The owners of some Ferrari supercars sold in the UAE have been told to return their vehicles after problems were detected with airbags and seat belts.
A recall notice has been issued, affecting a range of high-end Ferraris including the 458 Speciale and Speciale A, which can cost more than Dh1 million, the F12 Berlinetta, which has a base price of about Dh1.4m, and the F12tdf, with a reported price of at least Dh2.3m. The recall relates to certain vehicles made in 2016 and 2018.
It is feared that the airbags or seat belt pretensioners, which are designed to make seat belts more effective in the event of a crash, could fail in a collision or that airbags could inflate inadvertently.
The faults, which could be caused by an electronic vehicle control unit [ECU], “may increase the risk of injury and/or the possibility of an accident”, a recall notice stated.
Customers who purchased the Italian-made vehicles are being contacted by Al Tayer Motors, the UAE importer of Ferraris, and Premier Motors, the official Abu Dhabi Ferrari dealer.
It is estimated that about 45 Ferraris in the UAE are affected, with the recall notice issued in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy’s Competition Consumer Protection Department, which has a remit of protecting members of the public.
Other models affected are the CaliforniaT, 488 GTB, 488 Spider and 488 Pista.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause and thank our customers for their patience and understanding," a notice read.
Affected customers are being contacted so that the ECU can be replaced free of charge. It will take only a “short time” to carry out the repair, owners of the cars have been told.
Similar recall notices have recently been issued in other countries, including the United States and China.
