Another Ferrari of Scottsdale Mess!

Well..........Here we go again! After F of S billed me for a water pump rebuild on my TR's major....(and they didn't perform the H20 pump rebuild)....which said unrebuilt pump subsequently failed, trashing the engine....which they refused to make good on until I pushed them.....HARD.

Did they give me my $$ back......NO.

They wanted to make good on it by doing a major on my 348 for no charge. That was a scary thought, but that was the only way that I was going to get any payback, unless I sued them.

They did the 348 service and the car seemed OK.........up to a point. After it would warm up it started running poorly, cutting out, stumbling, stalling, etc. It would shift poorly and the accelerator cable was sticking. I brought the car back and they couldn't figure it out, but they thought about starting to replace components (I declined). The car ran spotty for the next 6 months. So it was pretty much up to me to figure this out.

I found a bad spark plug wire.........so I put in a new set.....No result.
I cleaned ALL electrical connections................................No Result
The O2 sensors were shot so I replaced them...................No result
Clean MAF sensors.......................................................No result

Frustrated......I took the car to a great local tech, Alex Traverso. Within an hour he found that the Dealer had removed the engine's ground strap and forgot to replace it, so the car was using the shifter cables and the accellerator cable to ground itself. This was not very efficient and the heat and wear from constant expansion and contraction of these components was begining to make them malfunction and would have lead them to eventually fail. I think that I am pretty good around a car.......but I would have NEVER figured that connection out! Fortunately, my ECU's and the rest of the electrical system are OK. The fix cost me $350. I'm sure the dealer would have replaced my ECU's, MAF sensors, etc for $5K......and it still wouldn't have worked.

I am at the end of a long list of F of S service failures. If you need work in AZ, the dealer is NOT the place to be....Alex is!! I like to do most of my own work, including majors....but its always good to know that there is someone out there that has the knowledge and expertise to take it to the next level. Thanks Alex!!

 

Alex is a good mechanic. He was the only guy worth a damm at the now defunct Southwest European.

I had my car serviced at Ferrari of Scottsdale...Not sure if Jim Summers is still, but he is a decent guy and real straight shooter. I'm very surprised he did not make it right for you...but then again, it is now owned by Penske

The sales guy Gary Simons is a real piece of work. I just found out the car he sold me (complete with "all papers"), which he sold new, had all sorts of undocumented A/C issues. The reason I did not flag it was becasue I just thought Ferrari's had crappy A/C as were suppose to leak freon. I just dealt with it.

So when Rod at FAI told me the compressor had been worked on and removed multiple times to the point where fittings were galled and bolts and hoses had to be cut off, parts that were suppose to be there were not, it raised a flag. I'm pissed, but not sure what I can do after 5 years.

By the way FAI is a great shop. Honest, and practical approach to F-Car Maintenance.

MB

 

You are right, Jim is a great guy that was always willing to go the extra mile for you when they were't owned by Penske. Now that they are 'corporate'......its all about making excuses and maximizing profit.

I just don't think that they can keep decent mechanics. I know that Alex couldn't stand it there anymore.

As far as Gary goes.........'nuff said.

 

It isn't only F of Scottsdale, alot of the dealerships are getting this way. It is getting to the point that alot of owners will not take their cars to the dealers at all, they go straight to private mechanics familiar with italian cars. And it even extends beyond just Ferrari, several Lambo owners have had the same problems and they are beginning to go to private techs as well.

 

Ineptitude + Ferrari mechanic = recipe for disaster.

 

How would I contact Alex? My dad just received a 94 348 Spider in Scottsdale (from Dallas) and he will need a good mechanic sometime. I would like to get him started in the right direction.
BT

 

Alex can be reached at 480-241-8877