Bugatti Recalls Involve Something Called a 'Flying Doctor'
We know the odds of your owning a $3 million Bugatti Chiron are pretty slim, so recall information from the brand doesn’t pertain directly to you. However, it’s sometimes interesting to examine how the other half lives. Have you ever wondered what several million dollars will get you when you spend it on a car that may have left the factory less than perfect?
According to the manufacturer, you are graced by the presence of one of Bugatti’s “Flying Doctors.” These mobile mechanics will begin contacting 47 Chiron owners to schedule dates where they can visit and examine the vehicles for faulty welds in the front seat recliner brackets. The bad welds are only expected to affect one-percent of the total, which works out to a perplexing half a car by our math. But, when you pay a few million for a car, you expect dapper concierge technicians at the ready.
While we don’t know what these Flying Doctors look like, it’s probably pretty safe to assume branded lab coats and top hats are part of the company-mandated uniform. They are also likely to have some kind of elegant cane that can be converted into various tools to examine your car with.
Bloomberg reported that, from there, affected Chirons will be rounded up and transported in an enclosed truck to one of 12 Bugatti dealers in the U.S. for further inspections and repair. The fix involves replacing the entire seating assembly.
Bugatti’s safety report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, “Vehicles will be recalled and customers will receive a letter. Our Flying Doctors will also inform customers individually by phone/then e-mail to arrange an appointment to have the vehicles fixed. Both seats will be checked for proper welding of the recliner. If any seat is found to be welded incorrectly, the complete seat assembly will be replaced. Official Bugatti partners are able to do the check and the work. Bugatti will cover the costs involved for the repair.”
Dealer notices began on December 8th and customers will begin setting up their date with a Flying Doctor next week. Bugatti says there is no time or milage limit for the recall.
[Image: Bugatti]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
More by Matt Posky
Comments
Join the conversation
I just saw on the news the other night that Honda has 500 techs roaming around replacing Takata airbags in people's driveways. In South Florida, literally just driving around and looking for the applicable cars. Color me impressed! Of course, it is mostly those cars that are actually killing people, so cheaper than the inevitable lawsuits.
Matt, you ended a sentence with a preposition in an article regarding an automobile exclusive to the most elite clientele. That grammatical faux-pas is something up with which they will not put.