Porsche bulletin No. 173-22
What it saysTechnical information for Oil Leak Around the Oil-Filter Housing: Observe Work Procedure NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Porsche filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Feb 4, 2026, received Nov 4, 2022, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 15 model years (2017–2021). 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 communicationTechnical information for Oil Leak Around the Oil-Filter Housing: Observe Work Procedure
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 173-22 | Service bulletin | Feb 4, 2026 | 11029129 | PDF, 110 KB |
| No. 173-22 | Service bulletin | Oct 28, 2022 | 10225858 | not found |
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 themA 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 15 model years this bulletin names have filed 315 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 39 of them name Engine — 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
On my 2021 Porsche Cayenne Base, which is equipped with the 3.0L V6 EA839 engine, I brought the vehicle to the dealership for a recall service. During inspection, the dealership found a leaking water pump and quoted $8,500 for repairs. There were no visible signs of a coolant leak on the ground, indicating an internal seal failure.
2021 Porsche Cayenne · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 31, 2026 · ODI 11760942
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
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group194 other manufacturer communications filed against these Porsche models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Porsche list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 31-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | Symptom based workshop manual for a Warning Message in Instrument Cluster: Fault Memory Entry “P060700 - Control Unit Reset” in The Front/Re… |
| No. 30-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils |
| No. 29-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils |
| No. 27-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils. Note that the bulletin covers all models back to model year 198… |
| No. 25-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2026 | Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils. Note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 199… |
| WSM5 | Service campaign | Sep 18, 2026 | Porsche intranet posting for Campaign WSM5 – Replacing engine data sticker (VECI) |
| No. 36-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 8, 2026 | Symptom based workshop manual for Door Window Moves Up / Down Very Slowly or Reverses |
| GR13D803 | Service bulletin | Aug 28, 2026 | Parts Withdrawal - Control Valve |
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. 173-22 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. 173-22 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. 173-22 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 15 model years: 2021 Porsche Cayenne, 2020 Porsche Cayenne, 2019 Porsche Cayenne, 2018 Porsche Cayenne, 2017 Porsche Cayenne, 2021 Porsche Macan and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.