alexb76

I know gen.1 Cayenne was one of the least reliable Porsches ever made, and even the first year of gen. 2 was problematic, but in general is gen. 2 any better than gen. 1?

My 997 is the most reliable car I've ever had, but from a few dealers I've been told Cayenne is a completely different beast with significantly more issues mechanically and electronically. How accurate is that statement? and how worried one should be getting a used Cayenne, specifically:

- Is there a difference between 2011 to later models reliability?
- Any difference between reliability across engines? V6, Diesel, V8, GTS, Turbo?
- What to look for?
- What options are problematic?

Thanks

ArneeA

Haven't had issues aside from the known with our 955 and 957.

seafeye

I thought the Boxster m96 motor was the worst of the worst.
My Cayenne is now sorted and love it. It's only worth $15k on a good day so I'll be driving it till the wheels fall off.
Remember the '77 911? That was a POS. The 986/996 aren't far behind.

Dennis C

My first generation Cayenne has been quite reliable. It has had a few issues, but they are sorted out and everything is great. I've never owned a car with ~140K miles that hasn't had a few things break here and there. Not sure where you're getting your information about 1st gen cars being so unreliable. I've owned an Audi Allroad Quattro 2.7T, so maybe my point of view is skewed a bit...

If you buy a well-maintained car and get a solid PPI, then you should be fine with any generation.

sapman

With not too many differences under the skin, the 997.1 isn't too different to the 996 in terms of reliability of the drivetrain. Is the 955 any worse? I doubt it. The 957 is probably a good deal better.

I don't have any numbers in front of me to substantiate this. Given past form, I am guessing the OP doesn't either.

gnat

Probably from the same place that helps seafeye believe that the 996 is a POS

There are a few well known and overblown issues that are easy to address and avoid catastrophic failure. Otherwise they are both good strong vehicles that will provide a long life of fun.

ArneeA

My 996 C4S was trouble-free as well... except for when I used up too much tires and brakes from going to DE events... but nobody is complaining.

alexb76

Ok, no one is here to help, eh... how does 996 got anything to do with Cayenne?

My data is from three different dealers, 4 indy shops, and overall reliability scores very well documented (Edmonds, etc). Problem is that since Gen .2 is quite recent, there's less data available.

I guess this forum is quite useless, back in 997 forum then...

sapman

You come to this forum, post negatively about the 955/957 (calling it ugly in another thread), ask questions for which there is plenty already documented on this site if you bothered to search and then whine about people being unhelpful?

I am not sure this issue is with the Cayenne forum. After seeing some of the things you wrote in the 991 forum, the problem might be a little closer to home.

5thlilpiggy

I checked out Consumer Reports before buying mine ('04). They only had data for the '06, but that was close enough.



Only black dots are for cooling system (the pipes, I assume), and drive system (driveshaft, I assume), which are both heavily documented DIY issues. So, mechanically, a pretty reliable car.

(If that image is not kosher, please let me know)

alexb76

and then again, what does my 991 preference got anything to do with Cayenne reliability? I don't like 991, it's over-priced, it has little value over 997, and it has lost its sportiness (outside of GT3), and I haven't changed my mind, what's it to you? also, yes I think Cayenne doesn't look great vs. Range Rover, etc... yet, I am looking for one as it's a good compromise for my needs. BTW, if you followed my posts, I think the new Boxster/Cayman is a great car and much better value than 991.

All I am asking is (1) Is gen.2 more reliable, (2) is there any reliability difference between models (Base, S, Diesel, Tubro, Hybrid)... that's all.

alexb76

Thanks, so basically if one takes care of those specific items, the rest should be relatively fine, right?

alexb76

Thanks!

gnat

Our point is that all 3 (955, 957, and 958) are reliable vehicles. The 955 V8s have a well known issue with their coolant pipes, but if you get the plastics replaced with metal then it's never an issue again and as long as you do it proactively there is no subsequent mess/damage to deal with. The 955 and 957 also seem to need their driveshafts worked on sooner than most expect it should, but it's not a big issue and it's not going to leave you stranded unless you ignore it for a long time.

I haven't heard anyone sing praises about the Hybrids, but that seems to be more about the negative impact on handling that the weight of the electrics has.

All cars have issues (you apparently can't clean 997/987 headlights without frying the control module...) and the Cayenne is no different. There are horror stories out there just like any other car, but overall any of them are good if you find one that wasn't abused and take care of it. Shouldn't need any more work than your 997.

The V6 is a good motor, but it's generally considered under powered in the 955/957. The weight reduction in the 958 makes it a better fit there.

The 958 has a more aggressive rake to it's d-pillar which equates to less vertical cargo space. The 958's rear seats also don't fold entirely flat like the older versions.

Like the Panny and 9x1 cars, the dash and center console are a dizzying array of buttons in the 958.

The diesel and hybrid motors are only available in the 958.

If a 958 didn't come with roof rails, you can't add them after the fact.

It all depends on what features and functions appeal to your needs. All 3 are good strong cars.

alexb76

Thanks gnat, great help. I am leaning toward 958, but if I find a nice 957, might settle for that and wait for the next facelift in a cpl of years to upgrade.