2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, THUMPING NOISE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER STATED THAT THE BEARING AND DRIVE TRAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

THE PORSCHE CAYENNE (AND OTHER PORSCHE MODELS) HAVE A COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE'S "LOW COOLANT LEVEL" LIGHT CAME ON. I CHECKED THE COOLANT LEVEL AND FOUND IT TO BE SEVERELY LOW. THE PORSCHE DEALER SERVICE (AND ON-LINE FORUMS) REPORT THAT PORSCHE CAYENNE ENGINES ARE ENCOUNTERING A COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM THAT APPEARS TO AFFECT ALL CAYENNE S, CAYENNE TURBO AND CAYENNE TURBO S ENGINES BUILT FROM 2003 TO 2006 (MY VEHICLE IS A 2004 MODEL). THE COOLANT LEAK PROBLEM IS LOCATED IN THE PLASTIC COOLANT PIPES LOCATED UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE PORSCHE DEALER, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO THE PLASTIC MATERIAL USED BY PORSCHE (WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED TO A METAL MATERIAL) AND THE PLASTIC FITTINGS. THE LACK OF COOLANT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, OR EVEN BLOW AN ENGINE, WHICH CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, PORSCHE SERVICE SAYS THAT THE COOLANT PIPES MUST BE REPLACED, WHICH IS A VERY LABOR AND PARTS INTENSIVE SERVICE COSTING WELL OVER $1,000. *TR

**UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION** CAYENNE S ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE DRIVING. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 60 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED TRAFFIC AHEAD AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, HOWEVER THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING. I TRIED LIFTING THE PEDAL WITH MY FOOT, NO LUCK, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR SLOWED, HOWEVER, WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE CAYENNE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD NOT BEEN ACTIVATED AND WAS OFF. I KEPT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL AND RELEASING IT AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES AND FINALLY THE CAYENNE STOPPED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, ONLY TO LOSE ANY CONTROL TO ACCELERATE. I COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT AND STOPPED THE CAR. TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED - I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE, HOWEVER ACCELERATION WAS VERY SLOW AND GEAR INDICATOR ON THE DASH CLUSTER DISPLAYED A BLACK 'D' IN AN ORANGE SQUARE. THIS IS A SYMBOL THAT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. THE CAR SHIFTED THROUGH GEARS NORMALLY. THE RAPID UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION REPEATED ITSELF AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO ANOTHER PARKING LOT, SLOWING AND STOPPING THE CAR THANKSTO MASSIVE 14" FRONT BRAKES WITH 6 PISTON CALIPERS AND 13"+ REAR BRAKES WITH 4 PISTON CALIPERS. I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED. GEAR SELECTION INDICATOR APPEARED NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OFF, HOWEVER ACCELERATION WAS STILL VERYSLOW. DROVE HOME WITH THE RAPID ACCELERATION REPEATING ITSELF AGAIN AND THEN STOPPING AFTER A FEW MILES. THE ONLY REASON THIS DID NOT CAUSE A CRASH IS THE MASSIVE BRAKING POWER OF THE CAYENNE AND ASTUTE DRIVING. I RAN DIAGNOSTIC SOFTWARE WHEN I MADE IT HOME AND THERE WAS AN "ACCELERATOR MODULE" FAILURE REPORTED. THE TAIL LIGHTS, ALARM, CENTRAL LOCKING, AND THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE TAILGATE AT ALL HAVE ALSO FAILED - "REAR LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE" FAILURE. SO WHILE DRIVING, MY TAIL LIGHTS FAILED, CAR ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE IN A SAFE NORMAL MANNER. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO. THE AIR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. THE AIR SUSPENSION BAG ALSO EXPLODED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO MOVE UNCONTROLLABLY FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT LANE. THE VEHICLE ALMOST ROLLED OVER DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE COLLAR WHICH IS METAL SPLIT AND PUNCTURED THE SUSPENSION BAG. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE SUSPENSION WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 2/17/10 *CN UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE COLLAR ON THE AIR SUSPENSION BELLOW ON THE RIGHT FRONT HAD SHEARED AND PUNCTURED THE AIR SUSPENSION BAG THAT CAUSED THE SUSPENSION TO DROP SUDDENLY. UPDATED 02/22/10.

DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT AROUND 64 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE ENTIRE FRONT TRANSMISSION DROPPED AND WE NEARLY ROLLED OVER ON OUR VEHICLE WITH A 4 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. FORTUNATELY WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS (LEFT, RIGHT AND HIGH MOUNTED) REMAIN LIT AT ALL TIMES, AS DOES THE REAR RIGHT AND LEFT FOG LIGHTS. TURNING LIGHTS ON OR OFF HAS NO EFFECT. DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED RANDOMLY AND INCONSISTENTLY AND WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN UNOCCUPIED AND UNATTENDED AS WELL AS WHILE DRIVING. WHILE UNATTENDED, THE LIGHTS COMING ON DRAINS THE BATTERY AND CAN STRAND THE DRIVER. IF PROBLEM OCCURS AND THE BATTERY IS NOT DRAINED, THE DRIVER MAY BE WHOLLY UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND MAY DRIVE WITH THE BRAKE AND REAR FOG LIGHTS LIT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CREATES A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AS THE BRAKE LIGHT REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES. FOLLOWING DRIVERS HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE DRIVER MAY BE BRAKING AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL REAR END COLLISION. THE DRIVER OF THE CAYENNE, IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NO WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED TO MAKE THE DRIVER AWARE. IF PROBLEM IS NOTICED, REMOVING THE FUSES FOR THE FOG LIGHTS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CORRECTS THE ISSUE, BUT MUST BE REINSERTED, ALLOWING FOR THE PROBLEM TO REOCCUR. VEHICLE BUILD DATE WAS 12/03 AND OUTSIDE OF THE PORSCHE WIRING HARNESS RECALL, BUT THIS MAY BE THE RESULT OF A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS FEEDING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S WITH 15,000 MILES HAD FLAT TIRE. DEFECTIVE COLLAPSIBLE SPARE TIRE PROVIDED BY PORSCHE FAILED TO INFLATE AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY PORSCHE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND COULD NOT BE USED. COLLAPSIBLE SPARE IS VREDESTEIN SPACEMASTER 195/75-18 106P , DOT: DVVB4103.. , E4 0216520. COLLAPSIBLE SPARE TIRE MUST WORK WHEN NEEDED AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS IT COULD LEAVE YOU STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS PLACE WITHOUT RECOURSE. PORSCHE NA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART DUE TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE NEW CAR LIMITED WARRANTY. DEFECTIVE PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR

HORN DOSE NOT WORK, NAVIGATION SYSTEM NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, RADIO NO LONGER WORKS. REFERENCE CAMPAIGN ID 04V069000. *TR

PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING ON THE 101 FREEWAY. EXPERT DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE WAS THE FUEL HOSE FAILING WHERE IS CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE MOUNTED FUEL SYSTEM. *TR

BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2007, MY CAR EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEMS AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO HAVE THE CONTROL UNIT REPLACED. AFTERWARDS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED DIFFERENTLY, BUT I ASSUMED THAT WAS RELATED TO THE NEW CONTROL UNIT. IN EARLY 2008, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO RUN ROUGHER DURING WARM UP AND OCCASIONALLY THE RIGHT TIRE WOULD ?SKIP? AS IF TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. I ASSUMED (INCORRECTLY) THAT THIS WAS DUE TO TIRE WEAR. FINALLY, IN MAY 2008, THE DRIVE SHAFT FAILED. THIS WAS TWO MONTHS AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND AT 52,764 MILES. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS DRIVESHAFT HAS HAD MANY FAILURES, AND THAT DEALERSHIPS KEEP SEVERAL ON HAND TO ADDRESS THE RELATED PROBLEMS. WITH THAT IN MIND, I REQUESTED THAT PORSCHE REPLACE THE DRIVESHAFT UNDER WARRANTY. THE PART COST $895.51 PLUS $69.40 IN TAX FOR A TOTAL OF $964.91. SINCE THE LABOR WAS PERFORMED AT MY LOCAL SERVICE CENTER, I AM REQUESTING ONLY REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PART. I HAVE SAVED THE FAILED PART AND CAN ALSO SUPPLY YOU WITH THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK. I AM ATTACHING COPIES OF THE REPAIR BILL (IMPORT SPECIALTIES) AND THE PREVIOUS WARRANTY WORK (NEWPORT AUTO CENTER). PORSCHE DENIED THE CLAIM ON JUNE 9, 2008. THE DRIVESHAFT REPRESENTS BOTH A DEFECTIVE PART AND A POTENTIAL FOR A DANGEROUS SITUATION IT THE UNIT FAILED AT A HIGH SPEED. *TR