I miss my FF

I have been mulling over something similar.... I am considering buying an FF or GTC4 Lusso for a DD and to accompany my F12 which I am not using as a DD.. This is what worries me about trying to use an F car as a DD.. I have other cars that can be my spare, so that is not a "problem"... but the fear of the little problems that take a long time to fix, is worrisome to the experience of trying to have one as a DD. It is odd, I have had a few 60's F cars and now 3 modern ones and a number of Lambos, and I actually expect issues, therefore having them in the shop does not bother me.. as they are weekend and joy riding.. My 60's F-cars, my wife refused to drive with me, as they seemed to break down more than they were running... But once you move to a DD for a car, the expectations rise on dependability, and speed of service. I am considering the FF/GTC4 or a Porsche 911 turbo, or new NSX... I really would like to have the V12 as a DD, but also do not want to go through 8 weeks of repair headaches, the cost is another thing, but actually not the primary - but that would be awfully frustrating waiting that much time for repairs if/when something does go wrong.

 

Sounds like the very-common-fault battery to me?! My FF did exactly the same as do most. It’s worth checking the dealer is sure it isn’t the battery. Otherwise it could be something to do with the harness which would be a really annoying, not to mention difficult issue.

I have had an FF/Lusso since 2015 as a semi-daily. The only issues have been battery (on both cars) and a front bumper which I cracked and took an absolute age to get the replacement part (about 8 weeks). That was definitely poor but it was me that caused the original problem. Other than that the cars have been very reliable and really wonderful to drive.

 

My experience with all my Ferraris has been brilliant. Dealer couldn't be more helpful no matter how small or large the issues. Great communication always and a clear understanding of my concerns. When they were in any doubt at all they would call on the services of the FNE trouble shooter who arrives within days and actions a remedy double pronto. Always offered a curtesy car but not always accepted one.
Mind you, Meridien Modena of Lyndhurst in the UK has just won 'Global Dealer of the Year" and well deserved.
So comforted by the level of commitment and service I would only ever buy a Ferrari or Maserati from them.

Just goes to prove not all dealers are the same.

 

Sounds like the dealer is the problem. Do you have a good independent in your area? That could quickly solve your issue.

See my posts in this thread -

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/help-solving-this-puzzle.595998/

 

Oh yea, that's a good reason!

 

the ff is a car you can drive any day but hard to drive it every day for the reason you said. the error ur having just needs a new battery as someone mentioned. I drove around for months with that error.

 

This is so disheartening! Especially since i am seriously considering purchasing an FF for my DD.. What make it worse is that i intend on driving it appox 6k miles per year and i drive and live in the nyc area where the roads are terrible. I cant imagine how the suspension will hold up in these conditions after 30k+ miles on the odometer? Yes there is a trade off, your get to drive a truly remarkable car, but have to expect a level of issues that will certainly occur, sometimes maybe more frequently then other times. Certainly the CPO warranty will be helpful and my dealership to offer a loaner would make it that much more appealing. Regardless, I will need a secondary vehicle to fill in the gaps for when its in for repairs.

 

Disheartening is aggressive. Its a ferrari. Its worth the agita


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Most of us have multiple cars other than our Ferraris.

I daily drove three different Ferraris and never had unusual issues along the way. I only had to call the flatbed twice, and both times the car was in my garage when it was dead, F1 TCU in a 355, and corrupted software in the ECU of my 575M. The 355 fix was an easy swap. the 575M needed the ECU reflashed and Ferrari was on holiday, so it took seven weeks to get the ECU reflashed. You need to have a good sense of humor.

If you DD your Ferrari you might scrape a wheel on a curd or get a door ding that makes you feel bad, but nothing that can't be easily dealt with. That said you can daily drive your Ferrari, but there will be bumps in the road, but who cares since you are driving a Ferrari. The same goes for my Hot-Rods over the years. I have fun with fun cars. If I couldn't deal with the downside I would drive a Toyota.

Enjoy your FF, and get the most out of it. Light a fire under the GM of the dealership too, it sounds like all you need is a battery. Buy a Braille Lithium Battery if you plan on keeping the car. It is the best and only upgrade that I have done to my F-cars over the last 25+ years.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Since the car is under warranty, and you know the factory is not reimbursing the dealer at top dollar, cash paying customers are at the head of the line.

 

When you have a warranty issue that isn't being resolved in a timely fashion, it isn't a conspiracy theory situation, but just a sign of a bad dealership, with a bad service department. No more, no less. Believe me, the service director would rather get the car out of the shop.

