Ferrari Is Being Sued Over Faulty Brakes
Ferrari drivers in the U.S. filed a proposed class-action lawsuit on Monday in San Diego federal court that claims the automaker knew of serious issues with the braking system on several popular models including the mid-engine V-8-powered 458 and 488. Despite this alleged knowledge, the suit claims Ferrari failed to adequately repair the brakes in these cars. The result is a risk of partial or total loss of braking capability.
In 2021, Ferrari issued a recall related to a loss of braking power. Nearly 10,000 cars were impacted by the recall which included the 458 models produced from 2010 to 2015 and 488 models produced from 2016 to 2019. The issue identified was a leaking brake fluid reservoir cap. The leaking brake fluid could result in a loss of braking ability. Not something you want in any car, let alone a Ferrari capable of speeds over 200 mph.
The lawsuit, which was first reported by Reuters, contends that the fix to replace the brake fluid reservoir cap and update the software was only an interim measure and did not solve all of the braking problems with these cars. The lawsuit is led by Iliya Nechev of San Marcos, California. Nechev bought a 2010 Ferrari 458 in 2020 and said he “came close to an accident several times” because of his Ferrari's brakes. When he took his car to the Ferrari dealer to have it looked at, he claims he was told that his brakes were “normal”, and he should “just get used to them.”
The suit alleges that “Ferrari was legally required to disclose the brake defect as a known safety defect and failed to do so.”
The automaker has not commented on the suit directly, but it issued a statement to Reuters saying, “We operate according to stringent safety and security guidelines to ensure that our vehicles always respect homologation specifications.”
Ferrari did not immediately respond to Road & Track's request for comment.
Bosch is the German supplier of the alleged defective parts and is also named in the lawsuit. However, the company has not yet issued a statement. Bosch did not immediately respond to R&T's request for comment.
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