System Failure Leaves Porsche Drivers Across Russia Unable To Start Their Cars

As modern vehicles have become increasingly reliant on technology and software for their security systems, we've seen a number of different issues arise regarding unwanted, criminal access (or a denial of owner access) to a vehicle via high-tech methods. On one end of the spectrum, you have a next generation of car thieves using software hacking and other modern tricks to steal modern vehicles with methods that would baffle old-school analog car thieves. 

Conversely, this reliance on technology can also work the opposite way, with actual owners being denied access to their car because of communication or software issues. That's exactly what's happening right now to Porsche owners in Russia, and in this particular case, it seems the problem extends beyond the car's individual security systems and into the satellite networks that communicate with them. 

So far, the issue has affected hundreds of Russian Porsche drivers who've been left with unusable vehicles in recent days. More broadly, it's also raised questions not just about the risks of failure for globally connected automotive security systems but also about the possibility of these networks being leveraged during tense geopolitical situations like the one currently going on in Russia.

Media reporting of the security issue first popped up via Russia's RBK, which spoke to representatives from Rolf, a major Porsche dealer group in the country. In late November, Porsche drivers in Russian cities began to report instances of their cars shutting down while driving or being locked out of operation by their factory engine immobilizer systems. 

Rolf's service departments were overwhelmed with requests from frustrated Porsche owners with unusable cars, and it was soon suspected that the culprit was the satellite systems the immobilizers communicate with, more specifically, Porsche's vehicle tracking system (VTS). According to Rolf, the lockout can seemingly happen on any VTS-equipped Porsche with an internal combustion engine.

While the exact cause hasn't yet been determined, the vehicle security systems would basically lose connection to the satellite network they communicate with, rendering the cars unusable. Owners and dealers have thus far tried a few different solutions, including disabling or resetting the alarm system and disconnecting the car battery for at least 10 hours in the hope that the system would reset.

Typically, a widespread software or communications issue like this would be quickly and transparently addressed by the car manufacturer, but this is where Russia's tenuous geopolitical situation comes into play. Porsche stopped its Russian commercial operations in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and so far neither Porsche's Russian office nor its main corporate office have commented on the situation. 

Porsche was just one of many companies to pull out of Russia after the outbreak of the war, and the ongoing financial and political pressure against Russia has even caused Rolf to speculate to the media that the lockout could have been deliberate (though no actual proof of that has been shown). With modern cars, that cyberwarfare fear is not entirely unfounded, though. 

In the case of the United States, potential national security issues have thus far been one of the big reasons why Chinese cars have not been allowed to penetrate the American market. Even assuming the Russian Porsche lockout was indeed a case of unintended system failure, the situation nonetheless raises a concern about the risks of globally connected vehicles that are at risk of being remotely shut down — either intentionally or unintentionally.