United Kingdom · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Bentley VIN decoder
Bentley Motors is a British maker of luxury cars and SUVs, currently the Continental GT, the Flying Spur sedan and the Bentayga SUV. It has belonged to the Volkswagen Group since 1998, and since 2022 it has been managed under Audi within the group's Progressive brand group, alongside Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 29 model pages
- 55 recall campaigns
- 38 owner complaints
- model years 1995–2026
- 2 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: United Kingdom
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 1995–2026 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 2 |
| Model pages | 29 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 55 |
| Owner complaints | 38 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 5 (13.2%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 0 (0.0%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 2 (5.3%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 1 (2.6%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Bentleys are assembled at the company's factory in Crewe, Cheshire, in the north-west of England. Some body structures come from other Volkswagen Group plants, including Zwickau in Germany and Bratislava in Slovakia. The WMI does not reveal those supplier plants: under the international VIN standard it reflects the country where the manufacturer is headquartered, which for Bentley is the United Kingdom.
Bentley is sold in the United States, and recall campaigns for U.S.-market cars are filed with NHTSA by Bentley Motors, Inc., for example campaign 20V309000 for the 2020 Continental GT. This page summarises NHTSA's recall and complaint data for Bentley models. The notes below explain the brand's two WMIs and why a Bentley first registered in the UK or Europe may decode differently from a U.S.-market car.
NHTSA’s files hold 55 vehicle recall campaigns and 38 owner complaints for Bentley vehicles from model years 1995 to 2026, summarised here on 29 model pages. The Bentayga has the most complaints (12), followed by the Continental Flying Spur (8) and the Continental GT (6). Of those complaints, 5 report a crash, 0 a fire, 2 at least one injury and 1 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 2 WMIs to Bentley; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB | BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITED | United Kingdom | Passenger Car |
| SJA | BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITED | United Kingdom | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2026.
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentayga | 2017–2026 | 15 | 12 |
| Continental Flying Spur | 2004–2015 | 6 | 8 |
| Continental GT | 2004–2026 | 12 | 6 |
| Continental GT Cabrio | 2004–2026 | 7 | 3 |
| Continental | 1995–2023 | 5 | 3 |
| Flying Spur | 2014–2025 | 7 | 2 |
| Arnage | 1999–2009 | 5 | 2 |
| Azure | 1995–2010 | 7 | 1 |
| Arnage LWB | 1999–2004 | 2 | 1 |
| Arnage R | 2002–2006 | 6 | – |
| Arnage T | 2002–2006 | 6 | – |
| Arnage RL | 2002–2006 | 5 | – |
| Brooklands | 1995–2009 | 5 | – |
| Continental R | 1995–2001 | 4 | – |
| Turbo R | 1995–1998 | 4 | – |
| Arnage Limousine | 1999–2004 | 3 | – |
| Brooklands LWB | 1995–1996 | 2 | – |
| Mulsanne | 2012–2018 | 2 | – |
| Turbo RL | 1995–1998 | 2 | – |
| Arnage LE Mans | 1999–2002 | 1 | – |
| Bentayga Hybrid | 2023 | 1 | – |
| Continental FS Speed | 2009 | 1 | – |
| Continental GT Speed | 2004–2008 | 1 | – |
| Continental SC | 2000–2001 | 1 | – |
| Continental T | 2000–2001 | 1 | – |
| Eight | 1995–1996 | 1 | – |
| Limousine | 1999–2002 | 1 | – |
| Mulsanne LWB | 1995–1996 | 1 | – |
| Mulsanne S | 1995–1996 | 1 | – |
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Which WMI codes does Bentley use?
NHTSA's vPIC database lists two WMIs for Bentley Motors Limited: SCB for passenger cars and SJA for multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs), the U.S. class that includes SUVs. SJA was added to vPIC in April 2016. Several unrelated trailer and welding companies with Bentley in their names also appear in vPIC, but they hold different codes and have nothing to do with the car maker.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCB | Bentley Motors Limited | United Kingdom | Passenger car |
| SJA | Bentley Motors Limited | United Kingdom | MPV (SUV class) |
Both codes begin with S, the letter range allocated to the United Kingdom. Our WMI code guide explains the system.
Why might a UK-market Bentley VIN fail a check-digit test?
U.S. rules in 49 CFR Part 565 require a check digit in position 9 and a model-year code in position 10. Bentleys built to European rules before July 2022 had no such obligation: those rules mirrored ISO 3779, which leaves positions 4 to 9 to the manufacturer. The EU has required a check digit for new vehicle types since 6 July 2022, but it still does not require a year code. A genuine older Bentley first registered in Britain or Europe may therefore not pass a U.S.-style check-digit calculation.
If you are assessing a car imported from outside North America, rely on the WMI and confirm the rest against its registration papers. The European VIN decoding guide explains the differences in more detail.
Related Volkswagen Group brands
Bentley belongs to the Volkswagen Group, which also owns Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen, SEAT and Škoda. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, often mentioned alongside Bentley, belongs to the BMW Group instead; see the Rolls-Royce VIN decoder.
Will a European-market Bentley decode here?
Partly. The decoder draws on NHTSA's vPIC data, which is most detailed for vehicles built for North America. A Bentley built for Europe will still be identified from its WMI, but model and specification fields may be empty.
Where do the Bentley recall numbers come from?
From NHTSA, for Bentley models sold in the U.S. They are grouped by model and model year. Whether a given car has an open recall depends on its VIN, which you can check at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a Bentley retailer.
Does the VIN show a Bentley's service or ownership history?
No. A VIN decode describes the car's manufacturer and build data. Service, ownership, title and accident records are not part of this site.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Audi (66) Germany · 214 recall campaigns
- Lamborghini (18) Italy · 39 recall campaigns
- Porsche (104) Germany · 142 recall campaigns
- Volkswagen (32) Germany · 255 recall campaigns
- SEAT (no NHTSA model pages) Spain
- Škoda (no NHTSA model pages) Czech Republic
- Rolls-Royce (20) United Kingdom · 31 recall campaigns
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.