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Ferrari recalls California, Italia models for faulty crankshafts

By Jerry Hirsch
May 21, 2012, 10:28 a.m.

Here's a big oops for Ferrari, the maker of mega-bucks sports cars. It made a mistake building the crankshafts for the engines in its California and 458 Italia models and now will have to repair or replace them, depending on what the owner picks.

Ferrari said it will recall the 2011 and 2012 model-year cars because the crankshaft error can cause the engines in the vehicles, which sell for $200,000 or more, to freeze suddenly and possibly cause a crash.

The Italian automaker learned of the problem in a uniquely embarrassing way. The first of these models to have its engine freeze was the car the company was lending to critics to review.

Ferrari said that after launching an investigation in March, it learned that the crankshafts of the F136 engines in the vehicles were machined incorrectly. It turns out that the crankshaft-grinding machine was incorrectly set up. The company has since reprogrammed the machine.

The eight-cylinder engine produces up to 562 horsepower and gets 14 mpg. The car rockets from stopped to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds

This will be one expensive repair for the automaker, but it affects only 74 cars because the sales volume for exotic vehicles is small.

Owners of the vehicles have the option of having a new crankshaft and bearings installed by their dealer, having the engine removed from the car and the repair work done by Ferrari North America, or having a new, correctly machined Ferrari engine installed in the car at the dealership.

_AMG_

That's disappointing to say the least. Would not expect something like this from Ferrari.

SonnyakaPig

Yeah, I think I'll go with option 3: have a "new, correctly machined engine installed."

Fung63

I am actually proud of Ferrari,

As long as you're in business, problems will happen no matter how rigorous your quality control is. Sure this is an issue but Ferrari imo was proactive and is willing to address the issue.

brand reputation goes up (instead of down if we start hearing of more ferraris freezing)
existing customer base loyalty goes up
all in all, good job Ferrari.

BK63amg

i'll take a new engine, thanks!

Things like this happen and it's good to see an automaker step up and do the right thing...but i wouldn't expect or accept anything considering these cars cost as much as most people's homes.

callmiro

Pretty much gives you free reign to kick the shi+ out of your car and then take it in to get a brand new engine installed

SonnyakaPig

+1

And because the exotic car market is small, brand loyalty is huge.

SonnyakaPig

This is an efficient-minded person.

Merc63

Wow 74 cars.... The parts and labor on 74 cars is small beans to Ferrari..

Doesn't look good on the brand though.

Jean Valjean

Everyone assumes that just because it is a $240-$300k exotic, it is 100 times more reliable, 100 times more luxurious, and generally 100 times better made, 100 times faster, etc. than a $24-$30k Honda Accord. This is far from the truth. New 458's burned to the grind because of an epoxy that woukd catch fire in the engine bay, 2 out of the 3 friends of mine that had 2009 430 Scuderia's have claimed the lemon law for various problems, interior plastic melts into tar after 7 or more years of general use due to the rubber coating that Ferrari insists sticking on their plastics. I Had a engine fuel block recall announced on my car 13 years after it was produced, only after who knows how many engine fires occurred in the past. Well, I guess better late than never. However, through it all, I would not trade one minute without my beauty from Maranello. Driving it is like no other joy in this world! The brand does not get tainted by these things. There is too much racing history, too much prestige, too much passion for the brand to be tainted. Ferrari dealers can treat their customers lime crap and they still come back. Once you've been touched by the magic, it is not hard to understand why.

DuaneC63

+1. Ferrari values is reputation and stepped up as soon as they knew there was a problem and offered the owners their choice of fixes. It doesn't get any better than that.

Sincity

I guess the actuaries and legal team @ Mercedes tells upper management to "let it ride" on our possible head bolt failure.

NC_Ferrari

Ferrari is one of the worst. I cannot tell you how many issues the cars have that should have been recalls that never were. Their quality control is not what you would expect in cars that expensive. It's unlikely I will ever buy another one because of this.