The Porsche Taycan is my biggest disappointment this decade

[snstevens]

And now going through...whatever the electrical error turns out to be for a month.

Keep me posted on what the issue is. I’m super curious.

Sponsored

 

[whitex]

The car is amazing to drive, especially after customizing it to my liking. Software is no Tesla, but it's usable after getting used to (yea I know, a cheap Chevy I rented this past week has better backup camera, but again, usable after getting used to it). Unfortunately, reliability is an issue. I've had it 2.75 years now, and it seems between recalls and repairs the car spends a month a year in service. Some of it could be alleviated if Porsche wasn't penny pinching so much, for example by improving diagnostics speeds (avoid the Germany loop the car often needs to go multiple times, 2 days per iteration, more if there are holidays in there which Germany has more of than US) and making parts available fast (so the car doesn't have to stay in service so long). The whole force downgrading parts performance by 50% (OBC) is a whole new level of short term profitability over living up to your commitments though.

So in my opinion it's still an early adopter car, which would not be an issue if Porsche put their support behind it like Tesla did in the Model S days. That committed support (engineers instantly debugging issues even flown into service centers when remote debugging was not possible, working with customers, parts available) was what made me come back to Model S three more times (4 total). Unfortunately I don't see it with Porsche. My dealer where I service my car has been great, but their hands are tied by Porsche corporate. My Taycan is in service since about a week and half ago, has been mostly undrivable (no heat) for near a month now. Last winter holidays it was the OBC.

 

[Dee]

It seems Porsche believes the Taycan owners are not worth taking care of and keeping happy.

So what are all the recalls and s/w updates for then?

 

[Brombaer1971]

A guess its kind of how you look at it, it‘s not black/white. But recalls are mandatory and nowadays Software Updates for the j1.1 are bug fixes only, small enhancements like the displaying the current max charge rate (MY25) aren‘t added. And bugfixing for things like the satnav that take months (even acknowledgement) simply takes too long and needing an appointment at the service center makes it more complicated as it should be. Its a bit like stuck in the 90ies.

 

[jdirik]

So what are all the recalls and s/w updates for then?

Well, in the US we have many laws, including the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, that require car manufacturers to fix safety problems and other things, honor warranties, etc. so I expect them to do that. What it seems to me that Porsche has done is perhaps just the minimum it must do. What I meant by my comment is that Porsche allows many Taycan customers to remain unhappy. How this could be solved is beyond my knowledge, but I’m sure they could do more. Every customer should be viewed as a long term customer who will buy more cars in the future. Just my “two cents.”

 

[whitex]

So what are all the recalls and s/w updates for then?

Regulatory obligations, liability risk reduction, legal CYA, and for some software updates maintenance cost reduction (by dropping support for older software, everyone must update to latest if they want support).

 

[f1eng]

My biggest disappointment is the price of the Porsche Connect subscription!
My phone costs me £6.50 per month for a service that is more than I really need and use every day.
Porsche Connect is £29.50 per month for a service that is nice to have but I only use a few times a week.
I am not going to renew and see how it goes without.
At £5 or even £10 it would be OK.

 

[tophamn]

My biggest disappointment is the price of the Porsche Connect subscription!
My phone costs me £6.50 per month for a service that is more than I really need and use every day.
Porsche Connect is £29.50 per month for a service that is nice to have but I only use a few times a week.
I am not going to renew and see how it goes without.
At £5 or even £10 it would be OK.

I'm with you: for the price Porsche charge we don't get much, but when compared with other costs of ownership (and depreciation) it really is in the noise.

 

[W1NGE]

After 17 years in various BMW M3's and M4's, I bought my Taycan Turbo in November 2021. With a few thousand miles, and a few months old...obviously I had to pay well over the odds, at a time when nobody could produce any chips to build new cars.

Let's get this out the way...it looks great...I've no complaints about the pace and handling.

However...for a car that cost the best part of £150k...it is a total disappointment.

1) The ICE, sat-nav, all of that...so much better in a BMW. Stop asking me to log in, forgetting, then sometimes connect my phone, sometimes don't.

2) My car can't keep the windscreen from steaming up without full effort...in really icy conditions the centre of the screen might just stay condensated.

3) All the cameras have stopped working (I'm sure Porsche will sort this for a few thousand and at least 2 months notice to book it in)

4) There is a suspension creak on the left front that is a design fault, but Porsche still want £3k to fix it. Also, they couldn't look at it at all for 5 weeks.

5) It gets recalled for something or other, approximately 3 weeks...tbh I don't even bother booking it in.

6) Nobody else has got a ramp for it (alright not Porsche's fault, but it still grates)

7) The software is woeful...try switching the adaptive regenerative braking on...then having to set that every time you want it, as it forget every time it is restarted.

8) Although it only has 35,000 miles now, I think it is currently worth about £7.50. Ok again not Porsche's fault. but at least if it wasn't such a piece of crap that is going to go wrong more and more, I could just keep it longer.

Is it me...Have I just had a one off experience...or is this what Porsche Taycan ownership is like in general?

Everyone has a different experience but I can't align my experience with any of your 8 points. 2 Taycans over 4.5 years.

Recall work is arguably one I can align with - too much - but the fact the work was for free and no drama in arranging I can't really moan about that either.

