Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Porsche Cayenne S, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train5
- Engine1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2012
294 new Porsche Cayenne S cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were France (73), Italy (48), the Netherlands (42).
- Average mass
- 2,159 kg
- Average power
- 291 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 94% · Diesel 6.1%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In New Zealand
4 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Porsche Cayenne S SUV AWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 12.9 L/100 km (about 18 mpg US), CO₂ 297 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayenne S · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 15.0 | 10.4 | 12.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Porsche Cayenne S.
| 2017296 7 Jun 2017 | Engine On certain vehicles, the fasteners of the camshaft adjusters could fail due to an assembly problem. If this occurs, this could cause abnormal engine noises, vib… |
| 2016131 23 Mar 2016 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a circlip at the brake pedal hinge may not have been installed at the time of assembly. This could allow the pivot pin to move out of posit… |
| 2012070 22 Feb 2012 | Lights And Instruments On certain vehicles, the headlamp assemblies may not have been secured correctly during vehicle assembly. As a result, the headlamps could loosen and detach fr… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
PORSCHE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CAYENNE, CAYENNE S, CAYENNE S HYBRID, AND CAYENNE TURBO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 8, 2010, THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2012 BECAUSE THE HEADLAMPS MAY COME LOOSE AND DETACH FROM THE FENDER.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Porsche told its dealers about the 2012 Porsche Cayenne S: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011666 | Parts information with parts withdrawal involving the hydro-mounting - 992199384F The affected vehicles are cars that use the part number mentioned. |
| 11011572 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the oil separator. The affected vehicles are cars that use part number 0PC115099A |
| 11011570 | Special tools and equipment information for the WiScope UV upgrade - affecting all Porsche models |
| 11011563 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.020 & .021. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11011561 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.017. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11011552 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the camera and control unit with the camera - PAD980551 & PAD980568C. The affected vehicles are cars that use the part numbers mentioned. |
| 11011200 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.016. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port. |
| 11011195 | Information on PIWIS tester update 43.000.010, .011 & .015. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models with an OBD2 port. |
| 11009877 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.048 |
| 11009862 | Special tools and equipment information for the mobile data signal strength in the workshop |
| 11008666 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche A40 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 11008662 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C40 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 11008661 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C30 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. All MY04-20 |
| 11008658 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. Vehicles affected are cars that use part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY |
| 11008657 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.040. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008637 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.032. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008636 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.030. PIWIS tester updates applies to all Porsche models that have an OBD2 port. |
| 11008635 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the booster - 7PP035223M, 7PP035223AA, 99164548000. Vehicles affected are cars that use the part numbers listed. |
| 11008624 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.025 |
| 11008610 | Technical information for the installation of wire harness for roof power supply |
| 11008603 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the windscreen. The cars involved are cars that use the part numbers 992845011Q, 992845011AN, 992845011S, 992845011AM, 992845011BL, 992845011DB, 992845047DY, 992845047FY |
| 11008598 | Technical information on replacement of thermostat housing for the Cayenne |
| 11008486 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.021 |
| 11008479 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the chain tensioner - 0PB109507D |
| 11008476 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.020 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)