Porsche bulletin No. 96-23
What it saysTechnical information for a message "engine control fault" in the instrument cluster for the Panameras NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Porsche filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 4, 2023, received Dec 7, 2023, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 7 model years (2017–2023). 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 a message "engine control fault" in the instrument cluster for the Panameras
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 96-23 | Service bulletin | Dec 4, 2023 | 10248165 | not found |
| No. 96-23 | Service bulletin | Nov 13, 2023 | 10246378 | PDF, 100 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 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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 15 of them name Engine, 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.
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V033000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2018 Porsche Panamera · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 8, 2023 · ODI 11520904
A message appeared on the dashboard indicating a "Critical Electrical Failure" and "Park Safely" when I turned the key to start the car. This car is a plug-in e-hybrid (my 3rd of this model) and I always assumed that in case of a major failure, I could either use the engine or the electric propulsion system. This was not the case.
2023 Porsche Panamera · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 26, 2023 · ODI 11534599
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 group151 other manufacturer communications filed against the Porsche Panamera 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. 96-23 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. 96-23 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. 96-23 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2023 Porsche Panamera, 2022 Porsche Panamera, 2021 Porsche Panamera, 2020 Porsche Panamera, 2019 Porsche Panamera, 2018 Porsche Panamera and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.