Development of Bugatti’s next vehicle may have unearthed an issue with its current car, the Chiron. The French hypercar manufacturer has discovered that it committed a whoopsy, and that the car’s seatbelt chime doesn’t actually comply with U.S. regulations.
In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Bugatti writes that it discovered this issue on January 18, 2024, when it learned of “non compliant behavior on a Bugatti development vehicle.” While it goes into no further detail about that vehicle, we know that the company is planning to unveil its next vehicle this summer, suggesting U.S. compliance work on it is already underway.
Read: Bugatti Recalls One $4M Chiron Super Sport Because They Fitted The Wrong Wheels
The problem is relatively minor, but appears to affect every example in the U.S. More precisely, 156 Chirons (the company built just 500) from the 2016 to 2023 model years come under the scope of this recall.
The problem at hand is that the chime designed to alert drivers when their seatbelt is not fastened seems to be configured according to European regulations, rather than American (and Canadian) standards. Specifically, the NHTSA is worried that at speeds below 15 mph (24 km/h), the chime doesn’t sound immediately.
Instead, it waits until the vehicle has traveled 500 meters (about a third of a mile) or 60 seconds have elapsed from when the Chiron was started. That increases the odds of an unbuckled driver getting injured in a low speed accident. However, Bugatti adds that the seatbelt warning light will be on at all times.
Since the problem is so minor, the remedy will be relatively easy to implement. Bugatti has started getting in touch with owners today (February 16), and will tell them that a software update must be added to their vehicle (free of charge) to make it compliant with U.S. regulations. It is not clear if the Bugatti doctors will be dispatched to fix this problem.
