Am I Breaking Some Sort of Record?

I wrote a Post titled "When is Enough Enough" where I listed the following:

1999 355 Spider. $32,814.70 spent in 5,000 kms/3,100 miles? Car only has 35,000 kms/21,700 miles. Dealer won't consign car because timing belt is three years old and has 3,100 miles on it. This belt thing is what is called poor engineering and probably one of the most ridiculous things in automobile history.

May 2010: $8,889.97
Timing belt, clutch, all fluids, spark plugs, hoses, etc.

August 2011: $2,461.67
02 sensors, new tire, repair front undertray?, a bunch of diagnostic labour.

July 2012: $2,329.43
Change oil, check brakes etc, refinish wheels, new wheel caps, replace console sections that were melting, etc.

May 16, 2013: $1,525.80
Diagnose why engine won't start 50% of the time (they couldn't find fault and usually started for them?), oil change (minor service).

August 1, 2013: $8,128.37
Took to private mechanic this time to diagnose why car won't start as problem getting worse. Major diagnostic time spent. Replace lock set/ignition (which solved problem), new engine mounts, exhaust clamps, oil hose, hood struts, replace battery terminals, etc, etc.....

October 3, 2013: $9,479.46
New catalytic converters (both sides) and labour/taxes etc.

Total: $32,814.70. In addition to this I paid $8,000 in June 2012 to fix and re-paint front end due to minor damage to front spoiler and due to cosmetic improvements due to small rock chips etc.

UPDATE: Since then my care has been at Ferrari of Vancouver (For over two months or something). The car originally went there because it would back out of the garage normally but when I would put it in first gear and release the clutch it would stall. After racking up another $10K bill they said they would stop billing me and work on it until they found the problem.

They ripped apart almost everything and had some tech guru from Ferrari NA involved etc. They finally called me and said that they found the problem. A wire from a wiring harness behind the seat that goes to the motor had a loose wire. I am really worried about what happened to the cosmetics of the car as when you take this much apart stuff is bound to happen (especially with my experience with them). The condition of this car is (was) perfect.

Anyway up to something like $42K now.

 

Wow. I am SO sorry.

 

Well besides the fact that you have an enviable amount of tolerance, possess a remarkable love for your car and are clearly the statistical outlier; you may be close to some sort of record!

 

Sounds like you've been ripped off through out the entire process.

$9,400 for cats?

 

Yes, unfortunately.

 

Same problem different car. Good Mechanics, or so called mechanics are few and far between. With limited lack of knowledge on actually repairing the car, the customer as always is the one who is at the short end of the stock. The mechanic still receives his pay check. I wish you the best.

I was successful in recouping through negligence claim against the garage who screwed up my BB

 

Not to add salt to an open wound... but...

Over $50K.

 

You could have gotten this done for less than $3k, labor included.

 

Out of the $42k spent, how much of that was on diagnosing problems?

 

No not only NOT a record, not even close.

I was looking at a car a couple of months ago with over $70k in repairs over a few months, no major rebuilds.

 

This won't make you feel any better, but I once had a problem with a sluggish older low mileage 911 that bounced between a dealer and two highly respected independents who changed parts, cleaned and swapped injectors, adjusted valves, and racked up charges and even recommended top end rebuilds, but solved nothing. Finally on the advice of a friend took it to a third indy who worked on the car for an entire week and finally found and replaced a clogged fuel rail. The car ran perfectly. He presented me with a bill for one hour of labor and when I pointed out that he had at least 30 hours in the car, said, "Why should you pay while we learn?"

I wish he was a Ferrari mechanic.

 

"The 355 is a rock solid car once its sorted. It's reputation is undeserved..." (Put any guys name in here that hasn't had any problems with his 355 yet, or won't disclose all of them)

Lol.

 

I spent a few pennies shy of $34k in service during a single calendar year with my 348. No coachwork or paint was involved.

So yes, I understand.

.

 

what could be the current equivalent... 458 spider at $300,000+ a California at $250,000+... you should have a well sorted car at a fraction of the cost of current production car... parts and labor costs are not depreciated with the car... the only short coming is that the techs could not find the "needle in the haystack" promptly...

 

You can put my name there. No need to LOL.

As you said, once sorted.

The expensive issues with the 355 are essentially one time fixes, assuming the mechanic knows what he's doing.

 

Surely you are aware of the irony of your username posting this reply?

 

Perhaps it is time for a name change. I've owned 2 355s since I joined almost 7 years ago.

 

I'd presume you got a discount on parts though, right Daniel?

 

That's a big deal. Like the sticky parts I'm about to do on the 612, expensive but will be fixed better than new. If you love the car, I can understand how this cost of ownership isn't terribly regrettable.

What is regrettable is my mechanic at FOW up and moved on. Something personal I hear, took off to Europe. He was great.

 

Yes. That $ is calculated based on my actual inventory cost of parts.

 

Awful story, this is what keeps me out of the drivers seat. I simply don't have the conscience to spend this kind of money tracking down issues . Your perseverance is astonishing , I would have cut bait long time ago.

 

This is the practice I am more accustom to hearing and experiencing. Having shops charge thousands of dollars just to diagnose issues seems absurd, but is this common in the Ferrari world?

 

Well... If a person isn't mechanically inclined... There really isn't any other option is there?

I've had the same diagnosis costs when I took my Boxster to the stealership for the first and last time. It happens with every brand of car.

 

Panico?

 

The 355 makes you lust
It leaves other cars in the dust
But when it breaks
your heart aches
because the repair bills suck