Porsche 718 Cayman Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints across the 2 model years of the Porsche 718 Cayman (2016–2017) that have at least 5 complaints. 2016 has the most, with 7. Across all years, the part named most often is seat belts (5 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 718 Cayman model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 5 | 7,050 | 4 | 503 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 7 | 7,800 | 1 | 452 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Seat belts5 29%
- Air bags3 18%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)2 12%
- Exterior lighting2 12%
- Engine2 12%
- Transmission and drivetrain1 5.9%
- Steering1 5.9%
- Seats1 5.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2017: “I sustained serious burns to my calf from my the exhausts on my 2014 boxster s, and my 2017 cayman, on two occasions. Both cars suffer from the same dangerous design defect: an excessively protruding central exhaust pipe. The first injury was sustained on february 19, 2017, when I leaned against my 2014 boxster s, and the rear of my calf made direct contact with the protruding exhaust pipe. The second injury occurred on august 11, 2018, when I placed a suitcase in the trunk of my 2017 718 CAYMAN, and the front of my calf touched the exhaust. …”
NHTSA complaint #11140061, filed 2018-10, 14,000 miles2016: “The variable valve timing adjuster sprocket bolts have a tendency to shear under high load. This is a documented issue that was also common in several other Porsche models of similar production year ranges. The valvetrain loses timing, resulting in a catastrophic engine failure which disables a vehicle. My vehicle sustained such a failure and the car immediately went into limp mode. All the valves on one cylinder bank were bent. Other models were recalled but the cayman and boxsters that came with the 9a1 engine were not. …”
NHTSA complaint #11375115, filed 2020-11, 7,800 milesOther Porsche models
500 complaintsPorsche Taycan
274 complaintsPorsche Macan
241 complaintsPorsche Boxster
153 complaintsPorsche 911
111 complaintsPorsche Panamera
100 complaintsPorsche Cayenne S
99 complaintsPorsche 911 Turbo
76 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology