Most common 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo problems
Share of the 15 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo complaints by model year
Best Cayenne Turbo years: 2003, 2006, 2012. Compare all years →
2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo recalls (8)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
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…
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
Remedy: 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.
Seat belts
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…
Remedy: Dealers will permanently install a clip in either of the affected rear outboard seat belts and provide an owner's manual insert.
Seat belts › Rear/other
On certain passenger vehicles, the rear seat belt latch attachment bolt is insufficient riveted.
Remedy: 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.
Seats
On certain sport utility vehicles, the driver's side seat frames were not adequately welded.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's side seat frame. Owner notification began on March 29, 2004. Owners should contact Porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
Power train › Automatic transmission
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.
Remedy: 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.
Show 2 more recalls
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
On certain sport utility vehicles, the main wiring harness was incorrectly routed. Damage to the main wiring harness can lead to the failure of various electrical systems.
Remedy: Dealers will re-route the wiring harness. Owner notification schedule began on March 29, 2004. Owners should contact Porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
Equipment › Other › Labels
On certain sport utility vehicles, the affected vehicles May be missing the gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) and gross axle weight ratings (gawr) on the certification label as required by part 567.4(g)(3) and (g)(4).
Remedy: Dealers will apply the corrected label. Owner notification began on December 22, 2003. Owners should contact Porsche at 1-800-545-8039.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo:
SRS warning light illumination
During the preliminary evaluation phase, odi identified 76 owner complaints and 6,582 warranty claims related to airbag warning light illumination from either a faulty side-impact airbag module or wiring harness.to date, there has been no allegation of crash, injury or death reported.Porsche reports that a bad batch of modules was produced during mid-November to mid-December, 2003.however, Porsche?s warranty data…
SRS warning light illumination
Porsche is initiating a customer notification action to address a condition related to a faulty or loose connector in the side airbag system.Porsche's testing has shown that the faulty connector will not prevent side airbag deployment.the faulty connector will cause the circuit resistance to exceed the threshold for illumination of the air bag warning light.Porsche has reported a large number of warranty claims for…
What 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo owners say
Speed control & acceleration
While turning across traffic from e 2nd ave onto josephine st. The accelerator pedal was depressed to the just above the floor and no discernable acceleration response was noticeable for a second or two. When there was an acceleration response it was an explosive, 'off to the races' one. This incident took place after the dealer advised that: unofficial fixes (dme update and transmission adaptation) issue had been in place since the delivery of the vehicle; vehicle had been into the dealer to evaluate/address this issue three times; on the third visit the transmission control module was replaced/updated/adapted and dme control unit was remapped.
While pulling out from a parking lot into major city street the vehicle hesitated to respond to accelerator input with approaching traffic. The vehicle moved off from a stop and into the closest lane fine but would not accelerate as more accelerator pedal was applied. There was noticeable delay/hesitation, as traffic bore down on me, before the Cayenne decided to accelerate. Contacted dealer who noted that there was an unofficial fix that May address the issue.
Wheels & tires
I heard some knocking from the area of the front left wheel while driving on a city street about 30 miles per hour. I stopped and inspected under the car and saw nothing. So I decoded to bring it to my service provider. I drove about 3 miles at slow speeds to get to the service provider. After about an hour they found the problem. One of the bolts that holds the knuckle to the wheel had backed out and was banging around the break system. They said I could not drive the car until it was fixed.
Dt: there was vibration that affected the steering column, and it was felt through out the steering wheel. One could feel vibration when the vehicle only had forty-two miles on it. One could hear a noise when making a right or left hand turns. This vehicle was purchased on August 28, 2004, and was at the dealership on August 31, 2004. The dealer balanced the tires. On September 27, 2004 it was back at the dealer for vibration, and the dealer said the tires were worn out. They attempted to fix the vehicle six different times. They removed and replaced the steering column, and put on new tires and wheels. But still was having this problem. Consumer is a private investigator for the state of california, and he wanted to add that during an arbitration hearing Porsche was upset with the mentioning of NHTSA.
Suspension
Tl contact owns a 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The air suspension collapsed while driving 70 MPH. The air suspension bag also exploded which caused the vehicle to move uncontrollably from the right to the left lane. The vehicle almost rolled over due to the failure. The contact was able to drive to the dealer who stated that it was a manufacturers defect. The dealer also confirmed that the collar which is metal split and punctured the suspension bag. The vehicle will be repaired; however, the suspension was not covered by the warranty. The failure mileage was 43,000. Updated 2/17/10 upon inspection, it was discovered that the collar on the air suspension bellow on the right front had sheared and punctured the air suspension bag that caused the suspension to drop suddenly. Updated 02/22/10.
The contact owns a 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. The left front air suspension collapsed while driving at 20 MPH. The air suspension bag also exploded which caused the vehicle to move uncontrollably to the left. The contact was able to drive to the dealer who stated that it was a fault or defecton to the front left side suspension air bag. The vehicle will be repaired; however, the suspension was not covered by the warranty and Porsche have no interest in helping. The failure mileage was 60,000 and will cost approx $4,000 to replace through a Porsche dealership.
2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5L 8-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo a good car?
Based on 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Cayenne Turbo rates average: 2.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cayenne Turbo at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo?
The speed control & acceleration — 4 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the wheels & tires (3) and suspension (3).
How many recalls does the 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the most recent from June 12, 2019 (gear position indication (prndl)). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2006 and 2012. See the full Porsche Cayenne Turbo years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Porsche Cayenne Turbo problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.