Used Bentley Continental GT (Mk2, 2010-2018) review - What should you look out for?
First-rate build quality should inspire confidence, but budgeting for costly repairs and maintenance is essential
Bentley is owned by Volkswagen – the Continental GT sits on a platform shared with the Phaeton luxury saloon – so reliability shouldn’t be an issue. The hand-built interior oozes quality, while the infotainment system was built in-house by Bentley. Just be aware that when something does go wrong, it won’t be cheap.
Common used Bentley Continental problems
Economy
The V8 unit had cylinder-deactivation from the outset, but the W12 engine didn’t get this fuel-saving tech until summer 2015.
Emissions
The W12 can run on petrol that contains anything up to 85 per cent ethanol, a biofuel that helps reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
Spare wheel
Most Continental GTs have a tyre-inflation kit, but a space-saver spare wheel could be fitted at extra cost, and is worth looking out for.
Gearbox
The eight-speed automatic gearbox is reliable, but the six-speed unit isn’t so great. The latter is also costly to fix, so look out for the eight-speed.
Recalls
The second-generation Continental GT has been recalled four times so far. In October 2015, 3,642 Continental GTs, GTCs and Flying Spurs were subject to an action because of the possibility of an electrical short circuit, potentially leading to a fire. In January 2019, 548 Continental GTs built throughout 2018 were recalled because the power steering could fail.
Bentley then issued two recalls in July 2019, both because of electrical problems. The first recall affected 830 Continental GTs, which could suffer from failure of the hazard warning lights and demisters. The second recall of 2019, and the most recent, involved 802 Continental GTs and GTCs, which were built with wiring looms that could become trapped or snagged, leading to chafing and electrical short circuits in the system.
