Porsche Cars North America has filed a new recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over a charging cable that may overheat. Both electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are recalled, beginning with the Taycan Sedan, Taycan Sport Turismo, and Taycan Cross Turismo.
The remainder comprises the Cayenne's E-Hybrid versions and the Panamera's E-Hybrid versions. These vehicles were manufactured for the 2019 through 2024 model years between August 16, 2018 and – rather unexpectedly – December 31, 2023. The cut-off date comes courtesy of the safety recall report published on the federal watchdog's website, with said report also stating that the remedy was incorporated into vehicle production during calendar week 48, as in November 27 through December 3.
According to Zuffenhausen's favorite son, the original NEMA charging cable may become hot when plugged into low-quality electrical receptacles due to high electrical resistance. Outdated electrical wiring is another cause for said cable getting hot. Supplied by Harting Automotive of Germany, the recalled NEMA charging cable is listed under four different part numbers: 7PP971678EA, 7PP971678EB, 7PP971678EC, and 7PP971678ED.
To whom it may concern, NEMA stands for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The German automaker started looking into reports of NEMA charging cables getting hot while charging back in December 2020. These reports were investigated one by one, with Porsche determining that said cables worked properly when brand-spanking new. But when used with low-quality electrical outlets, the cable would get noticeably hot.
Porsche implemented a software modification to reduce the standard charging capacity by 50 percent in May 2022, with Porsche also providing owners with extra information regarding the appropriate electrical sockets for charging their vehicles. Given that many people cannot be bothered to read the first page of the owner's manual, Porsche kept receiving reports of overheating from EV and PHEV owners who didn't bother reading the charging instructions.
Photo: Porsche
Even with the aforementioned power reduction, the NEMA charging cable can be permanently damaged if used with a low-quality electrical receptable. According to Porsche, it's the connector crimps that can get permanently damaged due to overheating. This, in turn, results in further increased resistance and high temperatures. At the moment Porsche filed recall number 23V-841 with the NHTSA, the German automaker was aware of no fewer than 110 reports.
The remedy comes in the form of a redesigned NEMA charging cable that incorporates a temperature sensor. Dealers will be notified no later than January 10 to replace the original NEMA charging cable with the new one, whereas owner notifications will be mailed on or about February 9.
There is a problem, though, with parts availability. According to Porsche, redesigned cables are expected to become available nationwide sometime in mid-2024. Until then, owners should refrain from using the 220V/240V portable charging cable. Instead, owners should use the 110-volt home charging cable or public charging stations to juice up the battery.
Rather than contacting customer support, owners are better off running the vehicle identification number on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website. If the vehicle is indeed recalled, then proceed to contact the Porsche dealership of your liking for further information.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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