Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Porsche Cayenne, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system6
- Unknown or other5
- Air bags4
- Engine3
- Power train2
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Steering2
- Service brakes2
- Seat belts1
- Back over prevention1
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
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2021 Cayenne vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Porsche Cayenne failed the safety check 0.37% of the time — 61% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 21,415 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2021
1,961 new Porsche Cayenne cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Germany (890), Italy (384), Poland (138).
- Average mass
- 2,121 kg
- Average CO₂
- 248 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 257 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 93% · Petrol/electric 7.0%
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
Real-world fuel consumption
830 Porsche Cayenne cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions use 13.0 l/100 km on the road against 11.5 in the WLTP test (+13%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 830 | 13.0 | 11.5 | +13% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2021 Porsche Cayenne cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 hybrid (250 kW, 335 hp), 4.0 hybrid (404 kW, 542 hp) and 4.0 petrol (338 kW, 453 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 hybrid | 250 kW 335 hp | 794 |
| 4.0 hybrid | 404 kW 542 hp | 89 |
| 4.0 petrol | 338 kW 453 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
929 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 41% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €137,687.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde99
- Band beschadigd67
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld64
- Band onvoldoende profiel44
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm31
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht21
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage13
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk5
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,542 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 207 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In New Zealand
137 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 7% arrived as used imports, 91% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Porsche Cayenne 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 11.5 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 269 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayenne · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Premium gasoline | 12.5 | 10.3 | 11.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Porsche Cayenne.
| 2025716 19 Dec 2025 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. Canadian regulations require the rearview i… |
| 2023662 13 Dec 2023 | Accessories Issue: Under certain conditions, the 220 V vehicle charging cable plug could become damaged by the house power outlet. As a result, the charging cable could o… |
| 2022033 31 Jan 2022 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear wheel alignment was not checked during recall AMA9 (Transport Canada Recall 2021-236). As a result, the steering could pu… |
| 2021485 4 Aug 2021 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not p… |
| 2021236 21 Apr 2021 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the lock nuts for the rear trailing arms may be defective. As a result, a nut could break and the trailing arm could become loose.… |
| 2021192 31 Mar 2021 | Lights And Instruments Issue: Certain vehicles may not display the correct warning indicator when the brakes are worn out. As a result, the brake wear indicator lamp ("BRAKE WEAR") … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019-2025 Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid, 2020-2025 911, Taycan, 2024-2025 Panamera, and 2025 Panamera E-Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cayenne vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-271 (AMA9) were performed.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne vehicles. The screw connection between the steering column and steering box may fail, which can result in a detached steering column.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne GTS, Cayenne GTS Coupe, 2020-2021 Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe vehicles. The passenger seat back heating element was not installed and may impact the calibration of the Occupant Classification System.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and Cayenne GTS Coupe vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
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 2021 Porsche Cayenne: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011674 | Technical information for Fuel Gauge Fault Service NecessaryWarningMessage in Instrument Cluster: Re-Coding Control Unit for Rear-End Electronics |
| 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. |
| 11011179 | Technical information for Warranty Information: Carbon Roof Warranty Extension |
| 11009908 | Instructions on advanced technical information for the Porsche mobile charger plus supply cable initialization failure |
| 11009889 | Special tools and equipment information for the thatcham master wheel lock key set. All Porsche 2024 & UP equipped with Thatcham locks |
| 11009882 | Instructions on advanced technical information for the mobile phone inductive charger information |
| 11009877 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.048 |
| 11009872 | Technical information for WPK9 - check crankcase ventilation plug connection |
| 11009862 | Special tools and equipment information for the mobile data signal strength in the workshop |
| 11008685 | Information on a air separator membrane failure |
| 11008672 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C30 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 11008669 | Manufacturers certificate with an overview on approved Porsche C20 engine oils. See attached for list of affected vehicles. |
| 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 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)