McLaren 570S 2015-2019 reliability

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This Woking wonder punches far above its weight

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Is the McLaren 570 reliable?

You can never expect a supercar to be cheap to run, and sure enough, McLaren has a reputation for some problems to creep into its cars with age. Buy carefully though, and the 570 could be a dependable companion...

Buyer Beware

Engine: Faulty spark plugs, clogged fuel injectors and ignition problems can cause misfires. Watch for a rough idle and, on a test drive, fluctuations in power.

McLaren’s carbonfibre ‘Monocell’ tub finds another application here, this time clothed in cheaper aluminium body panels instead of composite ones
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

Gearbox: Clutch slippage or sluggish gearchanges are rare but not uncommon. A positioning fault in the transmission can cause the 'box to select only the even-numbered gears. A misplaced locating screw can knock the gear positions out of sync. Rectifying this and flushing the gearbox will cure the problem.

Glass: Look out for cracks in the windscreen and rear window - the lightweight glass is prone to stress fractures.

Rust: Check the doors, front and rear wings and engine cover for corrosion. Aluminium wasn't always treated properly before being painted, so it can corrode. The front splitter may be scuffed and need replacing if the car isn't fitted with the nose lift system (or if the nose lift wasn't used over speed bumps).

McLaren 570S 2015-2019 news

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Series finale: Saying goodbye to the McLaren 570S
Series finale: Saying goodbye to the McLaren 570S
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All-new entry-level McLaren to be 600bhp-plus V6 PHEV
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Exclusive: McLaren plans to sell stake in F1 team to secure future

Suspension: A clunking noise when travelling over bumps at low speed is often caused by leaking front dampers. They're expensive to replace, and even refurbished items can cost over £1500.

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Bodywork & wheels: Make sure diamond-cut alloys aren't suffering from white worm, and check that the dihedral doors are free of scuffs.

Also worth knowing

If you're after a convertible sports car, the 570S Spider is an equally fine choice. It weighs 46kg more than the coupé, but it's still a mega-talented sports car.

While maintaining the 570S/GT through a McLaren dealership is probably the easiest way to service and repair the car, there are lots of reputable independent UK specialists, such as Thorney Motorsport in Northampton, XPI Technical in Essex and V Engineering in Berkshire.

An owner's view

Phil Robinson: "I sold my 997-gen Porsche 911 back in April and bought my McLaren 570S shortly after that. I was immediately drawn to the specification of my car, which is fitted with the carbonfibre bucket seats from the P1, a Bang & Olufsen stereo and Alcantara dashboard.

"It ticks every box for what a supercar should offer, and it's great value for money. The V8 is responsive, it's lightweight and it will hit 120mph in just 10sec. Maintenance costs are surprisingly reasonable: a major service with McLaren Is £1600, or £695 from highly regarded independent specialist V Engineering."

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.