2018 Porsche Macan
The Verdict
The 2018 Porsche Macan has 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (13 complaints) and body (9 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 92/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Porsche Macan, consider the 2022 model year which has 85% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2022 has 85% fewer complaints
View the 2022 Porsche Macan dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 1
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2018 Porsche Macan S and Macan vehicles. These vehicles have a control unit that may fail and prevent safety-related functions such ...
Risk
Failure of the control unit may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected control unit, free of charge. The recall began July 27, 2018. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Pors...
Reported Apr 11, 2026
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Macan. The contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the vehicle, and the odor was coming from underneath the rear passenger’s seat. The contact raised the rear passenger’s seat and became aware that the cover of the fuel pump was wet. The contact had stopped driving the vehicle due to the possible safety risk. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V077000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,558.
The vehicle is leaking fuel from the top of the tank, filling the cabin with fuel odor. I contacted the dealership due to the recall for the 2018 Macans with this exact issue and my vehicle matches ever symptom of the recall yet they are stating my vehicle is not included and I must pay out of pocket for towing, diagnostics and repairs.
A strong gasoline odor developed around my 2018 Porsche Macan while parked in a closed garage. Over several days, the odor became noticeable inside the passenger compartment and was strongest near the rear passenger seat. No check-engine light or other warning appeared. Because of the potential fire hazard, the vehicle was towed to an authorized Porsche dealer rather than driven. The dealer confirmed the fuel odor from the rear-seat area. After removing the rear seat, the Porsche technician documented: “FOUND TOP HAT FOR FUEL SUPPLY IS CRACKED AND LEAKING FUEL.” The dealer replaced Porsche part PAC-919-679, identified on the invoice as “FLANGE WITH FUEL FILTER,” along with associated seals/parts. I learned that NHTSA Recall 20V-077 / Porsche Campaign ALA2 involves certain 2015-2018 Macans and cracking/damage involving the fuel pump/filter flange that can result in fuel leakage, fuel odor, and increased fire risk. Porsche Cars North America states that my vehicle's VIN is not included in ALA2. However, an authorized Porsche dealer documented a cracked and leaking fuel-supply flange/top hat, which appears substantially similar to the failure addressed by ALA2. I asked Porsche to explain the technical or engineering difference between my vehicle's failure and the ALA2 condition. Porsche denied assistance because the vehicle is outside warranty and its VIN is not included in the campaign, but did not provide a technical explanation distinguishing the failures. I am reporting this because an actual fuel leak and gasoline fumes entering the passenger compartment created a serious fire/safety hazard without any dashboard warning. I am concerned substantially similar failures may be occurring in Macans outside the current ALA2 recall population and ask NHTSA to evaluate whether Recall 20V-077 adequately identifies all susceptible vehicles. The Porsche dealer invoice documenting the crack, active fuel leak, diagnosis and repair is available upon request.
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Macan. The contact stated that while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's wife noticed an unusual odor in the interior and the exterior of the vehicle. In addition, the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed a fuel leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The contact stated that the vehicle was a fire hazard and unsafe to drive. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V077000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however the VIN was not included. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,920.
My fiancé was driving the car normally on the elevated interstate at about 130 in the morning central time on Monday, April 20 when the suddenly burst into flames! The entire vehicle is destroyed bumper-to-bumper the fuel pump on these models are apparently reason for recalls because of this exact reason.my fiancé's life was endangered because of this fire.thank Goodness there was no collision.police inspected and towed the vehicle
Air bag light turns to "off" despite passenger sitting in seat. Took car to dealer (Bill Pearce Motors) who "verified customers concern" and "found fault present for passenger seat mat resistance to high" with a recommendation to replace "seat mat and module." This is at our expense (quote of $3700) and two trips to the dealer, being charged diagnostic fee each time. It is noted that a previous recall exists for this issue, however, it did not cover this vehicle. NHTSA ID 21V-131
I am writing to formally submit a safety complaint regarding my 2018 Porsche Macan. I have experienced a significant issue with the vehicle’s headlights, which I believe poses a serious safety risk. Description of the Issue: The headlights on my 2018 Porsche Macan have failed without any prior warning or indication. There were no dashboard alerts or error messages to notify me of a problem. The failure occurred suddenly while driving at night, resulting in a complete loss of forward illumination. This created a hazardous situation, as I was unable to see the road ahead and other drivers were unable to see my vehicle clearly. Safety Concerns: The headlight failure happened unexpectedly and without any warning. This issue significantly increases the risk of a crash, especially when driving at night or in low-visibility conditions. Upon inspection, I was told the entire headlight assembly would need to be replaced, which is costly and concerning for a relatively new vehicle. Request for Investigation: I am aware that other owners of the 2018 Porsche Macan have reported similar headlight failures. I urge NHTSA to investigate this matter, as it appears to be a widespread and potentially dangerous defect. Reliable headlight operation is essential for safe driving, and sudden failure without warning is unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please let me know if you require any additional information or documentation.
