Some recalls from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affect serious problems that rectify issues that could result in the injury or death of drivers. This isn't one of them. NHTSA issued a recall for one Bugatti Chiron in the US to tighten a loose screw.
If you own the Chiron with an assembly date of November 16, 2017, get ready to take your hypercar to the dealer. Bugatti reports to NHTSA that the installation of one of the two screws holding the front frame support has a torque rating of 9 Newton-meters (6.64 pound-feet), rather than the recommended minimum of 19 Nm (14.01 lb-ft).
Gallery: 2016 - Bugatti Chiron
According to the chronology leading to the discovery of this problem, Bugatti found on March 3, 2022, that the torque wrench gave no indication of the affected screw not reaching the minimum required torque amount. The automaker began an internal investigation that day by analyzing the "screw connection database" for the entire Chiron production run. On March 21, the company decided this car required a recall.
Bugatti will handle the transport of this Chiron to the nearest authorized workshop. The technicians there will check the screw's torque and will tighten it to the correct specification.
Bugatti now has a full order book for the Chiron to fulfill the entire 500-car production run. The final delivery doesn't happen until 2024 if everything goes to the automaker's schedule. The last units to leave the factory are the Pur Sport and Super Sport variants. In fact, Bugatti just delivered the first Super Sport to a customer in April 2022, despite unveiling the version in 2021.
The supercar maker is now prepping to introduce the successor to the Chiron. It's the first new Bugatti to arrive after the company's merger with Rimac. One big change is the intention to hybridize the powertrain. For now, the combustion engine component remains a mystery.
Bugatti plans to show the Chiron successor to its wealthy customers this year to start gathering orders for the new model. The rest of us have to wait until 2024 to see the new hypercar.
