Seven customers have filed a complaint against Ferrari, accusing the automaker of not solving an in progress braking problem
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by Brad Anderson
March 21, 2025 at 1:10 PM
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- In 2021, the Ferrari 488 GTB of an applicant lost brake fluid, forcing him to abandon it in a pond.
- Ferrari has published two reminders on braking problems from a bad tank ceiling.
- An American judge rejected certain complaints, but they can be modified and passed on.
When things go wrong with a Ferrari, they really get wrong. The Italian luxury car manufacturer faces a trial in the United States on insufficient brakes which would have caused a 488 GTB to the owner of a 488 GTB in a pond. The complainants initially sought to file a collective appeal, but earlier this month, a New Jersey judge rejected this complaint, although it could be modified and passed out.
The legal action was deposited shortly after Ferrari issued a recall for more than 10,000 vehicles in the United States due to problems with braking systems that could flee liquid. The recall assigned a range of models, including 458 Italia, 458 Spider, 458 Special, 488 GTB and 488 Spider, to name only a few. A second expanded recall followed in 2022.
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This new reminder has seen the list of impacted models develop considerably, including 430, 612 Scaglietti, 812 SuperFast, F60 America, F8 Spider, F8 Tributo, Roma, California, California T, F12 Berlinetta, F12 TDF, FF, GTC4 Lusso, GTC4 Lusso T, Lauferri, Lauferrari Aerta, and the Portofin. According to Ferrari, the cap of the brake fluid tank has not provided an appropriate ventilation for the braking system and asked the dealers to replace the ceilings.
However, in the trial, the complainants argue that replacing the brake tank cap is only an interim repair and does not solve an alleged problem where the rear seal can twist in its place, causing the leak of brake fluid of the master-cylinder in the brake sector. The trial claims that Ferrari should also have replaced the masters-cylinders.
Seven owners of Ferrari, including those with 488 GTB, 430 spiders, California TS and 458 Italias, united their forces in the legal battle.
An unforeseen water adventure
The owner of the Ferrari 488 GTB, Jeffrey Rose, is the main applicant. In June 2020, he bought a used 488 GTB from a dealership, but about a year later, the supercar displayed a message of “brake fluid”. He carefully brought the car back to the house and tried to park it. However, the brakes have stopped working and it slowly rolled on its courtyard. He “freed his seat belt” frantically freed up “and jumped from the car, before he rides in a pond behind his house.
Although the trial has experienced setbacks, it is far from over. At the end of 2022, a judge rejected certain parts of the case, although the applicants had the opportunity to revise and refresh themselves. And they did exactly that. Now, several aspects of this new trial have been granted, while others have been rejected by the Court.
According to court documents, as indicated by CarcomplaintsJudge Jamel K. Semper rejected several complaints against Ferrari, including allegations of collective appeal nationally. Above all, these allegations have been rejected without prejudice, which means that they can be revised and refined.
As is often the case with complex disputes, this trial is likely to drag slowly before the courts and could be years far from being settled or licensed.
