Ownership Review - 600LT 17K Miles Maintenance/Cost Tracking
Discussion
Recently passed 17K miles in my 600LT so though I'd do a little blog post of my experiance to date in terms of maintenance, issues, running costs, and result in going down the self-warranty route. Thought some folks may be interested 
Moderator edit: no links to your blog site please. By all means post the key summary information here.
JerryEXE said:
Can you just cut and paste the salient information from your blog to here?
Its a bit of a ball ache but here goes... Its been just over two and a half years into owning the 600LT, my first Mclaren, during this time I've done a reasonable amount of miles since its original purchase at around three and half thousand on the clock. The car is used, covering a number of road trips through out the years and quite a lot of track time compared to most Mclarens. I thought I'd post a few comments documenting the ownership experiance to date and lessons learnt. It is quite a cost centric post as I think its important to raise awareness of the realities good and bad of owning a Mclaren.
Year One
The car was purchased from Mclaren Leeds, pretty decent purchase experience, only slight frustration is the drivers door sill rubber was hanging off and needed to be replaced. This was done under warranty post purchase. Kinda would have expected it to be picked up on the approved used checks, but after being in a Lotus for seven years previously no real biggie.
July 2021 - Three months in and time to get the door rubber sill corrected and to 'tow the line' in terms of track day inspections and warranty had an inspection done at the same time via Mclaren Guildford.
Sept 2021 - Start get a blowing noise, from past experience I knew it was from the exhaust. Being still under Mclaren warranty I called Mclaren Bristol (closest dealer at the time) and visited them to inspect. After taking the technician out for a drive I was told the noise was normal and part of the character of the 600LT 😂
Knowing the car didn't sound like this previously and adamant it was an exhaust split I decided to remove the exhaust myself! On inspection I found a two inch split in the seam of the exhaust back box. Thanks again Mclaren Bristol for your help! As I removed the exhaust myself going down the Mclaren warranty route appeared difficult, so I used it as an opportunity to upgrade from the valved setup to the US sports version.
The non valved sports system is often referred to as the 'MSO Exhaust' this is a fallacy its simply the US version that doesn't have the EU restrictions on noise/valves. Other than removing the valves, noise is slight improved, but more importantly for me is the removal of the very heavy OEM back box. So a good combo of benefits in making the upgrade. DONT buy this exhaust off eBay its often marked up in price way above what you can purchase it for be it via a dealer or even from the US. Typically you want to be spending no more than £600 for this part.
December 2021 - Service time. To keep in the good books of warranty I went via the dealer network. Given the issues with Mclaren Bristol I went back to what I know is good service at Mclaren Guildford. A simple oil service at a cost of £778 (inc VAT). I talk to costs going via dealers later in this post and written about warranty costs on my blog site.
Feb 2022 - Before track season starts in March I decided to get HPE Auto to give the car a full track day inspection, swap to Castrol SRF brake fluid, Pagid brake pads, and new EMF Mc Medic Air Filters, and a more aggressive geo.
I've used Dan Webster at HPE Auto for near on seven years looking at my Exige V6 in the past. I've not come across anyone whose as diligent, honest, and credible in working on my cars. So I decided he was a good choice for these simple bits of work. He's going to hate the pic of him on here lol
First, if you're doing lots of track days, hands down Castrol SRF brake fluid is the best of the best. Nothing compares. Just remember if needs changing every 12 months. Pagid pads also a good improvement to brake feel and also longevity.
The EMF air filters I've covered in a separate post on my blog page.
Geo we added spacers to the bottom wishbone, same principle as shims, but at a the cost of pennies vs a few hundred pounds. Folks, you don't need expensive shim kits, washers do exactly the same job. We added two washers and got to just over -2 all round of camber. This made a decent improvement but in the future will add more, from listening to Robert Mitchell's experience at Apex it sounds like -3.6 front and -2 rear is a target to test next time round. If you've not watched the Q&A video from Robert on his 620R go check it out on his Youtube channel.
For the keen eye'd you will notice the move to Cup2 tyres this allowed me to run 235/35 front tyres vs OEM 225/35. This makes a significant improvement to turn in on track and I highly recommend. In terms of track tyres, Cup2s are a great all rounder and last a good amount of time, Tropheo R lack the 235 size and at Anglesey I killed a set in a day! As of today my preference is Nankang AR-1s they do great sizes, super sticky in the dry, relatively cheap, and last for ages!
