Bentley Bentayga Reliability & Common Problems

Is the Bentley Bentayga reliable?

The Bentley Bentayga is a reliable car, but with lower sales volumes its slighty harder to determine where it sits compared to rivals. Broadly speaking, you shouldn't have any major concerns considering this is a luxury car from a well-known luxury brand, and any issues or recalls on early models will have been ironed out by previous owners.

The Bentayga shares most of its parts with the Audi Q7, which according to the What Car? reliability survey, is a well-screwed together SUV, finishing second in the luxury SUV class. This should give you some peace of mind that the Bentayga is a reliable option and, in the event it goes wrong, you can take comfort in Bentley's bespoke customer service and strong dealer network.

Engine: W12 camshaft failures have been reported but are rare. Check for oil and fluid leaks and split vacuum hose pipes. Some diesels have suffered failure of the AdBlue pump.

Servicing: Bentley’s two-year inspection finance plan stops at 2017-reg cars. For a 2017-reg Bentayga, it charges £135 per month plus parts. An official Bentley service stamp is worth a lot but, inevitably, many cars eventually leave the network. In that case, favour a Bentayga that has since been serviced by a reputable independent garage employing Bentley-trained staff using the correct tools. Such a place is likely to charge around £750 for a minor service and £1400 for a major, both prices including parts.

Gearbox: Check the operation of the standard fit eight-speed auto ’box in all modes.

Steering and suspension: Check the ride modes and ensure the car sits square on its air springs. There was a safety recall in 2016 involving Bentayga diesels and concerning the possible loss of power steering assistance due to a poor earth connection.

An owner’s view

Gordon Gray: “I have owned Bentleys for 25 years and currently have three. None of my cars have ever failed me. I’ve owned my Bentayga W12 for two and a half years.

It was registered in 2018 and has covered 45,000 miles. I use it to tow my boat, which it does superbly. I don’t want to think what it does to the gallon when it does so, but on its own it does 19mpg. Although it had a full Bentley service history when I bought it, I have it serviced by an independent specialist close to me in Exeter. The most recent, 40,000- mile service cost £700.”

Also worth knowing

Bentaygas sold under the manufacturer’s Certified by Bentley approved used scheme are comprehensively checked and backed with a 12-month warranty.

This comes at a price but also with the reassurance that you are buying from the experts. The cheapest Certified Bentayga we saw was a 2018-reg diesel, priced at just under £70,000 or around half what it cost new. The car had done 51 ,000 miles. Next cheapest was a W12 First Edition, registered in 2017. It had done 40,000 miles and was priced at around £75,000.

Matt Saunders

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.