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One of the world’s premier supercars hit with recall over fire risk

The McLaren Senna could be quite literally too hot to handle for some owners if they don’t respond to a recent recall.

One of the world’s top supercars, the Senna has been called in by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over a fault that could increase the risk of a fire.

Several other McLaren models, namely the 720S, GT, and 570GT, also have the same issue. It centers on a noise- and vibration-reducing foam pad located beneath the fuel tank that may retain moisture. The condition could cause the tank to corrode, potentially leading to a fuel leak. And as the NHTSA’s recall notice points out, “A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.”

The NHTSA says 2,763 McLaren vehicles in the U.S. are affected by the recall, 157 of them Senna cars.

McLaren will get in touch with owners to arrange an appointment to get the issue fixed, though the British supercar maker is yet to provide a notification schedule.

The remedy work will involve the removal of the foam pad from the vehicle, along with an inspection and possible replacement of the fuel tank on the Senna, 720S, and 570GT models. McLaren is yet to finalize the remedy for the GT, the NHTSA said.

Owners can contact McLaren directly through its customer service line at 1-646-429-8916. Additionally, you can also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or visit safercar.gov

We’ve reached out to McLaren to find out if any of the recalled models have already suffered a fire, and if anyone has been injured, and will update this article when we hear back.

Named after legendary Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, who won three championships with McLaren, the ultra-cool supercar launched in 2018 with a $1 million price tag. Only 500 have been built.

Supercar recalls do happen from time to time. A couple of years back, Ford, for example, recalled 112 GT vehicles in North America over an issue that had the potential to cause a fire. At least one owner’s vehicle went up in flames, though fortunately no one was hurt in the incident.

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Trevor Mogg
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