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Porsche TaycanModel year report

2021 Porsche Taycan Problems

Compared with other Porsche Taycan years

Typical for this model

48/100 1.0× 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
71filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
1,080miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
22campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
75 MPGecombined, Electric RWD · 71 city / 80 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 Porsche Taycan (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

The most common theme in owner complaints for the 2021 Taycan is a sudden loss of power while driving, often accompanied by an "Electrical System Error" or "Engine Control Error" message asking the driver to pull over. Many owners say the car restarts and drives normally after a power cycle, which makes the problem hard for dealers to reproduce. A second recurring topic is cabin heating and defroster failure in cold weather, and several complaints describe unusual brake-pedal feel or reduced braking, especially in wet conditions or during the handover between regenerative and mechanical braking.

  1. Electrical system

    Sudden loss of power with electrical error message

    • 30 complaints (42%)
    • median 876 mi at 0.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners describe the car losing propulsion without warning, sometimes at highway speed, with a red "Electrical System Error" or "Engine Control Error, park vehicle in a safe place" message on the display. Several report the car going into park or refusing to engage drive, then driving normally again after being switched off and restarted. According to the complaints, dealers often could not duplicate the fault, performed software updates, or replaced high-voltage components such as the converter. Reported from very low mileage (under 1,000 miles on a new car) up to tens of thousands of miles, at both city and highway speeds.

    Recall 21V4860001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask the dealer whether the powertrain monitoring software recall (21V486000) was completed and whether any fault codes for the drive inverter or DC/DC converter were stored. A scan of the fault memory before purchase is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Electrical system error message appeared when I turned on the car. I exited and locked the car in an attempt to reset the system. I tried this several times with no success so I attempted to call for a tow. After waiting 20 minutes I tried again to exit the car and lock it. This time when I reentered the car it started and I drove home.”

    NHTSA complaint #11453560, filed 2022-02

    “I was stopped at a red light on a busy street with no-one behind me, one or two seconds before the light changed to green the car shut down with no error message or warning. By then vehicles had caught up to where I was stalled out at the light and had to swerve to go around me. After about ten seconds I was able to get the car started again and to drive off safely. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11418975, filed 2021-05
  2. Back-over prevention (rear camera)

    Rear camera and driver-assistance warnings unavailable

    • 10 complaints (14%)
    • typically at 1.3 yrs old
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2021–2026

    Complaints describe "Rear Cross Traffic Alert Not Available" and "ParkAssist not available" messages at startup, with the rear camera image sometimes missing, flickering, or distorted enough that objects look farther away than they are. Some owners report repeated dealer visits without a confirmed cause; others describe the center screen staying black briefly after start-up. Reported on cars with low mileage, often shortly after delivery, and in some cases intermittently on every start.

    Recall 25V896000Recall 22V4040002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Start the car and check that the rear camera and park assist initialize without warning messages, and confirm the rearview camera recalls (25V896000, 22V404000) were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I continuously get 2 messages when I start the car: Rear Cross Traffic Alert Not Available and ParkAssist not available . The biggest problem is that when this happens, the rear camera does not work while in reverse. This has caused several near accidents for me. I took it back to the dealer twice, and they could not find out what the issue is, although they did experience it. I also have photographs of the messages.”

    NHTSA complaint #11429450, filed 2021-08

    “I am getting a warning and sometimes unwanted braking. the warning is that driver must assume control but this happens when I have all the driver's assist features turned off. on a recent 1500 mile road trip this fault happened at least 10 times at highway speeds.”

    NHTSA complaint #11430353, filed 2021-08
  3. Brakes

    Brake pedal feel and reduced braking in wet or first use

    • 7 complaints (10%)
    • typically at 2.5 yrs old
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2021–2024

    Owners describe the brake pedal going soft or to the floor, longer than expected stopping distance, or reduced braking when the car switches between regenerative and mechanical braking, particularly in wet weather or on the first hard stop after the car has been parked. Some complaints mention a dealer diagnosis of the brake booster or hydraulic components. Reported across a range of mileages and ages, with several cases tied to wet conditions or the first braking event of a drive.

