Koenigsegg CC850 Recall: Parking Brake Fix by Over-the-Air Update

What went wrong

On 12 October, the US safety regulator NHTSA received a report that a CC850 had rolled away. The driver had got out of the car with the engine running and reverse gear selected. The recall notice does not say whether the car was damaged. After about a week of internal testing, Koenigsegg traced the problem to the electronic parking brake: with reverse selected and the engine running, the brake only engages while the driver keeps the button pressed.

NHTSA says this situation falls outside its static parking brake tests. Carscoops therefore suggests the recall is voluntary, and that the CC850 does not fail any US federal safety standard.

The fix

Owners will receive a free over-the-air software update. Those who would rather not install it themselves can have the update done at an authorised Koenigsegg dealer.

An unusual gearbox

The recall touches one of the most unusual parts of the CC850. Its nine-speed Light Speed Transmission uses three shafts and seven clutches. It can be driven as a manual, with a clutch pedal and a gated shifter, or left in automatic mode. Carscoops contrasts this with the manual mode of the Ferrari 12Cilindri, which is an add-on to an existing dual-clutch gearbox rather than a separate design.

What it means for you

The recall published so far covers only the seven cars delivered in the United States. Koenigsegg has not said in this report whether cars in Europe or the UK need the same update, but since the fix is software, owners elsewhere can simply ask their dealer to confirm their car has the latest version. Whatever the car, the safe habit is the same: switch the engine off and select park or neutral with the brake applied before leaving the driver's seat.

Read our full guide to the Koenigsegg CC850 or browse the Koenigsegg catalogue.