2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S Complaints

PORSCHE KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURED CAYENNE MODEL VEHICLES WITH PLASTIC COOLANT TUBES THAT DEGRADE AND FRACTURE CAUSING ENGINE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO SIGNIFICANT ENGINE DAMAGE. PORSCHE HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND FAILED TO MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FAILURE DESPITE THE RISK TO THE OWNERS SAFETY AND POCKETBOOK. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, AN OVERHEATING INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE ENGINE COOLANT WAS ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. WHILE ADDING THE COOLANT, THE TECHNICIANS NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT THROUGH ITS PLASTIC TUBING. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE PLASTIC TUBING FOR THE ENGINE COOLANT WAS BEING REPLACED WITH ALUMINUM TUBING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,500.

COOLANT PIPE START TO FAIL FOR THE MODEL YEAR 2004-2006. THE MATERIAL FOR COOLANT PIPE WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND IT RESULTED IN A DISINTEGRATION OF PIPE OVERTIME DUE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES. PORSCHE TECHNICIANS IDENTIFIED THIS ISSUE AND PORSCHE ENGINEERS ALSO IDENTIFIED THIS ISSUE. THEY CAME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT PART WHICH IS MADE OF ALUMINUM TO MITIGATE DAMAGES TO THE ENGINE DUE TO SUDDEN FAILURE OF COOLANT PIPE. IF THE PIPE BUSTED, IT WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO FAIL DURING OPERATION AND MAY RESULT IN A HAZARDOUS INCIDENT CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AND POSSIBLY INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND ITS PASSENGER. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT PORSCHE TO RECALL THIS PRODUCT AND REPLACE IT FOR ALL DEFECT TO PREVENT FURTHER INCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS AN ENGINEERING FLAW SO THE COST TO REPAIR, REPLACE OR TO UPGRADE CANNOT BE THE OWNER RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, A SEVERE VIBRATION OCCURRED ALONG WITH A SIMULTANEOUS BANGING SOUND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CENTER DRIVE SHAFT BEARING WAS FAULTY AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,800. UPDATED 5/24/11 *CN UPDATED 06/06/11

WATER PUMP FAILURE. ORIGINAL PART HAS PLASTIC IMPELLER AND HIGH FAILURE RATE DEALER WII REPLACE WITH UPGRADED PART BUT NO REEMBURSEMENT. *TR

MAIN DRIVE SHAFT CENTER BEARING FAULTY, FAILURE WITHOUT NOTICE, CAUSING SEVERE VIBRATION IN DRIVE TRAIN. DEALER WILL REPLACE WITH UPGRADE PART WITH NO REIMBURSEMENT FROM MAKER. *TR

ORIGINAL ENGINE COOLING TUBES DEFECTIVE, PLASTIC COMPOSITION.CAN FAIL WITHOUT INDICATION CAUSING OVERHEATED ENGINE AT ANY TIME. REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE UPGRADED TO METAL. NO RECALL AND MAKER WILL NOT REEMBURSE DAMAGE OR REPAIR. *TR

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

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