MP4-12C

McLaren MP4-12C Recalls

All 1 NHTSA recall campaigns on the McLaren MP4-12C (2013–2013) — what failed, what it risks, how it gets fixed, and how many years passed before the defect was admitted.

NHTSA campaigns · 1 campaigns · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Quick answer

The McLaren MP4-12C has 1 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2013–2013. On average a defect was admitted 5 years after the car was built, the slowest took 5 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (1 campaigns). Owners also filed 6 complaints on this model — see what breaks.

What was recalled on the McLaren MP4-12C

Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.

Air Bags 100% 1 Read
2013 McLaren MP4-12C · 18V007000 · admitted after 5 years

What's wrong. McLaren Automotive Incorporated (McLaren) is recalling certain 2013 MP4-12C vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature…

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death

Fix. McLaren will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. Owners may contact McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916

How long a defect stays unadmitted

Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.

FIG.03·McLaren MP4-12C — how fast defects were admitted
MeasureValue
Average gap before admission5 years
Slowest campaign5 years
Admitted 5+ years later100%
Campaigns on record1
ROWS 4·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

Which MP4-12C years were recalled most

Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.

FIG.04·McLaren MP4-12C recalls by model year
Model yearCampaignsMost recalled system
20131Air Bags
ROWS 1·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

Check your own car

A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveOpen campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusWhether the free fix has already been carried out on this car
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar
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Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does the McLaren MP4-12C have?

1 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2013–2013. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.

Is recall work free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.

How do I know if my MP4-12C still has an open recall?

Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.

Why did a defect take years to be recalled?

On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 5 years, and the slowest campaign came 5 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.