August 2022 - I randomly start to get an EML light and code pop up and not going off. The car drives okay no noticeable problem but obviously something to get investigated and resolved. At this point I did not have Mclaren warranty to fall back to so went to the folks at V-Engineering to diagnose and fix.
Turns out there is a vacuum solenoid type valve that's next to the exhaust cats which can get very hot and in turn fail. Basically a new one was required although in the future may look to some form of heat wrap to protect it as I've heard this part can get damaged from heat quite easily from track usage.
V-Engineering also inspected the car to check brake wear, which was okay, but they noticed a broken brake sensor so changed to a new one. Whilst with V I changed my Michelin Cup2s to Nankang AR1s which have a more aggressive tread pattern. The Nankang's have had good reviews for track usage and dry conditions and at £950 or so for a full set a cheaper option to the Cup2s. They also have 235/35 front width which is better than the 225 you get with Pirelli which on testing I have found the 235 to be superior on turn in and addressing understeer.
In total the cost was circa £800 (inc VAT). As always amazing service and continual communication from V-Engineering.
I'll do a 'sum up' on actual costs over my ownership vs Mclaren warranty costs at the end of this post to see how I faired going down the self-warranty route!
December 2022 - Windscreen cracked. To be honest I felt it was overdue, its an inherent problem with the 600LT, there's lots of talk online of the cause... but just be prepared that it happens. I went via my insurer, at first they pushed me to National Autoglass type folks but I wanted OEM so paid the additional excess for Mclaren dealer to do the work. Circa £250 excess for a replacement which was around £2,300 inc VAT. No real biggie.
It was also that time of the year for another service. Being out of warranty I had the freedom of choice in who serviced and for convenience used XP1 Technical who are a bit like McMedics in the US. The guys are all Mclaren technicians and have a good dose of common sense!
For me a service is a full service, in my mind this is replacing all filters, all fluids, and having a thorough check over. It goes beyond the normal service schedule from Mclaren, asking a dealer to do this breadth of work would confuse them and their systems, and would cost a fortune. The XP1 guys and I would also put V-Engineering into the same camp understand the value of such a full breadth service and can accommodate.
A breakdown of the work:
- Engine Oil
- Coolant Fluid
- Transmission Oil
- Clutch Oil
- Brake Fluid
- Engine Oil Filter
- Oil Tank Plug
- Sump Plug
- Turbo Drain Seal
- Transmission Filter
- Transmission Plugs
- Clutch Oil Filter
- Clutch Oil Filter Seal
- Full Track Day Inspection
- Fitting of supplied Endless Pads
- Fitting of supplied new carbon discs
This was covered in a days labour at a cost circa £1,600 inc VAT.
Now pricing may vary but ultimately the breadth of work covered is major compared to the normal Mclaren service schedule and a fraction of the cost if Mclaren dealer was to do the work.
Year Two
March 2023 - This was the year of the "cracked hinge" hype. In essence uncovering that the OEM door hinges on the sport series where prone to cracking. Everyone in turn started to check their hinges and many owners started to find cracks and bringing to the attention of Mclaren. IF you was under the manufacturers warranty this would be covered, however if under extended mclaren warranty it was deemed not valid for cover. Ultimately this would mean a cost of around £2K for owners. Thankfully Mclaren started to recognise the volume of cracked hinges and upset customers and took a view to minimise any cost or discomfort.
This is the new hinge which is actually from the Mclaren GT, this is the part which all cracked hinges will be replaced with, a stronger unit a tad heavier but much more meatier to take the demand needed. Another big shout out to Mclaren Guildford for sorting with client services and making the process easier in coming to a good conclusion. Even without being under any warranty manufacturer or extended.
In regards to self-warranty vs warranty and costs to date, I thought I'd put together a little comparison which I'll continue to update over time. Let's hope I made the right decision!
So to date a saving of £2,900 by self warranting and using Independant's vs subscribing to Mclaren Extended Warranty and abiding to the Mclaren dealer servicing.
