AI Damage2019 Porsche Cayenne: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Porsche Cayenne filed 47 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. The maker issued 758 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 47
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 758
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 23% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Backover prevention 11% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- Air bags: 11 complaints (23% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (21% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 229.
- Engine: 6 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 82.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 36.
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 22.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.9 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- 4 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3 L · plug-in hybrid · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 47 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 229 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 82 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 36 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| Backover prevention | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Lane departure | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 31 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 160 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Several times a month when my car comes to a stop the brakes malfunction and the brake pedal goes to the floor and the power steering stops working. It takes up to another car length to fully stop when this happens - sometimes just a few extra feet. It has caused me to damage the front end by driving into a bush.
Porsche has released a recall campaign but after taking my vehicle to a Porsche dealership to fix the recall, they informed me that they have not been given a remedy to the recall.
Perelli scorpion Verde tires started showing sidewall degradation and pitting in 2003 or earlier – the earliest photos we have are dated 2003. The tires had to be replaced due to the degradation and we requested the tire shop to look into a warranty claim.
The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed an unknown red warning message. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the contact was unsure if the vehicle was inspected. The dealer had not provided a diagnostic test information. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable.
The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V896000 (Back Over Prevention); and associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.
The dashboard is peeling up and is unsafe due to airbag being underneath the leather dash. If airbag was to blow it would not function correctly due to dashboard leather peeling. Could potentially injur passenger or not deploy at all.
Towed in overheating. Technician documented coolant infiltrating vacuum system. Coolant pump replaced. Vacuum lines not inspected or replaced. Vacuum pump not inspected or replaced. PCNA's own ATI 2235.1 (NHTSA MC-XXX) required vacuum line inspection — not performed.
A moving vehicle being instructed to park and cool down presents a safety risk to the driver and others, particularly if the condition causes sudden power loss or thermal event. The vehicle was serviced at an [dealer] 2025.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 899 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 43% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cayenne has 17 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 47, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Special Tools and Equipment Information for alignment machines - Q3 2026 Software Spec Update Available
- Porsche intranet posting with Campaign WTK4 information
- Technical Information for Campaign WTK4 – Reset Vehicle Electrical System Battery
- Symptom-based workshop manual for Noises from Front Wiper Blade
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils
Note that this bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which C40 engine oils are allocated.
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils
Note that the bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which C20 engine oils are allocated.
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils
Note that the bulletin includes all models back to model year 1984, for which C30 engine oils are allocated.
- Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils
Note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 1997 to 2020, for which A40 engine oils are assigned. Model years 1997-2001 are not available for selection in the system.
- Technical Information for Vehicle Color in Front Display/Control Panel Wrong after Replacing Central…
- Technical Information for Yellow Warning Message “All-Wheel Drive System Malfunction”, “C12BEF6” and…
Technical Information for Yellow Warning Message “All-Wheel Drive System Malfunction”, “C12BEF6” and “C133700” in the All-Wheel Electronics Control Unit
- Technical Information for Damage to Nano Plug Contacts Due to Utilization of Incorrect Measuring Equipment
- Technical Information for Warranty Extension for Front Door Wiring Harness related to Real Top View (RTV)…
NHTSA lists 758 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Porsche Cayenne?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 47. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (9%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (6%), headlights and tail lights (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Porsche Cayenne?
NHTSA lists 758 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Porsche Cayenne from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.