2021 Porsche Taycan: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2021 Porsche Taycan
On the 2021 Porsche Taycan, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, with 29 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 0 miles. Overall it scores 86 out of 100, severe risk for a 2021.
Severe risk for a 2021 — 2nd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. 99 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 24 named failure modes on the 2021 Porsche Taycan, and the three most-reported carry 55% of everything filed.
Other electrical problem leads with 29 reports and about 4.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 16 reports, median 0 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 9 reports, median 0 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (30), engine (18) and transmission (14).
The mileage the reports cluster at
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 7 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 24. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 4 mention a crash and 2 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.84, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and other driver assistance problem at $250–$1,800. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
32% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 29 | 3 | — | 925 | — | 4.9 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 16 | 3 | — | 1k | — | 2.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 9 | 1 | — | 876 | — | 1.5 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.5 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Parking sensor failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $180–$900 | Low |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2021 Porsche Taycan draws about 17 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 94th percentile of complaint rates among 2021 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 5,934 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2021 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other electrical problem
While driving on a highway at about 60 MPH, the a warning message appeared stating "electrical system error / park vehicle in a safe place." fortunately was able to maneuver vehicle to the shoulder before losing responsiveness. Vehicle then went into park status with no ability to drive. Then received message that 12v battery is low. Very unsafe because vehicle suddenly lost power in a high-speed driving situation
On 4/18/2021 approxamtely 8:25pm. While driving at approxamately 65 MPH on a los angeles freeway a red error message popped up that read "motor contol error stop vehicle in a safe place" the car stopped abruptly on the freeway. I wasnt able to pull over to safety. All of the lights were still on, on the instument control, the car still appeared to be functional. However, when the car came to a stop, (in the middle of a moderaltely busy freeway) it went into park and would not allow me to put it into drive. I turned the car off and turned it back on and it drove at that point. I took it to the dealer the next day due to them being closed at the time this happened.
Other engine problem
While driving on a highway at about 60 MPH, the a warning message appeared stating "electrical system error / park vehicle in a safe place." fortunately was able to maneuver vehicle to the shoulder before losing responsiveness. Vehicle then went into park status with no ability to drive. Then received message that 12v battery is low. Very unsafe because vehicle suddenly lost power in a high-speed driving situation
The contact owns a 2021 Porsche Taycan. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35 mph, the service engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle sputtered and loss motive power. After approximately ten minutes, the vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The failure recurred and persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,900.
Other powertrain problem
While driving on a highway at about 60 MPH, the a warning message appeared stating "electrical system error / park vehicle in a safe place." fortunately was able to maneuver vehicle to the shoulder before losing responsiveness. Vehicle then went into park status with no ability to drive. Then received message that 12v battery is low. Very unsafe because vehicle suddenly lost power in a high-speed driving situation
Recalls on the 2021 model year
NHTSA has issued 21 recall campaigns covering the 2021 Porsche Taycan, affecting an estimated 41,121 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention: sensing system: camera, electrical system:software and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
172,107 vehicles 2025-12-19- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2019-2025 Cayenne, Cayenne E-Hybrid, 2020-2025 911, Taycan, 2024-2025 Panamera, and 2025 Panamera E-Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Consequence
- A rearview image that does not display properly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the driver assistance software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ASB2. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 19, 2026.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
27,527 vehicles 2024-10-01- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Taycan vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module.
- Consequence
- A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install advanced diagnostic software as the final remedy, anticipated to be available in the first quarter of 2025. Porsche will monitor available online vehicle data and contact owners as necessary, to advise them to only charge the vehicle to 80% capacity until the battery can be replaced. For vehicles in which online data is unavailable, dealers will perform a diagnostic test and replace the battery module assembly, if necessary and advise owners to only charge to 80% capacity. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
193 vehicles 2024-10-01- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Taycan vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module.
- Consequence
- A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to only charge their vehicles to a maximum of 80% battery capacity until the repair has been completed. Dealers will replace the affected modules in the high-voltage battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 22, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARB5. This recall expands previous recall numbers 23V-840, 24V-215, and 24V-217. Vehicles previously repaired under the prior recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
31,689 vehicles 2024-06-19- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Taycan vehicles. The front brake hoses can develop cracks and leak brake fluid.
- Consequence
- A brake fluid leak can reduce braking performance and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 29, 2025. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARB0.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
606 vehicles 2024-03-20- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Taycan, Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, 2020-2023 Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo S, 2021-2022 Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, 2022 Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, 2022-2023 Taycan GTS, 2023 Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, and 2020-2021 Taycan Turbo vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery modules.
- Consequence
- A short circuit in the battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to only charge their vehicles to a maximum of 80% battery capacity until the repair has been completed. Dealers will replace the affected modules in the high-voltage battery, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 8, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARA4.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
749 vehicles 2024-03-20- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Taycan, 2020-2024 Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo, 2021-2023 Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, 2022-2023 Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, 2023 Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, 2022-2024 Taycan GTS, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, and 2020-2023 Taycan Turbo S vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery modules.
- Consequence
- A short circuit in the battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to only charge their vehicles to a maximum of 80% battery capacity until the repair has been completed. Dealers will analyze the battery data and replace the high-voltage battery modules as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 9, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ARA5.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
205 vehicles 2023-12-13- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Porsche Taycan, 2021-2022 Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo S, Taycan Turbo, Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, 2022 Taycan GTS, and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery modules.
- Consequence
- A short circuit in the battery increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the high-voltage battery by replacing modules as necessary, free of charge Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APB5.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:CABLE/CORD:ONBOARD
41,345 vehicles 2023-12-13- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling various models and model years. Please see the recall report for a list of the included vehicles. When using the industrial 220V/240V plug at the 100% charge setting, some home power outlets may be incapable of handling the electrical current required to utilize the compact charging system, causing the outlet or charging cable to overheat.
- Consequence
- An overheated outlet or charging cable can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to use the 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable and only use the 110V home charging cable or public charging stations. Dealers will supply a new 220V/240V compact/portable charging cable with an incorporated temperature sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 24, 2024. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available, anticipated mid-2024. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APB6.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
71 vehicles 2023-05-16- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Taycan vehicles. An incorrect warning indicator with an incorrect color is displayed in the instrument cluster when notifying owners of worn brake pads. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems," and 101, "Control and Displays."
- Consequence
- An incorrect warning indicator may be misinterpreted and result in driving on worn brake pads with reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the software for the instrument cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 14, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APA5.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES
130 vehicles 2023-03-17- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020 Taycan Turbo, 2021 Taycan, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, 2022 Taycan, Taycan Turbo, Taycan GTS, Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, 2020-2022 Taycan 4S and Taycan Turbo S, and 2023 Taycan vehicles. When there is an unbelted passenger, the seat belt warning light and audible chime will not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- A malfunctioning seat belt warning system may not alert the passenger to buckle their seat belt, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APA2.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
28 vehicles 2022-12-13- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2021 Taycan, Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo S, Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, and Taycan 4S Cross Turismo vehicles. A retaining ring on top of the suspension strut may come loose, resulting in a dislodged strut and air loss from the strut spring.
- Consequence
- An air suspension strut failure may cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the suspension strut and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 10, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB8.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
12,490 vehicles 2022-06-08- Defect
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Taycan vehicles. A software error could cause the center screen (including rearview camera image) and the touch control panel remain to black directly after the ignition is activated. Also, the Real-Top-View (including rearview camera image) could display a flickering image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Consequence
- A malfunctioning center screen or touch control panel may obstruct the driver's view of camera assisted driving functions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 5, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANA6.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2021 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2021 — 2nd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 5 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2024 comes out best at 60 and 2021 worst at 86, with 2021 itself at 86.
If the model year is negotiable, 2024 scores lower than 2021 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2020–2025 generation specifically, 2024 is the strongest year at 60 and 2021 the weakest at 86.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2020-2025 generation, 2024 Porsche Taycan scores best at 60 and 2021 Porsche Taycan worst at 86.
Where these figures stop being useful
99 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 99 reports, 7 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 7% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Porsche Taycan?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (29 reports, median 0 miles), other engine problem (16 reports, median 0 miles) and other powertrain problem (9 reports, median 0 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2021 Porsche Taycan reliable?
It scores 86 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 2nd riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2021 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Porsche Taycan is best?
Within the 2020–2025 generation, 2024 scores best at 60 out of 100 and 2021 worst at 86. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed