- Safety
- —
- not rated
- Recalls
- 5
- on record
- MPG
- 20
- combined
Open recalls on record
5 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2021 Porsche Cayenne
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 17
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
5 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 22V040000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Cayenne vehicles. The rear axle alignment may not have been inspected after the repairs for Recall 21V-271 (AMA9) were performed.
Consequence
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle, adjust the alignment as necessary, and replace any prematurely or unevenly worn tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 10, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANA1.
- 21V271000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and Cayenne GTS Coupe vehicles. The lock nut on the trailing arm of the rear axle may break due to stress corrosion.
Consequence
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lock nuts, free of charge. The recall began on June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMA9.
- 21V493000high
Steering issue
STEERING:COLUMN
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne vehicles. The screw connection between the steering column and steering box may fail, which can result in a detached steering column.
Consequence
A detached steering column can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will install a new screw, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB4.
- 21V318000high
Safety restraint issue
SEATS
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Cayenne GTS, Cayenne GTS Coupe, 2020-2021 Cayenne Coupe, Cayenne S Coupe, Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe vehicles. The passenger seat back heating element was not installed and may impact the calibration of the Occupant Classification System.
Consequence
The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will install a heating element, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AMB0.
- 25V896000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019-2025 Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid, 2020-2025 911, Taycan, 2024-2025 Panamera, and 2025 Panamera E-Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence
A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will update the driver assistance software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ASB2. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 19, 2026.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.
Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2021 Porsche Cayenne, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
19
City
23
Hwy
20
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $3,800
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 432 g/mi
How this compares
At 20 MPG combined, the 2021 Porsche Cayenne ranks 4th of 6 standard SUVs (4WD) EPA rated for 2021 — 0.5 MPG short of the 20.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little below the middle of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $3,800, within $0 of the $3,800 typical for the class — roughly $19,000 over five years.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 432 grams per mile — about 6.5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
17 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 17
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ELECTRICAL4
- OTHER4
- AIR BAGS3
- STEERING2
- ENGINE2
Normal Range
17 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Porsche Cayenne, newest first.
- Recall
A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A detached steering column can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- SUV
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
19
City
23
Hwy
20
Comb
- Annual cost
- $3,800
- Fuel
- Premium Gasoline
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Rear axle misalignment may cause premature or uneven tire wear, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A detached steering column can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
The front passenger air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
A broken lock nut may misalign the rear axle, causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.