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Campaign 17V005 Posted January 9, 2017 654 units

2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider Recall 17V005: Air Bag Inflator

RN
Reviewed by the RecallNotify editorial team
Published May 25, 2026

Recall 17V005 covers 654 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider vehicles for passenger air bag inflators that can rupture. Repair will be free once available.

McLaren is recalling 654 2012 MP4-12C Spider vehicles because the passenger front air bag inflator can rupture after long-term exposure to humidity and temperature cycling. In a crash, metal fragments can strike occupants and cause serious injury or death; the McLaren dealer repair will be free once available.

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What's wrong?

The passenger frontal air bag inflator in the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider is the small metal device inside the passenger air bag module that produces gas during a crash. When the crash sensors call for deployment, the inflator is supposed to burn its propellant in a controlled way. That gas fills the passenger air bag so it can cushion the occupant.

These vehicles use certain Takata non-desiccated frontal inflators. Non-desiccated means there is no drying agent inside the inflator to absorb moisture. After long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and temperature cycling, the propellant wafers inside the inflator can degrade. If the air bag deploys after that degradation, the propellant can burn too aggressively, create excessive internal pressure, and rupture the inflator body.

There is no warning sign before failure. The problem shows up only if a crash triggers passenger frontal air bag deployment.

Who's affected?

2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider front air bag
Units affected654
Field incidentsNHTSA has logged no field incidents to date.

Not every 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider is on the list. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific car is included.

What's the safety risk?

An air bag inflator rupture can send metal fragments into the cabin, striking occupants and causing serious injury or death. Confirm whether your VIN is included, then contact a McLaren dealer for the repair path. Repair will be free at any franchised McLaren dealer once available.

What should I do?

  1. Check your VIN to confirm your 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider is included in this recall.
  2. Review McLaren's owner letter dated November 13, 2017 if you received one, then follow its instructions for the free dealer repair.
  3. Call McLaren customer service at 1-646-429-8916 and reference recall number 17V005 to confirm current repair instructions.
  4. Ask about the passenger air bag inflator replacement that fixes the inflator rupture risk during a crash.
  5. Bring the recall notice to a franchised McLaren dealer when McLaren confirms the repair path.

What happens at the repair

The final dealer repair is an air bag inflator replacement. Once McLaren opens the repair, a McLaren technician will replace the affected passenger frontal air bag inflator, free under the recall. Parts and labor are covered. McLaren has a general reimbursement plan on file for owners who already paid for this related repair before the recall work was available. Keep repair documentation and contact McLaren customer service to ask how to submit a claim under that plan.

ReimbursementReimbursement available

Timeline

January 9, 2017 NHTSA published the recall
September 11, 2017 VIN-searchable in NHTSA's database — Check your VIN to see whether this recall applies to your specific vehicle.
September 15, 2017 Dealer notification began
September 15, 2017 Interim owner notification (was planned for this date)
October 31, 2017 Dealer notification ended
November 13, 2017 Owner notification mailed

Frequently asked questions

What is recall 17V005?

Recall 17V005 covers 654 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider vehicles with passenger frontal air bag inflators exposed to long-term humidity and temperature cycling. McLaren dealers will replace the affected air bag inflators for free.

What should I do if my 2012 McLaren MP4-12C Spider is on this recall?

Check your VIN to confirm your specific vehicle is included in recall 17V005. If it is, contact a franchised McLaren dealer to schedule the passenger air bag inflator replacement. Reference recall number 17V005 when you call. The repair is free.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Federal recall law requires the manufacturer to repair the defect at no cost. McLaren dealers will replace the affected passenger frontal air bag inflators free of charge, and McLaren customer service is available at 1-646-429-8916.

What is the safety risk?

The safety risk is an inflator rupture during passenger frontal air bag deployment. NHTSA campaign 17V005 states that metal fragments can strike occupants and cause serious injury or death. Confirm your VIN and arrange the free inflator replacement with a franchised McLaren dealer.

What if I bought my McLaren MP4-12C Spider used?

The free repair still applies. This recall covers affected 2012 MP4-12C Spider vehicles originally sold or ever registered in the listed high-humidity areas, regardless of current ownership. Check your VIN, then reference recall number 17V005 when you contact a McLaren dealer.

More information

NHTSA campaign pagenhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/17V005000
McLaren customer service1-646-429-8916
NHTSA recall #17V005
NHTSA recall # (full)17V005000

Source documents

This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 25, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →