Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, exterior lights, and brakes. The 7 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/7 checked
2020 Porsche Macan: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Porsche Macan. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD | 21 mpg |
| 2.9L 6-cyl | AWD | 19 mpg |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | AWD | 20 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Porsche Macan, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The passenger-side low beam goes dark with no warning light. Dealers say the fix is a full headlight assembly, not a bulb, and quote about $5,400 once the car is out of warranty. Several reports call this a widely known 2020 problem. Losing a low beam cuts visibility at night. The other pattern is a backup camera that fails from delivery onward. Dealers blame software and offer no repair, so the camera stays unreliable for reversing.
The right-side low beam stops working, and the only repair dealers offer is a new headlight assembly. Failures cluster around 55,000 to 56,000 miles, just after the factory warranty runs out, and repair quotes run over $4,000. The reports describe the low beam only. Dealers confirm the diagnosis, but the manufacturer has offered no help with the cost. The main safety concern is reduced lighting when driving at night.
Hard shaking under braking shows up early, between about 14,000 and 21,000 miles. The fix described is new rotors and pads, front and rear, and one owner's repairs reached $3,000. Dealers put the shaking down to normal wear on rotors and pads, and the manufacturer has refused warranty coverage. No warning light comes on. The vibration appears at ordinary speeds, such as 35 mph, and drivers worry it will affect how the car stops.
Rear camera images distort or cut out, sometimes badly enough to make the camera unusable. On some cars the front and side cameras also drop out from time to time, and the outages grow more frequent. Without a working view, objects behind the car are hidden when backing out of a driveway. Similar complaints under electrical say dealers blame software and offer no fix. These reports show no mileage pattern.
Excerpts from complaints Macan owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Passenger side head light stop working little over when car is out of the factory warranty at approximately 55,000 miles, to fix is very expensive, over $4000.00 because you cannot just change the bulb the entire unit need to be replaced. This seems to be a common problem with this model.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
The 2020 Macan developed extreme shakes with 14,000 miles. I had to replace rear brakes and rotors at 14,000 and fronts brakes and rotors at 21,000 at a cost of $3,000.00. Porsche has denied payment for these defective parts. They should recall and fix this ridiculous brake and rotor failures before someone is killed.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2022
the rear view (and front and side) cameras work intermittently. This makes parking very difficult and when backing out of the driveway you cannot see if there is an object in the vehicle's path. Issue started several months ago and has been getting progressively worse (more frequent). Have noted that other owners have same issue reported on various forums.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks second for owner complaints among 8 Macan years, about 1.8 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the sixth model year of the Macan's first generation (2015–2026).
It includes the 2019 update.
What changed for 2019
Recall repairs are free at any Porsche dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2016-2020 Macan S, 2017-2020 Macan, 2017 Panamera Turbo, 2018 and 2020 Macan Turbo and Panamera 4, 2018 Macan Sport Edition, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and 2019 Panamera 4 Sport Turismo vehicles. The screw that attaches the lower seat belt anchor to the seat frame on the outboard rear seats may not have been tightened properly.
Risk: An improperly tightened seat belt anchor can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace and tighten the lower rear outboard seat belt anchor screws, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2023. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is APA9.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain 2003-2020 Porsche Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, and Cayman S, 2001-2004 Boxster, Boxster S, 2004 Boxster 50 JAHRE SPYDER 550 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of all affected models and model years. The caps that cover the low-beam headlight horizontal adjustment screws are missing, which can allow the headlights to be improperly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.".
Risk: Improperly adjusted headlights may not illuminate the road properly, or cause a glare to oncoming drivers, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the headlights for sealing caps and install missing caps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Porsche's customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche's number for this recall is ANB4.
Cars shoppers compare with the Porsche Macan, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
