Reliable Auto DB

2017 Porsche Cayenne reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Porsche Cayenne over 10 years — 1 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 2 recalls on file, including Headlights and Equipment.

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

17

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (6 of 17), then Exterior lighting (4) and Engine (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Cayenne has 40 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2018 has 13 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Porsche Cayenne. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

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 Equipment 2018-11-28 · NHTSA campaign 18V844000
Summary Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid Platinum Edition, Macan Turbo and Macan GTS vehicles, 2017-2018 Cayenne S, Macan, Cayenne Platinum Edition and Macan S vehicles and 2018 Cayenne vehicles equipped with the optional ski bag. The ski bag fastening strap may have been sewn with incorrect thread, possibly resulting in the strap seams tearing and the ski bag being unsecured in the event of a crash.
Remedy Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ski bags, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AJ12.

Complaints by component (17 total)

Electrical system
6
Exterior lighting
4
Engine
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Air bags
2
Powertrain
1
Service brakes
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Show 1 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201812019120201202232023320245202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT has experienced recurring water/moisture intrusion and has now completely failed and no longer illuminates. This creates a safety concern because the vehicle has substantially reduced forward…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting · filed 2026-09-15
  • "The contact owns a 2017 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that the vehicle was hacked. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's assistance safety features malfunctioned, causing the…"
    Electrical system, Tires · filed 2026-07-27
  • "Case Number: 1170739 – Additional Evidence Submission I would like to provide an additional document for Case #1170739. The manufacturer (Porsche Cars North America) stated in writing that the vehicle is “safe to drive…"
    Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-11
  • "I am reporting a series of safety-related defects involving the electrical, cooling, and fuel systems of my 2021 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. The vehicle was initially brought to the authorized Porsche dealership due to an…"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-08
  • "During rain events, headlight housings are becoming inundated with moisture (L and R sides). A quick search on multiple forums shows this is a known issue with all Porsche models. During night driving this issue reduces…"
    Exterior lighting · filed 2025-09-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Porsche Cayenne Diesel Platinum SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne Diesel SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne GTS SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne Platinum SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Platinum SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne S SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2017 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 18 24 20 MPG $4000
Cayenne GTS 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $4200
Cayenne Platinum 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $4200
Cayenne S 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $4000
Cayenne S e-hybrid 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 21 24 22 MPG / 480 mi range $3650
Cayenne Turbo 4.8L, 8-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 14 21 17 MPG $4700
Cayenne Turbo S 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 2016 Porsche Cayenne Next year 2018 Porsche Cayenne See every Porsche Cayenne model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Porsche Cayenne reliable?

Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Porsche Cayenne over 10 years — 1 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 2 recalls on file, including Headlights and Equipment.

What are common problems with a 2017 Porsche Cayenne?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (6 of 17), then Exterior lighting (4) and Engine (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2017 Porsche Cayenne more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Cayenne has 40 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2018 has 13 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Porsche Cayenne been recalled?

The 2017 Porsche Cayenne has 2 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 2017 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2017 Porsche Cayenne with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Porsche Cayenne get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Porsche Cayenne is 19.1 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.