While driving my Porsche Taycan through a high-speed intersection, the vehicle suddenly displayed battery and chassis system error messages instructing me to pull over immediately. Before I could safely move the vehicle to the side of the road, it completely lost propulsion, speed control, and steering capability, causing the vehicle to abruptly slow to 0 mph in active traffic and leaving me stranded in the middle of the roadway. This created an immediate safety hazard, as approaching vehicles nearly collided with my car because it effectively performed an unexpected emergency stop without warning. Approximately one month earlier, the vehicle experienced the exact same failure while parked, displaying battery and chassis errors and losing power and steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Porsche dealership, where it remained for approximately one month; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the problem and returned the vehicle to me, stating that no fault could be found. Just two days after the vehicle was returned, the identical failure occurred again while I was driving. After restarting the vehicle multiple times at the roadside, I was eventually able to move it to a safer location, where it failed again shortly thereafter. The vehicle is currently at the Porsche dealership and is available for inspection. The dealership has indicated that the issue may be related to the high-voltage battery but has not yet identified the root cause or completed repairs. The only prior warning of this defect was the nearly identical battery and chassis system failure that occurred approximately one month before this incident.
2020 Porsche Taycan: sudden loss of power
25 of the 93 complaints about the 2020 Porsche Taycan describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 25
- of this car's complaints
- 27%
- recalls
- 1
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
I am reporting a safety issue with my Porsche Taycan. On two separate occasions within the past month, the vehicle has experienced a sudden and complete loss of power while I was accelerating hard on the highway. In both instances, the vehicle immediately entered “turtle mode,” severely limiting performance to the point where there was effectively no power available to maintain speed or safely maneuver with traffic. The only way to restore normal operation was to fully stop the vehicle, turn it off, and restart it. This creates a dangerous situation, especially at highway speeds, as it exposes me and other drivers to a high risk of collision due to the sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion.
During my ownership, the vehicle experienced multiple dangerous failures. It suddenly lost power while driving with my 2‑year‑old child onboard, and on another occasion the steering wheel locked for several seconds on the freeway. The car has had numerous recalls, and the dealer later confirmed an EV motor failure but offered no buyback. These defects created serious safety risks and caused significant financial loss, which I believe requires the federal safety agency’s attention.
I am writing to bring to your urgent attention a recurring and serious issue with my Porsche Taycan (VIN: [XXX] ). On multiple occasions while driving, the vehicle has suddenly lost all power and displayed the error message: "Engine control error. Stop the car in a safe place." When this occurs, the car becomes completely unresponsive and unable to move forward, posing a significant safety risk, especially when it happens in traffic. I am forced to stop, switch off the vehicle, wait for a couple of minutes, and restart it. The error message disappears after restarting, but the issue continues to recur. This has now happened three times in the past two months. I first brought the vehicle to the dealer after the initial incident, and they recommended a software update. However, after the issue reoccurred and I returned to the dealership, they were unable to retrieve any error codes. Despite these efforts, the problem persists. Given the severity of the issue and the risk it poses while driving, I am requesting immediate assistance and a thorough investigation into the root cause of this malfunction. This is not only a mechanical concern but a serious safety issue that requires urgent attention. Please let me know the next steps to have this addressed properly and whether a formal case can be opened for further diagnostics and resolution. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving, shortly after a turn, the electric motor has a fatal error resulting in complete loss of power while driving. The car has to be stopped in the middle of the road and powered down and then turned back on. This clears the fault but the problem has occurred 3 times within a month resulting in me not driving it anymore.
While driving my electric vehicle, I experienced a sudden loss of power. The car abruptly stopped, leaving tire marks on the street, and the steering wheel began shaking. At the same time, an error message appeared on the dashboard, indicating an engine failure and instructing me to pull over immediately for safety. Fortunately, I was driving alone that day and had chosen an alternative residential route, which allowed for slower speeds and less traffic. Had this incident occurred during my usual commute, where I typically travel at least 45 mph on a heavily trafficked three-lane road, the outcome could have been catastrophic. I am certain that the sudden loss of power in such conditions would have led to a serious accident, endangering not only myself but also other road users. The service center required a full week to duplicate the issue. While there were no prior warnings, messages, or symptoms leading up to this event on my car after researching the incident it is clear that this same instance occurred in over 10,000 like kind vehicles under the federal safety agency recall number 21V‑486. This unexpected failure poses a significant safety risk, and I am deeply concerned about the potential for recurrence, especially in less forgiving traffic conditions.
I was making a left turn after being stopped at a traffic light - just a few moments after the turn, all of a sudden I experienced violent jerking motions of the car, and lost all power in the middle of traffic, and rolled to a complete stop. This was an exceptionally dangerous place to just have the car stop responding. I noted an error message "Engine Control Error" with a red ring around it in the rightmost instrument cluster. I turned on my hazard lights; other electrical functions were still working in the car (e.g. music was still playing over the audio system). I power cycled car off and then on again, and cleared the error, and the car drove normally again. The problem did not recur despite driving about 5 miles more on the way home. I have stopped and started car and drove brief periods several times since then without issue. The state of charge was about 75%, having charged last night at home on AC to 80%. Ambient temperature outside was hot today, almost 90 degrees F, and very humid.
Vehicle lost all power with no response from the accelerator pedal causing me to almost get killed on a two lane highway. I was able to somehow coast into the grass on the side of the highway
I was driving 30 mph in drive mode on westheimer rd when the car suddenly emergency braked and lost all power i went from 30 to 0 in about a second. Yes the car is available for inspection on request. The car had 180 miles of battery power. The car behind me slammed their brakes on and nearly slammed into the rear of the car. The red warning light came on "Electrical System Error park vehicle in a safe place". There was absolutely no warning before this occurred. I am afraid for my life with this car i nearly got into an accident at 30 mph let alone if i was on the highway i could have easily died. This problem has been reported with thousands of porsche taycans. The car has been at the porsche dealership for a week so far where they are reporting electrical faults in the car.
My Taycan suddenly lost power while driving on the road on 10/14/2022
Suddenly my vehicle showed "electrical system error", then it can't move, no matter forward or reverse, luckily it was parked in my garage, I can't image if it was on highway when your vehicle suddenly lost power. I don't remember how many times my Taycan was recalled in past 1 year, but it looks Porsche still haven't figure it out, maybe it's still a prototype.
While driving the car suddenly lost power and displayed "electrical malfunction" please park in safe place. I was powerless and stranded in the middle of a 3 lane road. Car was towed to Porsche and they have had the car for 2 days- with no solution in site.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Allocation of Approved Engine Oils MY 2027 (13/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils (18/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils (17/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils (16/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils (15/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils (21/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils (19/26)
- Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils (20/26)
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: engine control module (ecu/ECM): software
- What is wrong
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Taycan Turbo, Taycan Turbo S, Taycan 4S, 2021 Taycan, Taycan Cross Turismo, Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, and Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo vehicles. The monitoring software can incorrectly detect a fault and shutdown the power train, causing a loss of motive power.
- Risk
- A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the power electronics and the engine control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1‑800‑767‑7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB5.
Recall number 21V486000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2020 Porsche Taycan loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2020 Porsche Taycan?
25 of 93 owner complaints about the 2020 Porsche Taycan (27%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2020.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Porsche Taycan?
There is 1 recall and 93 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Porsche Taycan
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2020 Porsche Taycan?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history