Airbag complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The airbag light came on in the vehicle. We took it into the dealership, they said we need a passenger airbag sensor mat and seat cushion for the passenger seat airbag system. This item was recalled in 2018 Porche Macon NHTSA Campain ID 21V131000/Recall AMA2. Porche said since our VIN was not included in the recall we have to pay to fix it. They said the only way to get our VIN added was to contact NHTSA. The quote to fix an item that has been recalled was over $1,800. It doesn't seem fair to have to pay for something that has been recalled for this car and is known to be defective. The vehicle is ready for inspection anytime. The passenger safety is at risk as defined by the recall. …
Front Passenger Seat occupancy sensor mat recall has not been remedy by my porsche dealership within a reasonable amount of time. I have made several attempts, calls, emails, and subsequently reached out to Porsche customer services and Porsche USA --- all advising someone will reach out and it will be rectified. Subsequently, all I received was a letter with regards to the recall April 30, 2021 however they have been aware long prior about the situation. Even when it went in for service, they detected and service department forgot to mention/address to the representative I work with at the dealership. it is unreasonable for Porsche to expect me to continually not have a passenger in my front seat when this vehicle is my main means of transportation.
A recall was issued by Porsche on 2015-2017 Macan SUV's for front Airbag deployment issues. The recall code was AH02 safety campaign #17V133000. I contacted Porsche because my fault indicator for the front airbag lit up on my dash. I was informed that my VIN was not included. I asked if they could check if my airbag had an identification number and if it was in the batch under recall. They said that they could not look it up. My car was a custom build and may have come down the line at a different time than other stock builds which may have impacted the timing of the airbag install. Either way, my car was in the date range and has the airbag default indicator on therefore it should be covered. I had it tested for $265.00 and they covered themselves saying that it was an airbag control unit and seat pad Fault code B102204. …
I received notice last year of a recall concerning the passenger air bag and contacted the dealer Suncoast Porsche in Sarasota immediately to schedule service. As of November they did not have parts but expected them in soon and said they would call to schedule. On January 15th I called to confirm that we were still expecting the parts at which time I was told that Porsche is no longer fixing the defective part and will only provide that service if the warning light comes on. Therefore at this time I have a defective part that I am not allowed to order a part for which leaves me with a safety hazard in my vehicle and diminishes my value as a trade-in and as a used car sale since I am not allowed to fix it. I feel that this is a serious breach of duty as far as Porsche is concerned and would like to have this addressed please.
My Porsche Service Center advised that the front passenger airbag sensor of my 2016 Porsche Macan Turbo is not functioning properly. The identified fault was: Airbag (variant 002) B12251B "Seat occupancy sensor on passenger side (BOSE) - resistance too high" I have been advised that NHTSA has issued two recalls on this problem. My Porsche Service Center has advised that the originally installed passenger side occupancy sensor was replaced pursuant to one of the recalls. Despite the same problem affecting the presently installed passenger side occupancy sensor, my Porsche Service Center has advised that it is not subject to a recall. It has proposed repairing the sensor at a cost to me of $3,124.23. I believe that the repair should be conducted under the terms of the prior recalls, since the presently installed passenger side occupancy sensor is clearly defective.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2016 Porsche Macan. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V131000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
My airbag light has remained on, uninterrupted, for over about one month now. I had the fault code read by an independent shop and they informed me that the fault was the occupant sensor for the passenger seat (BodySense front passenger seat occupancy sensor mat). They also informed me that this was the subject of a recall. Recall 17V-133/AMA2. I contacted a Porsche dealer as to the problem, made an appointment and took the car to the dealer. The dealer informed me that the recall on this part had already been completed. I expressed my concern that the recalled part obviously failed again, but the dealer indicated that corporate would not allow them to replace it again under the prior recall. I then filed a claim with Porsche NA. After weeks of back and forth with Porsche NA, they denied my claim, despite the fact that a previously recalled part had failed again. …
My passenger occupant detector is faulty and unable to recognize if someone is sitting in that seat, therefore the airbags will not deploy in case of an accident. There has been already a recall on this item for my car, but obviously my car was is affected and my VIN isn't included. So I think it's needs to be reassessed
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Macan, Macan Turbo Kits, Macan GTS, 2015-2018 Macan S, and Macan Turbo vehicles. The front passenger seat occupancy sensor mat may degrade and fail to detect a passenger in the front seat.
Remedy: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensor mat and seat cushion, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2021.
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Frequently asked questions
Which Porsche Macan years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (21), 2016 (10), 2018 (10) and 2015 (7) model years. Airbag complaints make up 33% of all complaints for the 2017.
Is there a recall for Porsche Macan airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 21V-131 (front passenger, Mar 3, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Porsche Macan airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 60% happened 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.