I will continue to document my ownership and track costs. So look out for the second chapter of this thread over the coming months
Oaky said:
So you had a new hinge fitted by a dealer FOC while without any warranty?
There has been an overwhelming volume of cracked hinges and logical arguments to define the part as a safety device to which Mclaren generally now perform the work as a gesture of goodwill at no charge to owners. Im unsure how long this goodwill period lasts but a number of owners have been able to get this completed. I have no warranty as per the post im self-warranty.TBCTBC said:
It would be interesting to see the result if challenged in a court or with an official body.
Am I correct in saying that the previous line was "sorry, the hinge is not covered as we consider the hinge to be bodywork?"
Correct this was the initial response many owners with cracked hinges received from dealer and extended warranty. Due to the volume of issues, and the challenges made that it is a safety device as defined by many auto 'regulations', my understanding is Mclaren direct have taken on the responsibility and on approval providing a gesture. As I say for how long, and what this means for those who have previously paid for the work, I do not know. Am I correct in saying that the previous line was "sorry, the hinge is not covered as we consider the hinge to be bodywork?"
Bear with folks as I can't just easily paste an external link to the blog I have to manually copy and paste. Latest instalment as follows.
May 2023: The first half of the year included two track days one at Donington and the other at Silverstone.
The car performed very well with zero issues. As always general maintenance checks before and after track help to ensure the car is in tip top condition.
We used the two days to test a new brake pad setup from Endless. We'd heard the Endless compound was another step up from the typical Pagid's, kinder to the carbon discs, and better stoping power. We had high hopes and if anything the Endless pads went beyond expectations!
Stopping power is phenomenal, soo much so that our typical braking points completely changed! This really did mess with the head, when you're so used to a certain point to start braking then find your going way too slow when you come out of the braking zone, it takes time to re-adjust the brain to brake later.
For sure for those with a track bias there is no better pad than the Endless setup, you can brake soo much later and enjoy consistent brake performance through out the day. It's been a challenge but we have now become a stockist of Endless in addition to Pagid.
June 2023 and its time for a road trip into Wales. The last two years I've really enjoyed the road trip experiance and the Mclaren allows you to do this with ease vs my previous Lotus Exige V6 which lacked some of the creature comforts that make such a trip a little more enjoyable and comfortable.
I had the pleasure of joining a Mclaren and Lotus group as we navigated our way through Wales over the course of two days.
A little photo dump now!
Its crazy to think that the Mclaren 675LT came out in 2015 and still looks like something that could be launched in 2023 as a new car. In all manner its just an amazing piece of kit.
This specific example has the Ti harness bar setup but with the rare option of being covered in alcantara. Such a nice touch and got me thinking of following the same path when I eventually get round to designing a setup for the 600LT.
The 720S remains in my opinion the ultimate GT car and as expected lofted through the whole trip with the owner enjoying heated seats and all lol
One point to note about Wales is the availability of Super Unleaded! It should not be assumed it is widely available even at stations such as BP and Shell. A few of us were close to dry after visiting a number of stations we expected would have 98/99 octane and finding it wasn't in stock. Typical Wales, you find a local small independant station selling 98 octane and with old school service and fill up's by the station staff!
Of all the trips into Wales, its often you find some of these old ways and I love it! Don't be surprised if every time you stop you find a group of people come say hello and wanting pictures, the Welsh really are some of the most welcoming of people to cars such as Lotus and Mclaren. Its a real shame the government seems keen to control the region with an ever increasing number of average speed cameras and patrols as such road trips make Wales a great destination and petrolhead destination which in turn helps with tourism in the region.
For those interested after a few trips the common route taken looks a little like this:
Basically head towards Bala lake which has some great roads and then head towards Llanberis which will take you past Snowdonia and Snowdon peak.
As a tip at Bala lake there's a great 'back to basic' cafe over looking the lake at the boat club which is worth checking out for a breakfast. Just park at the top road and walk down, suggest not to drive down to it as its got some nasty pot holes and not a clean flat surface.
Post Trip Check Over
On return from Wales I started to keep smelling petrol, and on inspection under the car I noticed a fuel leak. Obviously the panic starts to kick in what with not being under warranty! This is the first time I admit that I started to freak out a little on the fact of not renewing the extended warranty.
