NHTSA vehicle safety data

2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider Recalls & Complaints

The 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 3 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mclaren dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider owner complaints

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider, describing incidents dated September 5, 2016 to January 1, 2018.

Most-cited components

Exterior Lighting 3 complaints

Newest complaints

ODI #11097573 · Filed May 23, 2018
ORIGINAL HEADLIGHTS DEVELOPED OPAQUE SPOTTING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CLEAR HOUSING, WHICH IF LEFT UNCHECKED WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED THE LIGHT OUTPUT AND NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE EVENTUALLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS HAD A DEFECT IN THE OUTER…
ODI #11097572 · Filed May 23, 2018
THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON BOTH SIDES ARE GROWING A MOLD AND FOGGING. THE FOGGING IS GRADUALLY WORSENING, AND, AT SOME POINT, WILL COMPROMISE THE LIGHT EMITTED AND RESULT IN GLARE. IT IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE IN THESE CARS, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT MCLAREN REFUSES TO REPLACE THE LENSES…
ODI #11081352 · Filed March 26, 2018
THE INTERIOR OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES IS BEING OVERTAKEN WITH MOLD AND THE EXTERIOR IS PEELING/DEGRADING. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AFFECTING THIS MODEL THAT USED TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT HAS NOT BEEN COVERED IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. THE MOLD AND EXTERIOR…

Read all 3 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA21-002: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Open since September 17, 2021

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Windshield Wiper Motor may not Function

NHTSA #13V541000 · Visibility — Windshield Wiper/Washer — Motor · NHTSA notice

Reported October 30, 2013 · McLaren Automotive Incorporated

Potentially affected: 376 vehicles

Repair completion: 86.17% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified December 19, 2013 · Vehicles built October 10, 2011 – October 23, 2013 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

McLaren Automotive, Inc. (McLaren) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 MP4 12-C Spider and Coupe vehicles manufactured October 10, 2011, through October 23, 2013 and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Due to a combination of high ambient temperatures and humidity, the wiper motor brushes may jam causing the wiper motor to stop working.

Safety consequence

Non-functioning wipers during inclement weather may be reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

McLaren will notify will notify owners and dealers will replace the wiper motors, free of charge. Vehicles outside of the recall area will have a lifetime warranty on their wiper motors that fail for this issue. The recall began on December 19, 2013. Owners may contact McLaren at 1-646-429-8916.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

3 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11097573

Incident: May 13, 2017 · Filed: May 23, 2018

ORIGINAL HEADLIGHTS DEVELOPED OPAQUE SPOTTING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CLEAR HOUSING, WHICH IF LEFT UNCHECKED WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED THE LIGHT OUTPUT AND NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE EVENTUALLY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS HAD A DEFECT IN THE OUTER LAMINATION WHICH WAS PEALING AS SOON AS IT WAS INSTALLED. BOTH INTERIOR SPOTTING/ MOLD FORMATION AND EXTERIOR DELAMINATION IS A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM WITH MCLAREN 12C HEADLIGHTS. REPLACMENT HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT IMPROVED FROM THE ORIGINALS AND ARE PRONE TO EVENTUALLY DEVELOP SPOTTING AND OR DELAMINATION. RECENTLY MCLAREN HAS BEEN REFUSING TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS EVEN UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO COMPROMISED LIGHT OUTPUT.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11097572

Incident: January 1, 2018 · Filed: May 23, 2018

THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ON BOTH SIDES ARE GROWING A MOLD AND FOGGING. THE FOGGING IS GRADUALLY WORSENING, AND, AT SOME POINT, WILL COMPROMISE THE LIGHT EMITTED AND RESULT IN GLARE. IT IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE IN THESE CARS, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT MCLAREN REFUSES TO REPLACE THE LENSES FOR ANYONE WHO HAS TRIED TO GET THIS DONE BY THEIR DEALERS, MYSELF INCLUDED. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IS IN VIOLATION OF YOUR REGULATIONS S5.1.2 (B) AND (C): HTTPS://WWW.GPO.GOV/FDSYS/PKG/CFR-2004-TITLE49-VOL5/XML/CFR-2004-TITLE49-VOL5-SEC571-108.XML IT IS ESTIMATED THAT, OF THE 3400 MP4-12C CARS IN THE US ALONE, ABOUT 40% OF THEM HAVE THE PROBLEM. I CAN NOT VOUCH FOR THIS NUMBER, BUT ON A MCLAREN FORUM, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN NOTED BY MANY OWNERS AND THEIR DEALERSHIPS WERE UNABLE TO GET MCLAREN TO AUTHORIZE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. IT IS ALSO NOTED THAT KOENIGSEGG CARS HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM, AND THAT NHTSA DID TAKE ACTION. PHOTOS ARE ATTACHED, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SHOW HOW BAD IT REALLY IS WITH THE PHOTOS. APPROXIMATELY 30% OF THE LENS SURFACE IS INVOLVED ON THE RIGHT, AND 20% ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND IT IS PROGRESSING. THE HEADLIGHT DESIGN FAILED TO MEET THE STANDARD THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE SUCH ISSUES WHEN EXPOSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. MY CAR HAS HAD NO ACCIDENTS OR ANY SPECIFIC INJURY TO THE HEADLIGHTS.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11081352

Incident: September 5, 2016 · Filed: March 26, 2018

THE INTERIOR OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES IS BEING OVERTAKEN WITH MOLD AND THE EXTERIOR IS PEELING/DEGRADING. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AFFECTING THIS MODEL THAT USED TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT HAS NOT BEEN COVERED IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. THE MOLD AND EXTERIOR PEELING ARE GETTING THE THE POINT OF ENCROACHING UPON THE LIGHT BEAM ITSELF AND IF THE RATE OF MOLD GROWTH CONTINUES, WILL CERTAINLY GET TO THE POINT OF TOTAL BLOCKAGE.

Other Mclaren MP4-12C Spider model years

Check your 2014 Mclaren MP4-12C Spider VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mclaren MP4-12C Spider at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Mclaren VIN