Engine failure
The Macan engine cooling system is defective and dangerous. It is made with a plastic cooling lines that are poorly placed (and concealed) where they are subject to high heat and pressure and therefore break suddenly. The danger is that it happens suddenly and you have to pull over right away even in dangerous road situations to avoid complete engine damage/failure. My husband and I drove the Macan to Mammoth Lakes for instance for the holidays and had to pull over in a dangerous side of a windy cliff, which posed great risk to our safety. Not to mention the difficulty and danger for a tow truck to access us. It was further pitch dark and snowing. We waited hours for the tow truck which thankfully came but we easily could have had to spend the night in a dangerous spot. Porsche should have let its customers know about this vulnerability so we could have changed these plastic lines even at our cost to avoid such a possible situation. They were sued for this same defect on the Cayenne. It's something I would have paid for and changed but they are not wanting to publicize this dangerous issue. They are putting customers' lives at risk. When we were (luckily) towed to Mammoth, Mammoth does not have the Porsche parts nor many mechanics so the mechanic (who was booked out for weeks) there did a temp fix and we risked our lives on the way back as well. We paid around $700 for the temporary repair and maybe another $1341 for the permanent change of the lines when we returned. This is a serious problem. We need to be able to trust otherwise reputable manufacturers like Porsche and our government entities. Happy to provide receipts. This vehicle needs to be recalled. At very least, the customers need to know about the issue because the plastic cooling tubes are concealed and not obvious. Further the lines cannot be replaced where the vehicle stalled and have to be towed to a mechanic.
Upon routine 80k service, discovered that steering wheel column loose due to faulty bushings. Individual bushings could be replaced but manufacturer insists that entire steering column needs replacement. Manufacturer should provide replacement bushings for technician to replace instead of entire column. This is simply an 8mm plastic piece!
My vehicle is experiencing the following fuel system issue listed below in the NHTSA campaign. Porsche will not recognize my vehicle as being part of this recall issue, and this is a significant safety issue for my family. Your help in rectifying this situation would be greatly appreciated. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 20V077000 Report Date: FEB 11, 2020
OIl leak from "Brocken aluminum bolts" that do not hold up and are failing to hold up from basic car use. A safety recall on this manufacturing parts issue should have been mandatory back in 2015. When this issue started and Macan 2015-2022 all have this issue and are now been replaced with steel bolts. It is costing consumers $2000-$8000 in repairs do the safety issues of bad manufacturing of bolts used . [XXX] Sounds similar to the fiasco with the 958.1 gen Cayenne V8s using aluminum bolts for the Variocam adjusters in the engine which eventually resulted in a NHTSA mandated recall due to the bolt heads sometimes shearing off and causing all sorts of nastiness (my Cayenne Turbo had this recall). Of course the Cayenne's instance of using inappropriate aluminum bolts/fasteners resulted in much more serious consequences \than a just slow oil leak/seepage as is the case as its not been totally documented with the Macan V6s yet , but not good in either case. <sigh> should have recalled on all V6 MACANS also! A partial repair was done by Porsche in Sep 2023 and in [XXX] I have another oil leak from another aluminum bolt breakage . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
265/45ZR20 104Y Tire shop has been unable to balance tire since there's a defect with the brand new tire itself. Vehicle vibrates excessively at highway speeds, feels unsafe to drive. I've reached out to vendor for tire replacement and hasn't made an effort to replace tire in a timely manner. I use my vehicle everyday. Tires were purchased from tireagent.com
The leather on the dash board shrunk and the glue failed allowing the leather to buckel and block the passenger air bag top of the dash board. Porsche knows if this and refused to repair except at my costof $9,000. Also the flap of rhe dash block visibility forward
Rear camera and vehicle proximity sensors are not working Due A Flaw with water moisture entering the rear cabin where modules are located. This us a common problem with this vehicle.
The airbag light came on in the vehicle. We took it into the dealership, they said we need a passenger airbag sensor mat and seat cushion for the passenger seat airbag system. This item was recalled in 2018 Porche Macon NHTSA Campain ID 21V131000/Recall AMA2. Porche said since our VIN was not included in the recall we have to pay to fix it. They said the only way to get our VIN added was to contact NHTSA. The quote to fix an item that has been recalled was over $1,800. It doesn't seem fair to have to pay for something that has been recalled for this car and is known to be defective. The vehicle is ready for inspection anytime. The passenger safety is at risk as defined by the recall. "The air bag will not deploy during a crash if a front passenger is undetected, increasing the risk or injury." The problem first appeared last year around May 2023 and it took a while to get an appointment at the dealership. I was not aware of this recall until today when I did a Kelly Blue Book value on the vehicle. I just called Porche and they said there is nothing they can do and to contact NHTSA to get our VIN added to the recall list. Attached is the repair estimate from the Porche dealership.
The passenger airbag light always indicates that no one is sitting in the passenger seat even when it is occupied. This is apparently the same issue other 2018 Porsche Macan's have had but for some reason my car is not included. This is the same as the AMA2 airbag/SRS Fault - DTC B102204. recall.
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Macan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side seat belt alert was inoperable. The contact stated that while a passenger was seated in the front passenger’s side seat without the seat belt buckled, the seat belt alert failed to activate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the feature was not installed in the vehicle when the vehicle was manufactured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Porsche Macan. The contact stated that there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle while driving and while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that fuel was leaking from the fuel pump. The dealer drained the fuel tank and replaced the fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
I own a 2018 Macan GTS and the passenger airbag sensor was defective. My VIN was not covered by the NHTSA’s recall (21V131000) thought it is the same part that was defective and is the same make/model/year. I have submitted a request to Porsche for reimbursement for the repair, but they have denied my request without explanation.
34 total