Recalls: Several Porsche 918 examples recalled over rear-axle control arm woes

When one dollies up about $845,000 for a new car, expectations for perfection aren’t irrational. But it seems over-engineering and eye-watering price tags still don’t buy perfection as Porsche and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have just issued a recall for five US-spec 918 Spyder supercars over problems with the rear-axle control arms. A total of 45 units worldwide are affected.

There’s a risk of the arms just flat-out breaking under use, and that’s not good by any stretch of means, especially at the speeds the 918 Spyder is capable of. Should a control arm fail, one could immediately lose control of their precious 918. Porsche is obviously on call to repair and replace all affected cars, free of charge.

No incidents and accidents have been reported, though Porsche stumbled upon the issue in June during the 918’s heavy-duty durability testing at the Nardo test track in Italy, where the automaker found and began investigating problematic parts while issuing a stop-sale.

Check out the press release after the jump.

RECALL Subject : Rear Axle Control Arms may Break

Report Receipt Date: JUL 28, 2014
NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V457000
Component(s):
Potential Number of Units Affected: 5
All Products Associated with this Recall close
Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s)
PORSCHE 918 SPYDER 2015

Details
Manufacturer: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

SUMMARY:
Porsche Cars of North America, Inc. (Porsche) is recalling certain model year 2015 918 Spyder vehicles manufactured May 7, 2014, to June 18, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with rear-axle control arms that may break, causing difficulty controlling the vehicle.

CONSEQUENCE:
If the control arms break, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

REMEDY:
Porsche will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the control arms, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Porsche customer service at 1-800-767-7243. Porsche’s number for this recall is AE03.

NOTES:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

– By: Chris Chin

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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