I was looking at the early generation Cayennes and thinking about trading the Rabbit in. I haven't really heard of any problems with these 'trucks' but maybe I'm missing something...

Anyone own one of these guys? What do you think? How long have you had it?
Anyone heard of common problems with the drivetrain?

Looking into it for a tow vehicle.

PM Salmon boy, he got one a few months ago to tow his travel trailer.

I have no first-hand experience, but I've heard something about some plastic (coolant?) piping which is prone to failure and hard to get at (thus necessitating big $$ repair bill). Here's linky: coolant pipe poll

Mark, check the Consumer Reports ratings on them by MY for the ones you look at, in order to eliminate MYs with more problems first, then you can steer clear of those in your search.

For some reason, the VW version would score well but the Cay. would be poor in the same MY, so I don't know what's up with that, but it's based on unpaid reader/owner surveys fro all cars & is "real world" averages of past performance of each.

Unless you just have to have the "P" on it - the VW may get you the same vehicle for less coin!

I was asking over on Pelican and Rennlist at one time. Those guys are rude and completely out of touch with all things mechanical. I did manage to find out that the early year ones were prone to some type of engine failure caused by some block or piston malody.

Yeah, I haven't found any real 'nitty-gritty' details about common problems.

Me...



Here's my thoughts coming from a Mercedes ML320:

I needed the power to tow and... I'm just not a truck guy. Is it a tow vehicle? Not really but it does very well. Here's what you want to look out for in Gen1 cars:

1. Cardon Shaft replacement.
2. Coils (8 of them). They crack and should have been replaced under warranty. There have been many replacements and the latest part number ends in 13 I believe.
3. Plastic coolant pipes. Sounds odd but, they are molded plastic. They Crack. Replacements are cast metal. Our local dealer did mine for a flat rate of $1600.00. Intake needs to come off for the top lines. Quite involved.
4. Tranny valve body issues. These have been sporatic but, there's enough of them for you to wonder.

Coming from the Mercedes. I like the standard hydraulic (I had Bilsteins) suspension of the Mercedes. The Cayenne has 5 level settings which is "cute" but, not really usable unless you are rock crawling, which a Cayenne "can" do (that the BMW can't) but 99.99999% of the owners won't. Here's why I think it's a cutsie thing; set it on low and, it raises itself back up after 30mph. Set it on high and it lowers itself at 30mph. Cute... useful? Again, Crawling in Moab (let's do it)?; sure. So, the big airbags are cute but, I think a one size fits all hydraulic system would be better. Some interesting features, otherwise just hydraulics feel much better. Odd... my wife's E500 wagon has a similar system to the Cayenne but it's not as choppy on bumps.

Same goes for the comfort settings on the suspension. There's three. What's the middle one for (I don't even remember what it's called and I drive it every day)? It's an SUV... set it on comfort and forget it. I've used sport and it tightents up the body roll but, it also let's you know about every pot hole, which, I don't think this suspension is that great at anyway (read above).

Interior - Seats are awesome. Features are awesome. Everyone has their own AC and seat heaters. Everything is within reach. The PCM leaves a bit to be desired but, for the most part, it does what it's suppose to. The Bose system is very good but, video and GPS are a bit lacking. Want to replace it with a 2U unit? It's fiber optic so... everything has to go. $4k later... you're $4k poorer.

Gas mileage is around 20-22 with the Cayenne S on the highway. Towing will net you 13 in the flatlands and 10-11 on grades.

It has a six-speed tip-tronic tranny. Shifters on each side of the wheel make towing a breeze. It has plenty of torque for around town and ends up in 5th many times going 35 down a city thoroughfare. This scares you when you tow and need to have it in the 4 - 6k range to get up hills but, it's below redline. I've found myself in 3rd going 65mph on some of the Utah grades.

It has a brake controller pigtail by the e-brake which is cool. A trip to the VW dealer (Toureg) will net you the insert for the 7-pin ($29.00). After that and a few creative wiring suggestions, you simply hook up and go. I use an E-qualizer hitch and I SWEAR BY THEM. Makes towing a breeze. I'm towing roughly 4800lbs loaded. It easily keeps at 65mph for most Utah backroad speeds and it's been known to cruise along at 80mph on I-15 down around Scipio, UT where that's the legal speed (not sure if that's the legal speed with a trailer though...)

Brakes are amazing.

There's a lot of positive that outweighs what you're reading. I just wanted you to know the issues before you launch into one. You can drive mine in September if your planning on venturing to Planet Utah to view he salmon colored rocks.



P.S. Never heard of the engine issues that Rick mentions. Try Rennlist. They have a Cayenne group there that is pretty funny and tongue-in-cheek about the car they call "Pigs"

Thanks for the in depth, Eric. Still deciding if it's the direction I want to go. being able to tow has distinct benefits for the shop.

