Fault File
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Porsche Macan

All generations and engines together · 31,598 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 57k

First-time failure at age 7
9.4%
Across 4,508 tests. The average across all tracked models is 19.5%.
Rank at age 7
10 of 239
1 = lowest failure rate among the models tracked.
Typical mileage at age 7
57k miles
Check the mileage view below; low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

How this model wears

Porsche MacanClass average, all tracked models

Known issues

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 17,459 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
6.7%class 5.9%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
2.1%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
1.8%class 1.3%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
1.5%class 2.0%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
1.1%class 0.6%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
0.8%class 2.3%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
0.8%class 0.9%
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
Fail
0.5%class 0.8%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
25.7%class 22.9%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
8.1%class 13.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
7.7%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
3.5%class 10.1%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
2.5%class 3.4%
Nail in tyre
Advisory
2.1%class 1.6%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
2.0%class 2.2%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
1.9%class 2.0%

Unconfirmed issues

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

PTM (transfer box) judder

Confirmed pattern

The Porsche Traction Management transfer box can develop a shudder or hop when pulling away gently, or a clunk when reversing up an incline, most noticeable at low speed with a cold box. It's a well known weak spot on early Macans, and Porsche has quietly extended the warranty on affected units to 7 years, fitting a revised transfer box under that cover. Outside warranty, a replacement runs to roughly £2,000-3,000.

Reported from around 20-40k miles on early cars · sources: Porsche Macan Owners' Forum (macanforums.co.uk), Porsche Club GB forum

Air suspension sag and compressor burnout

Partly in the MOT data

Cars fitted with the optional adaptive air suspension can develop a slow leak in an air spring, which forces the compressor to run constantly until it burns out, often flagged by a 'chassis system fault' warning and one corner sitting visibly lower overnight. This model's measured MOT data flags suspension as the standout failure category, and air-spring and compressor wear looks like a real part of that, on top of the ordinary bush and drop-link wear any Macan gets with age. A compressor is roughly £600-1,000 to replace, an air spring similar again, and none of it is covered by a recall.

Reported 40k-90k miles on air-suspension cars · sources: Porsche Macan Forum (macanforum.com), Go-Parts technical guides

PCM infotainment freezes and reboots

Emerging

The PCM system, especially the 2014-2018 PCM 3.1 unit, is prone to a frozen touchscreen, spontaneous reboots, and a navigation map that spins on 'loading' and never appears, with the unit's internal mechanical hard drive taking the blame as it ages. It's an annoyance rather than a safety fault, but a dealer hard drive or unit swap is roughly £300-600, and there's no acknowledged fix beyond periodic software updates. Some owners of newer facelifted cars report the same symptoms, so a later Macan isn't automatically clear of it.

Reported across model years, worse on pre-2018 cars · sources: Porsche Macan Forum (macanforum.com), Go-Parts technical guides

Water pump and thermostat housing leak

2.0 petrol only

The plastic water pump and thermostat housing on the four-cylinder 2.0 engine is a recognised weak point, with the shaft seal starting to weep coolant as it ages, sometimes with no warning light before the temperature gauge starts climbing. It tends to appear from around 30,000-60,000 miles, and Porsche has revised the part more than once without ever badging it as a recall. Expect £800-1,800 at a dealer, less at a good independent.

Reported 30k-60k miles, most on 2014-2017 cars · sources: Porsche Macan Forum (macanforum.com), Pelican Parts technical notes

EGR and DPF trouble

Diesel only

The S Diesel's EGR valve can jam or strip its internal plastic gears, and the DPF clogs early on cars that mostly do short runs, bringing on power-loss warnings and the need for a forced regeneration or a full EGR replacement. UK owners describe it as hit and miss: plenty of diesels never see an issue, a minority need repeated intervention. Budget a few hundred pounds for an EGR and regen, considerably more for a new DPF.

Reported from around 60k miles · sources: Porsche Macan Owners' Forum (macanforums.co.uk), 911uk.com Macan forum

Viewing one? Ask this

Built from the two sections above.

Pull away gently from cold, then reverse up a slope or ramp. A judder or hop points at the PTM transfer box, a known weak spot Porsche covers under an extended 7-year warranty.
If the car has adaptive air suspension, watch it settle after start-up and check all four corners sit level overnight. A sagging corner or a compressor that never stops running means a leaking air spring, heading for a burnt-out pump.
Go through every touchscreen menu, including navigation, and leave it idling for a minute. Freezing, an unprompted reboot, or a map that never loads is the PCM's hard drive on its way out.
On 2.0 petrol cars, look under the front of the engine and check the coolant level and colour against the service history. A sweet smell, a stained pipe, or coolant topped up with no explanation on file is the water pump or thermostat housing leaking.
On diesel cars, ask how much of its life has been short journeys and check for stored EGR or DPF warnings. A town-only diesel with EGR history in the paperwork is heading for another repair.
Read the full MOT history line by line, not just the pass or fail. The same suspension advisory recurring year after year means it's being patched, not fixed.
Ask whether the transfer box or its software has ever been updated or replaced. No record of it on an early car means the fault, if it's there, hasn't been dealt with yet.

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