570S problems: inspect before you price it, because the comps are thin
McLaren 570S problems are worth researching before you buy. The 570S is a good car with a short list of known faults, and some of them are expensive.
There's a second reason to lead with the inspection: on US sales, there aren't many 570S coupes to compare against. When the price evidence is thin, what the inspection finds does more to set your offer.
Figures are US sales in US dollars from our McLaren 570S Buyer's Report, priced as of October 16, 2026. Sources are named at the end.
How many 570S sales are there to compare?
From our 570S report, US sales in US dollars, priced as of October 16, 2026. The report covers MY2016–2021 US cars: the 570S coupe, 570S Spider and 570GT.
Since 2020, there are only 19 comparable US sales behind the report: 5 coupes, 12 Spiders and 2 570GTs.
| Version | Opening offer | Target | Walk-away | Sales (24 mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 570S coupe | not priced | 3 | ||
| 570S Spider | $110,900 | $118,600 | $158,000 | 7 |
| 570GT | not priced | 1 |
570S coupe: three US sales in 24 months, too few for a target:
- $80,000 at 62,000 miles (MY2016, March 2026)
- $89,000 at 60,500 miles (MY2017, February 2026)
- $125,440 at 10,000 miles (MY2016, August 2025)
A fourth listing, at $89,000 and 60,500 miles a few weeks later, was left out as a probable duplicate of the same car.
570GT: one sale, $111,200 at 25,000 miles (MY2017, August 2026).
570S Spider: the only priced version, and even it is flagged as thin, with 3 sales in the last 12 months. Model year sets the Spider price:
- MY2020: $158,000 and $159,000
- MY2019: three sales, $119,000 median
- MY2018: $109,000 at 32,600 miles and $144,000 at 12,000 miles
The report says to pay near the walk-away only for a 2020 Spider, treat the target as the price for a 2019, and check mileage before paying above target for a 2018.
Spider prices don't transfer directly to a coupe. They're different cars, and the report prices them separately. For a coupe, you're working from three individual sales.
What are the common McLaren 570S problems?
From Exotics Hunter, a US dealer's buyer's guide, and the report's other sources:
Gearbox: the even-gears fault
Every 570 uses a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A misplaced locating screw can leave it selecting only the even gears. It's repairable, but it needs to be found before you buy, not after. Drive through all seven gears, in both automatic and manual mode.
Glass stress cracks
The lightweight windshield and rear-window glass can develop stress cracks. Check both carefully for hairline cracks.
Cooling
Exotics Hunter says the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 is robust when maintained, but it cites one 570S coolant leak that led to a $22,000 repair. No cooling-system records is a reason to ask for money off or walk away. Check the cooling system for leaks and the turbo inlets for cracking.
Doors
Each should open and close fully.
Suspension
One piece of good news: the 570S uses conventional springs and anti-roll bars. There's no hydraulic suspension system to maintain.
McLaren 570S recalls
NHTSA lists three recalls that matter here. Get a McLaren dealer printout for the VIN:
- 19V141000 (2015–2017 570): Takata passenger airbag inflator; dealers replace it.
- 20V231000 (2017–2019 570GT): a foam pad under the fuel tank can hold moisture and corrode the tank, with fuel-leak risk.
- 21V561000 (2020 570S, along with 2019–2020 720S): the brake banjo bolt may lack fluid holes, causing brake failure at one corner.
The brake recall is the one to confirm first on a 2020 car. Open recalls are fixed free at a McLaren dealer, so make the seller book them rather than discounting for them.
Which 570S services should you ask about?
McLaren's schedule calls for a service every 12 months or 9,000 miles, whichever comes first. Services should be done within 30 days or 1,000 miles of the due date to keep warranty products valid.
Function Factory Performance in Thousand Oaks, California, lists clutch and gearbox oil services at 20,000 and 40,000 miles. If one is due, get a written dealer quote and take it off the price.
Can a used 570S get a McLaren warranty?
McLaren Qualified, McLaren's certified pre-owned program in the Americas, covers dealer-inspected cars with at least 12 months of warranty, extendable. McLaren Washington lists extended warranty in 12- or 24-month terms up to the car's 15th year, subject to mileage limits and dealer inspection.
That makes the inspection doubly important. A car that fails warranty eligibility has no factory route, and you should ask whether the car has ever failed one.
570S pre-purchase inspection, step by step
- Dealer recall printout for the VIN.
- Full diagnostic scan of all modules.
- Drive through every gear, automatic and manual mode, to rule out the even-gears fault.
- Glass: windshield and rear window, for stress cracks.
- Cooling system and turbo inlets: leaks and cracking.
- Doors: open and close fully.
- Paint-depth readings on every panel, to find repairs a history report may have missed.
- History: NMVTIS, NICB VINCheck and a history report. None of the 19 comparable US sales since 2020 in our records disclosed an accident or stated a clean history, so treat every car as unknown until you check.
A US exotic pre-purchase inspection is $399 flat at Houston PPI.
How to price a 570S when comps are thin
Because the coupe comps are thin, build your offer in this order. First, find the closest individual sales by version, model year and mileage. Second, run the inspection. Third, take off anything it finds: a due clutch and gearbox service, cooling-system work, or cracked glass. The Huracán has the same problem, with no version priced; see whether Huracán prices are going up.
A coupe with no gearbox check, no glass check and no cooling records hasn't earned a price at the top of its comps. Without the inspection, you don't know what you're paying for.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common McLaren 570S problems?
A misplaced gearbox locating screw that leaves only the even gears selectable, stress cracks in the lightweight glass, and cooling-system leaks. Exotics Hunter cites one coolant leak that cost $22,000 to repair.
Is the McLaren 570S reliable?
Exotics Hunter says its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 is robust when maintained, and the conventional suspension has no hydraulic system to maintain.
What does a 570S pre-purchase inspection cost?
A US exotic pre-purchase inspection is $399 flat at Houston PPI.
The bottom line
The 570S's known problems are specific and checkable: the gearbox locating screw, glass stress cracks and the cooling system. Check them before you talk price. With only a handful of US coupe sales, the inspection is your best pricing tool.
The full report lists every sale by version, with model year and mileage, plus the recalls, warranty routes and seller questions. Get the full McLaren 570S Buyer's Report.
Sources: Exotics Hunter, NHTSA, McLaren, McLaren Washington, Function Factory Performance, Autocar, Houston PPI, NMVTIS, NICB.