Skip to content

NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2005–2014

Porsche Cayman S recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 12 owner complaints for the Porsche Cayman S, covering model years 2005 to 2014. The 2006 model year drew the most complaints (11), and Engine and Engine Cooling is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Porsche Cayman S VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

  • 2 recall campaigns on file
  • 12 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
  • 4 model years with data (2005–2014)
  • most complaints: 2006 (11 for that model year)
  • top component: Engine and Engine Cooling (6 complaints)
  • latest recall 22V656000 (reported Aug 30, 2022)
  • 2 complaints reporting a crash (16.7%)
  • 0 complaints reporting a fire (0.0%)
  • 1 complaint reporting an injury (8.3%)
  • 0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Porsche Cayman S complaints by model year

2 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2006 model year has the most complaints: 11 of 12, or 91.7%. Next come 2005 (1).

Porsche Cayman S complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Porsche Cayman S complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model yearComplaintsReporting a crashReporting a fireReporting an injuryReporting a death
200510000
2006112010
All model years122010

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Porsche Cayman S components

top 6 · NHTSA categories

Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often, in 6 complaints (50.0% of all 12), followed by Tires (2) and Air Bags (1).

Components named most often in Porsche Cayman S complaints (top 6)
Components named most often in Porsche Cayman S complaints (top 6)
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Engine and Engine Cooling650.0%
Tires216.7%
Air Bags18.3%
Engine18.3%
Power Train18.3%
Unknown or Other18.3%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

  • They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
  • Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
  • Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
  • One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
  • Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Porsche Cayman S recalls

2 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Cayman S, newest first. The 2 campaigns cover model years 2012 to 2014. The 2012 and 2014 model years appear in the most campaigns (1 each).

  • 2 recall campaigns
Porsche Cayman S recall campaigns covering each model year
2012: 1 campaign2013: no campaigns2014: 1 campaign
Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.
  1. NHTSA campaign 22V656000

    Reported

    Exterior Lighting › Headlights

    Model year 2014

    Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

    Consequence:
    Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.

    Filed by Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

  2. NHTSA campaign 11V409000

    Reported

    Seat Belts

    Model year 2012

    Porsche is recalling certain model year 2011 911 speedster and 911 GTS RS 4.0; and model year 2012 boxster (including s and spyder); cayman (including s and r); 911 carrera (including s, GTS, 4, 4S, and 4 GTS); 911 targa 4 and targa 4S; and 911 turbo and turbo s models manufactured from May 31, 2011, through June 10, 2011. There is a possibility that the mounting holes in the seat belt anchor plates fitted to the vehicle are too small. If the hole diameter is too small, the anchor plate may not be able to rotate about the fastening bolt as designed.

    Consequence:
    Should this occur, the seat belt may not be routed optimally around the occupant, or may potentially loosen at some point in the future increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
    Remedy:
    Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt anchors and, if necessary, replace the seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on September 2, 2011. Owners may contact Porsche at 1-800-767-7243.

    Filed by Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means
What each recall field means
FieldWhat it tells you
Campaign numberNHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
ComponentThe system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
SummaryWhat the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
ConsequenceThe safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
RemedyWhat the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.
  • Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
  • A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
  • Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Porsche Cayman S questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Porsche Cayman S have?

NHTSA lists 2 vehicle recall campaigns for the Porsche Cayman S, covering model years 2005 to 2014. The most recent, 22V656000, was reported on August 30, 2022 and is filed under “Exterior lighting”. The 2012 and 2014 model years are covered by the most campaigns (1 each).

Which Porsche Cayman S model year has the most complaints?

The 2006 model year, with 11 of the 12 complaints in NHTSA’s file (91.7%). The next is 2005 (1). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Porsche Cayman S complaint?

Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often: 6 complaints, or 50.0% of all 12. Tires (2) and Air Bags (1) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Porsche Cayman S?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Porsche dealer.

How many Porsche Cayman S complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 12 complaints, 2 report a crash, 0 a fire, 1 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Porsche models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Porsche VIN decoder with every Porsche model page, WMI code and VIN note.

All Porsche models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.