looking at new QP, would this bother you?

Look at the top of the center section of the steering wheel, that doesn't look right to me. Possibly buying the car without travelling there, have dealt with this dealer before, and I think they are good. Would that image raise concerns for you?


edit: not actually new....car has 9600 miles on it.

 

That gap might be there where the face comes off when the airbag deploys. I'd go check out a local car and just verify that they're the same.

What did the previous owner trade it in for though? Makes me wonder when I see low-mileage big ticket sedans, which presumably would be driven almost daily.

 

that is what happens when the car is parked in the hot sun too long. the top of the steering wheel starts to curl a bit and a gap forms. so far thats the only issue i've seen with the interiors on these cars i've seen not being hot sun tolerant. if it were a ferrari all the leather on the dash and seats would be shrunken by now. dont worry about the steering wheel, its probably warantable. get a reading of the clutch wear. thats more important.

 

thanks!

 

Couldn't live with that...

 

we took delivery in jan. 05 of our qp. by june, this was already happening. the piece is the column housing behind the wheel. it is strickly cosmetic and has no relationship to the airbags. it was replaced under warraty. the replacement piece hasn't had the same problem. i don't know if that is luck or simply a indictation of maserati fixing the problem.

needless to say, i wouldn't let it stop me from buying a qp. they are great cars. my wife drives it daily and it has yet to let us down. sure, we have had stupid and simple warranty related items, but still, the car is reliable and well made.

 

Very helpful, thank you, I will discuss this with the dealer to see if it can be repaired before taking delivery. A question was raised about the clutch, how could one determine the state of the clutch without a PPI? Could one tell by driving it? I could have a friend do that for me. Is clutch wear covered under warranty at this sort of mileage?
Thanks all.

 

100% agreed!

 

It's just one piece on the steering wheel... I'm sure that couldn't be too hard to just have replaced. The QP is a fantastic car, good luck!

 

I am also looking at a used QP 2006 with 3500 miles on it. SO how do u tell how much of the clutch is left.
I dont know if i would trust a dealer to just tell me.
They will say yeah u got 95% of ur clutch left.
When it wears out 3k miles later they will say well its the way u drove it.
Is there an independent way to tell.
This is the reason i think the QP should come with a full Auto Trans.
Its a luxury sedan.

 

Next years Quattroporte is supposed to have an automatic transmission option. You could always wait for that if you were concerned about the cambiocorsa transmission. But do a search here and also check the following site to get more info on the Quattroporte. http://www.************.com/forums/

 

For the clutch wear let's put it simple, it's almost impossible to do something stupid by yourself.
Unlike a manual box where you could fry a clutch in 100 miles by having it slipping all the time, on a Cambio it should be impossible.

In Switzerland, i had my clutch changed twice (in 20k miles...) under warranty on a spyder CC, so i think if you know what you say, they will replace it for sure in the US. There is simply no reason at all that an automated system burns a clutch in 10000 miles, either the system is bad, or the clutch is too small. In both cases it's a design fault. Not yours.

To detect the wear itself, i had some clutch-whine when shifting gears from time to time, or the box get worse and worse swapping gears. But in general, simply ask them to check it, and take a written paper saying at this timec clutch was 95 %. At least if you get back to them in 3000 mls with a dead clutch, it will mean they lied or the clutch only lasted 3000 mls. In both cases, they will replace it.

 

You must not know US dealers that well. The Clutch is a wear item. NOT covered by warranty and the dealer will rape u for all they can.

 

That would make me wonder, as they are usually more service oriented than european ones, and i guess you don't know the euro ones that well either

Cars underspec'd from factory for EU market
Ridiculous prices
Short warranty
All kind of exclusions.

Simply, if the dealer doesn't work, get to the importer. They will do something.
Especially maser, they can't have that. US is one of the biggest market for such cars, quality is a must.

It worked for me, and in europe as well it's a wear item. Simply, unlike brake pads in a theoretical fully automated braking system, you can hardly do something for what the clutch has been designed for in a Cambiocorsa.
And there is simply no reason for it to fail after 10000 mls.
If it does, and it written nowhere "don't do that, or it will shorten the clutch life", they HAVE to pay for it, as even for sportscars, 30tmls clutch life is a minimum.

 

Most people who buy the QP have no idea that its really a automated operated 6 speed with a hydro activated clutch. They use it as a regular torque converter auto and i have a friend who's wife fried the clutch in 3200 miles.
You can easily do that if u leave the car in gear at traffic lights and in gear on inclines and use reverse alot.
I went with my friend to get his QP serviced and he went to the service manager to complain but got no where.
If u talk to most Sales People when they Sell u the QP they will not tell people its not a true AUTO cause that scares off most Luxury car buyers.

 

Wow, i didn't even think that was possible.

Anyway, on my car, i got the clutch replaced under warranty, twice.

Though the second time the brought a guy from the factory, but HE went nowhere.

 

maserati did not try to market the current QP to 'most Luxury car buyers'.
the selected few who knows the Ferrari F1 system or the maserati cc system are very familiar with the paddles and even recognize the tiny shift lever.

btw you cannot easily fry the clutch if u leave the car in gear at traffic lights or in gear on inclines or use reverse alot. that is simply not true.

 

I guess you have never driven in NYC traffic. From what i read on this forum if u drive it like a 6 speed meaning not riding the clutch all time it will last as much as 25k miles. The problem i have is that buyin used even with 3500 miles on the car i dont know how the car was driven before me. In my area most people i see driving the QP are women. My friend got one for his wife she is now driving a XJ8 VP she traded the QP for it cause she would leave it in Auto mode and that way she ate the clutch in around 3k miles. My friend after paying $3500 dollars for a clutch replacement traded it in for a Jag.

 

you said "leave the car in gear at traffic lights and in gear on inclines and use reverse alot." not "driven in NYC traffic" or stop and go traffic.

you can leave the car in gear (ie not popping it to N) and it does not hurt as much as stop-and-go traffic.

your friend is not so smart. i would trade it in and not pay $3500 for the clutch.

btw, this is not just maserati, if you are worry about the history, go buy new then! no worries!