A bit of research and I found out in 2020 Mclaren actually did a recall on the Senna, 720S, 570GT, and GT for a fuel leak issue. Details can be found quite easily via Google.
In essence on these models a padding was placed between the under tray and bottom of the fuel tank to help reduce noise and vibration. This padding could trap and retain moisture which overtime could leak to corrosion of the fuel tank and cause a fuel leak.
The 570S and 600LT where exempt from the recall as this padding was not used, however knowing a number of components are shared between the various Mclaren models there was a hypothesis that the recall and my problem could be linked.
With this in mind I reached out to Mclaren Guildford, if there was a link, it would be best to pursue via a dealer vs an independant.
Mclaren Guildford ushered the car into their workshop in a matter of days arranging collection and keeping me informed of progress. On inspection they found a leak.
What was surprising was the placement of the leak was not at the bottom of the fuel tank as per the 2020 recall but at the top.
The picture above is not my tank but shows the position of said leak. It would appear to be some form of corrosion or defect. However as it was not on the bottom my hypothesis that it may be linked to the 2020 recall was basically dead.
The dread kicks in, the replacement cost was circa £3K, which would be on me due to my warranty state. Obviously my decision is my own and I bear the risk, however something just stuck that the situation did not feel right.
A fuel tank is a safety device it shouldn't corrode within such a short period of time, further unlike say a bushing, suspension, or anything that is mechanically moving or changing the fuel tank is static. It's simply a container and therefore as a static safety device should just work and not degrade. This thinking continued to stick in my mind so I decided to write to Mclaren.
I was very honest about my warranty situation, I was clear in the facts and provided evidence and asked if they could review and provide some form of response.
Within 48 hours I had a response, and credit to Mclaren, they stood back, reviewed what I had shared, and took the issue seriously. Another 48 hours or so later I was informed that they would be requesting the tank back for inspection as they hadn't seen this issue before in this placement. Further, as a gesture they would cover the cost of replacement.
WOW wow WOW - We hear soo many complaints about Mclaren support and quality, but for me this stands out as a clear example of them taking the situation seriously, listening to an owner, and doing the right thing. Let's be honest they could easily have ignored and declined. They didn't and kudos to them!
I do think there is a lot of trolling and complaining about the brand which has fear, uncertainty, and doubt all over it. However, what with my hinge situation previously and now this I have huge respect for them. My experience is if you have just cause and not just moaning, can present facts, reasonable rationale, and push to get your cause raised to the right people in Mclaren - Things happen.
Thank you again Mclaren.
May 2023: The first half of the year included two track days one at Donington and the other at Silverstone.
The car performed very well with zero issues. As always general maintenance checks before and after track help to ensure the car is in tip top condition.
We used the two days to test a new brake pad setup from Endless. We'd heard the Endless compound was another step up from the typical Pagid's, kinder to the carbon discs, and better stoping power. We had high hopes and if anything the Endless pads went beyond expectations!
Stopping power is phenomenal, soo much so that our typical braking points completely changed! This really did mess with the head, when you're so used to a certain point to start braking then find your going way too slow when you come out of the braking zone, it takes time to re-adjust the brain to brake later.
For sure for those with a track bias there is no better pad than the Endless setup, you can brake soo much later and enjoy consistent brake performance through out the day. It's been a challenge but we have now become a stockist of Endless in addition to Pagid.
June 2023 and its time for a road trip into Wales. The last two years I've really enjoyed the road trip experiance and the Mclaren allows you to do this with ease vs my previous Lotus Exige V6 which lacked some of the creature comforts that make such a trip a little more enjoyable and comfortable.
I had the pleasure of joining a Mclaren and Lotus group as we navigated our way through Wales over the course of two days.
A little photo dump now!
Its crazy to think that the Mclaren 675LT came out in 2015 and still looks like something that could be launched in 2023 as a new car. In all manner its just an amazing piece of kit.
This specific example has the Ti harness bar setup but with the rare option of being covered in alcantara. Such a nice touch and got me thinking of following the same path when I eventually get round to designing a setup for the 600LT.
