Bentley Continental GT (third generation) buying guide

Early 2020 cars carry a water pump recall for units that can let liquid onto a circuit board, and a first-year 2019 W12 is the car the sources steer you away from. The third-generation Continental GT ran from 2019 to 2024 on a platform developed with Porsche and shared with the Panamera, as a coupe and a convertible (GTC).

The W12 coupe came first, with 626 hp and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. A V8 followed, then the Speed. The all-wheel drive system is mostly rear-driven, and in Comfort mode up to 38 per cent of drive can reach the front wheels. Both engines are chain-driven, so there are no cambelts to replace.

It suits someone who wants a fast, comfortable grand tourer and accepts the bills. Auto Express puts it bluntly: you pay for owning one. The rear seats only suit children or small adults, and neither engine returns much more than 20 mpg.

Exotic Car Hacks and CarWizz both call a pre-purchase inspection crucial, so use these checks at the viewing and to brief the inspector.

• Book a pre-purchase inspection with an authorized dealer or an experienced independent before any money moves.
• Ask for detailed maintenance records covering every service.
• On a 2020 car built in the recall window, check the water pump recall status and ask to see the paperwork showing the work was done.
• Watch how the front end sits after start-up, and listen for knocking over bumps, which suggests tired air suspension.
• Run every window up and down several times, listening for a hiss that points to a failing motor ECU.
• On a convertible, cycle the roof open and closed while the windows are working, and ask whether the top or its frame has ever been replaced.
• Measure brake discs and tire wear rather than judging by eye, and get a price for replacing the carbon-ceramics if they are fitted.
• Have a specialist look at the coolant system and the turbocharger oil-feed lines, plus the hard-to-reach ancillaries on a W12.
• Scan the dash for warning lights, and ask for the fault codes behind any that appear.
• Confirm the high-level brake light above the rear window works.

NHTSA's records, read on October 31, 2026, list no recall campaigns for the 2019 to 2024 model years. Recall 23V-034, on the 2020 water pump, has its own NHTSA page though, so check any car's VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup rather than relying on this summary.

Owners have filed one complaint with NHTSA, tagged to the electrical system and vehicle speed control. Complaints are reports, not proven faults, and a single entry says little about the car.

Buy a 2020 or later car, and look first at a V8 or a Speed. The V8 is the better-balanced drive, the Speed is rated the most resolved, and a first-year 2019 W12 is the one Marque steers away from. If you want the 12-cylinder, one owner points to a 2020-2024 GTC Speed.

Insist on a specialist inspection, full service records, proof that the water pump work was done on any 2020 car, and a close look at the air suspension. Auto Express notes that used examples are scarce and convertibles are rarer, so a car with a clean history is worth waiting for.