2021 Porsche Cayenne Problems and Recalls (21 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2021 Porsche Cayenne is Electrical (19% of 21 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 21 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2021 Porsche Cayenne?

4 of 21 filings named Electrical (19% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (2 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Steering, Electrical, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2020 has 23 reports on file; this year has 21. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2021 Porsche Cayenne

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Automatic braking / collision warning. Ask whether the warning lights stay off and whether related recalls were done.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Electrical. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Electrical 4 complaints · 19.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2020 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) appears in 4 of 21 owner complaints (19.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 19.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 · 19.1% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 2 complaints, 9.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 · 9.5% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 2 complaints, 9.5% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 2 · 9.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 2 complaints, 9.5% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 · 9.5% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 1 complaints, 4.8% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 · 4.8% Engine (ENGINE): 1 complaints, 4.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 · 4.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 4.8% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 4.8% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 1 complaints, 4.8% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 · 4.8% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 4.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 4.8% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 8 complaints, 38.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 8 · 38.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 19.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 9.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 2 9.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 9.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 1 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 8 38.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2021; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2021. 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 Owner reports Apr 2021 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 21V271000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V271000 Recall campaign 21V318000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V318000 Recall campaign 21V493000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V493000 Recall campaign 22V040000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V040000 Recall campaign 23V841000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V841000 Recall campaign 25V896000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V896000 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 23V841000 was reported 96 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 2
2026-Q3 Owner reports 4
Recall campaign 1 21V271000
Recall campaign 1 21V318000
Recall campaign 1 21V493000
Recall campaign 1 22V040000
Recall campaign 1 23V841000
Recall campaign 1 25V896000
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Steering, Electrical, and Rear camera / backup safety.

  1. Recall campaign 21V271000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lock nuts, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMA9.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 21V318000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install a heating element, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB0.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 21V493000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    A detached steering column can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install a new screw, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB4.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 22V040000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 10, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANA1.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 23V841000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 24, 2024. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available, anticipated mid-2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APB6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 25V896000

    Rear camera / backup safety

    Report date
    Component:
    Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
    Consequence:
    A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the driver assistance software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ASB2. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 19, 2026.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 21 complaints · page 1 of 1
2026-08-31Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11760942
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On my 2021 Porsche Cayenne Base, which is equipped with the 3.0L V6 EA839 engine, I brought the vehicle to the dealership for a recall service. During inspection, the dealership found a leaking water pump and quoted $8,500 for repairs. There were no visible signs of a coolant leak on the ground, indicating an internal seal failure. My independent technician confirmed that coolant is leaking internally into the vacuum system. This EA839 engine architecture is shared across multiple Volkswagen Group models, including Audi A6, A7, A8, Q7, and Q8, where this water pump internal leak is a known, widespread manufacturer defect that has already triggered class action lawsuits.
2026-08-31Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
NHTSA ODI 11760839
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver's side seat belt independently tightened and loosened. The emergency light illuminated, and a seat belt warning chime sounded continuously. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the local dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
2026-08-25Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11759576
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Over approximately the past month, the leather covering on the dashboard of my 2021 Porsche Cayenne has rapidly begun lifting, buckling, and separating across a substantial portion of the dashboard. The deformation has become increasingly pronounced in a short period of time despite normal use and careful maintenance of the vehicle. I am concerned that this may present a safety issue because the passenger airbag deploys through the dashboard area. The dashboard material is visibly distorted and separating, and I am concerned that this deformation could potentially interfere with the intended deployment path or performance of the passenger airbag in a collision. This does not appear to be normal cosmetic wear. The affected area is not routinely touched or subjected to ordinary wear, and the condition developed quickly on a relatively recent vehicle. I have also found reports from other owners of similar Porsche Cayenne model years describing comparable dashboard leather lifting, bubbling, warping, or delamination. Because of the location of the defect and the potential relationship to the passenger-airbag deployment area, I am requesting that NHTSA review this condition as a possible safety-related defect. I have contacted Porsche Cars North America regarding the issue and am seeking inspection and repair through an authorized Porsche dealer.
2026-08-06Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11755286
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Battery completely discharged and the safety switch in the battery malfunctions and battery can not be charged again. There are many complaints seen online about the battery problems Porsche has. This strands the car and me the driver. The dealer and independent mechanics said the same. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure.
2026-06-18Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11744923
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle Information: 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]) Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle, the steering column bolt physically backed out and detached, causing an immediate, complete loss of steering control. This exact mechanical failure mirrors NHTSA Safety Recall 21V-493 (Porsche Campaign AMB4), which addressed loose, under-torqued steering column bolts leaving the factory. My specific VIN was excluded from the narrow initial recall population, proving a factory tracking failure by the manufacturer. The authorized Porsche dealership confirmed the failure stating the bolt backed out due to "vibrations." A vital steering bolt backing out under normal road vibrations on a 2021 luxury vehicle is a severe manufacturing defect and a life-threatening public safety hazard. Injuries/Crash: No Fire: No Speed at incident: 25 mph INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-05-11Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11737123
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Instrument cluster anti-glare film or delamination on center and left instrument cluster. The film is wearing away in certain irregular sport and shapes. The overall wear is impacting the visibility to the center cluster under certain conditions leading to obscure visibility to important information, including vehicle speed or other warning light. It has been raised to the dealer, then to Porsche NA, but the dealer has stated they (Porsche NA) will not cover the repair, even though the vehicle is under a CPO warranty. This first started appearing this year and has gotten worse over time. No unusual cleaning, harsh chemicals or other abrasive object were used. The nature of film is slick issue is inconsistent with this and does not appear on other parts of the user interface - just the more important ones. Porsche NA initially blamed the dealership, and then later denied my claim and now escalating.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2021 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners named Electrical most often — 4 of 21 reports (19%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2021 Porsche Cayenne?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Steering, Electrical, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2021 Porsche Cayenne?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources