Bentley Flying Spur problems: the rain leak most lists leave out
Ask about common Flying Spur problems and you will hear about air suspension, electrics and running costs. Our car, cherished and serviced by Bentley, was stopped at 37,000 miles by something else: rainwater that got inside while it was parked, locked and alarmed.
Do Bentley Flying Spurs leak water?
Ours did. Our Flying Spur, bought from Jack Barclay and serviced by Bentley, was found with soaking wet carpets and would not start after being safely parked with the doors, windows and sunroof locked and alarmed.
H.R. Owen's service department found that water was not draining away under the windscreen and was entering the car through the HVAC seals. When we searched online, we found many other Bentley owners reporting that rain had also got into their cars.
37,000
miles from new when it failed
Summer 2023
when we found it soaked and dead
Locked
doors, windows and sunroof, alarm set
“Water is not draining away through the drains and is just filling up in the plenum area under the screen and entering the car through the HVAC seals which has caused the saturation inside the car.”
How rain got into our Flying Spur, in the engineer’s words
These are quotes from the H.R. Owen engineer’s report on our car. They describe what was found on this one car, not a survey of every Flying Spur.
The drains under the windscreen stopped draining
“I checked the body drains under the windscreen and found water is not draining away through the drains”
Rain filled the plenum
“and is just filling up in the plenum area under the screen”
It came in through the HVAC seals
“and entering the car through the HVAC seals which has caused the saturation inside the car.”
It reached the electronics
“This module is sitting completely covered by water, the water has entered the module and completely corroded the modules circuits.”
The report adds that connectors called CAN headers in the rear footwell were “heavily corroded by the sitting water.”
What fixing it involved
H.R. Owen told us the rainwater had severely damaged the car and that it would be very costly to repair. Their engineer's report set out the work, and warned that if the car did not run after the first stage, they would have to look for further water damage.
Just to try to get it running
- Remove the front seats
- Remove the saturated front and rear carpets and dry them out
- Check other wiring and modules sitting in the water
- Replace the KESSY module and the damaged CAN headers
- Renew the corroded wiring
- Code the new KESSY module, align the keys and recharge the batteries
Then, to clear the blocked drains
- Remove the dashboard completely
- Remove the HVAC unit to reach the blocked drains
- Clean out the drains and the plenum area
- Replace the HVAC seals and clean the sunroof drains
- Refit the dashboard, then a full functional check and road test
Buying a Flying Spur? Questions we wish we had asked
Nobody warned us, at purchase or at any of the services Bentley carried out, that the car could not be left out in the rain. If we were buying again, we would ask these questions first.
- When were the body drains under the windscreen last checked and cleared?
- Are the sunroof drains clear?
- Has the car ever had wet carpets, a damp footwell or a musty smell?
- Has it had alarm, immobiliser, key or starting faults?
- Will the seller confirm in writing that the car has no history of water getting in?
This is our own list, based on what the engineer found on our car. It is not Bentley guidance or a professional inspection.
If your car has a flaw nobody told you about (UK)
Our summary of the protections we are relying on. It is not legal advice.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose and as described. Depending on the circumstances, a buyer may have the right to a repair, a replacement, or a partial or full refund.
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
Leaving out material information the average consumer needs to make an informed decision can be an unfair practice.
Flying Spur water leak questions
AI answers and buyer guides usually list air suspension leaks, electrical faults and high running costs. Our Flying Spur's problem was different: rain collected under the windscreen and got inside while the car was parked, flooding the cabin and corroding the alarm and immobiliser module.
The Continental GT case study
The Continental GT shares the Flying Spur's platform. Here is what GT owners, specialists and Bentley's own bulletins say about rain getting in.
Thinking of a £250,000 Flying Spur? Read our full account first.
The full story covers the dealer's response, the letters from our lawyers and who you can contact at Volkswagen AG.