Can buying a used Porsche Cayenne be the affordable way to Porsche ownership? We review the reliability for all of the Porsche engines available in the Cayenne so you can finally afford to buy your dream Porsche.
To get the Cayenne in production, Porsche synced up with Volkswagen, which was making an SUV as well, the Touareg. Many of the Cayenne’s parts and engines over the years have been shared with Volkswagen.
Since its debut in 2003, there have been many different engines available in the Porsche Cayenne. We are going to walk you through all the available engine options since they became available for sale, and we’ll comment on their reliability.
The Porsche Cayenne was the automaker’s first SUV. It became a huge sales success despite some Porsche fans feeling a bit indifferent to seeing their beloved sports car being watered down.
But it offered an SUV to Porsche owners who might have otherwise bought another brand. In just over 17 years, Porsche has reportedly sold over one million Cayennes, something that took the Porsche 911 over 44 years to accomplish.
Buying a used Porsche can be an intimidating adventure, because they are not known for their reliability. But if you do some research and read below, you can find some Porsche Cayennes that might be affordable and reliable.
Porsche Cayenne Engine Reliability Risks & Recalls
If you are looking to buy a used Porsche Cayenne, the engine is going to be quite reliable–just make sure it’s been well maintained and the service records are documented. And be prepared to pay a premium for servicing your Porsche SUV.
When shopping for a used Porsche Cayenne, there was a major recall that you should be concerned about. It affected the 2010-2012 Porsche Cayenne’s with the V8 engine. What would happen is the fastening bolts would fail on the VarioCam adjusters, which could destroy the engine. It affected around 18,000 cars.
Also beware of the 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which is known to over-consume oil (one liter per 500 miles or so). The repair for excessive oil loss is to replace the oil separator in the valve cover.
Reliability is great with the Porsche Cayenne V8 4.5-liter engines, and if maintained properly could hit 250,000 miles. But Porsche made a mistake and ran plastic cooling pipes below the intake manifold.
Since they are plastic, they would easily melt from the high engine heat. Coolant leaks can ruin an engine. If you are looking to buy a Porsche Cayenne engine, make sure it’s fixed because it can cost $3,000-$4,000 dollars to replace pipes.
Another serious issue with the 4.5-liter V8 engine is cylinder bore scoring. The coating on the cylinder walls can fail, heavy oil consumption and misfiring can be an early warning sign, if not treated right away your engine will be destroyed.
First-gen. Cayenne Engines Had Big Power & a Few Reported Problems
The first-generation Porsche Cayenne debuted in 2003 and was quite popular, selling 276,000 units. It was offered with three engines: a base model 3.2-liter V6, and two versions of the 4.5-liter V-8, one naturally aspirated and the other turbocharged. This generation can be split from 2003-2006 (955) and 2008-2010 (957). It can also be split by earlier models that had port-injection engines (955), and in later model years that have direct injection engines (957).
The base model in the 2003 Cayenne was a 3.2-liter VR6 that was borrowed from Volkswagen. It offered 247 horsepower and 229 lb.-ft. of torque. But it was quite slow getting the Cayenne to 60 mph in nine seconds. Reported common problems on these engines include coolant pipes cracking, water pump failure, and ignition coils. In 2008, the V6 engine got a bump in displacement to 3.6 liters and is more reliable than the previous VR6 generation.
The 2003-2006 Cayenne S also came with a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine. It offered 335 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, and had dry sump injection, which is something commonly found on race engines that corner at high speeds. In 2008, it was upgraded to a 4.8-liter V8.
The Cayenne Turbo and the Cayenne Turbo S came with a 4.5L twin-turbo engine. It offered 444 horsepower and 457 lb.-ft. of torque for the Cayenne Turbo, and 514 horsepower and 531 lb.-ft. of torque for the Cayenne Turbo S. These engines were relatively trouble-free for being turbocharged.
However, beware of buying the 4.5-liter V8 from this generation, because the engine is known for the plastic cooling pipes that run underneath it, and if they melt, it can be a costly fix.
Second-gen. Cayenne Expanded Engine Options
Porsche came into the second-generation Cayenne with its most engine options ever. You could get a Cayenne base model with a 3.6-liter V6 with 296 horsepower, and a Cayenne S model with a naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 with 395 horsepower. And if that wasn’t enough, you could get a Cayenne Turbo for another 100 horsepower.
The V8 was eventually replaced with a V6 twin-turbo in late 2014 that had 414 horsepower.
Also, for the first time ever from Porsche, there was a hybrid offering available that was a three-liter V6 supercharged for 330 horsepower, and it has an electric motor that gets around 24 miles per gallon on the highway.
In 2014, a plugin hybrid model was available that could run for 22 miles on electric power alone. If you wanted a diesel engine Porsche started offering a 3.0 liter TDI diesel engine that had 242 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft. of torque, this was the same engine in the Volkswagen Toureg diesel and Audi Q7 diesel. In 2014 Porsche added a new 4.2-liter V8 diesel as well.
Engines in all these models were quite reliable if you performed routine maintenance. Again, watch out for the recall that affected the 2010-2012 Cayenne’s with the V8 engine, the engine would stall when driving and could result in a crash.
Cayenne’s Latest Engines are More Powerful & Reliable than Ever Before
The latest generation of Porsche Cayenne engines might be the best yet, because they have more power and reliability than ever before. The base model Porsche Cayenne got a three-liter V6 turbo with 335 horsepower, and it’s a great option for the base model.
The Cayenne S bumps up to a twin-turbo three-liter V6 with 434 horsepower.
The Cayenne E-Hybrid is still available.
The fastest model available is the Cayenne Turbo, which gets a 4.0 twin-turbo V8 with 541 horsepower and hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
A recent recall was made for the 2021 Cayenne, NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V341000, where the engine cylinder bore surface may develop cracks. This can cause engine damage and could result in an accident, but dealers will replace your engine free of charge if your car is affected.
Since this generation has only been around for three years, there isn’t much reliability data out there yet. But, it looks to be a good, trouble-free car, and buying one used off-lease seems to be a safe bet. Don’t expect Toyota reliability, and you will still pay Porsche service costs, but there is nothing major to look out for when buying used.
Which Cayenne Model Year is the Best Pre-owned Option?
This is a tough question, because it will greatly depend on your budget. We always recommend getting the newest car you can afford since it will have the best safety features and reliability and the most powerful engines.
But if you are bargain-Porsche shopping and want the best bang for your buck, a first-generation Porsche Cayenne is your best bet.
Something from 2008-2010 is going to be the most reliable and have the best options and safety. Just beware of the plastic cooling pipes that can melt, and make sure this is fixed before buying.
The 2014 Porsche Cayenne diesel would be another great used-car option. It came with a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine that has over 400 lb.-ft. of torque that can tow over 7,000 pounds and is going to be quite reliable, too. It will get 29 EPA miles per gallon on the highway and hits 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, which is very good for a heavy SUV.
Photos: Porsche
