Electric Porsche Macan recalled for headlights that are too bright

Porsche is recalling 2,941 electric Macan crossovers because their headlights are too bright, which can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers and increase the risk of a crash.

The recall includes 2024 and 2025 models manufactured between Mar. 15, 2024, Nov. 4, 2024. Headlight-control software in this batch of vehicles was programmed to European standards rather than U.S. standards, resulting in beams that exceed brightness levels specified in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, according to the NHTSA.

Porsche told the safety regulator that this error was corrected for later-production vehicles, but that 100% of the recalled vehicles likely have the errant software. Dealers will reprogram the headlight control units free of charge as, despite this being a purely software-related issue, it can’t be addressed via an over-the-air update.

Porsche expects to mail owner notification letters Jan. 24, 2025. Owners can also call the automaker’s customer service department at 1-800-767-7243 for more information. Porsche’s reference number for this recall is ARC5.

The electric Macan arrived for the 2024 model year as one of the first EVs based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) shared with Audi, and also underpinning that brand’s Q6 E-Tron SUV and A6 E-Tron sedan. A first drive indicated the Macan EV would be a good way to ease the electric transition, but Porsche limited availability to dual-motor Macan 4 and Macan Turbo grades for that first model year.

For 2025, Porsche expanded the lineup with a single-motor base model that effectively lowered the electric Macan’s price by about $3,000, plus a dual-motor Macan 4S slotting between the Macan 4 and Turbo. Porsche is still selling the previous-generation gasoline Macan alongside the electric version, but has said only the electric Macan will be available starting in 2026.