The 720S remains in my opinion the ultimate GT car and as expected lofted through the whole trip with the owner enjoying heated seats and all lol
One point to note about Wales is the availability of Super Unleaded! It should not be assumed it is widely available even at stations such as BP and Shell. A few of us were close to dry after visiting a number of stations we expected would have 98/99 octane and finding it wasn't in stock. Typical Wales, you find a local small independant station selling 98 octane and with old school service and fill up's by the station staff!
Of all the trips into Wales, its often you find some of these old ways and I love it! Don't be surprised if every time you stop you find a group of people come say hello and wanting pictures, the Welsh really are some of the most welcoming of people to cars such as Lotus and Mclaren. Its a real shame the government seems keen to control the region with an ever increasing number of average speed cameras and patrols as such road trips make Wales a great destination and petrolhead destination which in turn helps with tourism in the region.
For those interested after a few trips the common route taken looks a little like this:
Basically head towards Bala lake which has some great roads and then head towards Llanberis which will take you past Snowdonia and Snowdon peak.
As a tip at Bala lake there's a great 'back to basic' cafe over looking the lake at the boat club which is worth checking out for a breakfast. Just park at the top road and walk down, suggest not to drive down to it as its got some nasty pot holes and not a clean flat surface.
Post Trip Check Over
On return from Wales I started to keep smelling petrol, and on inspection under the car I noticed a fuel leak. Obviously the panic starts to kick in what with not being under warranty! This is the first time I admit that I started to freak out a little on the fact of not renewing the extended warranty.
A bit of research and I found out in 2020 Mclaren actually did a recall on the Senna, 720S, 570GT, and GT for a fuel leak issue. Details can be found quite easily via Google.
In essence on these models a padding was placed between the under tray and bottom of the fuel tank to help reduce noise and vibration. This padding could trap and retain moisture which overtime could leak to corrosion of the fuel tank and cause a fuel leak.
The 570S and 600LT where exempt from the recall as this padding was not used, however knowing a number of components are shared between the various Mclaren models there was a hypothesis that the recall and my problem could be linked.
With this in mind I reached out to Mclaren Guildford, if there was a link, it would be best to pursue via a dealer vs an independant.
Mclaren Guildford ushered the car into their workshop in a matter of days arranging collection and keeping me informed of progress. On inspection they found a leak.
What was surprising was the placement of the leak was not at the bottom of the fuel tank as per the 2020 recall but at the top.
The picture above is not my tank but shows the position of said leak. It would appear to be some form of corrosion or defect. However as it was not on the bottom my hypothesis that it may be linked to the 2020 recall was basically dead.
The dread kicks in, the replacement cost was circa £3K, which would be on me due to my warranty state. Obviously my decision is my own and I bear the risk, however something just stuck that the situation did not feel right.
A fuel tank is a safety device it shouldn't corrode within such a short period of time, further unlike say a bushing, suspension, or anything that is mechanically moving or changing the fuel tank is static. It's simply a container and therefore as a static safety device should just work and not degrade. This thinking continued to stick in my mind so I decided to write to Mclaren.
I was very honest about my warranty situation, I was clear in the facts and provided evidence and asked if they could review and provide some form of response.
Within 48 hours I had a response, and credit to Mclaren, they stood back, reviewed what I had shared, and took the issue seriously. Another 48 hours or so later I was informed that they would be requesting the tank back for inspection as they hadn't seen this issue before in this placement. Further, as a gesture they would cover the cost of replacement.
WOW wow WOW - We hear soo many complaints about Mclaren support and quality, but for me this stands out as a clear example of them taking the situation seriously, listening to an owner, and doing the right thing. Let's be honest they could easily have ignored and declined. They didn't and kudos to them!
I do think there is a lot of trolling and complaining about the brand which has fear, uncertainty, and doubt all over it. However, what with my hinge situation previously and now this I have huge respect for them. My experience is if you have just cause and not just moaning, can present facts, reasonable rationale, and push to get your cause raised to the right people in Mclaren - Things happen.
Thank you again Mclaren.
Nuttbelle said:
Wonder if the fuel tank leak is an unlucky one off or they will issue a campaign to double check everyone's given the nature of the issue
I suspect a one off... Mclaren I doubt would issue a recall unless it hit volume which I believe is not the case, other than what was officially a recall on the Senna and 720S as described earlier and well documented online but that was on the bottom and related to NVH fluid retention. Gassing Station | McLaren | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff