Porsche cars across Russia suddenly shut off with no explanation

Hundreds of Porsches in Russia mysteriously stopped running in late November, leaving drivers without transportation and no explanation as to what happened.

In the modern age, vehicles come equipped with all sorts of electronic bells and whistles… but some of these new gadgets can cause major issues for car owners.

One such problem occurred in Russia, when hundreds of new Porsches across the country suddenly stopped working, effectively turning into ‘bricks.’

The incident took place in late November, with reports surfacing in the West in early December. News outlets state that the luxury cars would not turn on or, in some cases, refuse to unlock, forcing owners to find alternative methods of transportation.

Russian Porsche dealer finds ways around sudden vehicle shutdown

One of Russia’s largest Porsche dealerships, Rolf, received a mass influx of calls from confused drivers wondering why their expensive vehicles wouldn’t start. After performing some diagnostics, Rolf’s mechanics discovered that the conundrum was due to an issue with Porsche’s Vehicle Tracking System.

Not all Porsches have this system installed; most newer models made after 2013, however, come with Porsche Connect services, which include the tracking system to help drivers navigate the roads and locate their car in cases of theft or natural disasters. (Owners must pay $280 for the package via a yearly subscription.)

Rolf surmised that the connection between the cars’ tracking system and Porsche’s satellites was somehow disabled, activating an “engine immobilizer” that prevented the vehicles from starting.

It’s still unclear why this mass shutdown happened. Some outlets theorize it could be a simple glitch in the system, while others speculate that it’s related to Porsche pulling its cars out of Russia due to the war in Ukraine. This particular problem has not occurred elsewhere in the world.

Rolf’s service director, Yulia Trushkova, spoke with Russian news outlet RBC, where he shared a few ways owners can bypass the system and get their cars working again.

“Currently, there is no connection for all models and types of internal combustion engines,” he said. “Any vehicle can be blocked. Currently, the blocking can be bypassed by resetting the factory alarm unit and disassembling it. We are continuing to investigate the issue and the mechanics’ options for unlocking the vehicles.”

Porsche gives vague reply after their cars suddenly ‘brick’ in Russia

Porsche has commented on the matter, but does not yet have a solution or a reason as to why this happened. Speaking to The Register, a spokesperson for the brand confirmed that the issue is confined to Russia, saying the company takes their cars’ cybersecurity very seriously.

“The cybersecurity of our vehicles is a central concern for Porsche,” they said. “Protection against cybersecurity attacks is ensured by comprehensive security processes and technical measures over the entire life cycle of our vehicles. The measures include, among other things, secure software updates, protected communication channels, and regular security tests for the early detection of suspicious activity,” they added.