    Recall 24V455000Recall 21V697000

    What to check: Ask whether the front brake hose recall (24V455000) and brake booster recall (21V697000) were performed, and check for brake fluid leaks or cracking at the front hoses. Test the pedal on a wet road if possible.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving N/B 101 freeway w my wife at approx 70 mph. I felt the rear end slip ever so slightly and thought maybe I somehow lost traction w the road. I continued driving and it occurred twice more in the span of a few miles. I then realized it was unlikely I continued to lose traction with the road. I told my wife something felt wrong and began to maneuver from the #1 lane to the shoulder. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11584353, filed 2024-04

    “On September 5th I was driving my 2021 Taycan 4S on my way to the Gym at 4:15 am, at that time there hardly any traffic. As am merging on the 101 southbound at the nearest on ramp everything seemed ok, as am driving along at 60-65 mph, I came to a downhill and the car was gaining speed, I stepped on the brake pedal to slow it down and to my surprise the brake pedal went all the way down to the floor! …”

    NHTSA complaint #11617777, filed 2024-10
  4. Electrical system

    12-volt battery drain and car becoming inoperable

    • 7 complaints (10%)
    • typically at 1.4 yrs old
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners report the car becoming completely unresponsive, with doors not opening, windows stuck, or the vehicle refusing to go into gear, sometimes after being parked or left on a charger for an extended period. Complaints describe a low 12-volt battery message or a tow to the dealer for a software update, and some mention the main high-voltage battery still showing charge. Reported on cars left parked or plugged in for weeks, and occasionally on newer vehicles with low mileage.

    Recall 24V732000Recall 23V8400001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask how long the car sat between drives and whether the 12-volt battery has been replaced. Confirm battery-related recalls for the high-voltage pack were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I got a bright red electrical system failure light on my dash in my Taycan and the car is completely inoperable. It won’t even go into D or R. I tried to charge my Taycan the night before and I got an error electrical message. ElectrifyAmerica had to override my system to get it to charge.”

    NHTSA complaint #11421494, filed 2021-06

    “Car died after being on the charger for 8 weeks. Main battery is at 83% but apparently there is a 12v small battery that failed. Car is inoperable. Doors will not open, windows stuck partially down, car will not go into gear, can't be moved.”

    NHTSA complaint #11514322, filed 2023-03
  5. Electrical system

    Cabin heater and defroster failure in cold weather

    • 7 complaints (10%)
    • typically at 2.2 yrs old
    • filed 2021–2026

    Complaints describe the high-voltage cabin heater failing, leaving no heat and no windshield defrost, with windows fogging or ice forming on the inside of the glass in winter. Owners report no warning message, just cold air, and say dealers told them parts were backordered for weeks. Some also mention the air conditioning pre-cooling not working before this happened. Typically reported in cold-weather months, often on cars with few miles and within the first year or two of ownership.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: On a cold morning, run the heater and defroster at full setting before buying and confirm warm air within a few minutes. Ask whether the passenger compartment heater campaign (WTL2/WSL3) has been applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2021 Porsche Taycan, was driving on road, 78% battery, and car decelerated fast and turtle symbol popped up on dashboard. From there, no other warning indicators were lit. Car would accelerate very slowly. When the deceleration happened, I was driving, and had to swerve to the side to avoid accident with other drivers behind me. Car was towed to dealership where it is still sitting. Prior to this incident, there was an error in the precooling for air conditioning. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11423458, filed 2021-07

    “The heating unit and defrosting unit fail on the Porsche Taycans. I have seen this in other Porsche Taycans and it is nearly impossible to see through the windshield when it fails. I had to cautiously limp it to a Porsche dealership due to not being able to see out of the front windshield. There were no warning lamps or messages displayed simply zero heat and the driver side and passenger side windshield areas immediately fog up and it is impossible for it to be reduced.”

    NHTSA complaint #11499717, filed 2023-01

Buying note. A pre-purchase scan for stored fault codes and confirmation that open recalls and the relevant service campaigns were completed are the most useful steps with this model year. Because many owners say the power-loss and heater problems come and go, a short test drive alone may not reveal them, so service records matter more than mileage here.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 71 consumer complaints for the 2021 Porsche Taycan. 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 1,080 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns and 966 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Porsche Taycan model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 48 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (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.

Also reported: Air bags (1), Engine cooling (1), Steering (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “On 4/18/2021 approxamtely 8:25pm. While driving at approxamately 65 MPH on a los angeles freeway a red error message popped up that read motor contol error stop vehicle in a safe place the car stopped abruptly on the freeway. I wasnt able to pull over to safety. All of the lights were still on, on the instument control, the car still appeared to be functional. However, when the car came to a stop, (in the middle of a moderaltely busy freeway) it went into park and would not allow me to put it into drive. I turned the car off and turned it back on and it drove at that point. …”

NHTSA complaint #11414486, filed 2021-04, 925 miles

Engine: “Spontaneous shutdown of the vehicle while driving. Critical failure of motility while driving. Driving at 50km per hour extremely dangerous as car just shutdown and I had to try to roll off the road but it died so I had to put it in neutral and push it by hand on a busy road. Car has been at the dealer for 3 weeks now. The spontaneous shut occurred and a red light came on.”

NHTSA complaint #11496914, filed 2022-12

Transmission and drivetrain: “Car lost ability to accelerate (motive power) while driving. Depending on the situation, this can be extremely dangerous. I brought my car to Porsche 4+ times with this problem, they attempt to fix it, but the problem returns.”

NHTSA complaint #11604515, filed 2024-07

Brakes: “On April 23, 2024, while decelerating gently at a traffic light, I heard a loud “thump” sound from the rear of my 2021 Porsche Taycan. Immediately, the vehicle lost access to the Reverse (R) and Park (P) gears. I was able to slowly coast into a nearby parking lot, but then all gear positions (Drive, Reverse, Neutral, Park) became completely unresponsive. The vehicle was immobilized and had to be towed. At the time of failure, the vehicle had just under 45,000 miles and had received routine maintenance and a recall inspection at a Porsche Center in March 2024. …”

NHTSA complaint #11658019, filed 2025-04

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 925 and 1,234 miles.

100%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 1,080 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

20212720222023202420252026
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 2021 Porsche Taycan version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving); for electric versions it is the cost of electricity and the rating is in MPGe.

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Taycan 4 Cross Turismo AWDElectric2-speed automatic767776 MPGe$1,000
Taycan Perf Battery RWDElectric2-speed automatic768479 MPGe$900
Taycan Perf Battery Plus RWDElectric2-speed automatic718075 MPGe$1,000
Taycan Turbo AWDElectric2-speed automatic717573 MPGe$1,000
Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo AWDElectric2-speed automatic727272 MPGe$1,050

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

See all 22 recalls for the 2021 Porsche Taycan → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

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. 966 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 966 bulletins →

Other model years of the Porsche Taycan

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20249—6—81 MPGe—Too new
2023213,00011—81 MPGe—Too new
2022803,50012—76 MPGe50 · TypicalRising
2021711,08022—75 MPGe48 · TypicalStable
2020934,37516—69 MPGe52 · TypicalFalling

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Porsche Taycan?

The most common theme in owner complaints for the 2021 Taycan is a sudden loss of power while driving, often accompanied by an "Electrical System Error" or "Engine Control Error" message asking the driver to pull over. The issues reported most often: Sudden loss of power with electrical error message; Rear camera and driver-assistance warnings unavailable; Brake pedal feel and reduced braking in wet or first use.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 Porsche Taycan have?

NHTSA recorded 71 consumer complaints for the 2021 Porsche Taycan as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2021 Porsche Taycan is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 38 complaints (54% of the total), followed by engine with 16.

Has the 2021 Porsche Taycan been recalled?

NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How efficient is the 2021 Porsche Taycan according to the EPA?

The EPA rates the 2021 Porsche Taycan (Taycan Perf Battery Plus, Electric) at 75 MPGe combined, 71 city and 80 highway, with an estimated annual electricity cost of $1,000 at 15,000 miles a year. Other battery and motor versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2021 Porsche Taycan reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 1,080 miles and the middle half falls between 925 and 1,234 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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.