McLaren GT : In what could only be described as a bombshell in the high-end supercar scene, McLaren Automotive has been forced to announce a massive safety recall for one of its prestigious GT model and a few other high-performance models.
The recall, based on a possible brake-system defect that is anything but safe, points up the delicate dance between bleeding-edge engineering and safety in today’s ultra-high-performance cars.
Precision Engineering Meets Precision Problemology:flex-end Problem This project has become my personal sandbox for working on precision problems after work.
Credit: McLaren is famous for building some of the best drivers cars in the world and with decades of motorsports experience to it’s name, no one will crirticize it’s team boasting. But the best engineered systems are still subject to variation in manufacturing.
The British company recently realized that a number of its cars, among them the headline-grabbing McLaren GT, come with brake lines that are run improperly — an error that could potentially lead to dangerous consequences for those who drive these monsters of the motorway to the edge of their large and looming capability.
The problem in question relates to the ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ESP (electronic stability program), important safety features of these vehicles which help drivers maintain control during periods of intense driving and the like.
The recall — issued under campaign number 25V216000 — covers cars made between 2020 and 2025, according to official documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“The left/rear right brake pipe may be connected to the wrong sides of the control module,” the official recall notice says.
“This wrong connection occurs, for example, when activating the ABS or the ESP: the brake of the wrong wheel would be managed by the braking system, leading to potentially unpredictable wheel lockup and therefore to potential loss of vehicle control.”
When you’ve got a car that can go from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds, and that can reach top speeds beyond 200 mph, you need excellence in your safety systems to be not just important, but absolutely necessary.
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From Racetrack Revelation to Recall Action
The defect was first revealed by an episode that could have been far worse. While on a racetrack, during a high-performance driving session, a McLaren driver had an unanticipated wheel lock-up while cornering, resulting in a brief loss of control behind the wheel.
This story had a happy ending, no damage, no one hurt, but it immediately resulted in a reaction from McLaren engineers.
Subsequent technical investigation showed where the problem lay – in the erroneously routed hydraulic braking lines for the ABS/ESP control system.
Essentially the lines to the right and left rear wheels had been plumbed opposite what the system expected and during an electronic intervention the systems were applying pressure to the wrong wheel.
This recall is interesting because of how McLaren went about trying to find out how many vehicles would be affected. The company examined production records, identifying cars that had failed an electronic stability program test during quality checks but didn’t have documentation of a successful retest.
McLaren is of the opinion that the majority of these have been rectified prior to delivery, however without verified test results we are taking the conservative option to issue a recall for all affected vehicles.
Few in Uniform, Many worries
Though the recall covers only 29 cars in the U.S., those models are the crown jewels of the McLaren lineup: the 600LT, 720S, Artura, GT and GTS. And because McLaren has such super-exclusive production numbers, this small sum is still a big percentage of their overall output.
The recell further stands out considering where McLaren positions its brand. But when customers are spending hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars for vehicles that are sold on their precision engineering or performance capabilities, the stakes of safety grow ever larger.
These are not just transportation devices but expressions of automotive art where every nuance matters.
That the swiftness of McLaren’s response indicates they get how high the stakes are. Dealers will inspect all potentially affected vehicles, free of charge, and as necessary, will rework the brake line connections.
McLaren will mail owner notification letters starting April 17, 2015, but concerned owners can reach out to McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916 or on the NHTSA’s recall page for this specific action.
Part of a Larger Pattern?
According to industry analysts, this is not the first recall for McLaren. In 2023, another futuristic hybrid, the McLaren Artura, was recalled for fears that it could catch fire because of the risk of water in the battery system.
Last year, the high-performance 765LT and open-cockpit Elva models were recalled for suspension issues caused by bolts that were not properly torqued.
These repeated problems with quality control is a second source of doubt for me wrt McLaren’s operation, this time I’m doubting McLaren’s manufacturing processes, especially now that they are adding further models and increasing production numbers.
While it still makes far fewer cars than the leading luxury brands McLaren has grown substantially since it introduced its first modern road car, the MP4-12C, in 2011.
Perhaps a part of the reason the company has less control is because of its growing dependence on third-party suppliers. In the recall documentation they issued with respect to the current brake line recall, McLaren pinned the assembly failure on a particular supplier.
