Hundreds of Porsche owners across Russia are facing a significant problem as their luxury cars have suddenly stopped working.
The issue stems from a failure in the factory-installed security and tracking systems, which have completely shut down the vehicles.
According to reports from the Rolf dealership network, the largest Porsche service provider in Russia, the problem began on November 28 and affects only gasoline-powered models, leaving electric and hybrid cars untouched.
Failure in Installed Satellite Security System
The breakdown causes the car’s alarm system to lock up entirely. This security feature, designed to stop thieves, is now stopping owners from driving their own vehicles.
The malfunction blocks the car from connecting to satellite networks and shuts down the engine.
Drivers cannot start their cars and must tow them to authorized service centers. Once there, mechanics have to take apart the alarm unit and manually reset it.
This is a slow and challenging process that gets the car running again but does not actually fix the root cause of the problem.
Currently, there is no connection for all models and types of internal combustion engines. Any vehicle can be blocked,” explained Yulia Trushkova, the Service Director at Rolf, in a statement to the news outlet RBC.
Dealerships are still investigating why this is happening and seeking a permanent solution to unlock the cars.
Experts believe the problem lies in the car’s “telematics” system. This technology connects the car to the internet for navigation and remote control.
These systems often receive software updates over the air, much like a smartphone. Cybersecurity specialists warn that these wireless connections can be weak points.
While Porsche has not released an official explanation, the fact that so many different models (from the 911 to the Cayenne) broke down at the same time suggests a single, central trigger.
Theories range from a simple software error to a deliberate remote attack or a “kill switch” being activated.
The timing of this failure has led to rumors that it could be related to ongoing geopolitical tensions, as modern cars can technically be turned off remotely by their manufacturers.
For now, owners in Russia are being warned that even after a manual reset, the problem could happen again until a permanent software fix is found.
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