Warning!
- Thread starter mchristyuk
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mchristyuk
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Just to say I'm still waiting on the VOSA engineer to get in touch with me.
I think the more people submitting reports to them the more quickly they will get on this case.
How Maserati can wriggle out of responsibilities on this one I can't wait to find out, and I feel a watchdog appearance coming on
At least the forum cares about those who drive around in Maseratis and wish for them not to end up dead at the wheel!
Vive l'SportsMaserati!
I think the more people submitting reports to them the more quickly they will get on this case.
How Maserati can wriggle out of responsibilities on this one I can't wait to find out, and I feel a watchdog appearance coming on
At least the forum cares about those who drive around in Maseratis and wish for them not to end up dead at the wheel!
Vive l'SportsMaserati!
miket
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Just had a very rudimentary look at mine, jacked both sides up & lowered wishbones onto axle stands so that they were load bearing, could only realistically see the front leading edge of both wishbones which appeared to be fine.
I will however have a more detailed look when the weather improves by stripping down both sides.
What is the general consensus on this, is the front fanblock mount on the wishbone the point where this problem manifests itself first/most often?
I will however have a more detailed look when the weather improves by stripping down both sides.
What is the general consensus on this, is the front fanblock mount on the wishbone the point where this problem manifests itself first/most often?
miket
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Also even though existing wishbones may appear to be ok, this in my opinion does not negate the requirement to exchange them under a recall as they have the potential to fail if they are the original part, mine bear the number 38.66.00.303/304 and a date stamp of 01 on the casting, cannot decipher which month!
alfettafan
Junior Member
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Just catching up with this thread - guess what I'll be doing tomorrow morning !!
Greg, I have a reference from a Mustang Club GB member on a guy whose business it is just transporting classic cars around the country / Europe - seems to come highly recommended. Let me know if you need the info an I can pm you.
Alistair
Greg, I have a reference from a Mustang Club GB member on a guy whose business it is just transporting classic cars around the country / Europe - seems to come highly recommended. Let me know if you need the info an I can pm you.
Alistair
alfatwo
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highlander
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Thanks Alistair. Once phil and I sort out what we are doing about the old girl I may give you a call re this option.......but then again, I might try my luck with the AA too
Hi Mark
I'm just trying to catch up on the thread, it's bloody long now!
My car is back in ramp all day tomorrow where hopefully all 3 so far not broken arm sets will be inspected - I've asked my mechanic to spend as much labour as it takes even if they got to be removed to check, and then let me know and also if problems found I'll ask to take pics.
I can't get the original broken arm unfortunately as it was scrapped just after the repair apparently.
I'm altogether a bit miffed by it all , she's very high mileage and over 12 years old, so I expect bushes, shocks and at some point the clutch, along with the usual bits that get broken or worn out, but if there's a design flaw involving such a potentially dangerous part I'm really peed off at the idea of forking out around 10k on parts that really shouldn't just break , in order to ever be brave enough to drive the **** thing again. Was all set to upgrade to a GS in the next 12 months but if maserati don't help sort this cockup I really can't be arsed and will go for a different make of toy next time..
If they were even to offer a very large discount on the required parts to refresh the areas of concern I'd consider that acceptable. I have a feeling they won't though..
At what point does the age/mileage of a car make it reasonable to assume it may not be roadworthy so is unfit to drive - even despite regular servicing and the same MOT tests every other car on the road goes through. It would almost be like maserati saying 'look I know it's an expensive car new, but just so you know within about ten or so years it'll be scrap..'
Most gutting is that I've really fallen hard for this car, got her looking really nice
Si
I'm just trying to catch up on the thread, it's bloody long now!
My car is back in ramp all day tomorrow where hopefully all 3 so far not broken arm sets will be inspected - I've asked my mechanic to spend as much labour as it takes even if they got to be removed to check, and then let me know and also if problems found I'll ask to take pics.
I can't get the original broken arm unfortunately as it was scrapped just after the repair apparently.
I'm altogether a bit miffed by it all , she's very high mileage and over 12 years old, so I expect bushes, shocks and at some point the clutch, along with the usual bits that get broken or worn out, but if there's a design flaw involving such a potentially dangerous part I'm really peed off at the idea of forking out around 10k on parts that really shouldn't just break , in order to ever be brave enough to drive the **** thing again. Was all set to upgrade to a GS in the next 12 months but if maserati don't help sort this cockup I really can't be arsed and will go for a different make of toy next time..
If they were even to offer a very large discount on the required parts to refresh the areas of concern I'd consider that acceptable. I have a feeling they won't though..
At what point does the age/mileage of a car make it reasonable to assume it may not be roadworthy so is unfit to drive - even despite regular servicing and the same MOT tests every other car on the road goes through. It would almost be like maserati saying 'look I know it's an expensive car new, but just so you know within about ten or so years it'll be scrap..'
