High-Flying Spoilers On Porsche 718s Are Blocking Brake Lights

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If the front end of your Porsche 718 Cayman or Boxster feels a little lighter than you expected, that might not be in your head. The automaker is recalling a handful of examples because their coding got screwed up at the factory, allowing the adjustable rear spoiler to rise too high.

The problem affects a total of 53 U.S. market vehicles assembled between June 23 and September 5, 2023. The models included in this recall are the 2023-2024 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 and the 2024 718 Boxster S. A breakdown of how many of each model are affected is not available.

Porsche first became aware of an issue in early October, when it was informed of a software error in the rear vehicle electronics control unit. It later learned that an employee had manually changed it with the wrong values after the 718s had been produced with the correct code. Unfortunately, it is not clear why that occurred.

Read: This One-Off Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Is A Tribute To The 906 Racecar

Fortunately, the problem is relatively mild, and Porsche is not aware of any accidents, complaints, or even tire damage as a result of it. However, it warns that the problem could impact driving dynamics, and, with the spoiler out of place, it can block other drivers’ view of the center brake light.

Naturally, there’s no real way for a driver to know that their vehicle is affected by this issue unless they measure the height of their extended spoiler (which I wouldn’t put past a Porsche owner). If you own a 718 Cayman or Boxster and want to know if yours is one of the vehicles in question, you can check your VIN using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall page.

Otherwise, you can wait until Porsche reaches out, which it plans to start doing on February 2. The solution is as simple as a software update that re-codes the rear vehicle electronics control unit, and ensures that the spoiler only rises to the correct position.