What McLaren MP4-12C owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See McLaren MP4-12C safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
The vehicle systems named most often in McLaren MP4-12C complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The contact owns a 2014 McLaren MP4-12C. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the windshield wiper activated, the front windshield wiper failed to properly clean water or debris from the windshield as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
The contact owns a 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. The contact stated that while driving during rainy weather, the front windshield wipers intermittently failed to operate as needed. An unknown windshield wiper error message was displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V541000 (Visibility); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
The contact owns a 2013 McLaren MP4-12C. The contact stated that mold was developing in the lens covering the headlights, causing the headlights to be foggy. The contact stated that the failure was affecting his vision of the roadway while driving and was causing a glare for oncoming drivers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the headlight housings needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and covered the replacement of the headlights housing; however, the failure persisted, and the headlight housings were replaced with the same model of headlight housings. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 4,900.
The main headlights on the McLaren MP4-12C are susceptible to condensation, and mold that cannot be cleared as it is internal. This is caused by a faulty seal, or glue, holding the top clear glass, to the plastic molding which allows condensation to happen, causing the mold. Almost all McLaren MP4-12C's have the moldy headlights, reducing visibility and creating a hazard for the driver, as well as incoming traffic, as the light pattern is no longer uniform making it hard to see at night. The only solution is to replace the headlights with new ones costing more than $4,000.
This is the cars main navigation, radio, and other configuration critical to the cars operability and safety. McLaren calls this the IRIS system, and they issued an upgrade after the first one had many documented problems throughout the world, with the IRIS II system. They replaced them while the cars were under warranty, but once the warranty expires on your car, you have to pay upwards of $10,000 to replace what is essentially a radio touch screen. There is a high documented failure rate of the IRIS systems in following McLaren Models. The MP4-12C, the 650S, the 675LT. The part is made by Parrot in China, and they only sell the replacement screens to McLaren, creating a very expensi…
I SENT MY 2013 MC LAREN IN FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG RECALL. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED IT WAS IN DEFAULT WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAID "AIR BAG" AND "TRANSMISSION" WAS IN DEFAULT. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG THAT WAS IN DEFAULT. THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CLOCK SPRING. THE CAR DID NOT HAVE THESE ISSUES WHEN I SENT IT TO THEM. I BELIEVE THAT THEY MIGHT BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RECALL PROCESS BY FIXING ONE SAFETY ISSUE AND CAUSING ANOTHER. THE CAR HAS 7359 MILES ON IT SO I FIND IT SURPRISING THAT THE CLOCK SPRING WOULD GO BAD UNLESS THERE IS A DEFECT THAT PERHAPS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THEY ALSO FOUND MANY OTHER ISSUE…
ORIGINAL HEADLIGHTS DEVELOPED OPAQUE SPOTTING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CLEAR HOUSING, WHICH IF LEFT UNCHECKED WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED THE LIGHT OUTPUT AND NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE EVENTUALLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS HAD A DEFECT IN THE OUTER LAMINATION WHICH WAS PEALING AS SOON AS IT WAS INSTALLED. BOTH INTERIOR SPOTTING/ MOLD FORMATION AND EXTERIOR DELAMINATION IS A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM WITH MCLAREN 12C HEADLIGHTS. REPLACMENT HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT IMPROVED FROM THE ORIGINALS AND ARE PRONE TO EVENTUALLY DEVELOP SPOTTING AND OR DELAMINATION. RECENTLY MCLAREN HAS BEEN REFUSING TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS EVEN UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A…
THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON BOTH SIDES ARE GROWING A MOLD AND FOGGING. THE FOGGING IS GRADUALLY WORSENING, AND, AT SOME POINT, WILL COMPROMISE THE LIGHT EMITTED AND RESULT IN GLARE. IT IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE IN THESE CARS, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT MCLAREN REFUSES TO REPLACE THE LENSES FOR ANYONE WHO HAS TRIED TO GET THIS DONE BY THEIR DEALERS, MYSELF INCLUDED. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS IN VIOLATION OF YOUR REGULATIONS S5.1.2 (B) AND (C): HTTPS://WWW.GPO.GOV/FDSYS/PKG/CFR-2004-TITLE49-VOL5/XML/CFR-2004-TITLE49-VOL5-SEC571-108.XML IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, OF THE 3400 MP4-12C CARS IN THE US ALONE, ABOUT 40% OF THEM HAVE THE PROBLEM. I CAN NOT VOUCH FOR THIS NUMBER, BUT ON A MCLAREN FO…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
ESP Causing Vehicle Limitations
Updated Voltage for Sensor Position
McLaren DMTL Test Diagnosis
Apple CarPlay Quick Start Guide and Troubleshooting
Airbrake Diagnosis Guide
McLaren DMTL Test Diagnosis
Nose Lift Operation Concerns
A guide to aid in the identification of a missing core plug and repair method on V8 cylinder heads
Boost Control Diagnosis Guide
Nose Lift Operation Concerns
Wishbone Bushes Serviceability Guide
McLaren DMTL Test Diagnosis
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 20
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2011–2015, owners most often name: exterior lighting, air bags, visibility/wiper. 14 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
