Hundreds of Porsche Owners in Russia Unable to Start Cars After System Failure
MOSCOW – Hundreds of Porsche owners in Russia are facing an unexpected hurdle: their vehicles are unable to start due to a failure in the Porsche remote Services system, according to reports surfacing this week. The issue, impacting a wide range of models, appears linked to the company’s decision to halt deliveries and suspend commercial operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The widespread system failure prevents owners from accessing crucial vehicle functions, effectively immobilizing their cars. While Porsche continues to own three subsidiaries within Russia despite ceasing operations, the inability to provide ongoing technical support and software updates appears to be a key factor in the current crisis. the problem underscores the challenges faced by international companies navigating the complexities of maintaining services in Russia amid geopolitical tensions and sanctions.
The issue began gaining traction on social media and Russian automotive forums in recent days, with owners reporting a complete inability to start their vehicles. The error message displayed on affected cars indicates a problem with the porsche Remote Services, which controls various vehicle functions including remote access, vehicle tracking, and, crucially, the ability to start the engine.
“It just won’t start,” one Porsche owner in Moscow told the Russian news outlet Gazeta.ru. “The system says there’s a connection error, and the car is essentially bricked.”
Porsche halted deliveries and suspended its commercial operations in Russia in February 2022,but retained ownership of three subsidiaries within the country,citing difficulties in finding buyers. This decision, while intended to navigate the evolving political landscape, has now resulted in a significant service disruption for its Russian clientele.
Experts suggest the system failure may be related to expired digital certificates required for the Porsche Remote Services to function correctly. Without the ability to renew these certificates due to the company’s limited presence in Russia, the system has effectively become inoperable.
Porsche has not yet issued an official statement addressing the specific issue or outlining a plan to resolve the problem for affected owners in Russia.The situation highlights the long-term consequences of corporate decisions made in response to the conflict in Ukraine and the potential for unforeseen technical complications.
