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Porsche CayenneModel year report

2011 Porsche Cayenne Problems

Compared with other Porsche Cayenne years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

9/100 0.4× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
30filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
64,508miles, 18 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl AWD · 16 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 30 consumer complaints for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne. The part named most often is engine, with 12 complaints (40% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain (11) and other or unknown (5). 18 of the complaints include a mileage, and 28% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 64,508 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 442 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 57 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 24 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 6 Porsche Cayenne model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 9 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “The bolts on the camshaft controller broke inside of my engine. When this happened, I was driving southbound on the 405 freeway in los angeles, ca. The car violently jerked and then stalled on the freeway. This almost caused a major accident, but thankfully everyone was able to avoid my car. I've been told by a few repair shops that the damage done by the loose bolts likely damaged the engines internal components and I will likely be needing a new engine or an overhaul of the existing engine.”

NHTSA complaint #11011342, filed 2017-07, 94,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Transfer case has failed, jerking and interruption of accelerations. Almost caused a wreck. Very well known problem and there are a lot of similar complaints on the NHTSA complaint log system as well as documented online. I called Porsche and they denied knowing about any problem with it but you can call the service departments at any Porsche dealer and they immediately know about the problem. I called two and they know of it as a common problem. Extremely expensive to correct ($5,000).”

NHTSA complaint #11267906, filed 2019-10, 75,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Transfer case issue is resulting in a jerky vehicle. This is part of the transmission system and over time will cause wear in front and rear differentials of an awd vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #10725799, filed 2015-06, 55,000 miles

Air bags: “The leather on my Porsche Cayenne dashboard has shrunk and is pulling away from the front of the dashboard. My mechanic tells me that this is a possible safety issue because if the vehicle is in an accident, the front passenger airbag may not deploy correctly and recommends replacing (expensive). In checking various Porsche online forums, this appears to be a common issue among owners with the more expensive leather dashboards.”

NHTSA complaint #11626222, filed 2024-11

Mileage when problems were reported

28% of the 18 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 46,000 and 84,600 miles.

0%0–106%10–2522%25–5028%50–7544%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (18 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 64,508 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

201520162017201820192020720232024
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Porsche Cayenne version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Cayenne AWD3.6L 6-cyl8-speed automatic162219$4,350
Cayenne AWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed manual152218$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 442 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 442 bulletins →

Other model years of the Porsche Cayenne

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20265—1—18—Too new
20255—2—18—Too new
20245—5—19—Too new
20235—2—18—Too new
20212131,0006—20—Falling
20202440,0005—20—Stable
20194712,0007—21100 · MoreRising
20181310,0001—19—Not enough data
20171841,0002—19—Rising
20164016,0002—2080 · MoreRising
20151416,0003—23—Not enough data
20145341,0003—1975 · MoreRising
20134066,0953—1925 · FewerStable
20122751,4504—1950 · TypicalFalling
20113064,5083—199 · FewerRising
20091584,2502—16—Stable
20082776,3883—1616 · FewerFalling
20064180,2523—15Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20053266,0004—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20043891,0006—15Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Porsche Cayenne model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Porsche Cayenne have?

NHTSA recorded 30 consumer complaints for the 2011 Porsche Cayenne as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Porsche Cayenne is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 12 complaints (40% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 11.

Has the 2011 Porsche Cayenne been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Porsche Cayenne get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Porsche Cayenne (Cayenne, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Porsche Cayenne reported?

Among the 18 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 64,508 miles and the middle half falls between 46,000 and 84,600 miles; 28% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.