Last updated: 2026-10-10

RELIABILITY SCORE: 56/100 (MIXED)

2019 Porsche Cayenne Reliability Report

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne has mixed reliability, well below other 2019 SUVs, led by battery warnings and dashboard damage.

Full Breakdown Compare Models

Recalls

Complaints

Complaint Rate

30.5per 10,000 sold

Est. Repair Cost

$1231

Annual Fuel Cost

$3,300–$4,050

Detailed Score Breakdown

Complaint Severity65/100

Component-weighted complaints normalized by sales volume

Repair Costs30/100

Independent repair cost ratings

Recall Impact60/100

Recall count weighted by severity

Issue Diversity83/100

Breadth of reported problem categories

The Verdict

Caution

First year of the third generation and the weakest of eight scored Cayenne years, with 14 recalls and complaints about batteries and dashboards.

Top Issues to Watch

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (9)
AIR BAGS (8)
POWER TRAIN (4)

Generation & Refresh (US)

Redesign Year

2019 is the first model year of the Third generation (9YA/9YB).

First-year models may have unresolved issues from the new design.
Redesigned for the 2019 model year.
Refreshed in 2023.
3rd generation Cayenne (US).

What this means for buyers

First-year models carry more risk — early production issues are common. Consider waiting for the second year if reliability is a priority.

Compare 2019 pricing and recall counts against 2020+ before deciding.

2019: Third generation (9YA/9YB) Launch

Generation start — new platform.

2023: Mid-Cycle Refresh

Updated features and styling tweaks.

Should You Buy the 2019 Porsche Cayenne?

Mixed is the fair verdict, and it is the weakest of the eight scored Cayenne years. Against other 2019 SUVs, it sits well below average. This is the first year of the third generation, and owners filed 58 complaints, about 30.5 per 10,000 sold. The 2018 rates better. The 2020 rates about the same.

The biggest complaints are electrical. Cars with the lithium battery show a low battery warning that dealer software updates clear only for a while. Some batteries then die, with out-of-warranty quotes of $2,000 to $5,000. Other owners report a leather dashboard that shrinks and lifts near the passenger airbag, and dealers have told them the airbag may not deploy correctly. Matrix LED headlights can shut off after water gets in. Federal records list 14 recalls, covering seat belts, suspension, service brakes, fuel system, electrical system, visibility and back over prevention.

Check the dashboard surface over the passenger airbag, ask for battery replacement records, and confirm every recall was completed. The 2018 had far fewer complaints and recalls, so it is worth pricing alongside.

Compared to the 2020 Porsche Cayenne, which scored 2 points higher. See also the 2018 Porsche Cayenne for an earlier comparison.

Pros

Cons

−Below-average reliability score
−Above-average repair costs for its class
−Frequent unscheduled repairs
−Above-average recall count

Compare 2019 Porsche Cayenne With

2019 BMW X5

Reliability: 52/100

Mixed

2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Reliability: 56/100

Mixed

2019 Audi Q7

Reliability: 62/100

Good

2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Reliability: 70/100

Good

2019 Lexus GX

Reliability: 78/100

Good

Common Problem Categories

Safety

LOW RISK

14 manufacturer recalls issued

Other

HIGH RISK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (9)
AIR BAGS (8)

See detailed breakdown by component ↓

Recall Overview

recalls on record

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne has 14 recalls on record, which is above average. A high count can flag multiple component concerns, though it also shows the manufacturer is actively addressing known issues.

NHTSA.gov →

Complaint Breakdown

30.5

per 10,000 sold

Segment avg: 21.2

LowAvgHigh

High

Safety Incidents

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Data sourced from NHTSA complaint filings and manufacturer recall notices. Complaint narratives are owner-reported.

2019 Porsche Cayenne Recall Details

14 recalls have been issued for the 2019 Porsche Cayenne. All recall repairs are performed free of charge at authorized dealerships.

18V7510002018-10-24

SEAT BELTS

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019 Porsche Cayenne vehicles. The passenger side rear seat belt buckle may break under load, such as in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Consequence

If the seat belt buckle breaks in the event of a crash, the occupant will not be properly restrained, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy

Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger rear seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AJ09.

19V1110002019-02-21

VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTION

Porsche Cars North America, Inc (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019 Cayenne and Cayenne S vehicles. A software failure may cause the rearview camera image display to be delayed in responding. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence

A rearview camera display that does not function as designed can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the car, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will update the related software, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA0.

19V1120002019-02-20

SUSPENSION

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling one 2019 Cayenne Turbo vehicle. The affected vehicle has shock absorber forks that may allow the shock absorbers to loosen.

Consequence

Loose shock absorbers may impair vehicle steering, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy

Porsche will notify the owner, and a dealers will replace the shock absorber forks, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKA2.

VIN History Report

Buying a used 2019 Porsche Cayenne? Check its history first

Electrical system problems lead owner complaints about the 2019 Porsche Cayenne, and 14 recalls were issued for it. A VIN check shows whether this car's recall work was done, plus accident, title, and odometer history.

Accidents
Open Recalls
Title History
Odometer Rollback

2019 Porsche Cayenne NHTSA Safety Ratings

Crash Test Results by Configuration (expand)

Gas Powertrain

Rollover risk: 0.0%

Safety Technologies

Dynamic Head Restraints (Not Available)Head Restraint (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Advanced Belt Feature (Standard)Adjustable Upper Belt Anchorage (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Seat Belt Reminder System (Driver)Frontal Air Bag (Driver, Front Passenger)Curtain (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Torso (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Knee (Driver)Additional Air Bags (Not Available)Meets Side Air Bag Out-of-Position Requirements (Info Not Available)LATCH Locations (Rear Seat)Safety Power Windows (Anti-Pinch) (Standard)Safety Power Windows (Anti-Pinch) locations (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)

HEV Powertrain

Rollover risk: 0.0%

Safety Technologies

View full safety data on NHTSA.gov →

Porsche CayenneRepair Costs & Maintenance

Maintenance Rating

1.5

Based on NHTSA complaint patterns, recall severity, and publicly available cost benchmarks.

Est. Annual Maintenance

$1231

vs $807 avg for luxury midsize SUVs

vs $652 avg for all vehicles

Repair Frequency

1.1

unscheduled repair visits per year

Severe Repair Probability

21%

chance of a major repair

Annual Cost Comparison

Cayenne

$1231

Category Avg

$807

All Vehicles

$652

Category-level averages derived from publicly available industry reports (AAA, CarMD). Model-level estimates produced by Auto Reliability Index.

MPG & Annual Running Costs

Gas

17–21 MPG

Running cost: $4,550–$5,300/yr

Fuel + repair

15–19 city / 19–23 hwy MPG

Plug-in Hybrid

21 MPG

Running cost: $4,550/yr

Fuel + repair

20 city / 22 hwy MPG

Running cost includes EPA fuel-cost estimate and independent repair-cost data (repair cost estimated at model level). Excludes routine maintenance, depreciation, and insurance. Data as of 2019 EPA label cycle.

Gas trims

Trim	Drive	Trans.	City	Hwy	Comb	Fuel Cost
Cayenne 3.0L 6-cyl	All-Wheel Drive	Automatic (S8)	19	23	21	$3,300
Cayenne S 2.9L 6-cyl	All-Wheel Drive	Automatic (S8)	18	23	20	$3,450
Cayenne Turbo 4.0L 8-cyl	All-Wheel Drive	Automatic (S8)	15	19	17	$4,050

Plug-in Hybrid trims

Trim	Drive	Trans.	City	Hwy	Comb	Fuel Cost
Cayenne e-Hybrid 3.0L 6-cyl	All-Wheel Drive	Automatic (S8)	20	22	21	$3,300

Used Buying Checklist

Key things to inspect or verify before purchasing a 2019 Porsche Cayenne.

Watch the dash for a Battery Low or yellow battery warning, and ask for records of battery software updates or replacement.
Inspect the dashboard leather over the passenger airbag for bubbling, lifting, shrinking or loose staples.
Drive in stop-and-go traffic and feel for a forward lurch around 5 mph just before stopping.
Shift into reverse several times and confirm every surround-view camera shows a live image.
Look inside the headlights and taillights for moisture, and check the matrix headlights after rain or a car wash.
Watch for looping warnings like ACC not available or Driving Light Control Error during a long test drive.
Run the A/C at full cold and confirm it blows cold air.
Sniff the cabin for a gasoline smell while creeping slowly in traffic.

