Warning!

[safrane]

Sadly all one could expect for a Co that has very little interest in those who own their older cars and for these models. If this was US cars it would be a different story but its not.

Although we tallk about our cars having a soul I think it is us who have this for the brand rather than the cars and Co nowadays.

I won't have another...its time to move onto a Mark that lasts and can be run as a car not as a fragile premadonna.

 

[lovellracing]

I definitely know how you feel, I've spent just over £13k since last December and now the throttle body needs replacing

Oh I forgot I've replaced that as well along with the pedometer if that's the right word for it! (electronic throttle) !!!

 

[alfatwo]

Sadly all one could expect for a Co that has very little interest in those who own their older cars and for these models. If this was US cars it would be a different story but its not.

Although we tallk about our cars having a soul I think it is us who have this for the brand rather than the cars and Co nowadays.

I won't have another...its time to move onto a Mark that lasts and can be run as a car not as a fragile premadonna.

A Porche Cayman GTS maybe...

Dave

 

[BL330]

Sadly all one could expect for a Co that has very little interest in those who own their older cars and for these models. If this was US cars it would be a different story but its not.

Although we tallk about our cars having a soul I think it is us who have this for the brand rather than the cars and Co nowadays.

I won't have another...its time to move onto a Mark that lasts and can be run as a car not as a fragile premadonna.

But Peter, is this you just tiring of your mistress?
To satisfy us isn't she supposed to be gorgeous, high strung, petulant and a real performer where it counts?

 

[Emtee]

Reading the service schedule it states... "Front and rear suspension joints and relative tightening". That's all. What does that mean?

Shame on me. In spite of my fully stamped (annual and mileage) service schedule, shame on me.

Shame on me for letting my authorised independant service centre only work to the requirements of the stated service schedule. In hindsight I should have demanded they do more. What more to do I would not know at the time, but more, whatever it was, just do more.

Shame on me for letting time pass and for not alerting my service centre to the potential failure of a part that neither I nor they knew to be at risk.

Shame on me for not having foreseen the flawed design of a suspension component that only presents itself after the fact. Shame on me for not having foreseen this. Shame on me for not reading the runes, shame on me for not owning runes.

Shame on me for buying a fully provenanced car from an authorised Maserati dealer.

Shame on me for buying my second Trident and for looking forward to my third.

Shame on Maserati for their shocking approach.

Shame they won't be getting my custom when the Alfieri comes out.

Shame I won't be able to hold my tongue if anyone asks me for my opinion of the marque.

Still, it's obviously my fault, not theirs.

Shameful.

 

[hodroyd]

Well said Miles..!!

HALL OF SHAME = MASERATI WISHBONE COMPANY

 

[spkennyuk]

I shall await my letter so i can reply to it. Thats pretty much the worst possible outcome. What I dont understand is when there are several other cases of wishbones cracking Mercedes and Subaru issued a recall and replaced the parts. Clearly it was deemed necessary on the previous occasions for the exact same fault. Why not on this occasion ? If its because there are low numbers of these cars then why did Mercedes recall their cars when less than a hundred cars were involved.

Also worth noting that the DVSA website has not been updated ! Are the DVSA going to continue in help hide the issue from owners of the affected vehicles.

Maserati have had their say and shown what they think about their customers safety and the safety of the next generation of Maserati customers. There are many of us who transport our children round in our cars.

Do we have any contacts in the auto press that would be willing to run a story on our behalf ? We have played nice and been patient so far. Time for a different approach.

I think we know this would be handled in a different manner if it had happened in the USA. Is it worth sending a cracked wishbone to the powers that be in the USA via one of our USA forum members. I know there are not many 3200/4200 and GS's in the states but there are some and at the moment those cars are not even being checked.

 

[mchristyuk]

I gave myself 24 hours to calm down before writing back to the DVSA regarding the letter Maserati sent out.. this is what I've sent.. will let people know as and when I get a reply!

Hi John,

As you are no doubt aware Maserati 3200/4200/GranSport owners are now receiving their letters from Maserati regarding the cracking and failed wishbone issue.

I would like to know on what evidence the DVSA and Maserati came to the conclusion that it was an issue resulting from lack of “Correct Vehicle Maintenance”?

Maserati state in their letter that this issue arrises when the correct service schedule is not followed according to the “Owner Manual”.

I quote from the “Owner Manual” what is said regarding the inspection of such parts during servicing: "Front and rear suspension joints and relative tightening”.

Please can you tell me how an independent garage should interpret that sentence who has no knowledge of the potential for these parts to split open along the manufacturing seam (from the inside where external inspection is not possible)?

As you are no doubt aware it is illegal for Maserati to force the cars to only be serviced by their authorised main dealers, so are Maserati going to be writing letters to every single garage in the UK to explain what they mean by “Correct Vehicle Maintenance” when it comes to these parts as the “Owner Manual” to which they refer certainly doesn’t.

