Heading for divorce

[Grant V]

Today I collected my QP (a 2007 model with 39 000km) from the agents where it has been for the last three weeks waiting for a new drivers' window winder regulator to be fitted. On the way home the car died and I was stranded next to the side of the road - this is the forth time in the 15 months and 25 000km that I have owned this car that it has made it's way back to the agents on a flatbed. Did I mention that it only had 39 000km?
The knock in the front suspension has turned out to be worn bushes, and both front wishbones will now have to be replaced at great expense. At only 39 000km.
Today's issue seems to be the alternator, and I'm sure that I will be told that it needs to be replaced (not repaired like normal cars) at more expense, and the car only has 39 000km.
While the car was at the agents getting the window done, they noted that the valve variators are noisy when hot and will have to be replaced. You guessed it - it only has 39000km on the clock.
This car is utterly beautiful with an exquisite exhaust note, but mechanically it's kak. I still can't work out whether this is normal for a Maserati or whether I've simply ended up with a lemon.
Any which way, it's the same as living with an Italian model - gorgeous, sexy, sensual, but moody, temperamental and full of shite.
On the one hand my heart says keep the hoor and enjoy the ride, but my brain says you can't keep throwing money at her, 'cause there's still a lot to go wrong...

Some counselling required.

 

[mcs]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. TBH I have never owned or driven a QP but have had a friend who has had one and had nothing but troubles (spent circa £9k in 2 years of ownership).

 

[Contigo]

Unlucky and I know how you feel. Had cars like thT and I think the problem is the low miles. My 3200 seems to have something which always needs doing, it's almost like a rolling resto!

It all depends how much butt hurt you can take and whether it's worth it in the end. If you can forgive her after the big bills then you are a brave man but I just cannot get enough of mine despite the constant nurturing.

Think long and hard about it and also remember that to sell it you will have to fix it anyway!

 

[daverichardson]

I am in love with my QP
but I know what you mean
I just have not experienced that pain
er
yet

 

[Parisien]

That is very tough Grant, its not that old, nor many miles, for collective failings so quickly is a nightmare to be honest.

Any way you can offset by getting say and alternator 2ndhand, get an indie to do reminder work?

P

 

[Ewan]

You've clearly been a tad unlucky. But don't expect to run an exotic car on shopping car money - everything is more highly strung. But it could be worse - try running a Ferrari 456, an Aston Rapide, etc. I've done over 300,000 Maserati miles and the only times I've been stranded were both my own fault. Once when I mucked up the immobilisers, and once when I locked the keys in the boot whist rearranging the luggage.

Hangovers are annoying. But they are worth it, as they remind you of the fun you had. Same with a Maserati service bill.

Kind of!

 

[Maser Sod]

I think we are talking Lemon rather than Typical Maserati. I've had a good period of ownership (see signature) and never any serious problems.

 

[Elliott653]

One of the reasons that I sold my 2006 QP was that I lost confidence in it. Nothing major went wrong during my 18 months of ownership. But, the car developed a misfire on four separate occasions. Each time no definitive fault was found. But, each time it occured during a long driving tour and I just got fed up with it.

A beautiful car. I miss looking at it. I don't miss driving it. So, farewell QP and hello 911 964.

 

[Grant V]

