Ferrari is facing legal action in the United States for apparently ignoring a brake defect in some of its cars, despite several previous recalls. A class-action lawsuit was filed, alleging that Ferrari only took temporary measures to address the problem, thereby putting the safety of drivers at risk. The applicant described a disturbing incident in which his Ferrari failed to brake, putting his life and the lives of other road users at risk. Despite the fact that the problem has been known for a long time, the manufacturer does not seem to have finally eliminated this flaw. Ferrari now faces the need to respond to allegations in US courts while ensuring the safety and reliability of its vehicles.

The problem that remains

Currently, the famous Italian car manufacturer Ferrari is rocking a court case is subject to prosecution in the United States for clearly failing to notice a braking defect, despite several previous recalls. A class-action lawsuit filed in San Diego federal court accuses Ferrari of putting thousands of drivers at safety risk just by accepting temporary measures to eliminate the braking problem on some of their cars. Ilya Nechev, one of the plaintiffs, alleges that his 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia had braking problems after purchasing it in 2020, receiving “partial or complete loss of braking ability”. In one disturbing incident described in the complaint, Nechev allegedly tried to brake while going down a hill at about 54 mph, but the car did not respond as expected. Even though he pressed the brake pedal and downshifted, the pressure was not felt, endangering the safety of the driver and other road users.

Known but unsolved issue

The applicant states that he reported the problem to the Ferrari dealership, but he has reportedly been told that the issue is normal, raising concerns about the manufacturer’s handling of the safety issues. Indeed, in 2022, Ferrari recalled more than 20,000 cars in the US due to this problem. Similar initiatives have also been launched in Germany, Japan and China. This recall affected several models manufactured since 2004. Ferrari even advised drivers stop immediately as soon as they notice a low brake fluid warning on their dashboard. Ferrari now faces the need to respond to allegations against it in US courts, and is under increasing pressure to ensure the safety and reliability of its vehicles on the road. The manufacturer is not done with the braking problem that affects some of its models and will have to fix the situation as soon as possible or risk causing bad press.