Bentley Issues Recall Because It May Have Put The Wrong Front Driveshaft In 8 Continentals
If you happen to be the proud owner of a 2026 Bentley Continental GT or Continental GTC, you might want to drive carefully. The Volkswagen Group-owned British luxury automaker accidentally installed the wrong front driveshaft in three 2026 Continental GTCs and five Continental GTs. Though this recall does not issue a formal "do not drive" order, Bentley says the issue could result in a loose hub securing nut which can cause abnormal noise, vibration, and steering wheel misalignment, which can increase the risk of a crash.
The NHTSA recall report shows the problem originated with a parts supplier, GKN Automotive Hungary, which was changing manufacturing locations and mistakenly sent Bentley a slightly too-short driveshaft that it installed in these eight cars. Apparently Bentley believes that a mere 1% of these eight cars actually has the defect, but that amounts to 0.08 of the cars involved has the defect, which seems unlikely.
Dealers will be notified tomorrow, owners will be notified next week
Bentley submitted the recall on May 21, but dealers are expected to be notified of the recall by tomorrow, and owners can expect to be notified on or before June 8. As for the remedy, Bentley dealers will inspect the front drive shaft to determine if the too-short drive shaft is present, and if it is, the dealership will replace the incorrect part with the correct one. Since all the affected vehicles are model year 2026 Continental GTs and GTCs, they're all still within their warranty period, so Bentley doesn't need to offer a reimbursement program for this recall.
2026 Bentley Continental GTs and GTCs come standard with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that consists of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 and an electric motor that combine to produce 671 horsepower and 685 lb-ft of torque. That's an awful lot of power to send through a front driveshaft that's too short. Fortunately, the type of person who can afford a brand new Bentley likely has other cars in their garage that they can drive if they're concerned about their Conti's front driveshaft.