have experience this. The collision warning Went off in the car and emergency braking was engaged just at the Knick of time! Adverse weather conditions could have easily made that a very bad accident. I should be able to Do normal every day driving And stopping, for example stopping to a red light, or stop and go traffic without having to activate emergency functions in my car and putting myself at unnecessary risk because of a “glitch” with Porsche. This normal every day driving. I returned my car to the dealership who told me it’s normal performance for this car along with. I along with many other owners have researched this and found out that software upgrades have been done to correct this problem which are not available yet in the United States. This issue needs to be resolved immediately to prevent potential accidents.

Filed Aug 13, 2022 · AL

othe car's tach increase several hundred RPM as the computer tries to match revs when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd gear in Normal Mode and 2nd to 1st gear in Sport Mode.. When that happens, the car lurches forward. owhat seems to be happening is the engine is over-revving while disengaged from a gear on shifts from 3rd to 2nd and even more so on 2nd to 1st causing a lurch forward when the lower gear engages

Filed Jul 30, 2022 · Brakes, Transmission · TX

The vehicle lurches forward dangerously when coming to a complete stop. The brakes seem to release as the vehicle lurches forward.

Filed Feb 23, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · FL

While coming to a stop the vehicle lurches around 1200 rpms as the rpms are falling. The vehicle appears to already be in 1st gear when this happens. This can be replicated in all driving modes. observation: when braking or even when coasting to a stop the vehicle will slow down rapidly, as if the brakes are being tapped hard (the brake pressure is constant and occurs even when not braking) for a brief second and then release causing a lurching motion. This lurching motion is enough to concern while driving as a possible loss of traction. it feels as if the car is engine braking. This issue puts the driver, passengers, and other vehicles at a safety risk. I have had passengers state that it gives them motion sickness. I have reported this to the dealer and they had the car twice. The second time was for a substantial amount of time. The dealer is on record stating that they can recreate it, observe it, but have not been able to fix it. they have reset the software on several systems including the transmission. there are no third party devices on the car, the car is stock, there are no warning lights.This has been the case since day one of having the car (brand new).

Filed Nov 8, 2021 · Brakes · NY

when decelerating and car is in gear 2 it lurches the car forward while braking, basically fighting the attempt to slow the car down. I attribute this to aggressive downshifting, but is a safety issue because the operator then needs to compensate by pressing down on the brake pedal harder to stop the car. This has happened inconsistently when driving, but occurs more frequently than not.

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and linesReported May 13, 2020 · 1,805 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020 Cayenne vehicles. An insufficient weld on a transmission oil pipe may cause the vehicle to leak automatic transmission fluid (ATF).
Risk
If transmission fluid leaks while driving, the road surface may be made slippery, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission oil pipe and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 8, 2020. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ALA5.

Recall number 20V271000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)Reported June 12, 2019 · 99,665 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, 2004-2010 Cayenne, 2006 Cayenne Turbo S, 2010-2016 Panamera S, Panamera 4 S, Panamera Turbo, 2011-2016 Panamera, Panamera 4, 2012-2013 Panamera Turbo S, 2013-2016 Panamera 4 GTS, 2014-2016 Panamera 4 S Executive, Panamera Turbo Executive, Panamera Turbo S G1 II, Panamera Turbo S Executive, 2013 Panamera 4 Platinum Edition, Panamera Platinum Edition, 2016 Panamera 4 Edition, Panamera Edition, Panamera Turbo S Executive Luxury Sports vehicles. The bushing that attaches the gear selector lever to the gearbox may degrade over time, causing the bushing to detach. This condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
Risk
If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. Owners are instructed to use the parking brake until their vehicle is repaired. The recall began August 9, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKB1.

Recall number 19V446000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported February 18, 2004 · 4,099 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain sport utility vehicles may have had a transfer case installed that could, due to changes in the housing casting, result in the oil pump rotation. Should this occur, oil starvation of the internal gears might result.
Risk
Continued operation of the vehicle could result in a fracture of the transfer case housing. Incorrect torque would then be applied to the driven wheels or oil could leak and contact the tires.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the transfer case housing and, if necessary, replace the transfer case. Owner notification began on may 3, 2004. Owners should contact porsche at 1‑800‑545‑8039.

Recall number 04V071000 · Recall details

Questions about the Porsche Cayenne jerking

Which Porsche Cayenne years have jerking or lurching problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2014 (7 complaints), 2011 (6 complaints) and 2013 (6 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix jerking or lurching on the Porsche Cayenne?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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