Stuck between a seized fan and a seized customer support, need advices.

[SpeakinTelnet]

Hi all!

So I bought a Taycan CT 4 2022 back in May with a CPO warranty up to 2030. Dream car. I wanted to replace a golf TDI sportwagen that I had for 12 years for an EV and it was an upgrade all around.

Maybe a week in I heard a droning from the front left wheel, clearly the fan. I already had an appointment with the dealership due to a vibration in the steering wheel. On my spare time I was able to confirm that the fan was indeed grinding from the center hub directly and that I had the old model, shared the info with my service advisor. I also had to stop charging the car at night because the fan noise was waking up my neighbor.

3 weeks passed and I then had my appointment. They said they would not cover it has it was caused by "external debris". They also said they could not reproduce the steering vibration. I'm now stuck between my seller saying he would approve the replacement but then ghosting me, my ticket with Porsche customer service remaining unanswered for over a month and now the fan has completely seized.

I'm really trying not to be bummed out because I really like the car. So I guess my questions are mostly:

1 - Can I still drive with a seized fan in the meantime? the battery hangs around 40'C and there is no warning
2- How long is a ticket with the customer service supposed to take, can it be escalated?
3- Is a vibration in the steering wheel normal? (I have 21" wheels on if that matters) it feels like driving on a concrete highway but all the time.


Thanks all!

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[W1NGE]

There has been an historical issue with fans and debris (grit and stones) getting into the fan housing (poor design) and at the time was a warranty item.

There is a list of Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) on this forum which might have this one listed so try searching.

Personally, iI wouldn't risk it and may lead to more expensive repairs if not addressed.

Write to Porsche HQ and copy your dealer to see if that gains any traction.

 

[SpeakinTelnet]

There has been an historical issue with fans and debris (grit and stones) getting into the fan housing (poor design) and at the time was a warranty item.

There is a list of Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) on this forum which might have this one listed so try searching.

Personally, iI wouldn't risk it and may lead to more expensive repairs if not addressed.

Write to Porsche HQ and copy your dealer to see if that gains any traction.

I actually provided the TSB and warranty extension for the fan and the answer I got was that since it was not a recall it had to be approved by Porsche NA, hence why I'm in discussion with them.

And thanks for the advice, I'll try to find an email to escalate the issue with HQ as not having a drivable car is not an option for me. In the meantime I might put the car on a lift and try to unstuck the fan, I was supposed to leave for a camping week and the Kei Car is not really fit for a whole family!

 

[SpeakinTelnet]

Little update: Porsche also agreed that the car should not be driven until the fan is repaired and wanted it towed at the dealership. So I'm out of a car for the next month at minimum without knowing if it's gonna be fixed under warranty or not.

 

[W1NGE]

Little update: Porsche also agreed that the car should not be driven until the fan is repaired and wanted it towed at the dealership. So I'm out of a car for the next month at minimum without knowing if it's gonna be fixed under warranty or not.

Goodwill is likely given the noise you can make with HQ.

 

[69Mach390]

Little update: Porsche also agreed that the car should not be driven until the fan is repaired and wanted it towed at the dealership. So I'm out of a car for the next month at minimum without knowing if it's gonna be fixed under warranty or not.

Hopefully they’ll get it covered because of the TSB, but in normal circumstances debris causing damage would be an insurance claim, not a warranty item.

As far as steering wheel vibration- usually it’s an out of balance wheel or bent rim. Neither would be warranty either, but both fairly easy to check for.

We just had a bent wheel fixed on my wife’s car. Cost a few hundred to diagnose and repair at a wheel shop.

 

[Speuk]

I would email Timo Resch — President & CEO
Email: [email protected] and copy [email protected] with the heading " Urgent Escalation – Unreasonable Delay in Warranty Repair Approval" and ask for his support in getting this issue resolved, ask if he can forward to his director responsible for customer support and outline the issue. They clearly accept it is a design fault as the replace with upgraded parts including the wheel arch liner. There are many examples of them doing this under warranty/ goodwill.

Good luck!

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