The Lemon Index
McLaren's 3.8 L twin-turbo 90° flat-plane V8 in the 650S / 12C and 570S / 540C, model years 2012–2020. YouTube likes the 2012 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 53/100, #51 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 20 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2012–2020, about any part of the car. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2012 (55) and least about the 2017 (51); 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 650S / 12C | 5 | 55 (52 videos) | 0 |
| 2014 | 650S / 12C | 4 | 52 (48 videos) | 1 |
| 2015 | 650S / 12C | 3 | 52 (36 videos) | 0 |
| 2016 | 650S / 12C, 570S / 540C | 1 | 52 (139 videos) | 0 |
| 2017 | 570S / 540C | 3 | 51 (53 videos) | 0 |
| 2018 | 570S / 540C | 0 | 54 (53 videos) | 0 |
| 2019 | 570S / 540C | 2 | 53 (51 videos) | 0 |
| 2020 | 570S / 540C | 2 | 53 (51 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 1
None of them is about the engine itself.
13V541000 Visibility · McLaren 650S / 12C 2014
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 McLaren told dealers about
McLaren sent dealers 26 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Engine Coolant Pump Leak Diagnostics
- Engine Warning Light ON With or Without Engine Running Issues
- Sports Series - Fuel Adaptions with Engine Warning Light
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 |
|---|---|
| McLaren 650S / 12C 650S Can-Am, 650S Coupe, 650S Spider, 675LT Coupe, 675LT Spider, MP4-12C Coupe ... | 2012–16 |
| McLaren 570S / 540C 540C Coupe, 570GT, 570S Coupe, 570S Spider, 600LT Coupe, 600LT Spider | 2016–20 |
Engine codes: M838T (12C, 650S, 675LT), M838TE (540C, 570S, 600LT, 620R). Assembled by Ricardo in Shoreham-by-Sea, UK. Power: 533–666 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: McLaren M838T engine · McLaren 570S.
Quick answers
What cars have the McLaren M838T engine?
In the US: the McLaren 650S / 12C, McLaren 570S / 540C, model years 2012–2020. See the version table for each one.
Is the McLaren M838T reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 53/100, #51 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Its cars had 1 recalls (0 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the McLaren M838T make?
533–666 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.