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2018 Porsche Cayenne

Plug-in hybrid Gas

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

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 14

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 22 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and gas large SUV with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Cayenne S e-Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

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

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	70	3 h	$3,750
Cayenne	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	18	24	20	—	—	—	$4,100
Cayenne S	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl turbo	17	24	20	—	—	—	$4,100
Cayenne GTS	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl turbo	16	23	19	—	—	—	$4,350
Cayenne Platinum	Gas	AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	17	23	19	—	—	—	$4,350
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	17	—	—	—	$4,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39928, 39524, 39376, 39377, 39525, 39737, 39738.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Cayenne S e-Hybrid	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay
Cayenne, Cayenne GTS	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Cayenne Platinum, Cayenne S	3 / 10	California LEV-II ULEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Cayenne Turbo	1 / 10	California LEV-II LEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 160	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Cayenne Turbo S	1 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 160 / California 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.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 2E: 6,001 - 7,000 lb (2,722 - 3,175 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.6 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

300 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	AWD/All-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Electronic stability control

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Base / Platinum Edition, S, S E-Hybrid / S E-Hybrid Platinum Edition, Turbo / Turbo S). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	190.9 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	76.4 in
Height	66.9–67.3 in
Wheelbase	114.2 in
Track, front	65.0 in
Track, rear	65.7 in
Curb weight	4,597–5,181 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	53/47

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 4-door SUV, S E-Hybrid 4-door SUV, S/Gts 4-door SUV, Turbo/Turbo S 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Equipment

AJ12

142 vehicles 60% reported repaired built Aug 23, 2017 – Aug 23, 2017

Problem Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid, Cayenne GTS, Cayenne Plug-in Hybrid Platinum Edition, Macan Turbo and Macan GTS vehicles, 2017-2018 Cayenne S, Macan, Cayenne Platinum Edition and Macan S vehicles and 2018 Cayenne vehicles equipped with the optional ski bag. The ski bag fastening strap may have been sewn with incorrect thread, possibly resulting in the strap seams tearing and the ski bag being unsecured in the event of a crash. Risk If the ski bag detaches during a crash, it can increase the risk of injury. Fix Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ski bags, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AJ12.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V844000 reported Nov 28, 2018 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 2018 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 2018 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

14complaints filed

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

17 per 10,000 built · Porsche reported 8,331 Cayenne built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Electrical System 4

Engine 3

Unspecified 3

Fuel/Propulsion System 2

Air Bags 2

Visibility/Wiper 1

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.

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.

Electrical System Jun 12, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11593998

The high-voltage battery pack in my 2018 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid (VIN: , approximately 81,000 miles) has experienced a noticeable and progressive reduction in battery range and performance.

Fuel/Propulsion System May 2, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11735314

Driving through a parking lot, less than five miles an hour, and suddenly heard a horrible knocking sound. Stopped and looked under the car. Nothing. Drove it very slowly to mechanic less than a mile away. Front drive shaft had collapsed and fallen down, according to the mechanic

Power Train Dec 20, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11706265

The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Cayenne equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Latitude Sport, Tire Size: 295/35/R21, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and the front passenger’s side tire started deflating.

Tires May 27, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11663218

This is not accident related, but what appears to be a systemic issue related to Cayenne and Macan leather dashboards. The issue is related to delamination of the leather dash cover that can impede the safe deployment of the passenger airbag.

Air Bags Oct 17, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11620392

The day we took our Porsche home, we noticed a lot of heat generation in the car- but we thought it will be fine going further, given the attention to detail of Porsche's Automobile Engineering.

Engine Aug 15, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11429183

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.

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 1,830

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-22

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1757 service bulletins, 44 others, 21 service campaigns

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

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.7%

failed emissions

256 initial inspections of 251 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Cayenne	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.7%	3.0%	256
Failed the safety inspection	1.2%	1.9%	256
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.22%	256
Miles driven a year	8,935	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	73,705	82,833	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 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 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 this page A 1 14 22 mpg 2017 B 2 19 22 mpg 2016 B 2 40 24 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 Cayenne

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Porsche Cayenne have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne. The most serious on file is 18V844000, covering Equipment. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (92/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Porsche Cayenne, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions). Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

Transport Canada measured it at 190.9 in long, 76.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 66.9–67.3 in tall, on a 114.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,597–5,181 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Porsche Cayenne, most often about electrical system, engine, unspecified. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne runs 1 to 3 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 — California LEV-II LEV, California LEV-II ULEV, California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 160 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne?

The manufacturer has filed 1830 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Porsche Cayenne, most often covering engine, electrical system, unknown or other. 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 2018 Porsche Cayenne do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Porsche Cayenne failed the emissions check on 2.7% of first inspections — close to the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). 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.

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	7 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	14	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	1830	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	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

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.

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