Photo: Bugatti
The peeps at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. are known for their excessive attention to detail, which is only natural if you remember that a Chiron retails at €2.4 million and hits 420 kph (261 mph). Be that as it may, don’t forget that we’re dealing with a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which doesn’t have the same quality-centric persona as Toyota.
The federal watchdog lists no fewer than four safety recalls for the 2018 model year Chiron, starting with improperly welded seat recliner seatbacks, side airbags that may not deploy as intended, and an electronic stability control malfunction. The latest field action concerns one unit from the 2018 model year, a quad-turbo land missile that may feature an unsecured frame support because one of the two screws of the frame support may be loose.
The chronology of events begins on March 3rd when Bugatti discovered that the torque wrench system didn’t tighten screws to the desired specification. The French automaker immediately performed an internal check of all production cars assembled prior to March 3rd, regarding screwing protocols and torque procedures. Following another investigation with internal and third-party experts, Bugatti singled out just one example that needs fixing.
Originally delivered stateside to U.S. specification, the Chiron in question had its VIN redacted in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most likely to protect the identity of the owner. Given the people who own these cars, that’s preferential treatment indeed.
As per the attached document, “one of two screws is 50 percent below the defined torque,” namely 9 Nm instead of the minimum 19 Nm. In the event of a crash, the frame support may not fulfill its functionality, increasing the risk of injury. Owner notification via first-class mail is expected no later than May 2nd, but since this is Bugatti, after-sales personnel and franchised service partners will also inform the mystery customer by phone or email.
Oh, the perks of owning a nice car…
The chronology of events begins on March 3rd when Bugatti discovered that the torque wrench system didn’t tighten screws to the desired specification. The French automaker immediately performed an internal check of all production cars assembled prior to March 3rd, regarding screwing protocols and torque procedures. Following another investigation with internal and third-party experts, Bugatti singled out just one example that needs fixing.
Originally delivered stateside to U.S. specification, the Chiron in question had its VIN redacted in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most likely to protect the identity of the owner. Given the people who own these cars, that’s preferential treatment indeed.
As per the attached document, “one of two screws is 50 percent below the defined torque,” namely 9 Nm instead of the minimum 19 Nm. In the event of a crash, the frame support may not fulfill its functionality, increasing the risk of injury. Owner notification via first-class mail is expected no later than May 2nd, but since this is Bugatti, after-sales personnel and franchised service partners will also inform the mystery customer by phone or email.
Oh, the perks of owning a nice car…
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