Porsche over-the-air update No. 169-21-2
What it saysTechnical information for the OTA map update (failed) - navigation map view in the PCM screen is black/incomplete. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Porsche filed this with NHTSA as an over-the-air update dated May 1, 2024, received Dec 7, 2021, about the electrical system — 2 documents under this number. It names 5 model years (2018–2021). An over-the-air update is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationTechnical information for the OTA map update (failed) - navigation map view in the PCM screen is black/incomplete.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 169-21-2 | Over-the-air update | May 1, 2024 | 11000850 | PDF, 133 KB |
| No. 169-21-2 | Service bulletin | Nov 24, 2021 | 10204085 | PDF, 112 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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themAlso filed against model years this site has no page for: 2020 Porsche Redundant Cayenne E-Hybrid.
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 databaseOwners of the 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 25 of them name Electrical System — 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.
2019 Porsche Cayennes (and other Porsche models) have LiFe P04 lithium batteries that have an internal Battery Control Module that causes a "Battery Low " indication. Porsche has been updating the software/ firmware for this module, only for it to fail again. Eventually, the battery will fail, lose charge, and become dead.
2019 Porsche Cayenne · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 13, 2023 · ODI 11554814
While the vehicle was charging, the protective sheath near the power outlet of the charging cable had possible electrical or fire damage. No warning lights were illuminated. Upon turning off the power and unplugging the outlet, it was determined that the plastic near the plug melted and caused the power to short.
2018 Porsche Cayenne · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 12, 2024 · ODI 11593998
Battery completely discharged and the safety switch in the battery malfunctions and battery can not be charged again. There are many complaints seen online about the battery problems Porsche has. This strands the car and me the driver. The dealer and independent mechanics said the same.
2021 Porsche Cayenne · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 6, 2026 · ODI 11755286
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group228 other manufacturer communications filed against these Porsche models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Porsche list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 35-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | Technical information for a Malfunction Indicator Light Active / Warning Message All-Wheel Drive Disturbed: Fault Memory Entry “U140500 - Te… |
| No. 84-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2026 | Technical Information for Filler Flap on Vehicles with Hybrid Drive System (PHEV) Does Not Close |
| No. 81-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 8, 2026 | Technical Information for Yellow Warning Message “All-Wheel Drive System Malfunction”, “C12BEF6” and “C133700” in the All-Wheel Electronics… |
| WTK4 | Service campaign | Sep 1, 2026 | Technical Information for Campaign WTK4 – Reset Vehicle Electrical System Battery |
| No. 12-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | Technical information for Damage to Nano Plug Contacts Due to Utilization of Incorrect Measuring Equipment |
| No. 2109-3 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | Information on Advanced Technical Information for Critical 12V Li-ion Battery Recycling |
| No. 2433-4 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | Information on Advanced Technical Information for Porsche Mobile Charger NEMA Supply Cable Initialization Failure |
| No. 2315-1 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | Information on Advanced Technical Information for Porsche Mobile Charger Plus (PMC+) Red LEDs and Fault B191E49 |
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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Porsche No. 169-21-2 a recall?
No. A over-the-air update 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. 169-21-2 repair free?
A over-the-air update is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does No. 169-21-2 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2021 Porsche Cayenne, 2020 Porsche Cayenne, 2019 Porsche Cayenne, 2018 Porsche Cayenne, 2020 Porsche Redundant Cayenne E-Hybrid. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.