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Federal filingsHome›Bulletins›Porsche› No. 13-21
Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Porsche bulletin No. 13-21

What it saysList of approved C20 style engine oils for classic and new Porsche models since 1984. NHTSA’s full summary ↓

Porsche filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 17, 2023, received Apr 5, 2021, about the equipment — 4 documents under this number. It names 40 model years (2016–2024). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.

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What the bulletin says

Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communication

List of approved C20 style engine oils for classic and new Porsche models since 1984.

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Oct 17, 2023 Received by NHTSA Apr 5, 2021 Components Equipment, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility First dated Mar 26, 2021

Documents filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
No. 13-21Service bulletinOct 17, 202310246423PDF, 535 KB
No. 13-21Service bulletinJul 7, 202210217173PDF, 522 KB
No. 13-21Service bulletinOct 18, 202110203071PDF, 398 KB
No. 13-21Service bulletinMar 26, 202110189886PDF, 39 KB

The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.

Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.

Find the owners/service/other manual for the 2020 718 →

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Model years it names

Source: as the manufacturer filed them
2020 Porsche 7182024 Porsche 9112023 Porsche 9112022 Porsche 9112021 Porsche 9112020 Porsche 9112019 Porsche 9112018 Porsche 9112017 Porsche 9112016 Porsche 9112020 Porsche Boxster2019 Porsche Boxster2018 Porsche Boxster2017 Porsche Boxster2016 Porsche Boxster2020 Porsche Cayenne2019 Porsche Cayenne2018 Porsche Cayenne2017 Porsche Cayenne2016 Porsche Cayenne2020 Porsche Cayman2019 Porsche Cayman2018 Porsche Cayman2017 Porsche Cayman2016 Porsche Cayman2020 Porsche Macan2019 Porsche Macan2018 Porsche Macan2017 Porsche Macan2016 Porsche Macan2020 Porsche Panamera2019 Porsche Panamera2018 Porsche Panamera2017 Porsche Panamera2016 Porsche Panamera2020 Porsche Taycan

Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2017 Porsche 718; 2016 Porsche 918 Spyder; 2017 Porsche Redundant Boxster; 2020 Porsche Redundant Boxster.

A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.

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What owners reported

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Owners of the 36 model years this bulletin names have filed 512 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 80 of them name Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.

While driving my 2019 Porsche Cayenne S on the freeway, the check-engine light came on, followed by a message on the dashboard that read “Engine Control fault – Driving permitted – Visit workshop.” Moments later, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated from about ~75 mph to around 55 mph, even though my foot was still on the…

2019 Porsche Cayenne · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 9, 2025 · ODI 11698394

The main water pump on my 2018 Porsche Panamera 4S failed prematurely. This is not a simple external coolant leak; the internal seal failed, allowing pressurized engine coolant to migrate into the vehicle's vacuum system. The coolant traveled through the vacuum lines and contaminated the vacuum solenoids and change-over valves.

2018 Porsche Panamera · Engine · filed with NHTSA Dec 8, 2025 · ODI 11703784

The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the message "Engine Overheating - Park Vehicle" in red letters was displayed on the instrument cluster. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a burning odor inside the vehicle.

2018 Porsche Panamera · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 12, 2025 · ODI 11698937

A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.

More bulletins about the equipment

Source: same model, same component group

55 other manufacturer communications filed against these Porsche models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Porsche list.

NumberKindDatedNHTSA’s summary
No. 17-22Service bulletinSep 3, 2024Installation and conversion instructions for the painted exterior package on the Macan, Macan T, and Macan S
No. 120-19-2Service bulletinApr 30, 2024Symptom based workshop manual for a noise symptom - rattling noises from engine compartment. Checking balance shaft bracing wheel and replac…
No. 210-20Service bulletinApr 22, 2024Instructions on how to replace the intake pipe in the event that there is a leak on the right side of the turbocharger.
WPQ1Service bulletinApr 8, 2024Porsche intranet posting with information on workshop campaign - WPQ1 - Checking top door hinges (body side) and reworking if necessary
No. 193-23Service bulletinApr 8, 2024Technical information for WPQ7 - replacing front left and right backrest covers and headrest covers
No. 39-24-2Service bulletinMar 20, 2024Technical information for WRC4 - checking filler flap/charge port door and rework if necessary
No. 2402Service bulletinFeb 26, 2024Instructions on advanced technical information for the Cayenne - roof sonsole rattles
No. 147-18Service bulletinJan 26, 2024Technical information for the complaint - rattling noise from around the crank drive

Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.

Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Porsche, by the number printed on the letter.

Every Porsche bulletin →Look up another number
Photo: Christian Buehner / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is Porsche No. 13-21 a recall?

No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.

Is the No. 13-21 repair free?

Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Porsche warranty extension on file lists the ones Porsche has filed.

Which vehicles does No. 13-21 cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 40 model years: 2020 Porsche 718, 2024 Porsche 911, 2023 Porsche 911, 2022 Porsche 911, 2021 Porsche 911, 2020 Porsche 911 and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.

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