2011 Cayenne Transfer case replaced
 

My 2011 Cayenne V6 has been having jerking or hesitation upon moderate to hard acceleration. It was quite subtle when the car was new, but is now more noticeable with age at 20k miles. The Cayenne felt like it was slipping gears on climbing up hills. The dealer indicated that it was a "transfer case" issue, and that it was not uncommon in the type 958 Cayenne. So, this was replaced under warranty. Problem solved! My dealership has replaced several transfer cases for the type 958 Cayenne.

I was not able to find much on the web or other forum sites on the new Cayenne model, though there are references to this issue on older models. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Despite this, the Porsche Cayenne is an awesome handling SUV, that instills great confidence on the road.

Haven't noticed this yet on my V6 but am just at 9k miles. Hopefully it won't happen but nice to know it is covered by warranty

Manual tranny, or Tiptronic?

//greg//

Tiptronic.

After the transfer case replacement, no problems with the sensation of gears slipping. The Cayenne now accelerates smoothly. Seems like a not uncommon problem with SUVs. My old Jeep also needed a replacement of the transfer gearbox.

Thank goodness for the Porsche warranty.

I had the same problem with my 11' S, it felt like some engine missfiring issue but turned out to be the transfer case, had it replaced under warranty at only 4000km (2500 miles).
I loved it to death but also gave me a lot of problems. I got rid of it as soon as the warranty expired.

Hi Galion,sorry you had these problems
Makes me feel even luckier to have one of the flawless ones
What do you mean by"warranty expired" on your '11 S???
Isn't it valid for 5yrs/50K miles?

Hey Peppper, we only get 2 years / unlimited miles in this part of the world.

Oh:eek: did not know that
I understand your decision much better now
We do have it pretty good in the US

Galion:

What other problems did you have with your Cayenne '11S besides the transfer case issue? My vehicle seems fine now that the transfer gearbox has been replaced. Really no other issues with our Cayenne '11.

Wow. Did not know that the warranty in Brazil is only 2 years. Bummer.

Still, the Cayenne is one of the best handling SUVs out there. Drawbacks are the price of the Porsche, high maintenance costs, and limited rear storage space.

Hi,

My 2011 CayenneS is now out of warranty and I'm experiencing the same symptoms. Went to the dealer and they mentioned that transfer case needs to be replaced. Charging $4300.. :(

Anyone know of any third-party warranty that can cover such repairs?

Thanks

Are you the original owner, did you buy it from that dealer, and how far out of warranty is it?

If yes, yes, and not much you might go back and tell them that you are hearing that this isn't an uncommon issue. Better still if you can get Magnetic's dealer info to pass on as well. You might be able to convince them to take it back to PCNA and get part/all of it covered via good will.

As far as adding a warranty company at this point, you would have to read the fine print closely both for what is/isn't covered as well as pre-existing conditions. If they have such a clause (and I would be shocked if they didn't) then when they talk to the dealer if it slips out "he first came to us last month" then at best they'll deny the claim and leave you on the hook but they could get ugly and sue you for fraud or breech of contract. You can lay money that a $4800 claim right after you purchase a warranty is going to make them look very closely at the claim too.

Just had the same issue w my '11 C-S. T-case replaced under CPO thank God!! The tech took a ride in the car and knew what it was after 40 feet. It was obvious this is a fairly common issue... did some add'l research and it seems the chain inside the case is typically the reason. If you get to the issue early enough (when you feel some chugging upon acceleration, almost feels like a missfire) they can be rebuilt for ~2k. New case from a dealer here in the NE will run 4500-6k. In my case there was no fault codes, but I brought it in pretty soon after I realized what it could be.

I was worried it might be a easy fix but I believe I have a similar symptom in my 13' Base V6. I was looking for threads with similar issues but did not until I saw this.


At low speeds around 13-28mph, doesn't matter which gear I'm in, I get multiple knocking noises until I reach a higher speed and I also feel a quick forward/backward jerk with each knocking noise. Is that what you guys experienced?


Would it hurt the vehicle if I keep driving with this issue unfixed?


So do they require you to replace the entire transfer case? Why not just the chain?


Looks like this problem is quite common if we already got a handful of people with similar issues. I am glad I purchased a third party warranty with my Cayenne.

This is definitely a concerns, my 2011 Cayenne V6 warranty is out next year jan.
How can I tell?

Try to see if your cars have symptoms mentioned above (like gear slipping, like misfiring, chugging upon acceleration, etc.). I don't want to say its hard to miss as it all depends on how bad it has become.


If you are worried, start looking out for an extended warranty that will cover the transfer case.


Can someone who has got the transfer case replaced tell me how long they have driven the Cayenne after the fix? TIA

Bumping this up. Did you guys experience similar symptoms as I've described? Also, what exactly is the issue that causes this? And after the chain/transfer case is replaced, is the problem fixed for good, or will it be an issue again later down the road?

