Used car guide

2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the diesel Porsche Cayenne first registered in 2017 (diesel cars only): we looked at the 3,382 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

3,382MOTs of 2017 diesel cars, done in 2023–2025
87%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 80%)
9,000typical miles a year
2.2×the usual rate for engine warning light

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Engine warning light2.2× usual
    Porsche Cayenne
    2.4% All 2017 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.4%, against 1.1% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Brake discs: 4.9% here, against 10.9% of all 2017 cars.

Common 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    24% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    15% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    4% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    4% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Lights and electrics
    3% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the engine warning light? (Flagged at MOT 2.2× as often on the 2017 Porsche Cayenne diesel as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Porsche Cayenne?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Porsche Cayenne compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023130Tyres 13%
20222,484Tyres 19%
20213,115Tyres 21%
20207,140Tyres 21%
20199,554Tyres 21%
20185,477Tyres 22%
20168,347Tyres 23%
20157,068Tyres 23%
20145,650Tyres 23%
20136,494Tyres 24%
20125,827Tyres 25%
20113,660Tyres 25%
20102,656Tyres 24%
20092,471Tyres 26%
20081,757Tyres 25%
20072,108Lights and electrics 30%
20062,687Lights and electrics 27%
20053,893Lights and electrics 30%
20043,214Lights and electrics 33%
20031,567Lights and electrics 31%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Porsche Cayenne cars first registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score