NHTSA Complaint #10284245 — 2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE S

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS (LEFT, RIGHT AND HIGH MOUNTED) REMAIN LIT AT ALL TIMES, AS DOES THE REAR RIGHT AND LEFT FOG LIGHTS. TURNING LIGHTS ON OR OFF HAS NO EFFECT. DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED RANDOMLY AND INCONSISTENTLY AND WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN UNOCCUPIED AND UNATTENDED AS WELL AS WHILE DRIVING. WHILE UNATTENDED, THE LIGHTS COMING ON DRAINS THE BATTERY AND CAN STRAND THE DRIVER. IF PROBLEM OCCURS AND THE BATTERY IS NOT DRAINED, THE DRIVER MAY BE WHOLLY UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND MAY DRIVE WITH THE BRAKE AND REAR FOG LIGHTS LIT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CREATES A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AS THE BRAKE LIGHT REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES. FOLLOWING DRIVERS HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT THE DRIVER MAY BE BRAKING AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL REAR END COLLISION. THE DRIVER OF THE CAYENNE, IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NO WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED TO MAKE THE DRIVER AWARE. IF PROBLEM IS NOTICED, REMOVING THE FUSES FOR THE FOG LIGHTS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CORRECTS THE ISSUE, BUT MUST BE REINSERTED, ALLOWING FOR THE PROBLEM TO REOCCUR. VEHICLE BUILD DATE WAS 12/03 AND OUTSIDE OF THE PORSCHE WIRING HARNESS RECALL, BUT THIS MAY BE THE RESULT OF A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS FEEDING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR