Maserati owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA across 5 models. On average the car was 4.37 years old when the problem happened, and 47.2% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Maserati
The systems Maserati owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Maserati | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 7.5% | 16.7% | |
| Engine | 7.5% | 0% | |
| Electrical System | 6.2% | 0% | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5% | 25% | |
| Suspension | 5% | 0% | |
| Power Train | 5% | 0% | |
| Structure | 4.3% | 28.6% | |
| Service Brakes | 4.3% | 28.6% |
When Maserati problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 4.37 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 47.2% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 18 | Of 161 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 5 | Of 161 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Maserati models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Maserati | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GHIBLI | 48.4% | 3.6 yrs | 9 | |
| QUATTROPORTE | 27.3% | 6.4 yrs | 6 | |
| LEVANTE | 16.8% | 3.8 yrs | 2 | |
| GRANTURISMO | 5% | 4.4 yrs | 1 | |
| GRECALE | 2.5% | 1.0 yrs | — |
Maserati complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | — | |
| 2022 | — | — | |
| 2021 | — | — | |
| 2020 | — | 1 | |
| 2019 | — | — | |
| 2018 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | — | |
| 2015 | 2 | — | |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | — | |
| 2012 | — | — | |
| 2011 | — | — | |
| 2010 | — | — | |
| 2009 | — | — | |
| 2008 | — | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | — | |
| 2006 | 1 | — | |
| 2005 | — | — |
What Maserati owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Unknown Or Other 12 Read
Was driving 65 in a 65 mph zone. Lightly drizzling. Felt something happen to passenger front tire or suspension. Car spun out of control, rolled and crashed into rocks in NM. Was recently taking my 2019 Maserati Levante in for service and front lower arms were broken. I am at about the same mileage with the 2019 (35k vs 40k on the 2018). Could this same issue be the culprit or was I supposed to receive a recall notice about faulty welding that I see has happened in other 2018 Levantes?
Hi I have a 2013 grandturismo with 10700miles on it and was involved in car accident earlier today where the gas pedal was stuck and car kept accelerating despite taking my foot off the gas pedal. I was able to hit the brakes but ended up getting in an accident. I googled this problem and came across several complaints regarding this problem and noticed some recalls regarding some maserati models. Regards
CAR KEEPS LOCKING ITSELF, SOMETIMES WITH THE KEYS INSIDE. It is available for inspection. This issue is a major problem as the driver can be left stranded or if there are young children or pets in the car. The dealer has confirmed the problem and has no solution. We have tried all the lock settings to no avail. No warning signals from the car; we bought the vehicle used as a demo with 10,000km. Problems began immediately
Engine 12 Read
While driving around 45mph I began to smell a burning scent. This intensified and smoke began to enter the cabin of the car. I pulled over and called 911. After opening the hood the fire department extinguished a small fire in the engine compartment just forward of the driver steering wheel area
On or around 12 october, my levante 2017 with 85 k mileage, started showing check engine light. I called the dealership the next day. The car stalled on the highway 3-5 times before i got to the dealership. I was told that the engine is dead and the car is NOT drivable anymore. This is a safety issue. Stalling on a major highway can be dangerous. There are 3-4 other cases (online searching) whose same levante 2017 model had the same issue at very low mileages. The engine on that model is faulty and maserati of north america should be held accountable and recall so that it does not become a serious issues with other drivers still on the road. I now have to pay 38k to replace the engine being ordered from Italy. Maserati of north América will not help me with this. They should recall this model to check the defect in their twin turbo engine
The maserati 4.2l engine used in the early 2000s through early 2009 have an extremely high percentage that have an engine fault (cam variator) that requires repair. Maserati north america knows of the issue, has issued a technical repair bulletin, but never took responsibility to issue a recall. The case is a faulty design as oil flow drains back to the sump when the car is not running. This results in internal engine damage requiring a repair that is in the $4,000+ range at a maserati dealer. Like mentioned, this a known issue by the manufacturer but they are yet to take responsibility for the repairs
Electrical System 10 Read
The back up camera does not work in my car. It works on occasion, very rare occasion. There is an active recall for this same issue with the manufacturer but according to my VIN it’s not included but I’m having same issues as the other cars are having
The vehicles infotainment center went out, seemingly after the car battery went dead after sitting at the airport for 4 days. I can't operate any functions of the car including radio, a/c, back up camera ect
Car loses most of it's power unexpectedly. Car stops accelerating and dashboard error lights displayed are "check engine", "asr failure go to dealer", "check suspension", "msp failure go to dealer". Car has broken down 4 times with a loss of power and stated error warnings, and had to be towed to dealership all 4 times. Car purchased in january 2010. Car break down # 1 in march 2010, breakdown # 2 june 2010, breakdown #3 july 2010, and breakdown #4 in october 2010. Entire electrical harness was replaced upon breakdown #3, but this did not solve the electrical problem, as it broke down for a 4th time with same instrument panel warnings as first 3 times. Car remains at the dealership
Vehicle Speed Control 8 Read
I was driving this vehicle in "sport" mode. I accelerated from a stopped position, rather aggressively to get up to speed (about 30-35 mph). When I took my foot off the gas pedal, the car continued to accelerate uncommanded. I pressed the brake as hard as I could, but the engine remained at full power attempting to accelerate forward. I was nearly able to get the vehicle to a complete stop, but the engine overpowered me with both feet standing on brake pedal. It shuddered forward about 25 feet, moving at less than 5mph, almost like the antilock brakes were capturing and releasing, until I struck a vehicle stopped at a red light in front of me. The display read "service engine throttle control." once I struck the other vehicle, my vehicle finally came to a complete stop. I put the car in park, and the engine finally stopped revving. The floor mats were in their proper place, so they were not a contributing factor. This was actually the second time that the car had accelerated on its own, both occurring in conjunction with aggressive application of the gas pedal. The first time I was able to overcome it fairly quickly, and thought it was just an anomaly. It may be important to note that the manufacturer approved and completely replaced the engine control module (which I was informed by the dealership was a rare event) only 2 months prior to this incident, due to a virtual electronic meltdown with the engine control. Both uncommanded acceleration events occurred after this r
