Porsche Cars North America is recalling ~10,000 2022-2023 model year Taycan hybrid EVs. An occupant classification system error may deactivate the front-passenger air bag.
“The occupant classification system for automatic airbag activation/deactivation in the front passenger seat can trigger a fail-safe mode due to a manufacturing error, which deactivates the airbag in the front passenger seat,” Porsche said in the mandatory recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning.
“The crimp connection of the seat cushion heating mat at the transition of the connection cable to the heating wire may not have been correctly executed in the affected vehicles,” Porsche said.
The affected seat cushion on the front passenger seat will be removed and replaced with the new optimized seat cushion from the supplier Lear Corporation in Hungary. “The repair seat includes a foam part with glued-on heat mat including an optimized crimp connection for a significant increase in robustness,” Porsche said.
Chronology
- March 2024: the front-passenger air bag was first reviewed under Porsche’s product safety process. Crimp analyses were carried out until the end of June 2024. However, initial attempts to replicate the malfunction were unsuccessful as all returned parts appeared to be in good condition, possibly due to micro-movements during removal and transportation. At this point, analysis could not be undertaken due to limited number of field cases and the need to wait for a vehicle with the specific active fault to be identified in the field. Once such a vehicle was found, specialists flew to the USA to carry out a thorough analysis of the vehicle and the fault.
- Mid-August 2024: a parallel analysis of additional field cases was completed, which showed that the limited number of observed faults were intermittent, and at least some of the faults were resolved by handling or using the seat. The root cause analysis suggested that the problem was due to errors in the crimping process.
- September and October 2024: Coordination within the brand group took place in. In addition, an ongoing analysis of the fail-safe mechanism was carried out to determine whether airbag deactivation could actually occur (or just the warning message).
- November 2024: Further assessment of the estimated failure rate, including discussions with the supplier, took place. Continued coordination within the brand group continued through February 2025.
- End of February 2025: The technical differences between certain seat occupancy detection system versions, various manufacturing processes & possible error mechanisms depending on them and the related production years were analyzed in comparison to other years under consideration of the number of claims in specific time periods. As a result, a potential clean date was identified to determine the actual potentially affected population and comparisons were made of the failure mechanisms within the brand group.
- March 2025: Results of the analysis were completed.
- April 2, 2025: Porsche’s Product safety and compliance committee decided that a safety defect exists and to recall the affected vehicles
Dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 6 June 2025. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche’s number for this recall is ASA2. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov. about NHTSA recall 25V221 or 25V-221.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Porsche Taycan Hybrid Airbag Recall
Porsche Cars North America is recalling ~10,000 2022-2023 model year Taycan hybrid EVs. An occupant classification system error may deactivate the front-passenger air bag.
“The occupant classification system for automatic airbag activation/deactivation in the front passenger seat can trigger a fail-safe mode due to a manufacturing error, which deactivates the airbag in the front passenger seat,” Porsche said in the mandatory recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning.
“The crimp connection of the seat cushion heating mat at the transition of the connection cable to the heating wire may not have been correctly executed in the affected vehicles,” Porsche said.
The affected seat cushion on the front passenger seat will be removed and replaced with the new optimized seat cushion from the supplier Lear Corporation in Hungary. “The repair seat includes a foam part with glued-on heat mat including an optimized crimp connection for a significant increase in robustness,” Porsche said.
Chronology
Dealers will replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 6 June 2025. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche’s number for this recall is ASA2. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov. about NHTSA recall 25V221 or 25V-221.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.