Taycan ownership trope: are Taycans really split between total lemons vs faultless vehicles?

[MoniqueDenver]

LOVE my car. 2021 4CT took ownership Jan '25 @8k and driven it 20k miles since. (Lots of multi-state drives.)

Had three minor issues (weird software issue, Sun visor snapped and heater went out). Both under warranty and was in and out from Porsche West in a few hours. What was great is they did an amazing job washing my car and they're only 15 minutes away so I viewed it as a net positive.

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[r553]

I've had a few problems with my 2020 4 S. Several are known issues. Heater (2X), AC servo motor failed, HV battery (Replaced with a 2023 version). Late last year the rear motor failed and was replaced, paid for by the aftermarket Porsche EV warranty. There have been many software updates along the way. I expected issues with the first year of a new car & technology. I was hell bent to get the EV tax credit which I did. My experience with the Taycan is not much different than my Cayenne Diesel that was caught up the VW emissions scandal except they compensated me surprisingly well.

 

[Jayhawker91]

My ‘22 4S CPO (purchased March 2025) was in the shop 137 days out of the first 365 of ownership. Replaced suspension at all four corners, replaced the OBC, the “e-box”, rear window regulators, interior and exterior damage caused by the service center (I go to a different SC now), and rattles galore. In fact, it’s in the shop now - replacing a delaminated dashboard and still trying to fix rattles in the b-pillars (both sides) and trunk.

But I love the car and am stupid enough to think about getting a J1.2 CPO and trading in my J1.1.

 

[TaYcanAficionado]

My 2021 4S has been bulletproof, no issues. I wouldn't consider keeping it without approved warranty though .

 

[KLHubb]

My 2020 4S has been trouble free, save the Porsche campaign items.
I will hold onto it as long as I can continue to get a warrantee... or the 718E becomes available.

 

[SpeakinTelnet]

For me it's not about car issues and more about how those issues are handled by Porsche.

I bought a 2022 CT CPO 2 months ago and had the radiator fan issue where debris got in the hub and is now making loud grinding noise. I also suspect the front wheel bearing to be failing. It took a month to get a tech to look at the car only to be told the fan is not covered as it it caused by external elements. And the vibration in the steering wheel is considered "normal".

So I got a CPO that required $6k+ in repairs right out the door. PCNA are also not answering my emails so I'm now wondering if I should just go for a buy-back.

I wanted to like the car so much, as a wagon fan this was what I considered my dream car.

 

[Tooney]

For me it's not about car issues and more about how those issues are handled by Porsche.

I bought a 2022 CT CPO 2 months ago and had the radiator fan issue where debris got in the hub and is now making loud grinding noise. I also suspect the front wheel bearing to be failing. It took a month to get a tech to look at the car only to be told the fan is not covered as it it caused by external elements. And the vibration in the steering wheel is considered "normal".

So I got a CPO that required $6k+ in repairs right out the door. PCNA are also not answering my emails so I'm now wondering if I should just go for a buy-back.

I wanted to like the car so much, as a wagon fan this was what I considered my dream car.

FYI. This forum thread may be related: TSB: Noise - Droning / Humming from Vehicle Front End -(redesigned fans, air guides, wheel liners)- May 10, 2023

 

[SpeakinTelnet]

FYI. This forum thread may be related: TSB: Noise - Droning / Humming from Vehicle Front End -(redesigned fans, air guides, wheel liners)- May 10, 2023

Thanks, I did provide them with the TSB and the warranty extension specifically made for that TSB and they promptly pointed me to these lines:

Scopes not covered by this warranty extension
All damage or malfunctions caused by external factors such as damage due to an accident, incorrect use or neglect of the vehicle.

which is ludicrous considering I made less than 1k miles on it between leaving the dealership and the issue appearing, on paved road, with a car equiped with a gravel mode.

 

[Dee]

Yes.
...
If you focus on internet that is...
Many people with problems come to internet so it may look like this but I can only speak for myself: not flawless in the beginning back in 2020 but no major issues, only bugfixes, alignment of rear wing, sensor charge door replaced and pressure sensor A/C, all warranty.
I have the early 11kW OBC so no worries (22kW is faulty).
HV heater was ok but was still replaced, under the recall conditions, together with the battery recall.
I'm driving trouble free the last four years, best car I've ever had.

