Taycans affected by WME3 will NOT be retrofitted with an electronic steering column adjustment

[W1NGE]

So all Taycans being built right now and in the near future will be without an electronic steering column adjustment until supply chain issues recover? That sucks. As great as the rest of the car is, sad to say that’s a dealbreaker for me.

Don't think that's the case - no one has said that, have they?

100% agree that it's disappointing but in reality once adjusted how often would it be adjusted thereafter ,(manually)?

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[MTGBUK]

If the compensation is the same as for the Macan then it's £300+VAT. Macan buyers were told in March that no new Macan would have electronic steering adjust and Porsche had no plans to retrofit it. Porsche quietly removed it as a standard feature on the configurator.
Now says "Multifunctional steering wheel with shift paddles and manual height- and reach adjustment"
Only wish there would've been a shortage of Gas particulate filters instead


Some OPCs tried to stay quiet or played dumb saying they knew nothing about the compensation even when there was an official Porsche bulletin.

 

[neilj007]

Yes - I'd heard the £360 for the Macan. Whilst I'm the main driver (so the column doesn't actually need adjusting every time I get in), I do have the memory function and comfort settings so it's actually quite nice how the steering column retracts.

Maybe my part-ex value has just increased...lol

 

[Murph7355]

I have to say - for the first time - I’m starting to think about cancelling my ST GTS!
if I can‘t get the correct pedals, no GTS on the sills, manual steering adjustment, no colour on the display, no matrix lights and who knows what else will be missing What am I spending £120k on? Might as well keep the 4S now it’s got a new HV, new 2022 battery, new communication module, plus God knows what every time it’s been in the dealership. . . .

Isn't the matrix lights thing just in the US, due to regs etc? I thought Porsche had stopped offering them on lower models here but was keeping them on GTS and up.

Ditto electric steering columns - just a US issue?

The new PCM is timing. I don't think there's confirmed word on retrofit. Cost of early builds?

Pedals... Not sure on that. Would ha e thought those are easy to sort afterwards.

GTS on the sills is only on the std body kit AIUI. If you upgrade to carbon, you don't get it....

 

[Yorkshirepuds]

100% agree that it's disappointing but in reality once adjusted how often would it be adjusted thereafter ,(manually)?

My wife and I share both our cars so adjust the column frequently... I expect we're not alone.

Cars without this feature also lack the comfort access aspect (which lifts the steering wheel up when you get in and out of the car) which would be nice to have.

I was at my dealer yesterday having my spare key programmed... Finally! The steering column recall was still showing as outstanding, I guess I must have been just hours ahead of the announcement.

 

[MTGBUK]

Personally not really an issue for me. Easy for me to say as my car came with the electric steering adjust while others that turned up before and inbetween hadn't. The Mrs new Macan which has just arrived at the dealer had the electric steering removed. Yes it's an annoyance but not a deal breaker for me. You might set it few times when new but once you're comfortable you leave and forget. I see it like the powered and manual charge port. It's pretty cool to have a powered but having a manual doesn't impact how the car drives and behaves in any way and is 100% sufficient.

 

[W1NGE]

My wife and I share both our cars so adjust the column frequently... I expect we're not alone.

Cars without this feature also lack the comfort access aspect (which lifts the steering wheel up when you get in and out of the car) which would be nice to have.

I was at my dealer yesterday having my spare key programmed... Finally! The steering column recall was still showing as outstanding, I guess I must have been just hours ahead of the announcement.

I have in both my cars and always have had it for decades now and do like the overall convenience.

I also don't think the option is being withdrawn permanently so if super important to people ordering new in the knowledge the option isn't there then they ought to wait until the position is clarified.

I assume also that Porsche won't be alone with this issue and will impact other brands / models in time.

 

[mikeva]

While I am very sorry to see this, I was really hoping for the fix to be applied to my 2021 RWD. Obviously it has been working OK without that feature as I still enjoy driving it. Would have been nice to have the wheel get out of the way for comfort entry however.

I wonder if Porsche is just the first one to drop this particular shoe? There are a ton of cars and trucks sitting in lots missing key electronic components - electronic steering wheels, seat heaters, etc. I something similar going to happen to all of those?

 

[tomtom901]

Does anybody know if new orders do get the steering column adjustment?

 

[W1NGE]

If the configurator let's you select it then initial thought is 'yes'. Pass the Porsche Code to your dealer and ask them to verify the spec and in particular the comfort adjustment of the wheel.

Enough time has passed now for Porsche to be able to be more up front about missing components (or dropped options) than previously were customers were only informed on delivery.

 

[Moto_Joe]

I think everyone needs a reality check. This is not Porsche specific as all manufacturers are having issues. I was wanting to purchase a Cadillac Escalade (GMC the same)and was told that regardless of the options that I built the car with, it would arrive with what was available. That was also a $125k vehicle and wasn’t even being offered with a steering lock! Lincoln Would not allow me to order the Navigator with rear entertainment (deal breaker for my wife).

I’m not saying it is not a disappointment to not be able to get all of the options we want, but that it is pretty well happening throughout the industry right now. In the end, you have to make a decision on whether the vehicle is still a vehicle you want without the options that aren’t available. I’ve still got my minivan in the garage instead of a newer huge SUV for instance. YMMV.

 

[notsofast]

Am I the only one here that thinks that the correct term should be electric steering column adjustment?

Thanks for listening, I will see myself out.

 

[Miwa]

Am I the only one here that thinks that the correct term should be electric steering column adjustment?

Thanks for listening, I will see myself out.

If it was just an electric adjustment, then there'd be no problem.

Since it's not just a switch connected to a motor directly, and it requires computer control, it's electronic.

 

[Tsingtao]

Perhaps we are over-analyzing this. I think it is a bean-counter/profit-driven issue, nothing else. The electric steering column adjustment still appears on the configurator and thousands of new Taycans have been delivered with electric steering column adjustment subsequent to the WME3 campaign. Sure there is a chip shortage but Porsche would prefer to use chips that are available to produce/sell new cars (and inexpensively install the chips/columns at the factory) rather than retrofit old cars in the field that have already been sold/delivered. And the cost to perform the retrofit? It would have to be substantial: old manual columns all thrown away, new columns supplied, massive amounts of time/labor expended at dealerships as the entire dash has to be removed to retrofit the new column, lots more time at the dealerships when squeaks and rattles are experienced as a result of the dash rebuild, the cost of loaner cars supplied by dealers while work is performed, and, perhaps even more problematic is the logjam in the service departments this would create given the shortage of skilled/trained Taycan techs. And who knows, maybe more than a few cars would get lemon-lawed after unforeseen problems arise from the retrofits. It appears to be a big, expensive mess. But the mess is not something "beyond Porsche's control." That statement is 100% teutonic bullshit. Porsche could have easily said that due to chip shortages around the globe, you can have your Taycan but only with a manual column, period, amen, end of story, and consumers could decide for themselves what they wanted to do. Instead, they said "Pay us now for full comfort access, and we will retrofit your car when we get more chips, blah blah blah." Somebody in Germany needs to grow a set of balls and decide to do the right thing for Porsche customers; otherwise the oh-so-fun US plaintiffs' bar will gladly step in to provide Porsche with some expensive options.

 

[GoDucksYellO]

Those bastards! PCNA has been telling me for months that they had no idea when the parts would be available. Seems that some were indeed available. Not that it matters now, but how long were you out of service while the column was being retrofitted? My dealer indicated that the retrofit was going to be a big hairy PITA. I now suspect that Porsche has decided that it will be cheaper to cough up some token compensation rather than paying its dealers to fix the mess.

I agree this is the logic they are using.

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