Could it be due to a malfunction in communication with the vehicle tracking system's satellite?
The situation is unclear, but it appears that hundreds of Porsches across Russia have been unable to move for the past few days, and as of December 5, 2025, no solution or identified cause has yet been announced.
At this point, it is believed that the cause of the car being unable to move is Porsche's Vehicle Tracking System (PVTS), an advanced theft detection system designed to prevent theft.
The PVTS technology uses satellites to track the location of Porsches and sends alerts to owners if the car exhibits any unauthorized activity. A system failure related to this technology may be causing vehicles equipped with the PVTS technology to shut down.
According to the Times, Russia's largest dealer group, Rolf, has reported a surge in service calls since last weekend, with the problem being that the vehicles' PVTS systems have lost communication with satellites.
If this "communication is lost," the vehicle will not be able to start its engine.
The problem is not limited to EVs or the latest models, and according to the Daily Mail, any Porsche equipped with PVTS manufactured after 2013 could be locked out, regardless of model or engine type.
Apparently, most of the Porsches running in Russia are at least two years old (yes!), as Volkswagen Group stopped shipping to Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Even if PVTS is the problem this time, the reason why this is happening is still under investigation, and Rolf's logistics manager claims that "this problem may have been intentional," but there is no evidence to support this at this time.
Foreign media have reportedly asked Porsche for comment, but have not received a response at this time.
It's reported that hundreds of Porsche owners in Russia are unable to drive their cars, which seems to be a significant problem.
Some people have tried disconnecting their car's battery for at least 10 hours, and others have tried restarting the PVTS, but this doesn't seem to have had any positive results. While some cars have started, many others still won't start.
It's a scary thought to suddenly have your Porsche locked up and unable to start. What's more, even if you take it to the dealer, you're not sure if they can fix it (I'm not sure if that's the right word).
Are Porsches in Japan okay?
By the way, I'm not sure whether PTVS is standard equipment or available as an option on Porsches imported to Japan.
I wondered if I could sign up through Porsche Connect, but it didn't seem to be clearly stated as PTVS there either.
Also, even if you look at the manual for a recent Porsche model, there is no specific explanation about PVTS... There is a description in the manual for a Macan around 2015, but at that time PVTS Plus was "not available in the Japanese model."
I suspect that this is still not a standard feature on Japanese vehicles (sorry if I'm wrong), but if that's the case, it seems unlikely that Porsches in Japan will suddenly be locked out, which I think is a good thing.
Source:
◆Hundreds of Porsches in Russia Reportedly Left Unable to Drive, Satellite Tracking System May Be at Fault
◆Hundreds of Porsche Owners in Russia Unable to Start Cars After System Failure
◆Russian Porsche owners' are immobilised across the country - with 'deliberate' satellite interference feared
I'm Rika, the author of this article. Since I got my hands on a Porsche 911, I've been completely hooked on Porsches and I can't stop loving them, so I started this blog. My favorite cars are the 911 Carrera (2/991), 911 Carrera Cabriolet & 911 Carrera T (1/992), GT3 (1/997) and 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
English 
Japanese