There might be no better feeling than driving a Porsche automobile, listening to the gentle rumble as you take every turn with confidence and precision. Owning one of the iconic vehicles is a rite of passage that only a few experience in their lifetime.

Hitting the American roadways in 1950, Porsche has always been synonymous with luxury and performance. But fast-forward to today, and some angry owners demanding justice.

The automaker is making it impossible for many owners to sell their vehicles due to excessive emissions. The situation has sparked a class-action lawsuit from frustrated owners wondering what to do next.

Porsche’s stop-sale order

Porsche last year issued “a stop-sale for vehicles primarily equipped with Sport Chrono packages,” CarComplaints reports. The class action claims the automaker is preventing owners from “using the Porsche network to sell their vehicles.”

The lawsuit, filed in Pennsylvania, includes current owners or those who sold their vehicles after November 12, 2020.

Automakers typically issue stop-sale orders for brand-new vehicles with safety defects or emissions-related problems. Law Insider explains dealers are prohibited from leasing or selling the affected models until they’ve been repaired and comply with motor vehicle industry standards.

Autoblog points out the Porsche situation is odd because “not only is the stop-sale issued for older cars, it spreads across the automaker’s entire lineup.”

Models involved in the stop-sale order

The stop-sale order affects Porsche vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2016 with the Sport Chrono package. According to CarComplaints, models include the 991, Cayenne, Panamera, Boxster, and Cayman.

The Sport Chrono package changes the vehicle’s performance profile via three driving modes. The driver uses a knob on the steering wheel to select “Normal,” “Sport,” or “Sport Plus,” depending upon road conditions.

Last year, an investigation in Germany revealed 2008-to-2013 gas-powered Panamera and 911 models were experiencing emissions problems.

Business Insider reported that Porsche determined the “irregularities” were happening because of faulty emissions hardware and software. “When driven in ‘Sport Plus’ mode, certain Sport Chrono Package-equipped cars built within a specific time frame emitted more nitrogen oxide than permitted,” the publication explained.

What owners can do if their Porsche vehicle is affected

Patience is the key in this ongoing situation. A software update must occur before owners can resell their affected models. Although Porsche hasn’t provided a timeline for resolving the problem, it wants owners to know there are no current safety issues.

A spokesperson for Porsche explained the stop-sale order only pertains to older vehicles in dealers’ inventory. The automaker is still investigating the issue, and cars currently in production are not affected.

The spokesperson told Business Insider: “To be clear, our dealer partners are buying all used Porsche cars as they usually would, and the cars in customers’ possession remain safe to drive. What the dealers have paused is selling the specific cars in their inventory affected by this until the software on these cars can be updated.”

But that hasn’t been the case for some owners attempting to sell their affected models. The class-action lawsuit’s plaintiff owns a 2015 Boxster GTS and 2016 Cayman. Both vehicles, valued at approximately $76,000, have the Sport Chrono package. When the owner tried to sell the cars to a local dealership, Porsche refused because of the stop-sale order.