2019 Porsche Cayenne Common Problems by Component

58 owner complaints grouped by vehicle system.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (9)AIR BAGS (8)POWER TRAIN (4)EXTERIOR LIGHTING (3)BACK OVER PREVENTION (2)UNKNOWN OR OTHER (2)SERVICE BRAKES (1)LANE DEPARTURE (1)Other (3)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

9 complaints

A "Battery Low" or yellow battery warning appears on cars with the lithium (LiFePO4) battery. Dealer software updates clear it for a while, then it returns. Eventually the battery shuts down or dies, and out-of-warranty replacement quotes run from $2,000 to $5,000. One car stalled at a light with a failed battery and starter. A second pattern is error messages that loop on the dash: ACC not available, Driving Light Control Error, high beam assist and park assist restricted. Adaptive cruise and parking cameras drop out while driving, and repeated dealer visits often fail to fix it.

9 complaints total

AIR BAGS

8 complaints

The leather-covered dashboard shrinks, bubbles, ripples or lifts away from its base. In some cases the staples pull out. The damage often reaches the area over the passenger airbag, and dealers have told owners the airbag may not deploy correctly in a crash. Dealers typically recommend replacing the whole dashboard. Many reports call this a common problem on this model. It starts as a cosmetic flaw but gets worse over time.

8 complaints total

POWER TRAIN

4 complaints

The car lurches or jerks forward just before a full stop, even with a foot on the brake. Reports place it around 5 mph, during the downshift from 2nd to 1st gear. One owner says it happens at every stop, but dealers have found nothing wrong with the transmission. A separate report describes an engine control fault warning followed by a sudden loss of power at highway speed, dropping from about 75 mph to 55 mph in traffic. The dealer traced that case to a water-pump fault.

4 complaints total

EXTERIOR LIGHTING (3 complaints)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

3 complaints

Water gets past the headlight seals in light rain or a car wash. The matrix LED headlights then shut off, sometimes while driving, and stay off until the moisture dries. The LEDs have no replaceable bulbs, so dealers offer only a full headlight assembly. Other reports describe condensation in the taillights and matrix headlights that stop working completely. That makes night driving dangerous.

3 complaints total

BACK OVER PREVENTION (2 complaints)

BACK OVER PREVENTION

2 complaints

One, several or all of the surround-view cameras fail at random when the car is shifted into reverse. Each failed view is replaced by a crossed-out camera icon. Repeated dealer repairs, including new cameras and a new video control unit, have not cured it. The cameras usually come back after the car is shut off and locked for about 15 minutes. The other report is about a recall notice where the dealer had no repair part yet. That owner had not seen a failure.

2 complaints total

UNKNOWN OR OTHER (2 complaints)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2 complaints

The air conditioning stops cooling with no warning light, so the failure only shows when the A/C is switched on in warm weather. In one case the dealer blamed the evaporator core and quoted $8,000 to replace it. A separate report describes a strong smell of gasoline that comes and goes while creeping through heavy traffic, on both highways and local roads.

2 complaints total

SERVICE BRAKES (1 complaints)

SERVICE BRAKES

1 complaint

2025-04-10

I purchased a Used Porsche Pre-Owned Certified 2019 Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV on February 22, 2025, and within 4 to 6 weeks, the front brakes started to squeal very loudly when the vehicle comes to a near- stop. The dealership (Porsche River Oaks, 4007 Greenbriar Dr, Houston, TX 77098) tells me that this is normal squealing due to the type of brakes that this car has (PSCB). The squeal is louder than typical brake squealing and shouldn't appear on such a newly purchased certified car. I am reading multiple complaints on the internet about the squealing problems with the Porsche Surface Coated Brakes (PSCB) that I have on my vehicle. I am also seeing that. Porsche Cars North America, Inc has issued a Technical Service Bulletin 120/22ENU 4652 published on Sept 9, 2022, on how to fix this problem for its customers with a special brake disc and brake pad with better acoustical properties. The parts for this repair are extremely expensive. My car is supposed to be under warranty, but the service technician has offered to only clean the brake pads which the service advisor tells me should suppress the brake squeal for a short period of time, but then told me that the noise will come back due to the type of PCSB brakes this car has. I feel like I have been tricked into buy a car with defective squealing brakes and Porsche Cars of North America knew about the problem with these PSCB brakes. My worry is that Porsche Dealerships, know how to temporarily fix this squealing problem when they sell these vehicles by cleaning the brake pads.

