Porsche Issues Stop-Sale on Cayenne Diesel
Porsche has issued a stop-sale order for its Cayenne Diesel, a model that accounts for about 30 percent of all new Cayenne SUVs on Cars.com. The luxury brand, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, says it’s doing so “in view of the unexpected U.S. EPA notice received yesterday.”
Related: EPA: V-6s from VW, Audi and Porsche Have Diesel Emissions Cheat Devices
That notice charges that VW’s 3.0-liter diesel V-6 engine, which is installed in the Cayenne Diesel and five other VW and Audi models, employs a “defeat device” similar to the ones allegedly used in Volkswagen’s four-cylinder diesel engines. Volkswagen suspended sales of its four-cylinder diesels in September as it grapples with an ongoing emissions crisis.
The move to suspend sales comes as Porsche expresses bewilderment at the EPA’s latest charges. Porsche said Monday that it’s “surprised to learn” about the latest charges.
“Until this notice, all of our information was that the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is fully compliant,” the company said in a statement.
Porsche introduced the current-gen Cayenne Diesel for the 2013 model year. Both Porsche and the EPA maintain that existing Cayenne Diesels are safe to drive. The sales stoppage affects all 2014, 2015 and 2016 Cayenne Diesel SUVs on dealer lots, whether they’re new, used or certified pre-owned.
Curiously, the EPA says its allegations only apply to the 2015 Cayenne Diesel. Asked why other model years weren’t involved, an EPA spokesperson told Cars.com “the investigation into earlier model years is ongoing.”
Porsche said it’s “working intensively to resolve this matter as soon as possible,” but owners “may continue to operate their vehicles normally.”