I have a 2004 Touareg. Great vehicle once the many bugs were rooted out. I am going to drive it into the ground. Have 76000 miles. No coolant issues. Mileage never above 19.

Clearcoat peeled on front of hood not under warranty, being refinished now. Radio doesn't work once a month, it's on the third one, they can't fix it, I gave up.

Otherwise world class vehicle even if it is the ugly sister of the Cayenne.

Paul

Mark,

Pat Costin has one that he has used for towing race cars for a couple of years. Complaints, which are few, pretty much follow what Eric said.

If you want Pat's number to talk to him directly give me a call.

650 823-1168.

BTW if your really into towing stuff, for the money you can't beat a used Ford diesel. If I had to do it all over again I'd put a Gear Vendor overdrive in enjoy passing the gas stations. I currently get about 16-18mph towing.

I usually take advise from you but this time I am going to give it... Do it. I want to do the same with the 4Runner.

If you are not going for the larger motor, get the VW, its the same car and its alot cheaper.

I would suggest you look at the Eurovan also. It has alot more usefulness, its a one ton chassis, and it tows more than the toureg.

Rich

I get the chance to drive the snot out of factory Cayennes this Sunday...
and a few other factory cars....hopefully a Boxster Spyder

I'll post a few impressions after I get back.

I just sold my 06 Cayenne Turbo a few months ago. It was an awesome car however it had several issues (all of them were posted here already). I sold it because I (along with most others) had the coolant pipe issue. There are also some electrical gremlin issues.

If a cayenne already had its coolant pipes replaced then the coolant pipe issue is not a big deal because the replacement pipes are metal. If it has the original plastic pipes, plan on replacing them because they will go eventually. I replaced my coolant pipes myself and it cost me alot of time and about $800.

I had to replace all of my coil packs which is very common- about $200?

I had several strange electrical problems. Random strange electrical things would happen once then never happen again. I heard this happens when battery gets low however I also had strange things happen with a new battery. All of the problems were just annoying things, nothing major.

I did not have the cardan shaft issues however my was replaced by the dealer prior to me purchasing the car- they said it was going bad.

I hear a lot of people poking fun at the Cayenne. I understand for the most part. My thought at the time was that if your wife needs a car for taking your kid around and getting groceries, why not buy one that has the Porsche badge and does 0-60 in 4.3 seconds (yes, it was modified) even if it is a giant SUV. I already had a 996 and 914 in the garage which both are not very kid friendly.

If possible- go for the Cayenne Turbo- much more fun!!!

When the coolant pipes broke, I lost my temper with Porsche and quickly sold the Cayenne Turbo and the 996. Looking bad, this was a bit stupid. )The thought of selling my 914 never crossed my mind, I could never sell my 914).

No fair if they're 11's... different world from what I hear.

I admit, I had many were they thinking! moments.

Bottom line as I see it now:

1. Porsche is a car company not necessarily a sports car company.
2. In the SUV class that it's in, it's a worthy competitor with it's own merits (BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover/Land Rover).

I'm not a fan of the "issues". I don't think they should be there on a $70k vehicle but, this is the first gen and it's been one hell of a successful vehicle for Porsche.

Plastic pipes? S-T-U-P-I-D (No? Then why did you decide to make the replacements out of metal huh Porsche?)
Bosch can't make a coil that won't crack? They should be ashamed at this point.
Cardon shaft? Mine was replaced before I got it and I don't really know the issues.

Regardless... make sure those things are addressed and it "should" be a good runner.

Yep it is the new ones....should be interesting...supposed to be some Panameras and other assorted stuff there to abuse...

Get a deisel Touareg. I've got a 2008 V6TDI it's an unstoppable, go anywhere, comfortable long distance tourer and 35mpg. Tows my boat and I paddock bash it at the farm as well. Other than the 914, it's the perfect vehicle.

Phil

That sums it up best. When mine blew, I went over to my local dealer. I told them that I have been a loyal Porsche owner for a while (at that time I had three) and as far as I was concerned the coolant pipe issue was Porsche's problem and they needed to fix it. The fact that they admitted the fault by making the replacement parts out of metal prove my point. If 100% of something breaks on a car, the manufacturer needs to fix it. The Porsche dealer didn't see it that way. I was so pissed that I sold my 996 and Cayenne Turbo immediately. Looking back, I probably over reacted.

In my opinion, there is no match the Cayenne Turbo. I realize that the Jeep SRT8 has similar numbers on paper however if you drive both, you will see that there is no comparison (yes, I know that there is a massive price difference).

IMHO

If the stated reason for owning one was for a shop tow bitch, I think that you have a ton of better options out there.

If the stated reason is that you want a luxury SUV to drive around town and occasionally have to pull something with, get the cayenne.

For a shop vehicle that is going to get dented and carry all manner of foulness, get a cheap (compared to the Cayenne) Chevy, Dodge or Toyota truck. Heck, even a Jeep Cherokee would make a better option, IMHO.

Zach

What if you want both?

Yeah, you're right Zach. I looked at cheap ass tow vehicles. But as dumb as it probably is, I can't abide having a truck that sits 360 days a year. I would need to trade in the Rabbit and get something to drive full time, that I can tow with on occasion.

I use mine as a shop dog. It hauls a couple hundred pounds of calipers to the platers each week (and back).

It also takes the wife and I to dinner.

It also takes the family camping and it takes the trailer to the campground (wherever that campground may be... we do a lot of BLM stuff).

What about modern Porsche factory manuals? Anyone know anything about acquiring this info?

I have the factory manuals in PDF form. I forgot where I got it. It was somewhere online for $15 or so.

Watch a few Top Gear segments on YouTube. According to those guys, the Cayenne is ugly but otherwise really nice. But the Touareg was definitely NOT well received.

The wife is on board... so I'll need to look into getting rid of the Rabbit.

no direct Porsche Cayane experience, but My ex has an 04 Toureg, we looked at the cayane and bmw x5 and chose the vw for the following reasons, which were in part subjective:

service costs, even for identical services are more expensive for a p or bmw

i liked the vw interior more than the porsche. and neither exterior overwelmed me

vw offered a six which was adequate for her uses, and unless you intend to tow often and heavy i think is adequate. , The porsche didn't offer a 6.in o4. i believe the coolant pipe issue is a v8 issue only. i don't believe the 6 gets much better gas mileage about 14mpg, so on a used car the price difference between a 6 and 8 may not be much, it was $over $10000 new.

Price much cheaper, we paid $35,000, for vw with leather, and xeon lights, more than 20,000 cheaper than p or bmw, last i looked a used a nice 04 probably isn't more than a $10,000 car, but an eddie bauer expedition probably is only worth $5000.

its a very nice truck, nice interior, heavy secure feel, nice in rain, we don't have snow but i'm sure its nice in snow

problems:
transmission gone at 51000 miles i bought extended warranty for $5000, the transmission alone was more than that

the high tech info panel includes a low tire pressure sensor. one wheel sensor went bad. that then in effect overode all other panel info until repaired, she refused to pay $2900 to have her tire pressure monitored. obviously for legal reasons no one will override the system.

as someone else commented on the p truck, even the base vw has a lot of high tech sensors, transmission adjustments etc, which we never used but add expenses when they break.

ditto the previous radio comments, eventually after 2 or 3 replacements we just bought an aftermarket stereo, thereby loosing all the steering wheel controls, but getting a radio that did not need to be replaced every year.

tires never get more than 20000 miles on a set on michilins, less on whatever else we tried

we bought the truck because there was a tax credit for trucks with over a 6000 gvw, i say that because we traded a lexus rx 300, which imho if you don't need much towing capacity (3500 Lb if i remember correct) is cheaper too maintain, better ride and far better build quality.

i have come to hate vw and their dealers, because of many nagging issues and their either lack of response or cost, but if you can do the work yourself or have a very good independent mechanic they are very nice trucks

I bought one.... You like?

The owner of the company i workfor has one and never drives it,he says his jeep is better.

Tom, if your boss wants to sell his low-mileage Cayenne. Let me know.

Sorry he never sells anything.I'v already tryed.

Test drove a 2004 Turbo last weekend. What a MONSTER! That thing is awesome. I'm kinda hooked. The one I looked at was pretty thrashed. They were asking $25k, but I'm gonna offer $20k (have to replace the seats, center console, brakes, tires) but even then I'm not sure I want that one.

So... if anyone sees a Turbo for $25k or less in white, gray or black, let me know. I'm willing to fly and drive for the right car.

Buy a used Ford F150 and put a Porsche badge on the hood. No one will know the difference. Well, they might in Napa.

Elliot when I get my Turbo, we can race.

My Wife is looking at the 2008-2009 range, but i test drove a new 2011 S a couple of weeks back. Wow, it's a completely different car than the Gen 1. I was very impressed, but at $82K, I better be.....

Toyoda biggest problem is the floor mat/gas pedal interface...... OR you could buy an overpriced euro rig and watch it disintegrate in front of your eyes......but it may be cool to watch.

I got this 2006 with 23K miles on it bout a year & a half ago for 18K. It now has 40K on it.
Guess what it's worth now.