LANE DEPARTURE (1 complaints)

LANE DEPARTURE

1 complaint

2021-08-01

The contact owns a 2019 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the blind spot monitoring system was inoperable and the message "blind spot monitoring not available" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to several different dealers who confirmed the failure was present but indicated that the failure could not be fixed. No further information was available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (1 complaints)

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1 complaint

2021-08-20

The adaptive cruise control has failed 4 times. As a significant driver in terms of miles driven, the lack of cruise control increases my fatigue and jeopardize the safety of all. Porsche dealer in St Louis explained there it’s not known fx

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (1 complaints)

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

2020-01-19

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ACC Radar gats uncalibrated How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? no at all Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes 4 times in one dealer and 2 times on new dealer Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? only by porsche dealers Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes the message reads:ACC not Available, Driving permitted, Service necessary. It first appeared on January 19 2020 still not resolved.

Best & Worst Porsche Cayenne Years

Best Porsche Cayenne Years to Buy

Based on reliability index score

Top Pick

Good

Porsche Cayenne Years to Avoid

No Porsche Cayenne years are statistical outliers in our data.

Scores stay between 56 and 62 across 8 scored model years.

See full Porsche Cayenne years-to-avoid analysis

Porsche Cayenne Reliability Score Trend

Scores 0–100. Higher is better. Current year highlighted.

Porsche Cayenne reliability scores by year
Year	Score	Rating
2018	62/100	Good
2019	56/100	Mixed
2020	58/100	Mixed
2021	58/100	Mixed
2022	60/100	Good
2023	61/100	Good
2024	57/100	Mixed
2025	61/100	Good

Porsche Cayenne Reliability Compared to Other Years

Reliability scores compared across model years
Year	Score	vs Prior Year	Rating	Recalls	Complaints
2025	61/100	+4	Good	3	4
2024	57/100	-4	Mixed	11	5
2023	61/100	+1	Good	4	4
2022	60/100	+2	Good	5	1
2021	58/100	0	Mixed	5	12
2020	58/100	+2	Mixed	8	14
2019(selected)	56/100	-6	Mixed	14	58
2018	62/100	—	Good	1	13

2019 Porsche Cayenne Reliability by Powertrain

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne is available with 2powertrain options. Here's how they compare on reliability.

Reliability comparison across powertrain options
Powertrain	Complaints	Recalls	Incidents*	Crash Rating
Gas	33	7	1	N/T
HEV	25	7	1	N/T
Total	58	14	2

NHTSA tracks complaints by vehicle configuration when that detail is available. Model-level reports that do not identify a specific powertrain are included in Total but not assigned to a row. A plus sign indicates a confirmed minimum; — means no complaints could be attributed to that specific powertrain. N/T = Not tested by NHTSA.

* Incidents = crash + fire reports. A single complaint can include multiple incident types.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2019 Porsche Cayenne reliable?

Not especially. Its standing is mixed, and it is well below average among 2019 SUVs. It is also the weakest of the eight Cayenne years scored. The 2018 model rates better, while the 2020 rates about the same. Owners filed 58 complaints, and federal records list 14 recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2019 Porsche Cayenne?

Electrical trouble leads with 9 complaints, mainly battery warnings and looping dash error messages. Dashboard damage near the passenger airbag follows with 8. Smaller groups cover a lurch before stopping, with 4 complaints, and headlights that fail after water gets in, with 3.

Does the 2019 Porsche Cayenne have battery problems?

Yes, on cars with the lithium battery. Owners see a Battery Low or yellow warning that returns after dealer software updates. Some batteries eventually shut down or die. Out-of-warranty replacement quotes ran from $2,000 to $5,000, and one car stalled at a light with a failed battery and starter.

Does the 2019 Porsche Cayenne have dashboard problems?

Yes. Owners describe the leather-covered dashboard shrinking, bubbling, rippling or lifting from its base, sometimes with staples pulling out. Damage often reaches the area over the passenger airbag. Dealers told some owners the airbag may not deploy correctly and usually recommended replacing the whole dashboard.

How much does the 2019 Porsche Cayenne cost to repair?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Cayenne at about $1231 a year across the model, against $807 for its class. That figure covers the whole model, not just 2019. Battery replacement quotes of $2,000 to $5,000 and full headlight assemblies suggest single repairs can be large.

Don’t buy a 2019 Porsche Cayenne without checking its VIN first — hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls could cost you thousands.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the 2019 Porsche Cayenne

Of the four inputs behind this score, the 2019 Porsche Cayenne does best on how many systems draw complaints (83/100) and worst on repair costs (30/100). Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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