A lot of people love to go for the Porsche Cayenne because of its durability, the sheer edge of speed that it has over other vehicles, not to mention its overall driving experience.
The car is not bad, it is one of the best SUVs produced by a car brand out there, but there have been complaints and serious issues around certain year models of the vehicle.
Although the Porsche Cayenne is a terrific vehicle, worthy of purchase, you might want to avoid the ones produced in the years 2004 and 2011 specifically, because of their peculiar technical and overall electrical problems.
Is the Porsche Cayenne a Reliable Car?
Yes, the Porsche Cayenne is a very reliable vehicle. It is the first four-door model released by Porsche, and also its first SUV.
In fact, not only is the Porsche Cayenne reliable, but it also has an edge over other cars in several functions.
The way the engine of Porsche Cayenne is set up has made it a lot more durable than other car engines. Where the engines of its counterparts are failing, or dwindling, the engine of a Porsche Cayenne would still be functioning effectively.
For this reason, the Porsche Cayenne is a very reliable SUV, worthy of purchase. It has even been said to function as a sports car, with its speed, durability, and premium functions.
However, despite this, there are still Porsche Cayenne vehicles that you want to avoid.
They are peculiar to their years, and it seems as if something happened to the brand in that year, to have delivered a Porsche Cayenne that is below average.
Porsche Cayenne Years To Avoid
The Porsche Cayenne years to avoid are the 2004 Porsche Cayenne model, and the 2011 Porsche Cayenne model.
Even though the Porsche brand is one of the finest brands producing one of the finest midsize crossover SUVs, it got it wrong with the 2004 and 2011 Porsche Cayenne models, and that’s fine. They messed up. Who doesn’t?
Just don’t be the person who falls victim to this mess, by going to purchase a 2004 or 2011 Porsche Cayenne vehicle. The worse out of the two models is the 2011 model. Whatever you do, stay away from it.
If there are no longer any SUVs on the market, and purchasing an SUV is a life or death situation for you, you can still go-ahead to purchase a new 2004 Porsche Cayenne model, but never a used one. Stay away from the 2011 model completely!
Now you must be wondering why the stern warning to stay away from these vehicles. Let’s find out!
Why You Should Avoid These Porsche Cayenne Models
When purchasing a Porsche Cayenne SUV, you want to completely avoid the 2004 and 2011 models. These models are considered bad, and not worth buying, but they are not just considered bad vehicles for nothing.
Truth is, there isn’t any car out on the market that is completely devoid of flaws, but the 2004 Porsche Cayenne model is truly bad, and purchasing a car like that will put you in serious maintenance crises.
Here are some of the reasons why you must avoid the 2004 Porsche Cayenne model:
1. Frequent Cooling Systems Problem
The cooling system in the 2004 Porsche Cayenne breaks down all the time, and repairing problems associated with the cooling system of a Porsche Cayenne would be costing over two thousand five hundred dollars ($2500).
Imagine spending $2500 repairing the same thing once every six to nine months. It is just not worth it.
2. Terrible Drivetrain
The drivetrain of the 2004 Porsche Cayenne is also a big mess. It is arguably the toughest issue of the vehicle, because the center bearing also breaks down frequently, leaving the vehicle in a state of quagmire.
3. Overheating vs Cooling Tubes
We cannot explain how the Porsche got it so wrong with this vehicle, but the engine part also isn’t left out, as the plastic cooling tubes are often affected by the severe heat emanating from moving parts.
Hence, when the cooling tubes break or melt because of the heat, the coolant that should have been contained in the tubes then spills out and trickles to different parts of the engine.
4. Electrical Problems
The amount of little electrical issues in the 2004 Porsche Cayenne is also enough to cause you to steer clear of the SUV model.
Even Porsche understood the limitation of the model so much that they agreed to pay owners to cover some of the repair costs.
How about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne model? This is the absolute worse of the two years to avoid, but let’s find out why.
5. Peculiar Engine Problems
You could be driving a new Porsche Cayenne 2011 model, and the engine goes completely dead even before it hits forty thousand miles (40,000).
There are just a whole lot of engine issues with this model. People have complained that their new 2011 Porsche Cayenne shut down after hitting a little over 40,000 miles.
There have been owners who have complained about the camshafts inside the engine breaking apart and leaving them completely clueless.
Others have also complained about how the brake system of the vehicle wears out before they even hit twenty thousand miles (20,000), which is a very peculiar occurrence.
You would find out that if you buy a 2011 Porsche Cayenne, asides from the huge amount of money that will go into repairs and maintenance, you will have to change the engine within 24 months of purchase.
Therefore, whatever you do, when you are buying a Porsche Cayenne vehicle, avoid 2004 and 2011 vehicles for your own sake.
What is the Best Year for Porsche Cayenne?
Asides from the 2004 and 2011 models, every other Porsche Cayenne year model is pretty good. Some, more than others.
We consider the 2020 model as the absolute best year for Porsche Cayenne, as this vehicle is not only very recent, it has no complaints whatsoever.
Some other years that can be classified in the same category as having zero complaints are the 2019, 2018, 2017, 2007, and 2003 year models of the Porsche Cayenne.
Other very good models you might also consider good are 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, as well as the 2005 year models.
These models have very few complaints and are even held in higher esteem than other vehicles of other brands in the same year.
Advantages of Using a Porsche Cayenne
As earlier said, the Porsche brand is an extremely excellent German automobile brand, and there are many reasons why you might want to choose its Porsche Cayenne SUV among others.
- Driving Experience: Driving a Porsche Cayenne gives you a very smooth experience. It doesn’t give the unnecessary noise that other vehicles consider to be normal.
- Speed: Porsche Cayenne SUVs are widely known for their speed. They can accelerate rapidly.
- Customization Options: Although this depends on the SUV year you are driving, the Porsche Cayenne is well ahead of its counterparts.
- Cabin Space: The wide cabin space also gives it an edge over other SUVs. The Porsche Cayenne has a wider cabin space and can contain more things. Very good for moving items.
- Safe: If you are looking for a vehicle that will give you enough guarantee for safety, then a Porsche Cayenne is a very good option.
Cons of Using a Porsche Cayenne
- Expensive Parts: Maintaining and repairing parts of a Porsche Cayenne is more expensive than maintaining other vehicles.
- Hard Steering: The steering of a Porsche Cayenne is usually harder or stiffer than other vehicles.
- Bad Years: To use or buy a Porsche Cayenne, you have to know a lot about cars, so as not to buy one of the bad years that you are meant to avoid.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the type of cars to avoid when purchasing a vehicle will help you make the right, informed decisions about the vehicles to purchase.
For a Porsche Cayenne, you should know now that the years to avoid when purchasing this SUV are the 2004 model and the 2011 model Porsche Cayenne. All other models are just fine, with little or no complaints.