The Lemon Index
Bugatti's 8.0 L quad-turbo W16 in the Veyron and Chiron, model years 2010–2024. YouTube likes the 2019 best.
Less liked than most on YouTube: YouTube owner tone 44/100, #120 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the bottom third); 2 engine-related recalls on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. We found no government complaints we can tie to this engine's cars. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2019 (45) and least about the 2010 (42); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Veyron | 0 | 42 (131 videos) | 2 |
| 2011 | Veyron | 0 | 42 (131 videos) | 0 |
| 2012 | Veyron | 0 | 42 (131 videos) | 0 |
| 2013 | Veyron | 0 | 43 (132 videos) | 0 |
| 2014 | Veyron | 0 | 43 (132 videos) | 0 |
| 2015 | Veyron | 0 | 43 (132 videos) | 0 |
| 2018 | Chiron | 0 | 44 (75 videos) | 5 |
| 2019 | Chiron | 0 | 45 (76 videos) | 2 |
| 2020 | Chiron | 0 | 45 (76 videos) | 3 |
| 2021 | Chiron | 0 | 44 (75 videos) | 2 |
| 2022 | Chiron | 0 | 44 (75 videos) | 2 |
| 2023 | Chiron | 0 | 44 (75 videos) | 2 |
| 2024 | Chiron | 0 | 45 (76 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 10
2 of them are about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
20V731000 Power Train · Bugatti Chiron 2020
The rear left-hand driveshaft may break.
16V200000 Fuel System, Gasoline · Bugatti Veyron 2010
In the affected vehicles, the fuel tank gauge may indicate that there is more fuel in the t.
24V096000 Seat Belts · Bugatti Chiron 2018–23
The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts, and the driver has not buckled their seat belt.
23V388000 Wheels · Bugatti Chiron 2023
22V198000 Structure · Bugatti Chiron 2018
Show all 10
21V984000 Tires · Bugatti Chiron 2021–22
After 2,500 miles of usage, the rear tires may develop cracks.
20V732000 Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Bugatti Chiron 2018–20
After an ignition cycle, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) does not automatically default back to the full-function original mode if the Handling Mode is selected on the Drive Mode swit.
18V420000 Air Bags · Bugatti Chiron 2018
The heat shield for the gas generator for the side air bags may have been incorrectly installed during the air bag manufacturing process, potentially reducing the performance of the air bag.
17V764000 Seats · Bugatti Chiron 2018
The front seat recliner brackets may not be welded properly, which can cause the back of the seat to move unexpectedly, affecting the driver's seating position.
16V166000 Structure · Bugatti Veyron 2010
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Bugatti told dealers about
Bugatti sent dealers 1 repair note about the engine on these cars.
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Bugatti Veyron Veyron | 2010–15 |
| Bugatti Chiron Chiron, Chiron Pur Sport, Chiron Super Sport | 2018–24 |
Engine code: no public code. Power: 987–1,578 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Bugatti W16 engine · Bugatti Chiron.
Quick answers
What cars have the Bugatti W16 engine?
In the US: the Bugatti Veyron, Bugatti Chiron, model years 2010–2024. See the version table for each one.
Is the Bugatti W16 reliable?
Not one of the safer bets on our data. YouTube owner tone 44/100, #120 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the bottom third); 2 engine-related recalls on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Its cars had 10 recalls (2 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Bugatti W16 make?
987–1,578 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.