2011 PORSCHE CAYENNE Complaints

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR DRAMATICALLY LOST POWER AND STALLED, LUCKILY I WAS CLOSE TO AN EXIT AND MANAGED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. HOWEVER THERE WAS AN 18 WHEELER BEHIND ME THAT HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO AVOID HITTING ME. I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE EXIT RAMP AND THE CAR WAS BARELY RUNNING. WAS ABLE TO GET IT BACK TO THE DEALER (WHICH WAS ONLY 1/4 MILE AWAY) THE PROBLEM WAS THE CAMSHAFT ADJUST BOLTS ON BANK #1 SHEARED. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART AND PROBLEM WITH ALL PORSCHE V8 ENGINES FROM 2011-2012.

PORSCHE HAS A KNOW DEFECT IN THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER SCREW FAILURE PORSCHE AS ALREADY LEAD A CAMPAIGN TO FIX THIS ISSUE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE GLOBE AND THIS FAILURE CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO HAVE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE THAT PORSCHE NOW WANTS $35,199.00 TO FIX/REPAIR. REFERENCES: HTTP://EUROPE.AUTONEWS.COM/ARTICLE/20150209/ANE/150209861/PORSCHE-WILL-RECALL-SOME-PANAMERA-CAYENNE-MODELS-IN-CHINA-ON-CAMSHAFT- HTTPS://WWW.6SPEEDONLINE.COM/FORUMS/CAYENNE-958/319690-SNAPPED-CAMSHAFT-ADJUSTER-BOLT-ENGINE-BRAKE-HYDRAULICS-FAILURE.HTML

LATE 2010 TO EARLY 2012 PORSCHE CAYENNE VEHICLES WITH V8 ENGINES HAVE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH BOLTS THAT HOLD THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTERS. THE WEAK BOLTS IN QUESTION ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING FAILURES WHERE THEY SHEER OFF, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. IF THIS FAILURE OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT SPEED, A LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AND STEERING WILL OCCUR AS A RESULT. PORSCHE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS FORCED TO RECALL ALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES IN CHINA BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, BUT HAS SO FAR AVOIDED RECALLING THE AFFECTED VEHICLES IN THE US. THE NECESSARY REPAIRS INVOLVE REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS WITH STEEL ONES. PORSCHE NO LONGER USES THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS IN THEIR V8 ENGINES BUILT AFTER 2012. I BELIEVE PORSCHE WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS DEFECT PROPERLY IN US CARS UNLESS AN INVESTIGATION IS LAUNCHED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECALL. REPAIR COSTS PER VEHICLE ARE ESTIMATED AT $3500, COMPARED TO $30,000 FOR THE COST OF A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT ENGINE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS WEBSITES WITH USERS EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM AND LIMITED REMEDIES. HERE ARE JUST A COUPLE: HTTP://TINYURL.COM/Z929BFN HTTP://TINYURL.COM/JOU52BS MY VEHICLE HAS THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS IN QUESTION BUT PORSCHE HAS SAID THEY WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND FEEL MY CAR IS NOT AT ISSUE. I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY ENGINE EXPERIENCES THIS FAILURE. MY ONLY OPTIONS ARE TO EITHER MAKE THE REPAIRS AT MY COST, HOPING TO ONE DAY BE REIMBURSED, OR TO SELL THE VEHICLE. I AM HOPING BY FILING THIS INCIDENT INFORMATION, PORSCHE CAN BE PERSUADED TO CORRECT THEIR DEFECT IN THE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES SOLD IN THE US. THANK YOU.

THE CAMSHAFT ACTUATOR BOLTS BREAK AND CAUSING INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE LOSE POWER SUDDENLY AND DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL.

SNAPPED ALUMINUM CAMSHAFT SENSOR BOLT RESULTED IN TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY PORSCHE AG HAS RESULTED IN AN AMENDMENT IN AN EXISTING SERVICE BULLETIN (WC-22) AND ALSO A RECALL OF OVER 14000 CAYENNES AND PANAMERAS IN CHINA.

CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS STARTING TO BECOME LOOSE AND BACK OUT, WHICH IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON THOSE CARS, CAN LEAD TO SUDDEN UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING, AND POTENTIALLY ACCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH VERY HEAVY AND VERY FAST CAR LIKE THIS ONE. DEALER QUOTED $4000 TO FIX WITH NEW BOLTS AND ADJUSTERS. ATTACHED ARE PICTURES TAKEN WITH A BORESCOPE FROM MY ENGINE. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR THIS. ALSO ATTACHED IS QUOTE FROM DEALER.

CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS SNAPPED WHILE IN OPERATING MODE.BEING MADE OF ALUMINUM NOT STEEL AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP OPERATING. PORSCHE USA REFUSED TO COOPERATE CITING AN OUT OF WARRANTY REASON.VEHICLE ONLU HAD 84000 MILES WHEN THIS FACTORY DEFECT HAS EFFECTED THE ENGINE.

MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE -RELATED TO DEFECT IDENTIFIED IN VOLUNTARY WORKSHOP CAMPAIGN WC-22-IN THE ALUMINUM CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS WHICH HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHEER OFF, WHICH PREVENT THE CAMSHAFTS FROM RUNNING. IF THIS OCCURS IN THE CAMSHAFT THAT OPERATES THE VACUUM PUMP, THE POWER BRAKING WILL ALSO FAIL, WHICH WILL RESULT IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BRAKE THE CAR WITHOUT THE VACUUM POWDERED BRAKES. THE BOLTS THEMSELVES MAY ALSO DROP INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL. IN MY CASE VEHICLE HAD DEALER ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK 3-4 DAYS EARLIER- EVERYTHING "PERFECT". ON DAY OF FAILURE STOPPED FOR GAS AND AFTER RESTART HEARD A NEW "TICKING" AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED DEALER WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO COME OVER. I DROVE ABOUT 3-4 MILES TO DEALER NEW PSM FAILURE AND ANOTHER I DID NOT GET WHEN CAR LOST POWER AND SEEMED TO BRAKE POORLY.. ROLLED INTO DEALER AND STILL THERE- ENGINE PULLED --MAY BE COMPLETE LOSS. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED TODAY THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE AS WC-22

FAULTY CAMSHAFT BOLTS IN EARLY V8'S OF THIS GENERATION (2011 MODELS) RESULTING IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND SOMETIMES BRAKES. VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD, LUCKILY WAS NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEED OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS.

THE CAR STOPPED WHILE BEING DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY SUBURBAN ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. RIGHT BEFORE THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED THE PSM LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS THE ONLY THING THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE SUDDEN STOP. THE CAR WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE ROAD AND FLAT BEDDED TO PAUL MILLER PORSCHE IN PARSIPPANY, N.J. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN(S) FOUND THAT AT LEAST ONE ALUMINUM BOLT FROM THE CAM SHAFT ADJUSTER HAD SHEARED OFF AND FELL THROUGH THE ENGINE CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS PURCHASE BRAND NEW ON JUNE 15, 2011. THE CAR HAD BEEN SPECIAL ORDERED SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DELIVERY DATE. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE. IT APPEARS THAT PORSCHE CAYENNES AND PANAMERAS MANUFACTURED DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD OUR CAR WAS MADE WERE RECALLED IN CHINA FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE-ALUMINUM CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BOLTS SHEARING OFF INTO THE ENGINE AND CAUSING TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. THIS CAR WAS OUT OF THE PORSCHE 4 YEAR/50K WARRANTY PERIOD. I NOTIFIED PORSCHE NORTH AMERICA OF THIS INCIDENT AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER OUR GEICO MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN INSURANCE. GEICO SENT OUT INSPECTORS TO EXAMINE THE CAR AND DEEMED IT A TOTAL LOSS. WE SURRENDERED THE CAR TO GEICO AND WERE PAID WHAT THEY DEEMED THE CAR WAS WORTH. THE LAST TIME WE SAW THE CAR WAS AT PAUL MILLER PORSCHE IN PARSIPANNY, N.J. ON JULY 26TH WHEN WE EMPTIED IT OF OUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT IN THIS INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY A CAR SUDDENLY STOPPING WHILE BEING DRIVEN IS HUGE DANGER. HAD THIS OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY OR IN FASTER TRAFFIC THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.