Porsche Tells 548 More Sports Car Owners: Don't Drive

Porsche has expanded its 2024 center-lock wheel recall by another 548 cars, and the instruction attached to it is blunt: don't drive them. The reason is the same one that makes the whole thing sound like a heist screenplay. The wheels could fall off.

The newly added vehicles are all 2024 models: 911 GTS (168), 911 Turbo S (94), 718 Cayman GT4 RS (73), 718 Spyder RS (70), 911 GT3 (50), 911 GT3 RS (41), 911 S/T (39), and 911 Turbo (13). The original recall, issued Oct. 28, 2024, covered 1,851 units of the 911 Turbo, as well as 718 of the GT4 RS, and Spyder RS. That brings the total to 2,399 affected cars.

The hit rate differs sharply between the two batches. Porsche estimated 100 percent of the original group was affected by the fault. For the new group, just 1.4 percent are expected to be.

This is a supplier defect, per the NHTSA recall report. Porsche's own description is clinical: "analyses of the affected material batch confirmed lead and bismuth contents outside the specification." Elsewhere the filing notes that "the center wheel lock components used in the center wheel fastening system within certain production ranges were manufactured out of specification."

The expanded do-not-drive warning came after two more center-lock fractures turned up in the field this year, one in May and one in August. No injuries were reported. Porsche acknowledges several incidents it ties to center lock fractures.

Porsche says a fracturing center lock should produce noticeable vibration right away, so if your 2024 Porsche sports car abruptly starts shaking, that's reason to pull over quickly. Owners should not drive until a dealer checks over the wheel fastening hardware and swaps out anything manufactured out of spec.

There is at least no bill involved, as all affected cars remain under warranty. Owners can expect contact by Dec. 15 through phone, email, and MyPorsche App alerts, and the relevant VINs can already be looked up on NHTSA's website.

[Images: Porsche]

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