Reliable Auto DB

2013 Porsche Cayenne reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne has 40 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Cayenne years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Headlights, Pedals and linkages, and Instrument cluster.

2012 Porsche Cayenne
Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

40

Per year

0

Recalls

3

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (16 of 40), then Engine (7) and Air bags (6).

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Cayenne has 36 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2014 has 53 complaints, 3 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Porsche Cayenne. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2022-08-30 · NHTSA campaign 22V656000
Summary Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.
Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2016-03-23 · NHTSA campaign 16V169000
Summary Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles manufactured April 28, 2010, to January 11, 2016. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge.
Remedy Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly circlip, installing any missing circlips, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AG02.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2013-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 13V506000
Summary Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cayenne and Cayenne GTS, model year 2013 Cayenne Diesel and model year 2014 Cayenne S, S Hybrid, Turbo, and Turbo S vehicles manufactured May 27, 2013, through July 10, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the calculated range of the remaining fuel displayed on the instrument cluster may be higher than the actual range. Additionally, the fuel level indicated by the fuel gauge may also be higher than actual amount in the tank.
Remedy Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software free of charge. The recall began on December 5, 2013. Owners may contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's recall number is AD03.

Complaints by component (40 total)

Powertrain
16
Engine
7
Air bags
6
Fuel and propulsion system
5
Seat belts
4
Electrical system
3
Structure
2
Exterior lighting
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Show 2 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12015220162201742018132019520201202122022520243202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The leather dash has "shrunk" so badly and is so distorted that there is no way the passenger airbag would properly inflate in an accident. Porsche tells me that this defect is "cosmetic" and of no consequence to…"
    Air bags, Structure · filed 2026-04-07
  • "This vehicle qualified for the Volkswagen Emissions Recall, yet from the start of the recall through 2018 settlement lawsuit dates , no correspondence was sent (by Porsche nor VW). According to all recall regulations,…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-03-16
  • "The factory leather dashboard has detached/ungluded in places both on the driver and passenger side. Now the dashboard cover in the passenger area does not properly line up and has bubbled up on top of the passenger air…"
    Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2025-09-02
  • "Porsche dashboard leather has shrunk and now doesn’t properly cover airbag which is a major safety hazard. Porsche said they would not cover cost to replace which they quoted $9k. There are tons of reports of this…"
    Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2025-04-01
  • "Leather dashboard cover is separating from the dashboard with staples being pulled up. I am concerned the airbag in the dash may deploy improperly and/or dangerously."
    Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2025-01-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2013 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2013 Porsche Cayenne S SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2013 Porsche Cayenne SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Cayenne 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $4200
Cayenne 3.6L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 15 22 17 MPG $4700
Cayenne Diesel 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 29 23 MPG $4100
Cayenne GTS 4.8L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 14 20 16 MPG $5000
Cayenne S 4.8L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 15 22 18 MPG $4450
Cayenne S hybrid 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 20 24 21 MPG $3800
Cayenne Turbo 4.8L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 14 21 17 MPG $4700

Specs and fitment

Second generation (92A), 2012–2018
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30 or 5W-40 (Porsche-approved; ~7.2 qt with filter on typical fills) , 7.2 qt capacity
Tire size 255/55R18, 265/50R19, 275/45R20 or 295/35R21 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 16V-169 covers certain 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles whose brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip, allowing the pedal to dislodge; Porsche installs the circlip and inspects the assembly. Recall 22V-656 covers certain 2003-2020 Cayenne (and other Porsche) vehicles whose low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screw caps may be missing, so the lamps can be mis-aimed (FMVSS 108); dealers inspect and install missing caps.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Porsche Cayenne Next year 2014 Porsche Cayenne See every Porsche Cayenne model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Porsche Cayenne reliable?

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne has 40 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Cayenne years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Headlights, Pedals and linkages, and Instrument cluster.

What are common problems with a 2013 Porsche Cayenne?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (16 of 40), then Engine (7) and Air bags (6).

Is the 2013 Porsche Cayenne more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Cayenne has 36 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2014 has 53 complaints, 3 per year. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Porsche Cayenne been recalled?

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners have filed 40 complaints about the 2013 Porsche Cayenne with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Porsche Cayenne get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Porsche Cayenne is 18.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Porsche Cayenne use?

92A models commonly list Porsche-approved 0W-30/0W-40/5W-30/5W-40 (~7.2 qt); 9YA models commonly list 0W-20/0W-30/5W-30 (~7.6–8.0 qt by engine).

What tire sizes does a Porsche Cayenne use?

OEM sizes commonly span 18–21 inch packages such as 255/55R18 through 295/35R21 (92A) and 255/55R19 through 315/35R21 (9YA).

What brake-pedal recall covers certain Cayenne models?

NHTSA recall 16V-169 covers certain 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles whose brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip; Porsche installs the circlip and related hardware.