Panamera S e-Hybrid - Main Battery

[Drewman]

Hello Experts!

I'm the (currently not-very) proud owner of a 2014 Panamera S e-Hybrid, which has sadly experienced a failure of the main battery. I started to experience problems with hybrid performance & range while hybrid system was still under warranty, as well as intermittent check engine lights that would go away on their own, and 'e-power not possible' messages while fully charged. I took the car in for diagnosis, and after weeks with the dealer, the onboard charger was replaced, but the battery was declared to be ok despite only getting 6-7 miles of electric range vs. the expected 18-20 miles.
Of course, as expected, once the hybrid system warranty expired, i experienced a pucker inducing "Hybrid System Failure" warning and the car would not start or move. After a couple of weeks at the dealer, I got the call to say that the check engine light had been cleared and everything was fine - followed less than an hour later by a second call telling me that "Whoops - the hybrid message came up again...". The car spent a month at the dealer, where they performed exhaustive testing and embarked on a long correspondence with Germany, ultimately resulting in a diagnosis of main battery failure and probable failure of the e-machine (hybrid transmission system). Good news though, they'd be happy to put the car on the wait list for these parts and service for a mere $23,600. That's not a typo.

I suggested that since the issue had been uncovered and a service ticket initiated while the car was still under warranty, that it should be covered, and started my own correspondence with Porsche N.A., requesting at least partial coverage given the history - but despite multiple phone calls with promises of follow-up in 2-3 business days, as well as written letters, I have yet to receive even the courtesy of a "Sorry dude, you're outta luck response." Rather than wallow in self-pity or get mad, however, I'd like to do something constructive.

So - Getting to the point - I can't really justify sinking $24k into fixing this thing given that KBB.com lists the trade value at about $20k, and I can't really sell it to someone else given that it won't pass smog here in California with a check engine light on (And you can't turn it off even with the Durametric). Does anyone know of any cases of rebuilding the main traction battery of the PeH? I'm thinking that if it can be done with a Prius, it can be done with a PeH...

I have deduced from info in a dealter tech manual that I purchased on eBay that there are 4 banks of 26 Li-ion cells each, creating the 9.4kWh 384V battery, but I've yet to find any information regarding the specific cells used. FWIW, I have an engineering background and am not terrified by electricity...

Interested to hear from the collective wisdom and experience of the forum.

Cheers-

Drewman

[stealthn]

Sorry to hear, I’m sure you checked all the other forums but from what I have seen, it seems Porsche’s ehybrid stuff has issues. I know I saw recalls in the past and I’m sure yours is fully up to date.


Not sure if you checked these: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2014/PORSCHE/PANAMERA%252520S%252520E-HYBRID#manufacturerCommunications

Keep us up to date on what you find