What is Ferrari's actual/anticipated reliability with electronic gizmos?

When it comes to electronics from Ferrari,expect the worst. That way you will never be disappointed.

 

Seriously.....if Ferrari could not solve the sticky interior problem in 20 years.....why would you have any confidence in their hybrid electronics.

A replacement battery (large battery) for the LaFerrari which is out of warranty is almost $250,000.

These things are not a Prius. You need to have a very deep pockets to buy them and keep them running. Don't get me wrong....I love Ferraris but every new model since the 308 exponentially has become more expensive to maintain.

 

This issue is one of the reasons, but not the most important one, that I chose a 328 for my first F-car. It's mostly mechanical, and the few electronic modules that it has are mostly re-buildable. My '89 is 32 years old and still runs like the Energizer bunny. Can you imagine that anything built after the 430 will still be as easy to keep on the road when it turns 32? I doubt it. Then again, by the time a 458 turns 32 there may not be any gas left to run any of our cars.

 

Unless they discover an unlimited source of Unicorn tears.....the US would need to build 30 new nuclear reactors in the next 10 years to facilitate the switchover. I just don't see that happening. Solar and wind have proven seriously problematic and inefficient.

 

I once asked an engineer about why electronic stuff like sensors work great on Japanese cars, but not so great on European cars, particularly Ferraris. A chip is a chip, right? They all come from the same place, so why the difference in practice? It is nothing for a Toyota to go 200,000 miles without having throwing a CEL. A Ferrari has a tough time going 2,000 miles without one.

His answer was interesting - The Japanese put a lot of thought into how to protect chips on their cars from water and heat. The Euros just stick em anywhere.

 

I have to slightly disagree. Yes all Ferrari’s between the 308 and the 2010 production year were progressively more expensive to maintain. But in 201 0 with the release of the 458, California, etc. reliability has gone way up and maintenance costs are now at an all time low.

With a 458 or a California from 2010, you really just need annual service which includes a basic oil change and odds and ends for less than $2500 a year now.


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I suspect it all depends on the owners and driving style. As Ferrari becomes more of a lifestyle brand, you're going to get more idiots with money but no mechanical ability and no background on how it even works. *insert quote here that the salesman in the dealership told them*
I haven't had a CEL in my car in 11 years of ownership. Not. One. On the other hand, I replace my battery every 3 years preventatively. The number of owners on this site that want to take a 10 year old battery and charge it with a tickle charger and then post "the battery is fine! Why do these cars have so many electrical issues?"...it's more than I have fingers in my time here.

BTW that 70's and 80's junk being called "reliable" makes me chuckle..

 

We had a open shop night at our Ferrari dealer a few years ago and the mechanics were hanging around, just there to answer questions. I asked one of them if the newer cars were easier to maintain and work on. He said without question, the newer models have gotten easier and easier. 430 easier than a 360, 458 easier than a 430 etc. I suspect this is not true for the LaFerrari or SF90 etc. But just a data point.

 

You know this is a good point. On both my 612 and FF there are electronics under a panel in the driver's footwell. It's not so much an issue with my 612, but on the FF which I drive in winter, I can be getting in the car with snow and ice on my boots. I can't have that melting and seeping into the electronics. So I bought a custom made rubber liner to protect it from water.

 

Another way of looking it is to think how bad the earlier cars were. Thank you, Luca.


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Electronic anything hates water. I had a top end Bosch dishwasher. It got replaced three times. I asked the final guy, WTF? He said, “Are you running the heat/steam cycle?” “Yes.” He said, “Don’t.” “Wait a minute. Are you saying I should not run cycles built into the machine?” He said, “You didn’t hear it from me.”

I never ran the high heat/steam cycle again. It worked fine.


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