Certain cars and SUVs could emit too much NO in Sport Plus
Company working on fix, says cars still safe to drive
Porsche has stopped the sale of used models equipped with the popular Sport Chrono performance package over an issue with the emissions performance of the vehicles, says a new report. The stop-sale affects certain Porsche Boxster, 911, Cayman, Cayenne and Panamera models from model years 2012-2016.
The news comes from Business Insider, who received an email from a buyer who said that their local dealer wouldn’t sell them a 2014 Porsche 911 Carrera 4SD with the Sport Chrono pack “due to a stop-sale”. Insider didn’t receive a confirmation from that dealer, but they did find threads on popular Porsche enthusiast forum Rennlist about the issue.
The main thread, starting with a post in November of last year asking “I have had my 2016 [Porsche 911 Carrera 4] GTS Cab at my local dealer for a consignment sale. Today I was told they have to take it off the market as a corporate stop sale campaign related to the Sport Chrono package. Does anyone know any details about it?”
That thread is now 56 pages long, with multiple reports of the same issue.
While the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the group normally responsible for recalls and similar issues, declined to comment to Business Insider, a Porsche spokesperson did confirm the stop-sale.
Sport Chrono was a package that offered slightly additional performance to the so-equipped Porsches when driven in Sport Plus mode. It was a popular option, but the report says Porsche recently discovered the cars could emit more nitrogen oxide than permitted. “Porsche proactively informed authorities and continues to work to review the issue,” the spokesperson said to BI. “Both the ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes were found to be compliant with all known emissions standards based on testing performed by the company — as was ‘Sport Plus’ mode on many models tested.”
The automaker is working on a software update before it starts selling the used vehicles again, though it’s not stopping other non-Porsche dealers. A fix will likely need to be applied to every affected vehicle, however. Porsche also assured that it was not a safety issue and didn’t affect newer vehicles.
Update: Porsche Canada confirmed to us in a statement that “as part of a continuing review, in November last year we asked our dealers to pause the sale and delivery of a relatively small number of older cars currently in dealer inventory. Porsche is working on a software update that will be performed prior to resuming the sale of these vehicles.”
The automaker also intends to “address customer vehicles, as necessary, in due course. The cars affected by this – all of which were developed and sold years ago – remain safe to drive. This does not affect new vehicles.” So if you are already driving one of the affected Porsches, they say not to worry and a fix is coming.