Thanks for your input, chaps.
The thing is that it's not really about the money. I understand the fact that there will be higher running costs than other cars - that's a given - but what I do not understand is the fragility of it all.
The car has laughably few kilometers on the clock to be giving all this drama and that's the point - cars should not be breaking down with such regularity at this sort of mileage, particularly not premium brand vehicles. I can understand that the non-use of a car is detrimental, and that might affect rubber components, but the variable valve system??? And the alternator? And the winder regulator?
I think that I have a warped frame of reference - the Porsche 928S. I keep on coming back to this: I bought this car 15 years ago with 80k km on the clock and I've racked up a further 370k km in the time I've owned it. It was maintained regularly at the agents, or specialists, and comparatively it has given impeccable service. It has broken down twice in the time I've owned it -once when a starter relay failed, and the other time when the MAF failed. But both these occurrences happened well over 100k km. I think the alternator has been done once before and the winder regulator has also been done once before. But with 448 000km on the clock, this is more than acceptable. Over the last four years I have thrown more money at the 928 than it is worth doing a mini restoration, i.e. fixing all the things that have needed to be done. Among other things, I have removed and replaced the auto box (it's a Mercedes box) to fix the oil leaks, and all it needed was five reverse clutches and new seals. It has new shocks, but I have yet to replace ANY suspension bushes - it's still taught and there are NO suspension creaks and knocks. The only noise coming from the front suspension over rough roads is rattling calipers due to the caliper pins/ holes being worn, but once again that is more than acceptable for the mileage and in due course I will renew the calipers with a smile. And while the QP was in the workshop, guess what was used daily? It's like wearing your favorite old pair of jeans.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe modern cars are simply no longer built to the high levels of engineering excellence that the 928 was subjected to. Maybe the bloody bean counters have simply got too much say and should all **** off. Has nobody learnt anything from British Leyland?
There needs to be some perspective here. If I had started to pic up these sort of issues at 90 or 100 000km, I think I could understand it, but I'm battling with these sort of failures at such low mileage. The service manager stated in a mail to me that we have bad roads in SA and that the worn bushes are wear and tear. There are other cars on our roads subjected to the same conditions that don't have these issues - ask Honda or Toyota. Was the QP not designed for the cobblestones of Europe? And how is it that Toyota can make an alternator that has yet to break at 130 000km - I know this because I have a Toyota Hilux D4D pick up, which is probably the closest thing that humankind will ever come to immortality. Not even Africa can kill it.
The worst of all is that if I canned the QP and went for an E63 AMG, M5 or something similar, I don't know whether I would be picking up the same sort of problems. But at least then these cars will have some sort of maintenance plan to soften the blow.

 

[Grant V]

Yesterday was an interesting experience.
While standing next to the QP as it was being loaded (this was rush hour traffic), all those admiring glances that you usually get in traffic turned to sneers of triumph at my misfortune.
Not a light laugh as in "Oh sh1t, ha, ha", but more of a "HA, HA! TAKE THAT YA FECKER!" sort of thing. It was mildly disturbing and I ought to sue Maserati for emotional distress.
Oh well, next week I'll be back in the Maserati and you'll still be in your fecking miserable Corolla, so up yours Brunhilda! (Even though your fecking miserable Corolla hasn't broken down in the last ten years.)

 

[Andyk]

I must say it even looks stunning going on the back of the low loader.....

 

[Parisien]

Sorry Andy........no car looks stunning on the back of a low loader, because what it represents, on a low miles, newish design, supercar, is a failure of design, quality control and Maserati accepting responsibility for compromising those standards.

They then wash their hands of it all, basically giving you the buyer the bird and wetting their middle finger and telling you to swivel on it.

In 2014, not acceptable IMVHO


P

 

[Wattie]

Kinda shows the importance of some sort of mechanical warranty with these cars! Feel sorry for you as you're caught between a rock and a hard place as you need to repair before a sale is possible anyway.
Personally, I'd get rid as some cars just seem to be problematic.......this with such low miles sounds like one and South Africa ain't where you wanna be stuck at the side of the road broken down in a flash car!!,
Cheers Wattie

 

[BJL]

£2,250 a year for my QP and so far no claims......bl00dy typical

 

[Contigo]

Grant, cars like this can be fraught with issues. M5's as you mentioned previously have common problems like Vanos issues, SMG (red cog of death) and clutch release bearing problems so nothing mechanical is perfect. I agree about yours being extra low miles and should not have engines issues. I feel for you because you really want to like something but can't because it is so flawed. I've always hankered after a QPV but after reading this I will definitely think twice and probably focus my attention more on a GT as they do seem to be more reliable as an everyday car.

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[Parisien]

GT's seem to be pretty robust......thats the general consensus..........but QPVs have a number of issues


P

 

[Contigo]

QPV's for me seem to suffer from electrical coil pack or hesitancy missing issues and gear selector problems or at least that's what I've picked up from being here for a few years.

 

[StuartW]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, things can only get better!

Good luck and hopefully once these bits are fixed, it will be plain sailing

 

[Ewan]

Can't help but think you've been unlucky with the Maser and incredibly lucky with the 928s. Here in the UK a 928s (unless a show queen with low miles and perfect history) is next to worthless and gas a shocking reputation as being about the most unreliable and expensive to run Porsche going. (I am a member of the Porsche Club so here/see this regularly. Indeed, if you ask a Porsche specialist whether or not you should risk buying a 928, they virtually always say no!).

The 2007/8 QP has the same engine, chassis, ancillaries such as alternator, brakes etc as the same age GT, so there's no reason to think that one is any more or less likely than the other to have problems with these shared items. I've heard of and experienced coil pack problems (just as on one of 911's) on the QP, but not the issues you've had.

 

[Parisien]

Yes Ewan, post 2007 cars seemed much better sorted.......maybe Grants was an early in the year model?


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