955 biggest design flaw :-/
 

I don't know if this is the Biggest design flaw, but IMO, the worst is the execution of the steering wheel back-lit audio/radio buttons. The paint scrapes off way too easily. Touch-points like that need to be designed for wear.

Runner up design flaw has got to be maintenance access for oil changes. Splitting up the underside cover, for ease of access to the drain-plug and filter would have been smart, Even relocating the filter to the top-side (ala Mercedes) would have been great.

Any other big contenders?

Holy cow where to start......Designing a vehicle you don't have to have girly hands to work on would be a good start.

Just waiting until you want to change the fog light bulbs...I don't even think they make a service document for this.

I did not know the steering wheel buttons lit up?? Off to the dealer I go :D

LOL. ...there are buttons on the backside of the wheel, to toggle the backlight on and off.

I'm finding buttons every day that I'm not sure what they do. It makes my head hurt every time I start to read the manuals. The manual to my 69 911E is maybe 40 pages. The Cayenne is probably over 1000. I have tire monitors and I can't figure out how to read them. I can rebuild 911 engines, but I can't change figure out how to get direction the navigation system on my 955. You're right, there are more buttons on the back of the wheel!

JP
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I'll add another one: the stupid remote, I can never get the trunk released when I need to; click twice and I usually have locked the truck, wait click again, keep trying until you get so frustrated you go to the driver side to press the unlock button.....stupid remote

I had the same problem. ...tho' for me it was more with unlocking the passenger door. Anyway, there is a setting (in-dash-computer) to have all doors unlock on the first click. --Problem solved.

but that reminds me of another remote problem; Well really it's just a lacking feature. That is there is no "close & lock" feature. --this is where you press and hold the lock button to have all of the windows + sunroof to close when locking. I was surprised that the techno-Porsche didn't have this. My wife's Mercedes has the feature and it's old (1997).

you can put the key in the drivers door lock , turn (one way or other cannot remember) and the windows go up - not remote but it's a start !

Thanks island, most useful tip I've got all year :D

Unfortunately, engineers often only think of the finished product as it sits on the showroom floor. Service and maintenance are often secondary concerns. Although I must admit, everything on the Boxster is pretty easy to get at...

-Wayne

For oil changes wouldnt it be easy to just use a Mityvac? I use one now for all my cars.

I am looking at '05, '06 S's to replace my wife's ML320. She has 128K on it andd have had it since new in 2000. We have had a number of issues over the years, steering pumps, recalls, driveline stabilizers, tranny sw, etc, etc. The engine however is excellent with no issues at all. I hope the Cayanne can follow suit....

I wish the buttons on the backside of the steering wheel turned on and off the tiptronic shifter knobs instead of the lights. Too many times I tap them by accident and it goes into manual mode.