AI Damage2006 Porsche Cayman S: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Porsche Cayman S filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 55% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 18% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (55% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Some of these failures have resulted in crashes or near-crashes as the engines fail the driver loses power steering and control of the vehicle. Porsche has refused to admit there is a problem with these engines but has redesigned the engines in 2009 to fix these oiling problems.
I had an accident on 11/2/08 in a porsche cayman s 2006 with the factory continental tires. The vehicle has less than 4000 miles on it. Coming a low speed corner at about 35 mph the vehicle lost control and slid down a ditch. The tires had separated from the outside edge of the wheel.
Traveling in a straight line on a dry road at around 65mph, the vehicle's engine expired in a huge plume of coolant/oil. Flatbedded to a porsche dealership, a technician using a boroscope found (according to the dealership) "scoring to #5 cylinder and evidence that a valve had hit the top of the piston.
Car: 2006 cayman s with 34,150 miles on it. I don't race it (on or off the track). 90% of my commute is highway driving at 70 mph, with the occasional acceleration (no downshifting) to 80-90 mph. I bought the car as certified pre-owned with 5,000 miles on it.
As I was accelerating for a merge, the car bucked and hesitated despite having my foot on the gas. I shifted gears and it was the same problem then there was an odd noise from the engine. I pulled off and the oil pressure warning light came on just as I stopped the engine. I had the car towed to the repair shop.
Motor failed unexpectedly while accelerating, causing loss of power and loss of control. Mechanic inspection says that it was not my fault, as the failure occurred at 3500 rpm and there was no stress that should cause failure. No sludge found in engine, oil changes done on time.
Tire failed on the freeway going 65 mph. No damage to the tire other than the side wall failure. Sidewall totally separated at the bead leaving the tire attached only to the outside rim edge. Continental has refused warranty replacement even though the tire is less than one year old and less than 6,000 miles.
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 10,521 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cayman S has 6 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Porsche Cayman S?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, tires, engine. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: engine failure or replacement (18%), oil leak or consumption (18%), loss of power / limp mode (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Porsche Cayman S?
NHTSA lists 0 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 2006 Porsche Cayman S 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 2006 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 2026-11-06.