I was entering hollywood casino to valet my car , I approached the valet man and he told me to hold off a minute before he could get to my car then a few mins later he waved me to drive up and my car took off like a torpedo , the car started revving up and took off and I couldn't stop it even though I had my foot all the way the to the floor on the brake , I smashed into a car in front of me about 30 feet ahead and thank god no one was in the car , there is a video of this that will only be released to insurance companies or other agencies, I was so frightened by this that I was in shock for several hours didn't understand how the car just accelerated like that , I have witnesses that were there which were the valet guys and a security officer , its all on camera very scary situation , if another car wasn't there to stop me I might of been dead . The security wrote up a report , it can be gotten from ofc [xxx] at [xxx] or the compliance dept his name is [xxx] , there s a recall on the car for vehicle speed control from march 1, 2016 and I leased my car in april and the dealership never mentioned a word to me , which this problem should of either been told to me at least and fixed the problem before handing me the car , I am lucky to be alive, the incident happened approx at 5:15 pm on august 13, 2016. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Suspension 8 Read
During a diagnostic performed at the Maserati dealership to repair parking brake failure, it was determined that the right strut tower/dome has a large crack. The vehicle has not been in any major accidents or driven over any potholes and it appears that this happened spontaneously. There were no warning lights to signal this issue. During the diagnostic it was also found that all 4 tires were bald, control arms needed to be replaced and the car was out of alignment. I have only driven the car approximately 7,000 miles since purchasing it used and the car was delivered with new tires and a flawless 150 point inspection from the dealer. This deformity has major safety concerns as it affects the suspension, alignment, tires and creates unsafe driving conditions. I asked the Maserati dealership and Maserati USA if this vehicle was involved in Service Campaign 268 for possible deformation of the dome, but was told it was not involved
Takata recall.... The suspension on my 2005 maserati, model is a quadroportte, is giving way. When I go over any bumps on the road, the suspension is giving away. You can hear it rattle, and almost sounds as though, it's going to break in half. The car was taken to maserati and they "stone walled me a bit, but said that it has something to do with the strut bar, and or the suspension. This car has become very dangerous to drive and I want to alert the federal authorities. I would want maserati to recall this car to straighten out the problem and prevent loss of life. The suspension problem is on the right half of the maserati somewhere between the middle and back. We have had three technicians evaluate this problem and all say that maserati needs to recall the car. This is a manufacturers defect
Power Train 8 Read
The contact owns a 2017 Maserati Ghibli. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear end of the vehicle made an abnormal tinging sound. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V856000(Power Train). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage mileage was approximately 37,600
The contact owns a 2007 maserati quattroporte. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle decelerated and seized without warning. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. Maserati of seattle (1401 12th ave, seattle, wa 98122, (206)-329-7070) was contacted to schedule an appointment for a second diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure recurred. The failure mileage was 150,000
Structure 7 Read
I purchased the vehicle pre-owned to find out a year and half later it had structural damage that was not disclosed to me until I had a minor fender bender. I had been driving an unsafe vehicle and now my insurance carrier wants to total the it
The contact owns a 2014 Maserati Ghibli. The contact stated that on one occasion while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the motherboard control unit was defective due to an unlocated leak. The vehicle was then taken to an auto body shop where it was diagnosed that the failure cause was due to a leak near the front passenger’s side windshield frame that was not welded properly. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000
Service Brakes 7 Read
Intermittent hard brake pedal inability to stop the car in a safe manner. I had the vacuum booster pump replaced twice. Once the repair lasted for a year then the last time the incident reoccured after the second repair. The first time prior to repair there was an accident travelling a 5 mph after the first repair there was a hard braking incident that almost caused an accident at around 40 mph. Then had new booster pump repaired. After second booster pump repair there was onother hard braking pedal incident but was able to stop the vehicle with extreme difficulty. The first incident at 5 mph my wife was driving
The contact owns a 2007 maserati quattroporte. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, the brakes failed to engage causing the contact to lose control and crash into a concrete barrier. The contact did not sustain any injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. However, the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000
While driving my 2017 maserati levante going less than 20mph I notice the road was bumpy and tried to slow down and the brakes didn't respond. It felt like I was losing control of the car I continue to pump the brakes and it made this loud sound and then car skid to a stop. Thank god no car or person was in front of me. I have experienced this twice the first time it wasn't this bad just seem like the brakes weren't responding when I press the pedal. I just purchased vehicle feb 15 2022 and its now march 25 2022 from a certified dealer that car pass all inspections. There were no warning lights on during this scary incident or after
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 161 Maserati complaints.
Maserati against the rest
| Measure | Where Maserati sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #0 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #0 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 11.2% | across all 161 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Compare Maserati with the rest
Maserati problems by model
5 Maserati models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Maserati?
Owners have filed 161 complaints across 5 Maserati models. On its own that number reflects how many Maserati cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (4.37 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Maserati?
The most reported system is Unknown Or Other with 12 complaints.
Do Maserati problems show up under warranty?
47.2% of Maserati complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Maserati model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.