Owners of Ferraris have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer in US District Court alleging improper repair of a braking fault. According to the lawsuit, the automaker was only able to offer an interim solution to the issue, which forces owners to continue driving their cars dangerously. In 2020, Iliya Nechev purchased a 2010 458 Italia, and he claims that he had braking problems from the start. Nechev tried to make a 90-degree bend while driving downhill in one instance, but the automobile would not slow down even after he applied the brakes, according to the lawsuit. He was informed it was “normal” by a Ferrari dealer, according to the filing.
Two Rounds of Safety Actions and Allegations of Misleading Buyers
For the 458 Italia, 458 Speciale (shown above), 458 Speciale Aperta, 458 Spider, 488 GTB, and 488 Spider, Ferrari first announced a voluntary recall in October 2021. Ferrari was not aware of the root of the issue when the business discovered that brake fluid might leak out of the system and result in a partial or total loss of braking force.
A second recall was carried out by the company in the middle of 2022 due to a loss of brake function that affected over 23,000 cars from the 2005 model year. Ferrari found that the vehicles in question may not have had their fluid reservoir caps properly vented, which could have created a vacuum inside the reservoir and resulted in a leak.
Ferrari replaced the reservoir cap and updated the software to resolve the problem. The recall excluded the 458 and 488 lines from the previous recall, however, it did touch every vehicle from the 612 Scaglietti to the Roma. According to Nechev’s lawsuit, Ferrari’s master cylinder replacement was the only way to resolve the problem. Additionally, it claims Ferrari misled purchasers about the severity of the braking issue.
When asked for a statement, a Ferrari representative provided Motor1 with the following:
“The safety and well-being of our clients is our highest priority. We operate according to stringent safety and security guidelines to ensure that our vehicles always respect homologation specifications.”
Beginning in October 2021, Ferrari initiated brake recalls in several nations, including China and the United States. Numerous Ferrari models, including the 458 and 488 models built over almost two decades, were included in the U.S. recalls. Brake reservoir fluid caps that might not vent correctly could lead to problems, according to Ferrari and Robert Bosch (ROBG.UL), the German supplier of the allegedly defective parts. This could result in a vacuum inside the fluid reservoir.
The recall sought to replace the defective brake fluid reservoir cap, which was found to be the source of the leak. Nechev, however, maintains that Ferrari did not adequately inform buyers about the full extent of the fault, which he claims could only be fixed in his car by changing the master cylinder. According to the lawsuit, Ferrari made money from the sale of thousands of cars containing this life-threatening defect or sold them directly. In addition to the carmaker, Robert Bosch GmbH, the provider of the braking components, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
