Ferrari recalls 458 Italia supercars after fires

06 September 2010

Ferrari has announced that it is recalling over 1,240 units of its 458 Italia supercars to change an adhesive that is prone to melting after receiving five

Ferrari has announced that it is recalling over 1,240 units of its 458 Italia supercars to change an adhesive that is prone to melting after receiving five reports of fire accidents.

The automobile giant conducted an investigation in August after receiving reports of fire accidents that involved five supercars in Paris, California, China, Switzerland and one unnamed location.

According to a company spokesman, the problem was caused by adhesive used in the wheel-arch assemblies, which in some circumstances can melt and eventually catch on fire due to overheating.

As a result, Ferrari, which is owned by Italian carmaker Fiat, will ask owners of the 1,248 cars manufactured before July 2010 to bring the cars in to have the glue fixed and replaced with mechanical fasteners, said the spokesman.

Owners whose units have been damaged by fire will receive a new car as replacement, added the spokesman.

The 458 Italia supercars replaced the F430 model, the company's best-selling model. In Italy, the 570-hp 4.5-litre V-8 458 Italia wears a price tag of €197,000 ($253,000).

Aside from sending letters to owners of 458 Italia, Ferrari dealers are also calling the customers one by one to ask them to bring their cars in for modification work. The company said it takes only half a day to repair the problem at a dealership.

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