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2016 Porsche Cayenne

Plug-in hybrid Gas Diesel

Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
7 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

82 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 2

Complaints2 injured reported 40

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 24 mpg

Starting MSRP2 trims · manufacturer $95,500

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Porsche Cayenne is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid, gas and diesel large SUV with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Cayenne Diesel, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 40 complaints, most often about the air bags. Manufacturer pricing runs from $95,500 to $157,300 across 2 trims.

Porsche Cayenne — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Porsche Cayenne · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitCompare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
Cayenne GTS	Gas	AWD	$95,500	440 hp	442 lb-ft	—	20 in
Cayenne Turbo S	Gas	AWD	$157,300	570 hp	590 lb-ft	24 cu-ft	21 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
Cayenne S e-Hybrid	Plug-in hybrid	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl + 70 kW DC Brushless	21	24	22 (27 MPGe blended)	14 mi electric	69	3 h	$3,750
Cayenne	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	17	24	20	—	—	—	$4,100
Cayenne S	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl turbo	16	24	19	—	—	—	$4,350
Cayenne GTS	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	18	—	—	—	$4,550
Cayenne Turbo	Gas	AWD	4.8L 8-cyl turbo	14	21	17	—	—	—	$4,850
Cayenne Turbo S	Gas	AWD	4.8L 8-cyl turbo	14	21	16	—	—	—	$5,150
Cayenne Diesel	Diesel	AWD	3.0L 6-cyl turbo	21	28	24	—	—	—	$4,000

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36709, 36060, 36070, 36071, 36189, 36190, 36784.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Cayenne S e-Hybrid	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Cayenne, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne S	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne Turbo S	5 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II LEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Exterior Lighting

ANB4

222,858 vehicles 33% reported repaired

Problem Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V656000 reported Aug 30, 2022 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

AG02

88,300 vehicles 79% reported repaired built Apr 28, 2010 – Jan 11, 2016

Problem Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Cayenne vehicles manufactured April 28, 2010, to January 11, 2016. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a circlip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge. Risk If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly circlip, installing any missing circlips, free of charge. The recall began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AG02.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V169000 reported Mar 23, 2016 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Cayenne

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Porsche publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Porsche’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Porsche Cayenne, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

40complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2015: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Unspecified 16

Air Bags 11

Power Train 7

Exterior Lighting 6

Fuel/Propulsion System 5

Engine 5

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Porsche cayenne leather dashboard shrunk and peeling out. I was told that if the car was in an accident, the airbag might not deploy correctly. This is a common issue

Air Bags Nov 23, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11627046

**Subject**: Urgent Safety Concern: Headlight Condensation and Water Damage in 2015-2018 Porsche Cayenne 958.2 Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety issue with the LED matrix headlights on my 2016 Porsche Cayenne GTS (958.2).

Exterior Lighting Sep 5, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11612920

While driving vehicle, noticed some slippage/clunking when turning. Took vehicle to Porsche dealer, they said transfer case needed to be replaced. Car has 12,600 original miles on it. Dealer said there was an extended warranty on the transfer case that had expired.

Power Train Nov 26, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11556846

car had a smell of gas diesel fumes inside cabin from air conditioning system. number of oil leaks over the years as well. now car at dealer for repair over 10 month. not fixed yet. number of problem with same diesel engine on line, even article i found .

Engine Sep 7, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11543209

my car had a problem in the hybrid part, before doing the diagnosis they said 3 different problems, when they gave me the diagnosis they said they didn't know what it was but that to begin with “it could be “ the components $13,000 to fix.

Electrical System Jun 4, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11525312

When slowing almost to a stop, and then need to accelerate, such as slowing for a yield sign, then trying to merge, vehicle is non responsive to throttle input for at least a second, or more. This has put me and others at risk because I assume I'm going to be able to accelerate when pull into traffic and am not able to.

Fuel/Propulsion System Oct 1, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11435158

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Porsche itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Cayenne model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 19k

miles, typically

Half the 14 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 6,000 and 40,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 14 on file: 4 under 10k, 3 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 2 40k–50k, 1 60k–70k, 1 80k–90k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 1,573

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-22

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1520 service bulletins, 44 others, 5 service campaigns

Most often about: Unknown Or Other, Engine, Electrical System, Equipment, Structure.

No. 28-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Power Train
Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C40 Engine Oils. Note that this bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which C40 engine oils are allocated.
No. 27-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Engine
Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C20 Engine Oils. Note that the bulletin covers all models back to model year 1984, for which C20 engine oils are allocated.
No. 26-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Power Train
Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche C30 Engine Oils. Note that the bulletin includes all models back to model year 1984, for which C30 engine oils are allocated.
No. 25-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-22 · Engine
Manufacturer's Certificate for Overview of Approved Porsche A40 Engine Oils. Note that this bulletin covers all vehicles from model year 1997 to 2020, for which A40 engine oils are assigned. Model years 1997-2001 are not available for selection in the system.
SPTL2609 Service bulletin
2026-09-14 · Wheels
Special Tools and Equipment Information for alignment machines - Q3 2026 Software Spec Update Available
No. 12-26 Service bulletin
2026-09-01 · Electrical System
Technical Information for Damage to Nano Plug Contacts Due to Utilization of Incorrect Measuring Equipment
SPTL2314a Service bulletin
2026-08-28 · Unknown Or Other
Special Tools and Equipment Information for Diagnostic Equipment Standards for all USA Porsche Centers
SPTL2608 Service bulletin
2026-08-17 · Steering
Special Tools and Equipment Information for alignment machines - Q2 2026 Software Spec Update Available

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0607	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 4.0%

failed emissions

723 initial inspections of 707 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Cayenne	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	4.0%	4.2%	721
Failed the safety inspection	0.97%	2.2%	723
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.41%	0.27%	723
Miles driven a year	8,657	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	89,185	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Cayenne by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 1 5 19 mpg 2025 B 2 6 22 mpg 2024 D 5 5 Do not drive 2023 B 2 5 19 mpg 2022 C 3 4 21 mpg 2021 F 7 21 21 mpg 2020 F 6 25 21 mpg 2019 F 8 47 21 mpg 2018 A 1 14 22 mpg 2017 B 2 19 22 mpg 2016 this page B 2 40 24 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Cayenne

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2016 Porsche Cayenne cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $95,500 for the Cayenne GTS AWD to $157,300 for the Cayenne Turbo S AWD, across 2 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2016 Porsche Cayenne have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Porsche Cayenne, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 16V169000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Porsche Cayenne?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 Porsche Cayenne yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (82/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Porsche Cayenne?

Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Porsche Cayenne, the best EPA combined figure is 24 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions). Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Porsche Cayenne, most often about unspecified, air bags, power train. Of those, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Porsche Cayenne?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Porsche Cayenne runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II LEV, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Porsche Cayenne?

The manufacturer has filed 1573 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Porsche Cayenne, most often covering unknown or other, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-22. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Porsche Cayenne do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Porsche Cayenne failed the emissions check on 4.0% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.97% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2016 Porsche Cayenne trim is the best value?

$61,800 separates the cheapest of the 2 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	7 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	6 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	40	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	1573	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	2	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	2 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API