Lamborghini Urus Owners Have A Very Inconvenient Problem

May. 26, 2021 4:06 PM ET byJay Traugott Engine /13 Comments

This also affects two Porsche Cayenne variants and several Audi RS models.

做什么Lamborghini Urus,Porsche Cayenne Turbo, andAudi RS6 Avant, RS7, and RS Q8 all have in common? Lots of stuff, but today we're talking about an engine, specifically a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 capable of producing well over 600 horsepower.

And now a very select number of those vehicles have been recalled after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration due to cracks that might develop on the engine cylinder bore surface, leading to an increased risk of a stall or an oil leak. This level of engine damage could result in a fire, which is the bad news. The bright side of the issue is that just four units of the Urus are affected, all of which were built from October 6 to October 21, 2020.

2019-2021 Lamborghini Urus Front Angle View

2019-2021 Lamborghini Urus Rear Angle View

The root of the problem is actually not Lamborghini's fault, nor any of the other Volkswagen Group brands. It's been traced to a German parts supplier who during the engine block casting process experienced a "misalignment of the automated mold-extrusion stamp" at the casting plant. It was a relatively minor production defect that resulted in a potentially serious problem.

A grand total of 12 units of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, GTS, and GTS Coupe and 15 examples of the 2021 Audi RS6 Avant, RS7, SQ7, SQ8, and RS Q8 are also affected. There's only one solution for this serious type of problem: replace the the whole damn thing.

2018-2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Front Angle View

2018-2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Rear Angle View

2018-2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Central Console

Respective brand dealerships will handle this task and owners will be notified in the coming few weeks before the recall gets underway on June 30. The NHTSA's recall notice doesn't mention any cases of fires, injuries, or fatalities related to this specific situation and, hopefully, it stays that way. The notification doesn't explicitly request for owners to park their vehicles until the engine swap is completed.

This is certainly a somewhat unusual recall because the fix is very extensive. Swapping out a vehicle's entire engine, especially one that's as complex as this V8, can only be done by specially trained technicians. It's also quite costly to do but the automakers have no choice in the matter. This isn't the first time the Urus has been recalled for an engine-related issue. Last November, 2019-2020 models wererecalled due to a fuel leak.