PORSCHE CAYMAN S · model year

2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S

11 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2006PORSCHECAYMAN S carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2006 CAYMAN S is engine and engine cooling with 6 filings, followed by tires:sidewall (1) and tires (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 2006 CAYMAN S. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

11
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
TIRES:SIDEWALL1
TIRES1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
POWER TRAIN1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20130810ENGINE

TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON A DRY ROAD AT AROUND 65MPH, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE EXPIRED IN A HUGE PLUME OF COOLANT/OIL. FLATBEDDED TO A PORSCHE DEALERSHIP, A TECHNICIAN USING A BOROSCOPE FOUND (ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP) "SCORING TO #5 CYLINDER AND EVIDENCE THAT A VALVE HAD HIT THE TOP OF THE PISTON. THERE WAS ALSO A HUGE AMOUNT OF METAL DEBRIS IN THE OIL FILTER." THIS WAS A RESULT OF SOMETHING FAILING IN THE ENGINE, RATHER THAN THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE PORSCHE DEALERSHIP DID NOT CARE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. I SUSPECT INTERMEDIATE MAIN SHAFT (IMS) FAILURE. ONE YEAR BEYOND CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED (CPO) WARRANTY AND $20K FOR A NEW ENGINE. *TR

Mileage: 73,000

20121109POWER TRAIN

CAR: 2006 CAYMAN S WITH 34,150 MILES ON IT. I DON'T RACE IT (ON OR OFF THE TRACK). 90% OF MY COMMUTE IS HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 70 MPH, WITH THE OCCASIONAL ACCELERATION (NO DOWNSHIFTING) TO 80-90 MPH. I BOUGHT THE CAR AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WITH 5,000 MILES ON IT. I PUT ~29,000 MILES ON THE CAR OVER AN ~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

Mileage: 34,150

20110918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE ENGINE FAILED WHILST TAKING PART IN A DRIVING EVENT AT WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY. OIL STARVATION CAUSED #6 CONROD BIG-END BEARING FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 4000RPM LEADING TO INTERNAL DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE AND AN ENORMOUS PLUME OF WHITE SMOKE OUT THROUGH THE EXHAUST. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON A STRAIGHT PART OF THE TRACK AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO RETAIN CONTROL AND STOP THE CAR SAFELY. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH THIS FAILURE HAPPENED ON A RACE TRACK AND AT A SEEMINGLY HIGH SPEED, I AM AN EXPERIENCED RACING DRIVER AND THE CAR WAS NOT BEING UNDULY ABUSED. THIS VEHICLE IS SOLD IN GERMANY WHERE IT IS PERFECTLY LEGAL FOR IT TO ACHIEVE ITS 170MPH TOP SPEED WHEN DRIVING CONDITIONS ALLOW AND THE COMPANY'S ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOCUS ON ITS SPORTING CAPABILITIES. CLEARLY, HOWEVER, THE CAR SHOULDN'T BE ADVERTISED AS A SPORTS MODEL IF IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN A SPORTING MANNER (IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT) WITHOUT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

Mileage: 68,412

20110912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

AS I WAS ACCELERATING FOR A MERGE, THE CAR BUCKED AND HESITATED DESPITE HAVING MY FOOT ON THE GAS. I SHIFTED GEARS AND IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THEN THERE WAS AN ODD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I PULLED OFF AND THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON JUST AS I STOPPED THE ENGINE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP.

Mileage: 13,250

20110824ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MOTOR FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE ACCELERATING, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND LOSS OF CONTROL. MECHANIC INSPECTION SAYS THAT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT, AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 3500 RPM AND THERE WAS NO STRESS THAT SHOULD CAUSE FAILURE. NO SLUDGE FOUND IN ENGINE, OIL CHANGES DONE ON TIME. FAILURE NECESSITATES A COMPLETELY NEW MOTOR AT A COST OF $16,000. AFTER INVESTIGATION, IT APPEARS THAT COMPLETE MOTOR FAILURE BETWEEN 40-50K MILES ON THE 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S IS FAIRLY COMMON.

Mileage: 51,780

20110823ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A CYLINDER FAILURE IN THE #5 CYLINDER. THE #5 PISTON 'CLIPPED' A VALVE, THE VALVE DROPPED INTO THE CYLINDER, THE PISTON IMPACTED THE VALVE AND CAUSED THE #5 PISTON ROD TO BREAK LOOSE COMPLETELY AND PUNCH A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CORE. THERE WERE ALSO CRACKS IN THE #5 CYLINDER WALL. I HAD TO PURCHASE A COMPLETELY NEW ENGINE FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND HAVE MY LOCAL DEALER INSTALL IT. THE FINAL REPAIR BILL WAS $25,000.

