Overview
- Service centers and media report a surge since late November of cars that will not start across cities from St. Petersburg to Novosibirsk, with hundreds of vehicles affected.
- Technicians at the Rolf dealer network are restoring usability by resetting or removing the VTS alarm modules, and workshops report sharply increased service demand.
- Owners say temporary workarounds like disconnecting the starter battery or rebooting the VTS allow a single restart before the lockout reappears after shutdown.
- Porsche says the problem involves country-specific equipment outside its responsibility, states other markets are unaffected, and notes sanctions limit official after-sales support in Russia.
- Investigations are ongoing into the cause, with reports pointing to possible GPS or communication disruptions; similar but less severe issues have been noted by some Mercedes owners, and many Porsches in Russia now arrive via parallel imports.