On 05/24/19 we were driving slowly in a paved hotel parking lot. We entered a parking space at low parking speed. The vehicle suddenly accelerated with extremely high torque & uncontrolled velocity, jumped the curb, flew over a hill, scraped across a large boulder on the hilltop, and continued uncontrollably speeding. The acceleration propelled the car through very rough natural desert terrain densely filled with bushes, large cactus, boulders and ruts. Braking had little or no effect until we sped about half a football field where the vehicle was finally brought to a stop - just before a tree ahead of us. Pictures of the hotel road, parking lot, the berm ahead of the parking space the car accelerated over, and the damage to the car and desert are shown in exhibit a. We sustained back injuries, and were fortunate to walk away and out of the desert alive. The car was towed and our chubb insurer declared the vehicle 'totaled' from the damage it sustained. Exact vehicle cause of the incident is unknown. We have a company that has innovated, designed, tested and commercialized engine controls for decades. We believe the acceleration was likely caused by a faulty control system in the vehicle. Based on our knowledge, such incidents, and the related potential property damage and injury or death of others in the future can be prevented if proper controls and emergency features are in place. We talked with the manager of the colorado springs porsche dealership where we purchased the vehicle following the incident. He indicated he would get back to us, but to date there has been no further follow up by porsche. We have now submitted an official claim to porsche per the protocol required in the car owner manual. Other almost identical incidents posted on internet are copied in exhibit b.
The worst 2011 Porsche Panamera 4 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Recalls 4
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
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- 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
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2016 Panamera 4S and Panamera S, 2011-2016 Panamera, Panamera 4 and Panamera Turbo, 2012-2016 Panamera Turbo S and Panamera S E-Hybrid, 2013-2016 Panamera GTS, 2013 Panamera Platinum Edition and Panamera 4 Platinum Edition, 2014-2016 Panamera 4S Executive, Panamera Turbo Executive and Panamera Turbo S Executive, 2015 Panamera Diesel and 2016 Panamera 4 Edition, Panamera Edition and Panamera Turbo S Exclusive Series vehicles. Water may enter the A/C blower control unit, causing an electrical short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short increases the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the blower control unit, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2020. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA7. Note: Porsche recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.
Recall number 19V322000 · 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
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4 384
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
What 2011 Porsche Panamera 4 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2011 panamera camshaft recall. 5/24/2017 experienced engine failure. Vehicle towed to dealer. Mileage ~80k. Dealer states camshaft bolts sheared but I had to pay for repair 50/50. No known recalls were stated at time of repair. Around may 31, 2017 porsche acknowledged more or less there might be a problem. Here is where things get 'sticky': once knowledge of possible recall, was public on january 12, 2018 letter released and I received. I contacted my dealer to inquire about receiving the 'correct' part rather than the repair parts I received on 5/24/2017. Dealer stated part 'kit' was not yet manufactured. I called porsche who stated parts were being engineered and I woukd be notified when parts were available. Around mid february 2018 I called dealer who stated they were still waiting on parts 'kit' . Finally, march 8, 2018 I called dealer who said they now had the special 'parts' kit for my car. I took my car to dealer march 14, 2018 for repair. March 15, 2018 dealer called to state 'we have teviewed your previous repair from may and have determined you have the correct parts and we will not be performing the recall repair on your vehicle. How is it possible that my vehicle has the correct parts already from a repair prior to recall and more importantly prior to the parts being in existnce until after my repair done in may of 2017? My car has been in numerous times since the camshaft repair for rough idle. Now, the dealer says I have a loose motor mount and repair cost $1000. Yet they pulled my motor iut($2400 my part) when cam bolts repaired I am filing reports with my attorney general and consumer fraud. I have been lied to over and over. I hope others will internet search class actions ( join). Now I have a vehicle that I have zero faith in the repair I had done with sub par parts. If the federal safety agency does not see the fraud, they are ignorant.
Compare the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4
Other model years
2011
Questions about the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4
Is the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4 reliable?
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4, close to a typical Panamera 4 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4?
Acceleration and speed control, with 1 complaint. Next is brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4 have?
4 recalls, covering exterior lighting, power train and electrical system.
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