NHTSA complaint #11734983

Owner complaint summary

While driving my 2023 Porsche Taycan under normal conditions, the plastic underbody protection panel on the bottom of the vehicle came loose and detached. The metal underneath the plastic panel is now visibly bent. I did NOT hit any object. There was NO impact. I did NOT hear or feel anything during driving. There were no warning lights, alarms, or messages on the dashboard. The first indication of any problem was discovering the detached plastic and bent metal after the fact. This is a serious safety concern because the underbody panel on the Taycan protects the high-voltage battery, battery cooling lines, and suspension components. Damage to these components can cause battery thermal events (fire risk), coolant leaks, or loss of vehicle control. PATTERN OF SIMILAR FAILURES: This is not an isolated incident. Other Porsche Taycan owners have reported nearly identical failures on public forums (TaycanForum), where the underbody protection panel was damaged or detached without any felt impact, no audible noise, and no warning. In at least one documented case, the resulting battery and coolant line inspection costs exceeded $70,000. Porsche's own internal tolerance for underbody panel deformation is extremely tight (3mm in the center zone), suggesting the design is vulnerable to routine road conditions and debris. SAFETY RISK: - Risk of high-voltage battery damage and thermal runaway / fire - Risk of coolant system failure - Risk of detached panel becoming road debris and causing crashes for following vehicles - No driver warning or indication when failure occurs VEHICLE INFORMATION: - Year: 2023 - Make: Porsche - Model: Taycan - VIN: VIN: [XXX] ION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)