2003 Porsche Cayenne Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cayenne years
- Not enough data 22nd of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Porsche Cayenne. That ranks 22nd out of 23 Cayenne model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (1 complaints, 50%). There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 2owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Porsche Cayenne problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 50% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 50% | 49,350 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 50% | 49,350 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Porsche Cayenne recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:headlights
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.
Seat belts
Problem: Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." all three rear seat positions and the front passenger position are equipped with seat belt retractors that have a locking feature which converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (elr) mode to an automatic locking retractor (alr) mode for the purposes of child restraint installation. The belt may deactivate the alr mode with certain child restraints.
Risk: When involved in a crash, the child restraints may not be properly secured increasing the risk of injury or death to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will permanently install a clip in either of the affected rear outboard seat belts and provide an owner's manual insert. The clips will prevent unwarranted conversion from alr to elr mode with child seat installation. The recall began may 17, 2005. Owners should contact porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Srs warning light illumination (EA06005) — opened Mar 15, 2006, closed Mar 12, 2007.
- Srs warning light illumination (PE05060) — opened Nov 10, 2005, closed Mar 15, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PORSCHE CAYENNE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V576000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 porsche cayenne. The contact stated the drive shaft would vibrate excessively when driving at any speed. The contact stated the vibration went from a part time occurrence to being a consistent occurrence. The contact believed that the support bearing failed. The contact…
Other Porsche Cayenne years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cayenne | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 Cayenne | 5 | 2 |
| 2024 Cayenne | 5 | 4 |
| 2023 Cayenne | 5 | 1 |
| 2022 Cayenne | 4 | 2 |
| 2021 Cayenne | 21 | 5 |
| 2020 Cayenne | 24 | 4 |
| 2019 Cayenne | 45 | 6 |
| 2018 Cayenne | 13 | 1 |
| 2017 Cayenne | 18 | 2 |
| 2016 Cayenne | 40 | 2 |
| 2015 Cayenne | 14 | 2 |
| 2014 Cayenne | 53 | 3 |
| 2013 Cayenne | 40 | 3 |
| 2012 Cayenne | 27 | 4 |
| 2011 Cayenne | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 Cayenne | 1 | 2 |
| 2009 Cayenne | 15 | 2 |
| 2008 Cayenne | 27 | 3 |
| 2006 Cayenne | 41 | 3 |
| 2005 Cayenne | 32 | 4 |
| 2004 Cayenne | 38 | 6 |
| 2003 | 2 | 2 |
See all Porsche Cayenne problems by year, every Porsche model, or the Porsche VIN decoder.
Similar Porsche models
Embed this 2003 Porsche Cayenne badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Porsche Cayenne?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, power train, structure problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Porsche Cayenne?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Porsche Cayenne a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cayenne model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.