Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Porsche Panamera owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am reporting an issue with the AH08 recall (NHTSA Campaign 17V368) for my 2011 Porsche Panamera 4S. I experienced the failure on December 27, 2024, while driving on the highway. I scheduled repair at Porsche Greensboro (Foreign Cars Italia) for Dec 31, 2024, but they kept my vehicle for 33 days without completing any recall work. They then advised me to contact another dealer. I arranged to have the vehicle towed to Porsche Southpoint in Durham, NC, for a February 3, 2025 appointment. As of June 2025, none of the recall repairs have been performed, and the dealer is requesting $12,000 to disassemble the engine for damage stemming from the AH08 issue-work that should be covered under the recall. I have not received any response from the dealership despite repeated requests. …
Coolant warning light on - seeing leak Coolant warning light for coolant level comes on. Seeing a leak at a hose. Leaking at coolant bypass hose under intake. Coolant pipes in thermostat housing are coming loose at the epoxy joint. Chassis system failure, The car will stop abruptly on roads. And if here's that these problems that are reoccurring have been recalls before, That have not been addressed
Due to a problem with my car engine, the car would not accelerate and would move slowly despite pressing on the pedal. The car screen indicated that it was PCM problem (the gas would not come up) and it was a reduced engine problem. The car not accelerating despite pressing the pedal can pose serious safety problems. I have not taken the car to a dealer to repair yet.
The engine of my Porsche Panamera went into a total failure because of faulty design/parts by the manufacturer (I.e. Screws broke inside the camshaft/block). After doing research online, this is a very common problem with Porsche Panamera, even the service manager at the dealership (Porsche of orlando) told me this. Due to this issue, the car, while my son was driving, essentially stopped working and quickly decelerated from 70 MPH to a complete stop in a matter of seconds. Luckily, the semi that was behind him managed to avoid a collision which, if such a collision were to happen, could have easily killed my son. Porsche acknowledges that this problem exists and a simple internet search will display multiple complaints of identical problems with this vehicle's engine but Porsche is negligent by refusing to issue a recall on the vehicles susceptible to this problem. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idle for a few minutes, the contact attempted to place their vehicle in drive and accelerated forward but the vehicle suddenly shook and powered off. The contact had a mobile mechanic diagnose the vehicle. The mechanic stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced and the diagnosing codes were reset, however, the issue persisted. The mechanic then stated the fuel pump body control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that approximately 2 months after the repair, the failure reoccurred while driving approximately 70 MPH. The contact stated that during the time in between failures they have consistently smelt a fuel odor emitting from the vehicle. The contact had to have the vehicle towed to the mechanic, who reset the codes. …
I was driving approx. At 55 MPH, engine lost power, lost power steering, brakes felt like having no power and it was very difficult to brake. Electronic system seemed to have power, battery was not dead but engine was dead resulting in loss of power steering and break. A similar problem was also reported by another driver on July 12, 2012 on this model car (web search). Porsches has checked my car and they report that there is no error code and it meets their specification. When I asked if Porsche was aware of a similar issue, Porsche refused to provide an answer. When I requested to have the contact information to a technical rep in Germany or Porsche quality representative, it was refused by Porsche. When I asked if Porsche has done a fault simulation specific to my problem, they refused to answer. Loss of engine power while driving can be catastrophic and life threatening. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that while driving, the engine, the psam, the sport and comfort mode warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the sport and comfort mode not activated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Porsche south shore (185 w sunrise hwy, freeport, ny 11520) and was diagnosed that the camshaft actuator was faulty and that metal shavings were found in the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 17V368000 (engine). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
"Takata recall" camshaft adjuster bolt pin broke off and camshaft came a part. Incident happened on freeway. Had the car towed to the dealership and they took a part the engine and found a bunch of metal in the oil pan. The entire engine had to be replaced. There was a recall for this issue on cars imported into china but that did not cover my car. Porsche knew about this problem but refusing to fixed. The cost of the new engine is $25000. The cars should be recalled in united states by Porsche. Its a common problem with this vehicle with thousands other complaints from other drivers. My warranty expired on November 1 2015 car broke down November 3 2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Porsche Panamera. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the cam indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer (walters Porsche 8423 indiana avenue, riverside, ca 92504) where a diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN tool was unable to confirm if the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17V368000 (engine). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,800.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Porsche Panamera. While driving 35 -40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the speed dropped to 10 MPH. The engine power reduced warning light and the traction control disabled warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, who diagnosed that the cam shaft adjuster detached and May have caused an engine block, resulting in a loss of engine power. The manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to see a local dealer. The failure mileage was 46,000.
Related recalls
Engine
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo vehicles, 2011-2012 Panamera and Panamera 4 vehicles, and 2011 Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo vehicles.
Remedy: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fastening screws for the camshaft adjusters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 12, 2018.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger
Porsche is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 panamera turbo, 2012 panamera turbo s, and 2012 cayenne turbo vehicles. The turbine wheel of a turbocharger May fracture due to a casting defect. If a fracture occurs, vehicle performance will be decreased and the turbine shaft May fracture.
Remedy: Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the turbine wheels, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2012. Owners May contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243.
Engine complaints in other Panamera years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Porsche Panamera?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Porsche Panamera, 65% of the model year's 34 complaints. The component named most often is engine › crank/camshaft position sensor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Porsche Panamera engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-368 (engine, Jun 7, 2017); NHTSA recall 12V-329 (turbo/supercharger, Jul 12, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Porsche Panamera engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 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.