No modern Ferrari should spend eight weeks at a dealer for a warning light if the car was driven into the dealership. Someone dropped the ball. If the car needs more than a battery it could take some time, but not eight weeks. Steve Wynn got brand new LaFerrari that was DOA. Penske-Wynn Ferrari was unable to repair the car and required help and parts from the factory. The car sat forever and was eventually repaired. If Roger Penske and Steve Wynn have unresolvable service issues, as they did on this car and can't resolve them without FNA and factory assistance who is to blame???

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Well then that goes back to my original thoughts.

 

Your original thoughts are still incorrect, Paul. The OP paid for a Ferrari warranty extension, how can an independent shop resolve an issue within the Ferrari Dealership???
I'm sure the dealership CAN repair the car, I don't have a clue from the information provided by the OP WHY the issue hasn't been dealt with. No reply needed.

 

Oh, I know an independent can't resolve the issue with Ferrari. What I'm saying is an competent independent may have gotten the car back on the road in days, not months.

 

A competent Ferrari dealer can get a battery in a car in hours, or properly troubleshoot an intermittent electrical gremlin in days as well.

Without knowing more facts, there is no reason why the Ferrari dealer could not resolve the issue in a timely fashion.

How many independents have the required SD3 to even do basic troubleshooting??? Cars of this era are best left to the dealers, and only the dealers while under warranty. Only a small fraction of independents even specialize in Ferrari, for cars up to the 430, early 612, and 575M independents offer some advantages if you have a great one, but in my 25+ years of Ferrari ownership, only a few great independents come to mind. To give you an idea of how great the great independents are I can tell you that I contacted one of them for a 355 major last month. and I booked a spot in the Fall.

Here is the independent shop in Las Vegas.

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Here is the dealership.
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Yes I will admit, its a Ferrari i think its worth the headaches. Thats the price i have to pay to drive a ferrari, especially as a DD. I couldn't go back to an S class etc.
I have been spoiled with my 575M which I have had for over 10 years and have 21k miles clocked, its has been flawless!!! I am on my 2nd Maserati QP (15) as my true DD it now has 52k miles and this to has been perfect!

 

My 575M is one of the best cars that I have ever owned and is a favorite of mine. I DD it for a long time and the only issues I ever had were the fuel pumps and the ECU software issue I mentioned. I over maintain my cars, but the car has been a bargain over the years. I'm old and I look back at the cars that I didn't put miles on over the years and I get mad at myself. I hate to say it, but a Ferrari is just a car. I owned a 993tt at the same time I got my '98 355 new. I never sweated driving the Porsche, but for some reason, I never was comfortable doing the DD thing with the Ferrari. Well, I sold the 993tt and kept the 355. The 355 is in my garage with under 10K miles on it and it is worth less than half as much as the 993tt would be.

If you own a Ferrari, drive it like it's stolen as often as you can.

 

Great advice "If you own a Ferrari, drive it like it's stolen as often as you can" I feel that I have put a fair amount of miles on my 575M, and will continue to do. Now I just need a solid FF as my new DD and I will be sure to put tons of miles on. Regardless of the inevitable issues that will pop up, I will excited, and honored to be driving a Ferrari several days a week

 

I'm sorry and surprised to hear you're having that kind of experience... When I had my Cali T via Ferrari of Atlanta they were always on top of things, constantly kept in touch with me, and ensured that I was satisfied. The only real "complaint" I ever had was that they didn't have a loaner Ferrari for me to use when I dropped off my car. And Ferrari itself would usually follow-up with a phone call/survey so not sure about your comment about Ferrari escaping that vs MB, Porsche, BMW.

 

Thanks for providing more info.
Even though you replaced the battery, you still may have a battery issue. The problem being temperature related really points to an intermittent issue with the battery. I agree with you that the dealer is just thowing parts at your car without troubleshooting. FFs are notorious for weird intermittent issues with low voltage.
The dealer needs to start over from the top.

"Control Module" doesn't tell me much without a description or part number. I have never run into a fusebox issue that is in itself temperature related. Most fusebox issues in modern Ferraris are caused my shorts or over-current issues somewhere else in your car.

That said, and the fact that my Magic 8 Ball is waiting for FNA to provide a software upgrade

One of my closest friends is the service director for Towbin Ferrari here in Las Vegas, Rich helps out FChatters all the time, and may be able to offer some assistance to you if you post or PM me as much info as you have.

 

So I'm guessing the independent doesn't serve Nespresso, crudites and finger sandwiches.

But they're booked until the fall.