2012 Porsche Cayenne problems and complaints

Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Porsche Cayenne. The most-reported areas: Power Train (18), Unknown Or Other (7), Engine (6).

Key takeaways

  • 36 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 1 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 0 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Power Train1850%
Unknown Or Other719%
Engine617%
Electrical System38%
Air Bags26%
Seats26%
Fuel/Propulsion System26%
Vehicle Speed Control26%
Electronic Stability Control (esc)13%
Service Brakes13%
Visibility13%
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility13%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2012 Porsche Cayenne SUV AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Electrical System - filed 2026-07-07

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Porsche Cayenne. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale from Facebook Market Place. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 125,383, but after performing an AutoCheck of the vehicle, it was discovered that the mileage ...

Air Bags,unknown Or Other - filed 2024-12-28

Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and staples pulled out around passenger side airbag. I was told that if the vehicle was in an accident the airbag might not deploy correctly. The Porsche dealer looked at it and recommended replacing it. This is a very common issue.

Unknown Or Other - filed 2022-11-04

The transfer case on my car has been confirmed by two different mechanics that it needs to be replaced. Porsche no longer makes or sells the original transfer case and components, so the entire transfer case needs to be replaced, at a cost of approximately $5,000. Porsche extended the warranty for the transfer case f...

Diagnose it yourself

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

More for the 2012 Porsche Cayenne

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.