2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE Complaints

THE PORSCHE CAYENNE IS NOTORIOUS FOR DRIVE / CARDAN SHAFT FAILURES. HAD BAD DRIVE SHAFT NOISES, AND SUBSEQUENT PREMATURE FAILURE, IT WAS A WORN CENTER SUPPORT DAMPENER AND A FAULTY CENTER SUPPORT BEARING. I EXPERIENCED BANGING, BUMPING, GRINDING NOISES FROM MY PORSCHE CAYENNE AND WAS UNAWARE AT THE TIME IT WAS THE DRIVE SHAFT. I HAVE OUTLINED THE NOISES AND CAUSES BELOW: - A CLANKING OR CLUNKING NOISE WHILE ACCELERATING OR FROM DECELERATION TO ACCELERATION AROUND 35TO 40MPH AND WHILE CAYENNE WAS SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD TO 4TH GEAR. AROUND 5TH AND 6TH GEAR GOING AROUND 50-60 MPH IT STOPPED. IF I KEPT THE RPM UNDER 200 IT SEEMED TO RUN OK, NO ISSUE, BUT IF I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR HARD OR GUNNED IT, IT WENT HAYWIRE. IT WAS THE RESULT OF A WORN AND DAMAGED DAMPENER OR DIAPHRAGM LOCATED ON THE CENTER SUPPORT BEARING. THIS CONDITION WILL ALLOW FOR THE DRIVE SHAFT TO TRAVEL UP AND DOWN WITH VARIATIONS IN DRIVE LINE TORQUE. THIS MOVEMENT WILL PRODUCE A LOUD CLANKING OR CLUNKING SOUND AND MAKE FOR A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THIS CONDITION IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON FAILURES ON THE CAYENNE DRIVE SHAFT, ALL MODELS 2003 TO 2006. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND FREE FIX BY PORSCHE BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY OF THE VEHICLES AND MODEL YEARS STATED ABOVE! BUT NO, PORSCHE QUOTED ME $2,500 TO FIX IT. NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AREA, THE HARD RUBBER DAMPENER ON THE CENTER SUPPORT SHAFT OF THE POWER TRAIN, WHICH BY THE WAY IS POSSIBLE. NO, PORSCHE WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE ENTIRE POWER TRAIN FOR $2,500. *JS

OWNER OPERATES A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO, 4.5L V8 ENGINE. THIS VEHICLE, WITH JUST OVER 61,000 MILES BEGAN TO OVERHEAT FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT (DETECTED BY FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURE GAUGE). THE ENGINE COOLANT WAS FOUND TO BE LOW IN THE SERVICE BOTTLE BY APPX. 2 QUARTS WHEN CHECKED AND WAS REFILLED. THE EVENING BEFORE THE INCIDENT OWNER'S SPOUSE REPORTED A LOW COOLANT ALARM MESSAGE HAD DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, COOLANT WAS ABOUT 2 QUARTS LOW IN THE SERVICE BOTTLE AND WAS REFILLED. THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE WAS BEING RUN AT 1500 RPM (FAST IDLE) IN A PARKED POSITION IN THE OWNER'S DRIVEWAY FOR A TEST WHEN A FLOOD OF ENGINE COOLANT WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE ENGINE WAS IMMEDIATELY SECURED TO AVOID DAMAGE. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED DRIVABLE AND WOULD NEED TO BE TOWED TO A SERVICE FACILITY. AN INVESTIGATIVE TEARDOWN REVEALED A RUPTURED PLASTIC COOLING PIPE INSIDE THE VALLEY OF THE ENGINE, THIS FAILURE REQUIRED REMOVAL OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO DIAGNOSE AND IS NOT A ROADSIDE-REPAIRABLE EVENT. THE EVENT CAUSED LOSS OF MORE THEN 50% OF TOTAL COOLANT VOLUME AS ONLY APPX. 1 GALLON WAS RECOVERED FROM THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO TEARDOWN. A PRESCRIBED REPAIR KIT FOR THIS FAILURE (REPLACEMENT COOLING PIPES KIT) WAS OBTAINED FROM SONNEN PORSCHE, SAN FRANCISCO CA AND INSTALLED BY VEHICLE OWNER. AFTER FILLING OF COOLANT AND TEST DRIVING, NO FURTHER PROBLEM WAS NOTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TREAD WALL SEPARATED ON ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED BUT WERE NOT DIAGNOSED. THE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/17/13*LJ THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE TIRES FROM A TIRE RETAILER. THE TIRE SEPARATED ON THE SIDE WALL PREMATURELY.

COOLANT LINE/PLASTIC COOLANT HOSE FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT APPEARED. WITHIN SECONDS, THE CAR BEGAN SMOKING AND THE TEMP. GAGE RAPIDLY BEGAN TO RISE. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC TO AVOID POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. I TOWED THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE INDICATED ITS A DESIGN DEFECT FROM PORSCHE AND THE PLASTIC TUBES ARE NOW REPLACED BY OREM ALUMINUM TUBES. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE DESIGN FLAW BY PORSCHE WAS CONCEALED. THE CAYENNE S IS IN THE SHOP AND I'M HOPING THAT ONLY THE HOSES NEED REPLACEMENT AND NOTHING ELSE WAS DAMAGED DUE TO THIS ISSUE. A HUGE DENT IN THE WALLET AS THIS IS A COSTLY FIX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED ALL THE ANTIFREEZE LEAKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN . THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE PLASTIC PIPES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN SMELLED AN ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND DETECTED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

AT 38,785 MILES COOLANT PIPES LEAKING AND REPLACED. AFTER REPAIR "INTERNAL ENGINE NOISE" AND NOISE IS NOW LOUDER AND ENGINE USE MORE OIL. TOOK TO LOCAL PORSCHE DEALER VEHICLE STILL AT PORSCHE DEALER BECAUSE DEALER STATES" ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED" BECAUSE IF OVERHEATED DUE TO COOLANT PIPE FAILURE PISTONS WALLS DAMAGED. DEALER CHECKING WITH PORSCHE TO FIND OUT IF THEY WILL PAY SOMETHING OR ALL OF COST TO REPLACE ENGINE. CAYENNE AT PORSCHE DEALER FOR OVER 60 DAYS WITH NO OUTCOME AS TO WHAT PORSCHE WILL PAY. COULD COST UP TO $20,000 IF INVOICED TO ME. *TR

DRIVING VEHICLE, HEARD NOISE AND ENGINE LIGHTS ON. STOP CHECK ENGINE, BELTS OFF. TOW TO SERVICE FACILITY. WATER PUMP PULLEY WAS FOUND TO SPLIT, MADE OF FIBER. REPLACED PULLEY AND MULTI RIB BELT. *TR

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, CHECK ENGINE AND ADD COOLANT LIGHTS ON. STOPPED ADDED COOLANT, DROVE HOME PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. OUT TO USE CAYENNE AGAIN, NOTICED COOLANT ON DRIVEWAY, STARTED ENGINE COOLANT LEAK ALLOVER DRIVE. CALLED PORSCHE DEALER, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY, ALSO 2 WEEK BACKLOG IN GETTING REPAIR, CALL INDEPENDENT SERVICE AND HAD TOW TO INDEPENDENT GARAGE. REPLACE ALL COOLANT PIPES AND WATER PUMP. AFTER REPAIR "INTERNAL ENGINE NOISE". OK TO DRIVE. *TR

REAR LIFT GATE WOULD NOT STAY OPEN. DROVE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SERVICE, REPLACED BOTH REAR LIFTGATE SHOCK SUPPORTS. PORSCHE WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS. *TR