I had this problem on my '15 Cayenne S (v6 turbo) after less than one year of ownership. I'm pretty sure what caused it was when I drove off road in the desert and forgot to put it on "off road" mode. I remember the traction system acting crazy and I realized much later that off road mode was not on. As soon as I got back on the road I got the symptoms you mentioned. Got it replaced around three months ago (maybe ~5,000km ago) and the car has been running perfectly so far.

Thanks for the reply. Were you really pushing the car offroad? Seems like a fragile transfer case if it was damaged by one off-road incident. Did you have to replace the entire transfer case or just the chain?

I agree. I suspect the transfer case may have been faulty (although unnoticeable) to begin with and the off road incident triggered the failure. I did not push too hard. I had been pushing harder off road in the past (maybe twice or three times) but with off road mode set to on and with the center diff engaged, and never had a problem. I got the whole transfer case replaced.

Gotcha... Thanks for the help! I will check with my dealer and report back once they finish diagnostic and repair.

Hey guys... Currently my cayenne is with the dealer and they are diagnosing the issue. I dropped it off Friday morning. I told the service manager about the issue and how I thought it was the transfer case. He replied it prob isn't as I would've got an error code.

So my question to you guys is, did you guys get an error code (either visible or had to be scanned to see)?

Any update?
 

My 2013 V6 is doing this same thing recently, and I'm curious to see what was found. I'm still well under factory warranty just a matter of getting an appointment.

I have just got my car back from the dealership and got my entire transfer case replaced. I would head in to the dealer ASAP and get it fixed! If you are lucky your service representative will know exactly what it is and order you a transfer case... if not, they might perform a lot more diagnostic and say its something else.


My print out receipt says that the transfer case clutch was worn. Does our transfer case have a clutch in it? Wouldn't that be a wear and tear item that has to be replaced then?

On the V6 series (which I believe use a Tourag based 4WD driveline) - there is an electronically controlled clutch in the transfer case - used to transfer power rear to front as needed.

It would seem to be a design where the clutch should be very long lived since the user has no control over it. I believe from reading here - that some of the clutch-baskets (which hold the clutch disks - sort of like a common motorcycle multi-plate clutch) had a manufacturing defect leading to excessive slippage. That could result in the funny behavior that is mentioned here, and likely to rapid wear of the clutch disks.

The fix is a replacement transfer case. And I'd expect the replacement to outlast the rest of the vehicle.

So far all the mentions of this problem that I've seen have been with the base V6 model - but that might just be a reflection of the number of sales for each model. Lots more V6's are sold then the V8's.

deilenberger... where have you been? rep'ed! Your response sure is a breath of fresh air. That makes a lot of sense now. I do hope my replacement will last this time and I won't have the same issue.


btw, rereading some posts in page 1 of this thread suggest that this issue might also affect the Cayenne S V8 models.

Oh and I forgot to mention... My Cayenne have never been smoother and 'faster' (no slippage) since I've bought it! Feels like a brand new car and am excited to be driving it properly once again.

MY2012. V8S.

So I believe I am now having transfercase issues. The tires are scrubbing hard on tighter turns. I can hear the CVs click all around after turning. While driving, under acceleration especially, there are thumps and knocks heard and sometimes felt related to drive train.

When I lock the center and front diff, all issues subside and it drives as expected in off-road mode. When I have just the center diff locked, all issues reappear.

I've seen the TSB on the transfer case coupler and I think that's my issue. Would tackle this myself but I cannot find repair reference anywhere.

A $4000+ hit within 8 months of ownership with 26k on the odo will really put me off the Porsche brand even though I much like many of us have spent most of our lives lusting after one of these machines.

What do you guys think ?

Just to add my experience: 2013 V6 Base, starting slipping and slight thumps on slow uphill acceleration. This occurred last year, just noticed this thread. Took it to dealer, transfer case replaced. Was surprised because it only had 23k miles.

2011 Cayenne S - transfer case issue
 

Thanks for posting this. I brought in my Cayenne today to the dealer due to the "thumping" issue. At 25 mph -> 31 mph the acceleration would hesitate. (almost as if it was missing a spark plug). At first I thought that this was coming from something in the right front tire, but that turned out to be all fine.

I took it into the dealer to get the PCM updated (was on 2.41) and hoped that would solve the issue. Dealer came back saying that it was a transfer case and that it would be $5k+ to replace!?!

This 958.1 has less than 27k miles on it.

So I asked if it was covered under warranty (I'm not holding my breath on that) but perhaps there is a recall for something like this? If not- I don't think that I'll get a replacement for the entire transfer case... that seems overboard. Dealers always want to replace rather than fix anything.

I asked if it threw a code and he said that it didn't. I asked if perhaps it was the TCM and he said that would normally throw a code... so I'm at a loss here.

So next steps would be...?

1) Obtain new TCM (Transfer Control Module) and replace that
- My understanding that this is a box that has an easy plug (physically). It's located under the passenger seat in the front. The work is to tilt the passenger seat back and then replace.
- My concern is getting the correct part number for my Cayenne.
- My other concern is in matching the software? Should there be anything that would match the firmware between the TCM and the PCM?

