The Lemon Index
Bentley's 6.0 L twin-turbo W12 in the Continental GT and Bentayga / Bentayga Speed, model years 2010–2024. YouTube likes the 2018 best.
Middle of the pack: YouTube owner tone 52/100, #60 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 2 engine-related recalls on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 11 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2010–2024, 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 2018 (57) and least about the 2022 (47); 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 | Continental GT | 0 | 50 (75 videos) | 1 |
| 2011 | Continental GT | 0 | 50 (72 videos) | 1 |
| 2012 | Continental GT | 1 | 48 (71 videos) | 1 |
| 2013 | Continental GT | 0 | 51 (68 videos) | 0 |
| 2014 | Continental GT | 0 | 51 (68 videos) | 0 |
| 2015 | Continental GT | 0 | 51 (69 videos) | 0 |
| 2016 | Continental GT | 0 | 51 (69 videos) | 0 |
| 2017 | Bentayga / Bentayga Speed, Continental GT | 9 | 56 (77 videos) | 2 |
| 2018 | Bentayga / Bentayga Speed, Continental GT | 1 | 57 (75 videos) | 4 |
| 2020 | Bentayga / Bentayga Speed, Continental GT | 0 | 52 (51 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | Continental GT, Bentayga / Bentayga Speed | 0 | 52 (53 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | Continental GT, Bentayga / Bentayga Speed | 0 | 47 (50 videos) | 0 |
| 2023 | Continental GT, Bentayga / Bentayga Speed | 0 | 57 (53 videos) | 0 |
| 2024 | Continental GT | 0 | 55 (53 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 7
2 of them are about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
23V592000 Fuel System, Gasoline · Bentley Bentayga 2017–18
The fuel supply module wiring can overheat and melt the flange, resulting in a fuel leak.
15V688000 Electrical System · Bentley Continental GT 2012
20V092000 Air Bags · Bentley Bentayga 2018
In the event of a crash, the side curtain air bags may not properly inflate.
20V154000 Seat Belts · Bentley Bentayga 2018
The third-row upper seat belt attachment may not stay connected to the vehicle in the event of a crash.
18V632000 Back Over Prevention · Bentley Bentayga 2018
When reverse gear has been selected, the rearview camera display may be obstructed or may not be fully visible within two seconds.
Show all 7
16V816000 Seats · Bentley Bentayga 2017
During the assembly process, the affected vehicles may not have had the seat mechanism and instrument panel joints properly tightened.
13V484000 Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Bentley Continental GT 2010–11
In the affected vehicles, the stainless steel screws that secure the brake roto.
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 Bentley told dealers about
Bentley sent dealers 273 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- New Continental GT/GTC, New Flying Spur and Bentayga - Low Oil Pressure Warning During Early Vehicle Life -…
- W12 - Oil leak from engine Technical Background: -The breather return line and the oil dipstick tube Orings…
- W12 TSI Camshaft Phaser Position Related DTC Customer Statement: -Customer reporting (Emission Control…
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 |
|---|---|
| Bentley Continental GT Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible, Continental GT Convertible Speed, Continental GT Speed, Continental GT Speed Convertible ... | 2010–24 |
| Bentley Bentayga Bentayga, Bentayga Speed | 2017–23 |
Engine codes: EA398 family (BWR / BEB, Speed: CKHC / BWRA). Hand-built by Bentley in Crewe; production ended in 2024. Power: 552–700 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Volkswagen Group W12 engine · Bentley Continental GT · End of an era as final Bentley W12 engine hand-built in Crewe (The Manufacturer).
Quick answers
What cars have the Bentley 6.0 W12 engine?
In the US: the Bentley Continental GT, Bentley Bentayga / Bentayga Speed, model years 2010–2024. See the version table for each one.
Is the Bentley 6.0 W12 reliable?
Mostly, with known issues to check. YouTube owner tone 52/100, #60 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the middle third); 2 engine-related recalls on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Its cars had 7 recalls (2 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Bentley 6.0 W12 make?
552–700 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.