Ferrari Recalls Thousands of Sports Cars Over Potential Brake Failure Problem

The Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has announced a recall affecting thousands of its supercars, warning that they can develop a severe problem leading to brake failure.

“Vehicles covered by this recall may potentially increase the risk of brake fluid leakage, resulting in reduced braking performance or brake failure, due to the brake fluid reservoir cap not ensuring the proper ventilation required to maintain atmospheric pressure in the tank,” the notice put out by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on Friday said.

According to the release, Ferrari’s Shanghai office, the headquarters of its operations in China, will replace the cap for free and reprogram the instrumentation to work properly. Ferrari issued an almost identical recall in the United States in November 2021 that affected almost 10,000 cars.

“The user should drive the vehicle with caution. If the low brake fluid level warning light on the instrument appears, stop the vehicle safely immediately, and contact the Ferrari authorized service center to arrange a tow truck to tow the vehicle back for free inspection and maintenance,” the notice warns.

Ferrari’s stock fell by more than 5% on Friday on news of the recall, although its year-to-date change is about half that.

The recall concerns the Ferrari 458 Italia, Spider, Speciale, and Speciale A; and Ferrari 488 GTB and Spider, which were made between 2009 and 2020. Some 2,222 vehicles in China are affected, but the release didn’t give global numbers. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), however, that’s nearly every Ferrari sold in China since 2018.

It’s unclear why so many vehicles in China are affected, as Ferraris are produced exclusively at a factory in Maranello, Italy. However, the SCMP noted in June 2020 the sharp rise in luxury car sales in recent years in China. Ferrari Greater China told the Hong Kong paper that “the average buyer here is much younger than elsewhere, and female clients account for a slightly higher percentage. There are also some culture-specific factors. For example, Chinese customers have a particular preference for the color red as well as the numbers 8 and 6, which all signify good fortune.”

Earlier this month, American electric luxury carmaker Tesla, which does have a factory in Shanghai, announced it was recalling more than 127,000 Model 3 cars made in the socialist country due to manufacturing defects in the power components of the rear electric motor inverter that could cause it to malfunction. According to the Chinese regulator, this could cause it not to start or, if already started, to lose power, which would increase the risk of collision.