Porsche Recalls 700-Plus Cars Over Pair of Defects

Even some of the highest-end luxury automakers have a hard time ensuring that their vehicles are actually safe to drive.

Porsche recently issued a pair of recalls covering more than 700 vehicles. Some 911 GT3 Touring sports cars are equipped with faulty brake lights, the manufacturer says, while seatbelts in certain Macan and Panamera models may not work effectively.

A software error is to blame for the 911 brake lights recall, Porsche recently told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

“The subject vehicles are equipped with a main Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) designed to activate when the rear spoiler is in a retracted position, and an auxiliary CHMSL designed to activate when the rear spoiler is deployed,” Porsche said in a defect notice filed with NHTSA. “On the affected vehicles, both CHMSLs are activated in tandem only when the rear spoiler is manually deployed at speeds below 90 km/h.”

That could be problematic for drivers of other vehicles in traffic, the company acknowledged.

“Simultaneous activation of two CHMSLs may be confusing to operators of vehicles behind the subject vehicle which may increase the risk of rear-end Crashes,” Porsche said.

The recall covers GT3 Touring models built between January 12, 2022, and May 25, 2023. Porsche plans to notify owners of recalled vehicles by August 24, the company said in the defect notice. It plans to address the issue through a software update.

The Macan and Panamera recall - spanning several model years - is the result of malfunctioning seat belt anchors, Porsche told federal regulators in a separate notice.

“Due to a potential for off-line assembly process deviation that has since been corrected, the lower rear outboard seat belt anchors on the subject vehicles may not have been tightened to the correct specification,” Porsche said. “As a result, the lower seat belt anchors for the rear outboard seats could come loose over time.”

“If the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screw loosens over time, in the event of a crash, the seatbelt anchor could detach from the affected seat, increasing the risk of an injury,” Porsche added.

The company also plans to notify owners of these vehicles by late August. It will ask owners to bring their cars to an authorized service provider for inspection and repair.

Legal Rights for Porsche Owners in California

Porsche is not alone: Major vehicle manufacturers call back millions of cars around the world every year. They often cite significant defects that pose serious safety risks.

Fortunately, Porsche and other car owners and lessors in California do not need to wait around for a recall to get defective vehicles repaired.

The California lemon law generally requires carmakers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also forces manufacturers to buy back vehicles that they are unable or refuse to fix. That means compensating the owner for the vehicle’s purchase price, as well as financing charges, rental car costs, and other related expenses.

How Our California Lemon Law Lawyers Can Help You

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle or are haggling with a car manufacturer over repairs, the California lemon lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with an attorney at our firm.