Which Year Porsche Cayenne is Most Reliable?

When investing in a used SUV, it’s important to make sure that the vehicle you’re getting is going to work for as long as you need it to. With two decades worth of models to choose from, this choice is especially important if you’re getting a Porsche Cayenne.

The most reliable years for the Porsche Cayenne are 2009, 2019, 2018, and 2017. These models have very few complaints and no serious complaints. The 2020 is also reliable, but as it is such a recent model the data remains inconclusive. 2003 and 2007 are also reliable models.

Now that you know that the 2009 and 2017-2019 Porsche Cayennes are reliable, you are likely wondering what their exact reliability ratings are and what their gas mileage is. Keep reading to find out.

Porsche Cayenne J.D. Power Reliability Ratings

The Porsche Cayenne is a compact SUV luxury vehicle. It was originally manufactured in 1995 and has seen success ever since. It is known as a reliable, almost sports-like vehicle that accelerates quickly and lasts for years on end when it is properly taken care of and regularly given maintenance.

2009 Porsche Cayenne

The 2009 Porsche Cayenne is rated 5 out of 5 stars for reliability by J.D Power. It gets up to 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20 miles per gallon on the highway. (Source)

The 2009 Porsche Cayenne can tow up to 7,716 pounds at a time and has 290-550HP. It is a reliable vehicle, and it is the most reliable Porsche Cayenne on the market today. However, it is hard to find because it is over 10 years old, and people still enjoy driving it, so they are not selling theirs.

However, you may be able to find a 2009 Porsche Cayenne at a used car dealership, but make sure that it has been taken care of well before you decide to purchase it.

2017 Porsche Cayenne

The 2017 Porsche Cayenne has a 4 out of 5 star reliability rating from J.D. Power, which is above average. It hasn’t been given a safety rating, as luxury vehicles are not tested by the NHTSA or IIHS. (Source)

The 2017 Porsche Cayenne has an engine with 300-570 horsepower and can tow up to 7,716 pounds. It gets up to 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway. The 2017 Porsche Cayenne will be easier to find than the 2009 Porsche Cayenne because it is newer, but not every used car dealership will have one available.

2018 Porsche Cayenne

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne has a reliability rating of 3.5 stars from J.D. Power. This compact SUV gets up to 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway. (Source)

The 2018 Porsche Cayenne has an engine that has 300-570 horsepower and can tow up to 7,716 pounds at once. If you manage to find one of these vehicles at a used car dealership, it will likely be in good condition.

2019 Porsche Cayenne

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne received 3.5 out of 5 stars when it comes to reliability from J.D. Power, which is average for most vehicles, but it is a much lower rating than the 2009 Porsche Cayenne. (Source)

The 2019 Porsche Cayenne has an engine with 335-541 horsepower and it can tow up to 7,700 pounds. This car gets up to 19 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

Reliable Models

There aren’t necessarily any unreliable years for the Porsche Cayenne, but there are clear winners when it comes to the most reliable model. The Porsche Cayennes that were manufactured from 2017 to 2019 have virtually no problems or complaints on CarComplaints.com, and what problems they do have tend to be fairly easy to fix and don’t cause the driver many issues.

Of course, these vehicles are all fairly early in their life cycles, which means that over time they might accrue more problems that we wouldn’t be able to foresee now. This is more true the more recent the model is, which is why the 2020 and 2021 models might not be as reliable as the stats suggest.

However, considering the history of the vehicle it’s fairly safe to say that the 2017-2019 Porsche Cayennes are more reliable than their earlier counterparts, other than the 2009 Porsche Cayenne. For the first several years of production, the vehicle had several serious issues that occasionally resulted in catastrophic breakdowns. Luckily for Porsche lovers, these issues were resolved relatively quickly and are no longer a common issue.

However, if that’s the case, then why are these vehicles not more reliable than in other years? After all, they’ve been running for this long. The problem is that if you’re buying used and you aren’t a car expert, you could easily accidentally purchase a vehicle that still has the catastrophic flaws and then mistake the inevitable problems with the normal problems that come with an aging machine.

Before you purchase a used Porsche Cayenne, make sure to talk with the used car dealership salesman and ask if the car you are looking at has had any issues in the past, and take it on a test drive so you can decide whether or not it works properly.

Less Reliable Models of the Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne may be a generally reliable vehicle, but there are two years that you should stay away from. The 2011 and 2004 Porsche Cayenne both have serious and fairly common problems. Most people rate the 2004 as being the worse of the two because of the average price for repairs being much higher.

However, the 2011 has more serious problems, with the most common complaint on any Porsche Cayenne year being that the 2011’s engine had died. Despite this, many people have had good experiences with these years of the Porsche Cayenne that make it seem like they’re usually perfectly reliable vehicles that will last for years to come.