2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-19. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
1 safety recall, most serious first
1. Seat belts
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat belts may not hold you in a crash. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt anchor to the seat frame on the outboard rear seats may not have been tightened properly.
What could happen: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APA9.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2018 PANAMERA 4 E-HYBRID.
- Book a repair at any authorized Porsche dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 23V443000 (manufacturer code APA9).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-767-7243.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE
Summary: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt anchor to the seat frame on the outboard rear seats may not have been tightened properly.
Consequence: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APA9.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Useful for owners
- OBD2 code reader — see what the car's computer is reporting
- 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid owner's manual
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Engine (3), Transmission / drivetrain (3), Electrical system (2), Brakes (1), Airbags (1).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
07/27/2025 · Engine
This vehicle has an engine which has rocker arms that are known to fail. The manufacturer has not issued a recall to fix this issue which can result in a catastrophic engine failure. They have acknowledged the rocker arms in pre 2018 models to be defective and insufficiently reinforced to handle the strain of the valve train.
04/28/2025 · Brakes · crash
The contact owned a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact stated that when he was parking the vehicle, as he had shifted from reverse (R) to drive (D) to straighten the vehicle in the parking spot, the vehicle had inadvertently accelerated at an unknown speed. The contact stated that the vehicle ran through an intersection and crashed into five parked vehicles…
01/16/2025 · Transmission / drivetrain
On my 4th visit to the Porsche dealership and the problem is still not resolved. There are MANY references to the same problem online. The problem: error message on the dash stating REVERSE NOT AVAILABLE and car goes into 3RD gear only and stays there. Only final solution is new transmission which Porsche resists doing It has happened 6 times now. attachi…
07/19/2024 · Transmission / drivetrain
Transmission fault causes car to be stuck in gear and will not shift. This issue appears to be happening quite frequently with these ecars, regardless of mileage. It's dangerous, especially if it occurs on the highway .
06/25/2024 · Airbags
Porsche dashboard leather shrunk and pealing out. Vehicle will not deploy the airbags if in accident. It needs to be replaced. It is a common issue. It is a safety hazard.
05/08/2023 · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Panamera. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V033000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was…
03/02/2022 · Electrical system
Technology change from 3g to 5g. This discontinues the safety notifications including crash /location alerts. Porsche offered a free replacement, and after dealers had difficulty in installing, Porsche offers a minimum compensation, instead of fixing problem. this will affect all Porsche from 2018 and prior that were set up for 3g network connection .…
10/07/2021 · Transmission / drivetrain
The auto in question was, and is, under the new car warranty - While driving forward, one of the automobile's display screens displayed an error message stating "Transmission error - Reverse gear not available"; this in itself is not a major issue as the car was in a forward gear. The major safety issue is that the car would not shift gears once this error…