Hundreds of Porsche cars in Russia suddenly “turned into bricks”: what’s the reason?
4 December 20:58
An unexpected technical crisis has arisen in Russia: hundreds of owners of premium Porsche cars across the country report that their cars have suddenly stopped starting. This was reported by the Daily Mail, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to preliminary data, the massive blockage was caused by the standard Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) satellite system, which probably lost its signal.
What is known about the situation
The situation affected owners of Porsches manufactured since 2013 in different regions of Russia. The cars appear to be in good working order, but the engine cannot be started.
The key element that caused the failure is the Vehicle Tracking System (VTS ), a standard vehicle tracking system.
VTS automatically blocks the car’s engine if it loses the satellite signal.
According to Yulia Trushkova, Rolf Group service director, complaints are received for all models and all types of engines. Drivers are turning to dealers en masse because their cars have “literally turned into bricks.”
From failure to intervention
The exact cause of the massive failure has not yet been determined, but two main scenarios are being considered among the speculation circulating in the media and among dealers:
- Software failure: There may have been an incorrect software change or satellite communication failure that led to the mass activation of the VTS defense mechanism.
- Deliberate blocking: The media is actively spreading the assumption that the lock was deliberately activated from the outside. A representative of one of the dealers directly suggested to the Daily Mail: “It is possible that this was done intentionally,” although there is no evidence of outside interference.
Companies’ reaction
Amid the growing number of “locked” cars being delivered by tow trucks to service centers, there has been no official reaction from the manufacturer:
The Russian representative office of Porsche refrains from commenting, and the company’s headquarters has not published any official statements either.
Porsche stopped supplying new cars to Russia after the start of the full-scale war, but the brand remains popular among the wealthy.
The situation sets a precedent for a massive technological collapse, probably caused by the dependence on proprietary software and satellite communications. To date, there is no clear solution to the problem for hundreds of car owners.
