Porsche Taycan and Audi e

Hundreds of Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT owners have been left in the cold by the failure of their cars’ heater matrix.

Affected Porsche owners have been battling with Porsche for weeks to get their cars fixed, with some being told that they’d have to wait months for a repair. Now it transpires owners of Audi’s e-tron GT are suffering identical problems. The Taycan and e-tron GT are both based on the Volkswagen Group’s J1 platform, sharing many parts including the heater matrix.

Taycan owners have been venting their frustrations on the Porsche Taycan Owners UK facebook group with reports that over 800 cars are affected in the UK alone. Not only are owners left with only the heated seats to keep them warm, cars are unable to be defrosted effectively in cold weather.

Similarly, Audi owners have been complaining about the same issue online at e-tronforum.com where they claim that it’s affecting hundreds of cars.

An official statement from Porsche GB states: “Due to a possible material defect, failure of the heating system may potentially affect Porsche Taycan vehicle models. Should this fault occur, it is possible that the heating function and defrosting are not available, and dehumidification of the vehicles can only be performed to a limited extent.

“Replacement of the heating unit is necessary for vehicle repair. The current supply chain issues may result in delays in this regard, and vehicle repair might be postponed temporarily. We are making every effort to resolve the situation.”

A Porsche spokesperson told Auto Express that affected owners should contact their dealer and that repairs would be carried out in the order that the faults are reported. Parts shortages have delayed fixes, but Porsche is said to be prioritising fixing existing cars with the updated part rather than fitting them to new cars on the production line.

Porsche has also told Auto Express that it will endeavour to supply alternative vehicles for customers who are unable to heat or defrost their vehicles. One Taycan owner on the owners’ Facebook page reported being given a BMW iX to drive, while another was waiting for Enterprise car rental to provide a suitable replacement.

Audi UK told Auto Express that the problem affected “around 200 vehicles”. A spokesperson said, “Audi UK is aware of the issue relating to the heater matrix on the e-tron GT and is in regular dialogue with affected customers. We are working tirelessly to resolve the matter to ensure as little disruption as possible.

“Current supply constraints mean we are experiencing delays sourcing parts, but we are making every effort to minimise disruption. Customers are being supported by their local Audi Centre while we work on resolving the matter.”

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Steve Fowler has been editor-in-chief of Auto Express since 2011 and is responsible for all editorial content across the website and magazine. He has previously edited What Car?, Autocar and What Hi-Fi? and has been writing about cars for the best part of 30 years.