Reliable Auto DB

2018 Porsche Cayenne reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Porsche Cayenne holds 13 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 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 1 recall on file, including Equipment.

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

13

Per year

1

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 13), then Engine (3) and Air bags (2).

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Cayenne has 17 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 44 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Porsche Cayenne. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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 (13 total)

Electrical system
3
Engine
3
Air bags
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Exterior lighting
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Powertrain
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 1 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12018320192202112023320242202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The high-voltage battery pack in my 2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] , approximately 81,000 miles) has experienced a noticeable and progressive reduction in battery range and performance. On February 20,…"
    Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-05-02
  • "Driving through a parking lot, less than five miles an hour, and suddenly heard a horrible knocking sound. Stopped and looked under the car. Nothing. Drove it very slowly to mechanic less than a mile away. Front drive…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-12-20
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Cayenne equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Latitude Sport, Tire Size: 295/35/R21, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was an…"
    Tires · filed 2025-05-27
  • "This is not accident related, but what appears to be a systemic issue related to Cayenne and Macan leather dashboards. The issue is related to delamination of the leather dash cover that can impede the safe deployment…"
    Air bags · filed 2024-10-17
  • "The Porsche Cayenne that equipped with leather dashboard are peeling off over the time. If the vehicle in an accident, the airbag on the passenger side dashboard may not deploy correctly. I am finding many cayenne…"
    Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2024-08-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Porsche Cayenne GTS SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne Platinum SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Platinum SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne S SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2018 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 / 490 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 2017 Porsche Cayenne Next year 2019 Porsche Cayenne See every Porsche Cayenne model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Porsche Cayenne reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Porsche Cayenne holds 13 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 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 1 recall on file, including Equipment.

What are common problems with a 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (3 of 13), then Engine (3) and Air bags (2).

Is the 2018 Porsche Cayenne more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Cayenne has 17 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 44 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Porsche Cayenne been recalled?

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2018 Porsche Cayenne with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Porsche Cayenne get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 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.