Bentley is a British carmaker founded in 1919, now part of Volkswagen Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United Kingdom 100%. 9 models are tracked here (1984–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.4 out of 5 across 9 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury automaker headquartered in Crewe, England, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group through Audi AG. Founded by W.O. Bentley in 1919, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times in the 1920s, was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931, and was sold to Volkswagen Group in 1998 in a transaction that gave VW the Bentley factory and brand while BMW received Rolls-Royce. Bentley's modern lineup centers on the Continental GT grand tourer (since 2003), the Flying Spur sport sedan, the Bentayga SUV (the brand's first SUV, launched 2016) and the Mulsanne (discontinued 2020 but historically the brand's flagship). Bentley produces approximately 14,000-15,000 hand-finished vehicles per year, all built in Crewe by craftspeople who hand-stitch leather upholstery in patterns named after British landscapes. Bentley's parent Volkswagen Group trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as VOW3. Recall data for every Bentley VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Bentley VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
W.O. Bentley founded Bentley Motors in 1919 with a focus on motorsport — the Bentley Boys Le Mans victories in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 established the brand's reputation. Financial struggles forced sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931, and Bentley operated as a Rolls-Royce sub-brand for 67 years. Volkswagen acquired the company and the Crewe factory in 1998, while BMW separately acquired the Rolls-Royce name. The 2003 Continental GT, the first independent Bentley product since 1931, redefined the modern grand tourer.
| Bentley | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founded by | Walter Owen Bentley |
| Headquarters | Crewe, United Kingdom |
| Owned by | Volkswagen Group |
| Slogan | «Driven by Dreams» |
| Models tracked here | 8 (1984–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: W12 twin-turbo engine (legacy), Mulliner bespoke trim, Bentley Rotating Display, Active All-Wheel Drive, Hand-stitched diamond quilting.
This page covers Bentley Motors Limited, the Volkswagen Group brand — not the W.O. Bentley engineering company (a separate post-1935 venture) or any unrelated Bentley surname uses.
Where Bentley cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 5 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United Kingdom | SJA | 2017–2019 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Bentley beginning SJA was assembled in the United Kingdom.
All Bentley models 9
Every Bentley model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Bentley SUVs & crossovers 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Bentayga | 2017–2026 | 30 | 11 | 21 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Bentley Cars & sedans 7
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Continental | 1984–2026 | 47 | 1 | 19 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Flying Spur | 2014–2026 | 7 | — | 19 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Mulsanne | 1984–2020 | 12 | — | 14 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Arnage | 1999–2009 | 11 | — | 13 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Azure | 1996–2010 | 14 | 1 | 12 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Turbo | 1989–1998 | — | — | 12 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Brooklands | 1993–2010 | 3 | — | 12 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Bentley More models 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Eight | 1987–1992 | 3 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
Bentley by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Bentley | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 127 campaigns | Most recalled: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings |
| Owner complaints | 13+ filed | Most reported: Bentayga |
| Fuel economy | 21 mpg best | Leader: Bentayga |
| Insurance | $8,030/yr typical | Cheapest: Bentayga |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Bentley hybrids & electric models
Bentley's electrified lineup — 3 hybrids. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Bentley hybrids 3
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Continental | 1984–2026 | 19 | 47 | 4.5/5 |
| Bentley Bentayga | 2017–2026 | 21 | 30 | 3.5/5 |
| Bentley Flying Spur | 2014–2026 | 19 | 7 | 4.5/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Bentley window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Bentley's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Bentley window stickers →How to read a Bentley VIN
Every Bentley built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Bentley and the country it was built in (real Bentley codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- UKSCB · SJA
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Run it through our free VIN lookup to turn those digits into a model year, an assembly plant and a country of origin.
Who owns Bentley, and what you get
Bentley belongs to Volkswagen Group. Bentley competes in the ultra-luxury segment against Rolls-Royce (its former parent and now corporate sibling under different ownership), Mercedes-Maybach, Aston Martin and (for the Bentayga SUV) Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover SVAutobiography. Bentley positions on craftsmanship and performance simultaneously — Continental GT Speed and Flying Spur Speed compete with sports sedans on track times while delivering hand-built interiors that take 100+ hours per car to complete.
| Bentley | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | the United Kingdom |
| Ownership | Volkswagen Group |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United Kingdom |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Bentley models actually start to break →
Bentley — frequently asked
Is Bentley british?
Bentley is a British company, headquartered in Crewe and founded in 1919. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Bentley vehicles in our records were assembled in the United Kingdom.
Where are Bentley cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United Kingdom (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Bentley?
Bentley is part of Volkswagen Group.
How many Bentley models are there?
We track 9 Bentley models spanning 1984–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Bentley warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Bentley reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Bentley model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.