Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Porsche Panamera, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine5
- Structure2
- Power train2
- Electrical system2
- Exterior lighting1
- Unknown or other1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Steering1
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
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Porsche Panamera failed the safety check 0.65% of the time — 74% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 74,034 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
2,157 new Porsche Panamera cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (710), Italy (435), France (291).
- Average mass
- 1,882 kg
- Average power
- 185 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 95% · Petrol 5.2%
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
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Porsche Panamera cars on Dutch roads are the 4.8 petrol (316 kW, 424 hp), 3.6 petrol (220 kW, 295 hp) and 3.0 diesel (184 kW, 247 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 4.8 petrol | 316 kW 424 hp | 40 |
| 3.6 petrol | 220 kW 295 hp | 39 |
| 3.0 diesel | 184 kW 247 hp | 34 |
| 3.0 hybrid | 245 kW 329 hp | 22 |
| 4.8 petrol | 294 kW 394 hp | 21 |
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
186 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 77% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €147,616.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde74
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm46
- Band onvoldoende profiel45
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld38
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen18
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage17
- Waarschuwingsinrichting controlesysteem bandenspanning geeft15
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht14
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
605 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 82 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 645 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 85% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.7% | 7.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.3% | 14.3% |
| Suspension | 3.3% | 12.2% |
| Brakes | 2.3% | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 2.3% | 5.0% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1.2% | 0.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
11 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 191,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
33 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 64% arrived as used imports, 30% 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 Panamera 5 HB RWD | — | 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 11.2 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 258 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panamera · Full-size · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 8.8 | 11.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Porsche Panamera.
| 2026301 17 Jun 2026 | Other Issue: On certain vehicles, the immobilizer system may not meet certain requirements of Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: This small error does not affe… |
| 2022487 31 Aug 2022 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain vehicles, covers were not installed over the horizontal headlamp adjusters. As a result, the headlamps may be adjusted horizontally. Canadia… |
| 2019290 12 Jun 2019 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the transmission shifter could detach from the transmission. This could cause the transmission not to shift gears when the shifter… |
| 2019200 25 Apr 2019 | Electrical Issue: On certain cars, water could leak into the air conditioning blower control unit. Over time, this could cause a short circuit that could cause it to mel… |
| 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… |
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 Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, 2004-2010 Cayenne, 2006 Cayenne Turbo S, 2010-2016 Panamera S, Panamera 4 S, Panamera Turbo, 2011-2016 Panamera, Panamera 4, 2012-2013 Panamera Turbo S, 2013-2016 Panamera 4 GTS, 2014-2016 Panamera 4 S Executive, Panamera Turbo Executive, Panamera Turbo S G1 II, Panamera Turbo S Executive, 2013 Panamera 4 Platinum Edition, Panamera Platinum Edition, 2016 Panamera 4 Edition, Panamera Edition, Panamera Turbo S Executive Luxury Sports vehicles. The bushing that attaches the gear selector lever to the gearbox may degrade over time, causing the bushing to detach. This condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2016 Panamera 4S and Panamera S, 2011-2016 Panamera, Panamera 4 and Panamera Turbo, 2012-2016 Panamera Turbo S and Panamera S E-Hybrid, 2013-2016 Panamera GTS, 2013 Panamera Platinum Edition and Panamera 4 Platinum Edition, 2014-2016 Panamera 4S Executive, Panamera Turbo Executive and Panamera Turbo S Executive, 2015 Panamera Diesel and 2016 Panamera 4 Edition, Panamera Edition and Panamera Turbo S Exclusive Series vehicles. Water may enter the A/C blower control unit, causing an electrical short circuit.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo vehicles, 2011-2012 Panamera and Panamera 4 vehicles, and 2011 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo vehicles. The affected vehicles have camshaft controllers that may come loose inside the engine, potentially resulting in an engine stall.
PORSCHE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 PANAMERA TURBO, 2012 PANAMERA TURBO S, AND 2012 CAYENNE TURBO VEHICLES. THE TURBINE WHEEL OF A TURBOCHARGER MAY FRACTURE DUE TO A CASTING DEFECT. IF A FRACTURE OCCURS, VEHICLE PERFORMANCE WILL BE DECREASED AND THE TURBINE SHAFT MAY FRACTURE.
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 Panamera: 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 11008473 | Parts information for parts withdrawal involving the seat frame - 992885456CY |
| 11008470 | Information on PIWIS tester update 42.950.015 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)