My final query is regarding cars with full Maserati service history and those with full independent specialist service history which suffered cracked wishbones. These owners provided reports to the DVSA as evidence that full and “Correct Vehicle Maintenance” is not a preventative measure for this issue. Again I ask what evidence Maserati provided considering their own main dealer network has failed to detect compromised safety critical components?

Kind Regards

Mark

 

[jluis]

After this episode, I won't be buying that new QP next year ...
Maybe I should stick to BMW or Mercedes

 

[highlander]

A fair and balanced letter Mark......probably more so than most of us on here would have managed
Like you indicate, I think the central issue with the Maserati response is the suggestion that any cracking should be picked up during maintenance checks. With that in mind and what we can deduce from the examples on here, that seems to therefore suggest it will be necessary to remove the bones, and possibly even the removal of bushes, to inspect the inside of the bones since the cracking starts on the inside and works its way out.
I for one would now happily contribute to pay for a professional report on a failed bone so that an owner can take Maserati to the small claims court as a test case to challenge their view it is our fault and not a manufacturing issue.

 

[stefanocirillo]

I gave myself 24 hours to calm down before writing back to the DVSA regarding the letter Maserati sent out.. this is what I've sent.. will let people know as and when I get a reply!

Hi John,

As you are no doubt aware Maserati 3200/4200/GranSport owners are now receiving their letters from Maserati regarding the cracking and failed wishbone issue.

I would like to know on what evidence the DVSA and Maserati came to the conclusion that it was an issue resulting from lack of “Correct Vehicle Maintenance”?

Maserati state in their letter that this issue arrises when the correct service schedule is not followed according to the “Owner Manual”.

I quote from the “Owner Manual” what is said regarding the inspection of such parts during servicing: "Front and rear suspension joints and relative tightening”.

Please can you tell me how an independent garage should interpret that sentence who has no knowledge of the potential for these parts to split open along the manufacturing seam (from the inside where external inspection is not possible)?

As you are no doubt aware it is illegal for Maserati to force the cars to only be serviced by their authorised main dealers, so are Maserati going to be writing letters to every single garage in the UK to explain what they mean by “Correct Vehicle Maintenance” when it comes to these parts as the “Owner Manual” to which they refer certainly doesn’t.

My final query is regarding cars with full Maserati service history and those with full independent specialist service history which suffered cracked wishbones. These owners provided reports to the DVSA as evidence that full and “Correct Vehicle Maintenance” is not a preventative measure for this issue. Again I ask what evidence Maserati provided considering their own main dealer network has failed to detect compromised safety critical components?

Kind Regards

Mark

In terms of letting other garages know. I am sure VOSA will put it on the MOT system as a special instruction to check. That way any garage who MOT's the cars going forward will check the wishbones. Not that that makes any difference at all. Cayman GTS time. Or GT4 if im feeling especially angry.

 

[Needamaser]

I for one would now happily contribute to pay for a professional report on a failed bone so that an owner can take Maserati to the small claims court as a test case to challenge their view it is our fault and not a manufacturing issue.

I suspect, sadly, that Maserati would throw their corporate lawyers onto this big time and argue a small claims court is not the place to decide this issue and even if that didn't work and they lost the case it would be appealed all the way to the High Court or beyond.
They would spend a six figure sum to defend their position and their reputation. Yeah...what reputation!

 

[lovellracing]

Wow I have looked at the pictures on here the wishbones are clearly ****! a really poor casting and poor quality alloy. No amount of proper servicing would avoid this nor would it show on a visual inspection. Surely Maserati will have to put their hands up and do something about this before someone is killed as a result......What is the phone number for Watchdog!

Ray

 

[Contigo]

My response was not half as measured as Mark's! Well done mate..

 

[redsonnylee]

Oh I forgot I've replaced that as well along with the pedometer if that's the right word for it! (electronic throttle) !!!

We can put ours in a museum, am guessing yours is as clean and shiny as mine through lack of use :0)

 

[D Walker]

Well I guess I am safe and protected.

There is a line on the last Service sheet (June) from Autoshield stating "Serviced & Inspected in line with manufactures schedule / recommendations"

Sweet!!

 

[allandwf]

Pin it to the dash, and rattle your beads before taking that blind bend at 80!

 

[zagatoes30]

Fiasco is the word that comes to mind, but the outcome from Maserati was predictable.

 

[D Walker]

Pin it to the dash, and rattle your beads before taking that blind bend at 80!

Not so sure I will be taking any blind bends at 80 - I will keep checking them with my camera thing - but picture not brilliant.

I will still take my car to Scotland weekend after next for a week and check them when I can.

What else to do - If we all chop them in for some German / Jaguar thing tomorrow then they have really won.

Like mentioned earlier the solution (though not ideal) is to engineer our own and really stick the middle finger to them.

From the snippets I have caught that is on going.

Dave

 

[Danny]

The love for my 3200 AC is too big to have it traded against anything else so I am indeed looking forward to the SM (or other party) engineered solution. It would help if the people who are working on this could confirm how long it will approx take to have units available. 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? And what solution are they working on, only the lower arms? Front and rear?