- Porsche has announced the recall of 24,467 2017-2022 Panamera units due to fire risk caused by a faulty external coolant pump.
- When moisture enters the climate control system’s external cooling pump, says Porsche, it can cause a short circuit and thermal breakdown that can result in a fire.
- Bentley is also separately recalling the 650 2020 Continental models over the same issue.
There was a faulty external coolant pump that could have caused a vehicle fire in select 2017–2022 Porsche Panameras, so the company will be recalling 24,467 units to fix the issue.
In the submission to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Porsche says the problem occurs when moisture enters the climate control system’s external cooling pump. This can not only cause a short circuit, but also cause thermal damage. While Porsche says it’s rare, if thermal damage goes unnoticed, it could result in a vehicle fire.
Among the nearly 25,000 cars involved in the Panamera recall spanning several model years are the base rear-drive and all-wheel drive models, plus the GTS and Turbo models. Porsche said the affected vehicles will be repaired at dealerships free of charge. Dealers will replace damaged pumps as well as plug-in connections, if necessary.
In a separate NHTSA filing, Bentley said it would be recalling its 650 Continental GT and 2020 GTC models due to the same issue. While the company says the problem will require the hardware to be replaced, it also says the full solution is still being investigated and will report to NHTSA when finalized.
Bentley also stated in the NHTSA filing that the new pump from the new supplier went into production in July 2019. So vehicles built after that point will not be affected, as the new pump has a seal that prevents fluid buildup.
Owners of Bentley and Porsche models will be notified of the recall in March. Meanwhile, they can check NHTSA remembers the site for information on recalls and to see if their vehicles were affected.
