Porsche To Pay Angry Owners $1,100 Over Misleading Fuel Economy Numbers

Nov. 11, 2022 4:12 PM ET by Jarryd Neves Sports Cars / 4 Comments

It's part of a larger $80 million settlement concerning allegedly misleading emissions and gas mileage figures.

Approximately 500,000 Porsche owners are expected to receive up to $1,100 as a settlement.

The automaker has allegedly lied about its cars' fuel economy figures stretching back to 2005. Porsche has denied any misconduct in the settlement, which could cost anything up to $80 million.

Disgruntled owners maintain their vehicles are unable to match advertised fuel economy figures and pollute more emissions than the manufacturer had initially claimed. Affected vehicles include the Boxster, Cayman, Macan and Cayenne SUVs, the 911, and the Panamera sports sedan.

2020-2023 Porsche 911 Carrera Rear Angle View

Porsche models equipped with a Sport+ mode may be entitled to an additional $250 if the recall is completed. The sports car maker was accused of rigging test results of vehicles in the Sport+ drive mode to pass emissions tests.

As per The Drive, 14,000 cars with Sport+ mode have been recalled, while 110,000 claims have been filed. Lawyers believe Porsche tampered with rear axle ratios and emissions software in consumer cars.

In testing, altered software would show a 6 - 8% improvement in efficiency.

2019-2020 Porsche Cayenne Front View Driving

While Porsche and Volkswagen don't see this settlement as an admission of guilt, the Stuttgart-based firm released a statement regarding the matter "We are committed to providing our customers with transparent fuel economy and emissions data, and the agreement ensures that customers are fairly reimbursed for any fuel economy changes," said Porsche.

Of course, this isn't the first time Porsche or Volkswagen have been embroiled in an emissions-related scandal. In a nutshell, the Volkswagen Group was found to be selling diesel-powered cars in the USA and Europe that were fitted with so-called 'defeat devices. The repercussions of these defeat devices are still being felt today, with Bosch only recently agreeing to a $25 million settlement for its role in the scandal.

In a discovery that rocked the automotive industry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found diesel-equipped Volkswagen vehicles were emitting 40 times more pollutants than allowed by United States regulations. The fallout was huge, and several executives lost their jobs, were charged with crimes, and even arrested for their role in the scandal.

Of course, it's not just the Germans who have been found tampering with emissions figures. In recent months, Stellantis and Suzuki have been fined for similar transgressions. The multinational automotive group is expected to pay $300 million in penalties as a result of its involvement.