2) While I have the passenger seat up and I'm replacing the TCM I have read that it makes sense to also replace the actuator as well (would this be the servo motor?). Seems like a large job, but I'm willing to try if there is a DIY that I may follow.

Any thoughts or help for this would be great. I can't imagine replacing the entire thing without trying to fix it. However this is the lesson that I learned from my past Cayenne (2006) from the dealer.

So this transfer case issue seems like a more common issue than I thought and it is failing at low mileage. This is unacceptable from Porsche. How do we get Porsche to recall issue?


I didn't get to ask my Porsche technician, but I am curious on which exact part is failing/causing the issue. Some have mentioned the transfer case chain while others have mentioned the electronically controlled clutch in the transfer case.

I have a 2013 CTT and just had the transfer case replaced for the 2nd time under warranty... It's definitely an Achilles Heal of the 958. Tech claims Porsche downsized the case to shed weight. The newer lighter version is not as bulletproof.

Thanks for the input. So I guess the replacement I got might fail again and is pretty much replaced with the same defected part the factory put in. "Not as bulletproof" is an understatement. Our transfer cases are fragile POS if they break before 27k miles.

Agreed. Pretty disappointing in a mark that is supposed to represent quality. I'm not even at 27k. The issue is that it's a replacement (not a fix) with the same part, so go another 5 years and replace again?

Possible issue with 2011 Cayenne Turbo transfer case
 

Hi all,

I currently have a 2011 Cayenne Turbo with 74k miles and it has developed an issue after about a year and a half with no issues whatsoever.

Whenever I put it into Sport Mode and mash the throttle it will pull normally until it hits about 4k rpm. Once it hits that the car violently lurches forward and the rest of the way through the gear it is extremely jumpy. I haven't gotten a chance to test through how many gears this happens, but I know it is at least through the first 4.

I have read that this year of cayenne turbo has a major issue with the transfer case. The repairs for this can be upwards of $5000 and I am hoping that I will not have to deal with that.

Is there any other possibility, besides the transfer case, that could be causing this? My current PCM version is 2.47.

Thanks in advance

When you say "jumpy" is there any indication that RPM are rising faster than your speed (ie - something is slipping then hooking up?) That could be a transfer case clutch slipping.

Did it feel differently before when you "mashed" it in Sport mode? I do find the acceleration to be a bit brutal at full throttle in sport mode, and rarely keep it depressed fully long enough for the P!G to shift, really because of that. It feels like 500HP *RIGHT NOW* when mashed.

If it feels different than before, before panicking completely - you might try doing a fluid change on the transfer case. A few people have reported improved behavior after doing this. There is a way to use PIWIS to measure the conductivity of the fluid - telling you how worn it is - but I'd simply replace the fluid at this mileage and see if things improve. You might want to send a sample of the old fluid away for analysis to Blackstone to see if they spot excessive metal/clutch particles in the oil.

BTW - good on'ya for your thread title - you got all the basics, year/model, problem - so it encouraged me to open the thread figuring it would also be an intelligent question being asked.

That's what I was thinking. The car is "jumpy" in that it almost completely stops pulling at 4k rpm, and then resumes full power after about 1 hundredth of a second later. It definitely feels as though it is slipping under hard acceleration, but it drives without issue otherwise.

I also checked the boost pressure(on the digital interface) to make sure i was still getting power from the turbos and the turbos were still performing normally.

I had also read that there was some type of software issue where shifts were rough and the gear was not very smooth. Supposedly this was fixed with update 2.44 and mine sits at 2.47.

I have also not gotten any type of warning light/message. I can only presume that it has to be the transfer case. Given that it probably is, do you have any idea how safe it would be to drive it without repairing it? I've just bought a home and can hardly afford an extra expense this month:(

(Also thank you for the compliment!)

It's probably safe enough to drive - if you turn off sport mode.. :) I don't know that you'll get a warning/message - I can't recall anyone mentioning it. Most people seem to describe pretty much what you do - slipping on hard acceleration. It probably won't get better by itself - but if you grand-pa it - it may not get worse quickly. I would start putting some $$ away though.

You may want to also check the NHTSA/DOT website for any recalls that may be applicable for your Turbo. There are several for 2011 transfer cases:

Another one:
There are other recalls for the 2011 model year - and you can search them on NHTSA's website (although it isn't obvious..) by recall # - go to: http://www.porscheproblems.com/tsbs/Cayenne/2011/ to get the recall #'s, then go to: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle and look under "Check your vehicle safety" - there is an option to lookup a recall by recall#.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes..

I will take it to the local Porsche dealer and get it checked out, Thanks for all your help! Might be able to bypass a large amount of money due to the recall. I will tell how it ends up!:)

Everything OP describes is indicative of a boost leak...

He said:

How does that indicate a boost leak? "pull normally" and the leak only happens at 4K RPM?

'splain please..