 

[RBGtaycan]

There seems to be no denying that the Taycan sufferes more failures than many other cars. I myself have not been particularly hard hit on my 2023 model. But I have still had two heaters, the 10 months with a non functioning PCM and just this week my coolant pump died on a european roadtrip leaving me with an overheating battery. Porsche have fixed it all but it's still more issues than I have ever had with a car in the first 3 years.

During this week's (very positive!) visit to Porsche Dresden they also acknowledged that it is not advisable to have a Taycan that is not covered by warranty.

Agree wholeheartedly: Owning one without some sort of warranty is akin to Russian roulette with 6 bullets in an eight round magazine.

 

[Vision]

I think the earlier cars are more a mixed bag. My car has been super reliable and flawless in the 2 years of ownership and I have 24k miles on it.

 

[SteveDC]

There are two primary aspects to this.

First the vehicle itself. When Taycan first came out, it was the first EV for Porsche. Lots of fist time stuff, along with steep learning curve for them. Like any first of kind product for the manufacture, lots of issues. It's also new to all the suppliers too. Expected infant mortality of subsystems and parts are common.

The mid cycle update (2025+, J1.2) cleans up much of the early issues and fixes. This mid cycle improvements are true for EVERY model from any manufacture. After 2~3 years from the initial release, the real world data comes in and used to fix things, especially reliability and quality items, albeit not everything. They are rolled into the mid cycle update along with usual cosmetic, power and performance kind of improvements.

The other (2nd thing) is that any forum participation typically represents less than 5% of the total ownership population. Of those that participates, more come to the forum to share issues rather than just to say how great things are. Naturally, it can distort the reader's opinion and bias them towards negative, unless one is aware of this fact.

I am not a Taycan owner (yet). I typically join the forum 6~12 months prior to buying the vehicle of interest. This is where I am today. Thanks to everyone on this forum, I am convinced that J1.2 is the only viable option for my needs. Not only the range is higher but I believe there are less issues. I am looking for low milage 2025 or 2026 once th e2027 hits the showroom. It's so close to that, there will be another round of depreciation (sorry guys) for earlier model years. This will be my first pre-owned vehicle purchase so I am bit more careful about it. My last purchase (2026 Artura, I did she same forum process and ordered mid cycle updated vehicle to my spec and has worked out flawlessly).

Good luck.

Mileage is important, but so is State of Health (SOH) of the HV battery. Porsche has a procedure to determine this, and in a purchase situation you should not rely on some of the DIY methods you will see here. I would seek a CPO vehicle from a well regarded dealer and have this test additionally performed.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-11005773-0001.pdf

In your negotiations you still have to consider whether Porsche will pull the plug on the Taycan line, as has been suggested in news reports mentioned here.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

For me it's not about car issues and more about how those issues are handled by Porsche.

I bought a 2022 CT CPO 2 months ago and had the radiator fan issue where debris got in the hub and is now making loud grinding noise.

I wanted to like the car so much, as a wagon fan this was what I considered my dream car.

Tell me more about the debris getting into the radiator fan, please. I take mine off roading a fair amount, and I saw this and it worried me.

I did have success in fighting a broken sun visor when they originally said it was wear and tear, so it is possible to fight it, but I had the help of the guys at Porsche West. West. My service has always been great., (very responsive, always get a loaner, In and out quickly.)

 

[69Mach390]

Agree wholeheartedly: Owning one without some sort of warranty is akin to Russian roulette with 6 bullets in an eight round magazine.

Why do people always try to spread unnecessary fear on threads like this?

Statistics on the warranty payouts tell the opposite story: the likelihood of a repair exceeding the warranty cost is more like 1 in 8. Source: every independent study on warranty costs and claims.

The Taycan repairs may be more frequent and more expensive, but that’s why the warranty costs are significantly higher.

 

[SpeakinTelnet]

Tell me more about the debris getting into the radiator fan, please. I take mine off roading a fair amount, and I saw this and it worried me.

The issue was with the earlier models, the radiator fan did not have a protective cover over the motor and the grill was letting a lot of dirt through, this lead to a redesign from Porsche. It was not a recall though so many were caught with an expensive repair to do when the dealership did not want to do it out of goodwill.

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