2004 Porsche Cayenne Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cayenne years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Porsche Cayenne. That ranks 6th out of 23 Cayenne model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (10 complaints, 26%), typically at around 113,138 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 2 fires. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 38owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 10 | 26% | 113,138 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 24% | 42,164 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 21% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 16% | 107,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 8% | 91,595 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 8% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 116,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 266,969 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | 35,345 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Porsche Cayenne recalls (6)
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.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, 2004-2010 Cayenne, 2006 Cayenne Turbo S, 2010-2016 Panamera S, Panamera 4 S, Panamera Turbo, 2011-2016 Panamera, Panamera 4, 2012-2013 Panamera Turbo S, 2013-2016 Panamera 4 GTS, 2014-2016 Panamera 4 S Executive, Panamera Turbo Executive, Panamera Turbo S G1 II, Panamera Turbo S Executive, 2013 Panamera 4 Platinum Edition, Panamera Platinum Edition, 2016 Panamera 4 Edition, Panamera Edition, Panamera Turbo S Executive Luxury Sports vehicles. The bushing that attaches the gear selector lever to the gearbox may degrade over time, causing the bushing to detach. This condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.
Risk: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. Owners are instructed to use the parking brake until their vehicle is repaired. The recall began August 9, 2019. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AKB1.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo vehicles, 2004-2006 Cayenne vehicles, and 2006 Cayenne S "Titanium" Edition vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel pump flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel filter flanges with new filter flanges that have a protective film, free of charge. The recall began July 6, 2018. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is AH10.
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.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear seat belt latch attachment bolt is insufficient riveted.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the belt buckle latch and, if necessary, replace the latch. Owner notification began on june 1, 2004. Owners should contact porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles may have had a transfer case installed that could, due to changes in the housing casting, result in the oil pump rotation. Should this occur, oil starvation of the internal gears might result.
Risk: Continued operation of the vehicle could result in a fracture of the transfer case housing. Incorrect torque would then be applied to the driven wheels or oil could leak and contact the tires.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the transfer case housing and, if necessary, replace the transfer case. Owner notification began on may 3, 2004. 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.
Strong odor of gasoline traveling through the vents injected into vehicle. Fuel filter has a crack. Underhood electrical problems that may cause a fire
The contact is a car seat technician. The contact worked with a family who owns a Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Max Convertible Car Seat, as the technician was inspecting the car seat she noticed the chest clip was not working as needed. The magnetic piece that clips on the chest area comes out easily.
The contact owns a 2004 Porsche Cayenne. The contact stated that while the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair appointment, he noticed that the steering wheel had a quarter inch of play. The U-Joint connection was severely corroded. The dealer diagnosed that the steering column and…
There is a significant smell of gasoline inside the cabin of the vehicle. There was a recall on the same make, model, and year for fuel pump filter flange leaks, which are indicative of a strong smell of gas inside the car. This can potentially cause the car to start on fire. The dealer stated due…
The contact owns a 2004 Porsche Cayenne. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V656000 (Exterior Lighting), 19V446000 (Power Train), and 17V576000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer…
Other Porsche Cayenne years
← 2003 Cayenne · 2005 Cayenne →
| 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 | 38 | 6 |
| 2003 Cayenne | 2 | 2 |
See all Porsche Cayenne problems by year, every Porsche model, or the Porsche VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Porsche Cayenne?
Owners most often report power train, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Porsche Cayenne?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.