Car and Driver: It’s Mortal, After All: Bugatti Veyron Recalled Three Times

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In our normal coverage of automotive recalls, we’ve yet to suggest you take your Bugatti Veyron to the nearest dealer for repairs. Now you should.

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Bugatti is recalling 92 Veyron models in the U.S. for faulty jack plates and fuel tank sensors. On 87 cars, the aluminum plates can corrode and separate from the carbon fiber monocoque. Eventually, they might fall off “…and hit following traffic,” according to the official recall notice. That isn’t exactly a welcome prospect considering the base model’s 253-mph top speed (or in the case of the Super Sport, 268 mph). The 2006-2010 Veyron, 2010-2012 Veyron Grand Sport, and 2011-2013 Veyron Super Sport (plus any number of random special edition models in those periods) are affected. Dealers will install new plates with rivets and seal them.

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What’s potentially incriminating for the Volkswagen Group is that Bugatti did nothing official for four years. According to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Bugatti found a missing jack plate during a company endurance test in September 2011, then made the fix during production in February 2012. A repair has been available “internally” since then but there was no public notice. U.S. regulations require manufacturers to report defects within five days of discovery.

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Another five Veyron models have optimistic fuel gauges that may show more gas than what’s actually inside the 26.4 gallon tank. Considering a Veyron empties that tank in 19 minutes at top speed and gets eight mpg on a good day, this looks to be a pretty critical repair. As before, Bugatti discovered the problem (in this case, six years ago) but did not notify NHTSA. A repair had been available “internally” since February 2010. A total of 72 cars are listed, but Bugatti said that only five cars still need the repair, which involves swapping the fuel tank control unit (a sensor with software onboard) for a new one. We’re not sure why Bugatti needed to file a recall for cars it already fixed or why it didn’t file a recall six years ago.

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• We Set 253 mph in the 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 -
• Instrumented Test: 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 -
• First Drive Review: 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport-

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Further confusion comes from a third recall of 13 Veyron models that have a positive battery cable that can corrode, overheat, catch fire, and damage the alternator. All the cars affected already have been repaired. Bugatti said it discovered the problem in 2006, remedied it for production in January 2007, and began another internal repair program in August 2008. What gives that they’re only reporting all this now? We’re not sure, aside from the increased scrutiny the Volkswagen Group brands are facing from all corners of the federal government in the wake of its diesel emissions scandal. But if you’re a Veyron owner, don’t worry, one of Bugatti’s “Flying Doctors” will call you first if you’ve got problems.

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