Like just about any low-volume, high-complexity manufacturer, McLaren relies on suppliers of specialized components to supply most of the car’s most important systems, giving it several points in the manufacturing process at which quality control has to be maintained.
The Technological Paradox
The brake line routing problem is typical of a growing problem for all supercar makers: As car systems get more and more sophisticated, the possibility of a subtle, yet very important, error rises.
In today’s performance cars, there are intricately woven webs of sensors and computers and other mechanical bits working together in perfect harmony.
The McLaren GT, along with its siblings, utilizes high-tech electrohydraulics to handle its massive power.
The anti-lock braking and stability control systems involved in this recall are but a small portion of the computerized systems which make it possible for these vehicles to achieve their incredible performance levels.
That technological magic — at the leading edge of the decades-long evolution of increasingly complex systems meant to tame powerful machines — gives rise to a paradox: Those systems meant to make the high-performance deepwater work safer and more understandable can, when they fail, generate new risks.
A traditional-brake-by-wire-no-nanny vehicle might be less manageable at the limit, but it is also less exposed to some forms of electronic or assembly defects.
Broader Implications for the Industry
McLaren’s recall is part of a growing trend in the automotive sector in which as cars become more complex they are subjected to more rigorous testing and quality checks.
Heck, even companies with sterling engineering reputations aren’t immune to an occasional screw loosening or wheel falling off, especially when they are pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished in automotive performance.
This fact is driving many of the high end manufacturers to bitter up and pour more money into sophisticated quality monitoring and diagnostics.
The capability to catch potential problems before they get to customers — or to fix them very quickly when they do — has become as critical a competency as the engineering innovation itself.
This recall is both a threat and an opportunity for McLaren. They can show their rapid, transparent response to the safety issue, all of which helps restore consumer faith in its dedication to both quality and safety.
The recall can also inform future manufacturing processes and quality control mechanisms.
For Owners and Enthusiasts
For existing McLaren customers, especially those with GTs who may possibly be affected by the recall, the proactive nature of McLaren’s decision-making is likely to come as some comfort.
The inspection is simple which includes a visual check of the routing of the brake line and if needed, correction by factory trained personnel.
For the aficionado or the prospective buyer of McLaren, this could be another matter. Recalls are nothing new in the automotive world (in any segment), but they do provide some indication of a manufacturer’s quality control and troubleshooting philosophies.
In this instance, McLaren’s searching examination and conservative inclusion of cars other than potentially affected ones in the recall indicates a praiseworthy commitment to the welfare of its customers.
Industry analysts say anyone who covets a supercar should think of a manufacturer’s record of recalls not so much as an assurance of reliability, but as one more data point to weigh in deciding whether to buy one.
How a company reacts to problems that it identifies – in the speed, depth and openness with which recalls are done – often says more about a company’s values than the fact of a recall.
As McLaren grows its line-up of products and capabilities, the brand battles to remain known as an engineering brand, while having the same standard for quality control.
The latest recall over brake lines provides some valuable lessons that any future assembly process and supplier relationships will have to factor in.
For the wider supercar business, the last few days will have served as a reminder that even the snazziest vehicles on the market are not beyond the odd design fault. With increased performance envelopes and more complex vehicle systems, finding the sweet spot between innovation and proven performance is more important than ever.
But despite this momentary low, the McLaren GT still sets a substantial benchmark among grand touring supercars. It demonstrates how the modern supercar can be a car of great performance and comfortable enough to cover big miles, and it does all this with looks that are as dramatic as its performance.
Once this recall is taken care of, though, KTM and Husqvarna 790 Adventure and Adventure R riders can return to wringing out these amazing machines with a little extra confidence in their safety systems — and a healthy respect for the ultimately sophisticated engineering that makes their bike’s remarkable capabilities possible.
McLaren’s approach to this brake system problem, however, is the epitome of how a racing company should respond to such adversity: discover the issue, understand why it happened, make changes to address the issue, and carry what it learned forward.
It’s an attitude that has served the brand well on tracks across the globe, and one that should help keep it’s esteemed place in the pecking order of supercars for years to come.
