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Brake fluid leak issue lands Ferrari in US lawsuit. Photo: Car and Driver. |
Ferrari is facing a lawsuit in the US from drivers who allege the Italian sports car maker failed to fix vehicles that could lose some or all of their braking ability, according to Reuters.
The case, filed in San Diego federal court earlier this week, alleges that Ferrari’s recalls in 2021 and 2022 to address brake fluid leaks were only temporary fixes, and that Ferrari continued to sell thousands of vehicles with faulty brake systems after the recalls.
The US drivers’ complaint says that during those recalls, Ferrari’s only proposed remedy was to replace the leaking master cylinders with new ones if a brake fluid leak was found.
“Ferrari was legally required to acknowledge the subject brake defect as a safety defect, but it failed to do so,” the complaint said.
Ferrari said in a statement this week that the safety and well-being of drivers is the Italian carmaker’s highest priority. The Ferrari statement did not address the US lawsuit specifically.
“We operate with stringent safety and quality principles to ensure that our vehicles always comply with type-approval regulations,” Ferrari said.
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The issue in a 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia is the genesis of the class action lawsuit Ferrari is now facing in the US. Photo: Charlie Magee/Car and Driver. |
The lawsuit, according to Reuters, was brought by Iliya Nechev, a San Marcos, California resident who bought a 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia four years ago.
The owner of the supercar said he has had several near-miss accidents because of the braking system in his Ferrari, but that the dealership he bought it from said the brakes were working as intended, and that Nechev should get used to them.
“I would not have purchased the Ferrari 458 Italia if I had known that there was an issue with its braking system,” Nechev said.
In October 2021, Ferrari issued a recall to inspect brake systems in affected vehicles in several countries, including the US and China. The US recall affected a number of Ferrari models, including various versions of the 458 and 488, built by the Italian carmaker over almost two decades.
Both Ferrari and Bosch, the supplier linked to the fault, said the issue could be caused by brake fluid reservoirs not being properly vented. This could create a vacuum inside the reservoir, potentially leading to leaks.
Good books to read on the road
The Cars section sends readers good book titles with various interesting topics. On journeys in cars, we often have moments to rest, relax, and pages of books are interesting companions.