Mileage: 64,000

20110822CrashENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE PORSCHE ENGINE DID NOT HAVE PROPER OILING DUE TO A LACK OF PROPER OIL RETURN DESIGN WHICH CAUSES THE BEARINGS TO PREMATURELY WEAR AND THE ROD BOLTS TO FAIL IN THESE ENGINES. WE HAVE OVER 35 CASES OF THIS HAPPENING AT HTTP://WWW.PLANET-9.COM/CAYMAN-BOXSTER-PROBLEMS-COMPLAINTS/59790-OILING-PROBLEMS-BLOWN-MOTORS-NHTSA.HTML TO OWNERS OF PORSCHE BOXSTERS AND CAYMANS FROM PRIMARILY THE 2006 AND 2007 MODEL YEARS. SOME OF THESE FAILURES HAVE RESULTED IN CRASHES OR NEAR-CRASHES AS THE ENGINES FAIL THE DRIVER LOSES POWER STEERING AND CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. PORSCHE HAS REFUSED TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES BUT HAS REDESIGNED THE ENGINES IN 2009 TO FIX THESE OILING PROBLEMS. PORSCHE HAS EVEN DENIED WARRANTY CLAIMS WHERE THE FAILURES OCCURRED ON A TRACK DURING A DRIVING SCHOOL, ALTHOUGH PORSCHE ADVERTISES THEIR CARS AS SPORTS CARS AND CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THEM ON THE TRACK IN ADVERTISING MATERIALS, TELEVISION, ETC. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINES INCLUDE INCREASED OIL

Mileage: 18,000

20110815ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

IN JANUARY OF 2007 I BOUGHT A 2006 PORSCHE CAYMANN S FORM PAUL MILLER PORSCHE IN PARSIPPANY N.J. IN 7\08\2010 THE CAR BEGAN CONSUMING OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE AND I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH RAY CATINA PORSCHE IN EDISON N.J. INVOICE#POCS45415. AFTER THEIR DIAGNOSIS THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CAR USED 200ML. IN 475MI., THE CAR AT THE TIME HAD 17,393MI ON THE ODOMETER, THEY SAID IT WAS WITHIN SPECS. AND I CONSIDERED IT PART OF THE BREAK IN PERIOD. AT 22000 MI I WAS EXPERIENCING AN OIL CONSUMPTION RATE OF 1QT. PER 300 MI. ALSO THEIR CONSUMPTION TEST AND WHAT I?M EXPERIENCING ARE DIFFERENT. IT WENT FROM 1QT {946ML.}EVERY 450-500 MILES TO 1QT EVERY 250-300MI. I WAS RESETTING THE TRIP ODOMETER EVERY TIME THE CAR NEEDED A QUART OF OIL, THE LAST TIME I RESET THE ODOMETER BEFORE I BROUGHT IT THE RAY CATINA THIS MONTH WAS 278MI. WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THE FIRST TIME IN 2010 IT WAS A CONSUMPTION RATE OF 1QT PER 500MI.{THAT?S WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING} THEN THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. THEY CURRE

Mileage: 22,947

20101030UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TRANSMISSION LINKAGE CABLES BROKE, LEAVING ME WITH ONLY 2ND, 4TH AND 6TH GEARS (REVERSE, 1ST, 3RD, AND 5TH GEARS INOPERABLE). I LIMPED HOME IN PEAK TRAFFIC WITH POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CLUTCH.

Mileage: 49,000

20081105CrashTIRES

I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON 11/2/08 IN A PORSCHE CAYMAN S 2006 WITH THE FACTORY CONTINENTAL TIRES. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON IT. COMING A LOW SPEED CORNER AT ABOUT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND SLID DOWN A DITCH. THE TIRES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED BODY DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR AND OTHER MOLDINGS. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A PORSCHE BODY SHOP WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

Mileage: 3,500

20080130TIRES:SIDEWALL

TIRE FAILED ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH. NO DAMAGE TO THE TIRE OTHER THAN THE SIDE WALL FAILURE. SIDEWALL TOTALLY SEPARATED AT THE BEAD LEAVING THE TIRE ATTACHED ONLY TO THE OUTSIDE RIM EDGE. CONTINENTAL HAS REFUSED WARRANTY REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH THE TIRE IS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD AND LESS THAN 6,000 MILES. AUTO WAS A NEW PORSCHE CAYMAN S. *TR

Mileage: 5,600

Compare 2006PORSCHECAYMAN S to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S have?
The 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S has 11 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S?
The most-complained component for the 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:SIDEWALL and TIRES.
Is the 2006 PORSCHE CAYMAN S safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.