Point 8, is in my opinion, 100% Porsche's fault and have contributed to the freefall depreciation. New model with lots of issues doesn't inspire buyer confidence hence the facelift (J1.2) is a hard sell these days an J1.1s go for a song. Porsche (UK) flooded the UK market with an over supply of stock Taycans in late 2023 leading to huge discounts (never happened before on a Porsche that I can remember) to shift the stock. This one thing made me bale out of the Taycan (private buyer) earlier this year as it is now a tainted model and will always remain so unfortunately.

Sounds like you're warranty has expired too otherwise I'd assume any niggle you'd book the car in (time consuming accepted)?

Hopefully the Cayenne EV will fair better - reasonable value for the base spec and makes the Macan EV selection one to skip (old tech being one reason) - given the good history since 2003 of the Cayenne model range and that the ICE / hybrids continue to be developed. The Macan EV may falter (sales are lower than expected) and carries a hefty price premium which if addressed might make it a lot more attractive. The lack of a Macan ICE replacement has to be the cock-up of all cock-ups. Sure a new model is hurriedly being pulled together but will likely not be called a Macan but that's 2 years out so enough time to erode confidence in the Macan EV.

Point 2 - Apart from having the heater failure / recall I've not heard of this issue. I'm guessing you checked that the top vent is switched on (sounds like it may not be)?

Anyhow, it's a shame you have had a bitter sweet experience but apart from all of the woes it is (and always will be) a fantastic car to drive (I miss mine a lot).

 

[Scandinavian]

My biggest disappointment is the price of the Porsche Connect subscription!
My phone costs me £6.50 per month for a service that is more than I really need and use every day.
Porsche Connect is £29.50 per month for a service that is nice to have but I only use a few times a week.
I am not going to renew and see how it goes without.
At £5 or even £10 it would be OK.

My main use of the Connect service has been the pre climatisation. Heating in winter but mainly cooling in summertime. I never had any other useful features since my car never was able to lock or unlock remotely. I was told the 2020 car did not have the necessary hardware. The other features usedearlier was the sending off planned route tithe car, but since that has stopped working for me during thüsu,mer, there is really nothing I think I will miss. Traffic updates on the map was very incorrect mostly and satellite map was no used feature either.

So I have cancelled Connect as well as Porsche Charging service. 600 Eur per year for these services is not worth it. Waze or Google maps take care of navigation and another EV’s charging service (with better rates btw) take care of charging.

I do not know of anything else that I will miss out on?

 

[Mr. 2021 Taycan]

Another Owner Experience: I purchased a new Taycan 4S in January 2021. Aside from a few inconvenient shop visits for software updates during 2021 and 2022, the car has been rock solid. The UI is just OK, but I don't buy cars for the UI. Now approaching 5 years of ownership I am very satisfied. I keep looking for a car I like driving more than my Taycan. So far it doesn't exist. When I find that car I will eat the Taycan depreciation and buy it. But so far, it looks like I will have this thing for 10 years because it is such a joy to drive.

 

[Brandinimo]

I can relate to much of what you said. I had a 2020 Turbo - but ultimately traded it for a '23 Model S.

The Taycan is objectively better looking and feels more premium (I had Olea leather which only adds to that). It brakes better. It handles better. It's more fun when you want to have fun.

For everything else, it's rather poor. The software hiccups, battery relability, electrical system, charging shenanigans (will it charge, won't it etc).

My Tesla...

1.) Needs no key, unlocks and locks 100% the time when I approach, never a hitch.
2.) Has world class infotainment, it all just works.
3.) App is rock solid
4.) FSD is genuinely impressive, far more capable than InnoDrive.
5.) Easier to get in/out of
6.) Has a usable rear trunk (hatchback). The Taycan may have the most useless rear seats and trunk of any vehicle I've owned.
7 .) Is super smart - no passenger detected? Dual zone climate control turns off automatically.
8.) Has built in YouTube, Twitch, Spotify, Youtube Music, Apple Music etc. All native.

I'd say it really comes down to your priorities. If you want one vehicle that can feel special and daily drivable...Taycan is the jam. No Tesla is going to feel special or be all that exhilirating to drive.

If you could swing it, I'd say any other EV is a better daily - then combine that with a 911.

 

[GHamilton]

I’m a prior Cayman S, 911 SC, BMW M4 (and others) owner. Just traded in a 2-year old Taycan MY23 GTS for a MY25 GTS and have been very happy with both, though much happier with the higher range J1.2. Overall really miss manual gearbox and engine purr, but unlikely to go back to ICE. That said, Taycan SW has been buggy and I’m very underwhelmed with the UI (hoping for Apple CarPlay Ultra eventually).

 

[Greenmachine]

I wanted to provide at one counter argument. I"ve done over 50,000 miles over 4 years in my 2021 CT and only been to the dealer to get the recall updates done. Yes the screen has gone blank a couple of times a year but really I can't believe that a car this complicated has been so flawless.

It has been so reliable we bought a Macan EV. And whilst the software is better in that, I really don't care. I spend all day looking at screens and as long as CarPlay works then I'm golden.

I'm sorry that you have had so many issues, but not every Taycan is like that, unless I truly am the lucky one here.

 

[babylou66]

I’m a prior Cayman S, 911 SC, BMW M4 (and others) owner. Just traded in a 2-year old Taycan MY23 GTS for a MY25 GTS and have been very happy with both, though much happier with the higher range J1.2. Overall really miss manual gearbox and engine purr, but unlikely to go back to ICE. That said, Taycan SW has been buggy and I’m very underwhelmed with the UI (hoping for Apple CarPlay Ultra eventually).

Is the software on the MY25 GTS still buggy?

Sponsored