Most gutting is that I've really fallen hard for this car, got her looking really nice
Si
highlander
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Hi Mark
I'm just trying to catch up on the thread, it's bloody long now!
My car is back in ramp all day tomorrow where hopefully all 3 so far not broken arm sets will be inspected - I've asked my mechanic to spend as much labour as it takes even if they got to be removed to check, and then let me know and also if problems found I'll ask to take pics.
I can't get the original broken arm unfortunately as it was scrapped just after the repair apparently.
I'm altogether a bit miffed by it all , she's very high mileage and over 12 years old, so I expect bushes, shocks and at some point the clutch, along with the usual bits that get broken or worn out, but if there's a design flaw involving such a potentially dangerous part I'm really peed off at the idea of forking out around 10k on parts that really shouldn't just break , in order to ever be brave enough to drive the **** thing again. Was all set to upgrade to a GS in the next 12 months but if maserati don't help sort this cockup I really can't be arsed and will go for a different make of toy next time..
If they were even to offer a very large discount on the required parts to refresh the areas of concern I'd consider that acceptable. I have a feeling they won't though..
At what point does the age/mileage of a car make it reasonable to assume it may not be roadworthy so is unfit to drive - even despite regular servicing and the same MOT tests every other car on the road goes through. It would almost be like maserati saying 'look I know it's an expensive car new, but just so you know within about ten or so years it'll be scrap..'
Most gutting is that I've really fallen hard for this car, got her looking really nice
Si
Can see you are major pee'd off Si, and understandably.
My thoughts? No part, metal or otherwise is meant to last forever but the issue here seems to be a fault that is not only common to the certain aged cars but at specific points - the mould joint to be specific. Now I am not ruling out age coupled with wear and tear but the same fault in the same area in several cars has to raise the Q of either process fault or design fault to be explored. None of us expected a possible fatal problem with these cars, or we would not, regardless of how much we love the marque, have bought them..........if for no other reason this is a reason why maserati need to consider the bigger picture and public view of their product if they want to survive.
Re Maserati being good guys for a change. As above, I'm with you, not very likely especially given they have put the prices up by nearly 50% since this broke........
Re age and drivability. Not sure these are connected, more to do with age connected to service level ime than simply age alone.
Si, we all on here love the marque, and our own cars especially, so I expect even if things do not go the way we want with maserati that most of these beauties will be sorted one way or another.
mchristyuk
Junior Member
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Hi Si
I know your feelings as I've been through the same. At the end of the day now we know about it we can look out for it. Who's to say your next toy won't have a gremlin that you don't know about? Better the devil you know and all that...
What I find sad is that Maserati by now know about this, they would have read all this, and they're saying and doing nothing whilst their customers are potentially driving death traps. On the flip side would I expect any big company to act differently in this day and age where shareholders and ££ is king?... No not really....
I run my own business and if I knew something I made was potentially in a situation like this I would be all over it.. But when you have 25 layers of management I guess it's always somebody else's problem to solve!...
Mark
I know your feelings as I've been through the same. At the end of the day now we know about it we can look out for it. Who's to say your next toy won't have a gremlin that you don't know about? Better the devil you know and all that...
What I find sad is that Maserati by now know about this, they would have read all this, and they're saying and doing nothing whilst their customers are potentially driving death traps. On the flip side would I expect any big company to act differently in this day and age where shareholders and ££ is king?... No not really....
I run my own business and if I knew something I made was potentially in a situation like this I would be all over it.. But when you have 25 layers of management I guess it's always somebody else's problem to solve!...
Mark
philw696
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And for those of us that have done forum track days thankfully those of us spinning our mistress off track was driver over exuberance than a component failure.
drewf
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Brilliant! As I said, the more individual cases filed, the more seriously it will be taken. It's just how government departments work. If we only filed one joint case with all the cars, there would only be one 'instance' in the records.
zagatoes30
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Interesting how this thread has developed and the power of a group to bring an issue to the surface
mchristyuk
Junior Member
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Update.
I've now had a response from the VOSA engineer looking into my report. The letter describes what they see as a safety defect that could effect numerous products and which wouldn't provide fair prior warning to the owners. Based on the report I submitted and the photos they have taken this forwards with Maserati for an explanation. The investigations can take some time but to be assured they are acting on this.
I have replied thanking them and informing them that we approached Maserati UK to no avail..
I guess we just have to sit back and wait now.
I don't know if it's worth me forwarding the other submitted VOSA reports to the same guy now I have his email address??
Mark
I've now had a response from the VOSA engineer looking into my report. The letter describes what they see as a safety defect that could effect numerous products and which wouldn't provide fair prior warning to the owners. Based on the report I submitted and the photos they have taken this forwards with Maserati for an explanation. The investigations can take some time but to be assured they are acting on this.
I have replied thanking them and informing them that we approached Maserati UK to no avail..
I guess we just have to sit back and wait now.
I don't know if it's worth me forwarding the other submitted VOSA reports to the same guy now I have his email address??
Mark