[Vaughan Jenkins]

Just a postscript to the above.

After much to and fro between dealer and Maserati Italy, four new rotors and pads were fitted free of charge.  A good result of course, although there has been no comment on the cause, or if this is one of a batch affected by manufacturing defects.

Thanks again Tony for your reply.

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Hi Tony

I appreciate the reply.  One of the frustrations has been that Ascot hasn’t shared any inspection report or technical information to get a view.  Nor have they provided a written quote for the work.  To be fair, Ascot and Birmingham (where the car came from) are attempting to get Maserati to reconsider but that leaves me car-less for now (no loan cars available sir).

The car has had relatively light usage – used mainly for longer runs to university or airport drop-offs.  Not much stop-start driving as we are in rural West Berkshire.  I have two kids/runabout cars that sit out on the drive and neither of these have exhibited the corrosion or disc wear that the Grecale has (allegedly).

I have however uncovered that Maserati had alerted dealers to a manufacturing defect:

Manufacturing Spec Issue: Maserati released Rapid Update 814 in early 2026, which involves replacing front brake discs on certain Grecales because they exhibited “surface roughness outside Maserati specifications”. Corrosion and “warping”  might actually be this specified surface defect. This appears to apply to VINs for cars in 24/25 but I don’t have the specifics. I have also seen some issues arising from storage conditions after they were shipped.

Apart from the Consumer Rights Act, there should be some protection from the Corrosion Warranty, you’d think.  I hear that in the US owners of similar mileage cars have successfully argued that the vehicle was not of “satisfactory quality” at the point of sale but I do not have firm evidence as yet.

If Sytner and Maserati keep pointing back to one another and then me, I’ll have to get an independent inspection – any recommendations on who to contact gratefully received.

 

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Hi Roger.

You may have caught me at a bad time to ask as I am in the vortex of Sytner and Maserati trying to evade all responsibility for the issue.

Beyond this disc problem, I’d probably rate the car as 7/10.  It is a Modena Sport which was a limited edition with all the extras included.  The interior, for finish and space, is one of the big plus points, the other being the engine.  I have had other SUVs and MPVs from different manufacturers and I wanted something that was as big as a Merc GLE for 3 adult rear passengers plus luggage; not as common as Cayennes and more sporty than Volvos or Audis.

Under the skin it is basically a stretch-Stelvio, which gives it the added load lugging capacity.  It is very comfortable on motorway runs and fairly forgiving on our potholed town and country roads.

Apart from the disc problem – which has affected a number of Grecales (see separate answer) – the other disappointment is the vague handling.  That’s where Porsche scores but it seems even worse than the GLE (and I’ve had 3 of those).  You’ll see Press reviews that point out other niggles, like the unresponsive touchscreen, the inability to recline rear seats etc but these are not unique to Grecales.  I’d really like to love it more but would I have another one?  Almost certainly not given this spat with the brakes.

Given the uncertainties at Stellantis and Maserati in particular, you might find that dealers will use manufacturer and finance company contributions plus discounts (if using PCP) that make a new car better value than buying a nearly new one with 5000 miles on the clock.

All member replies should be published in this thread.

 

 

 

[Vaughan Jenkins]

It would have been 9 hours in my case, stuck on the verge of a busy dual carriageway. What shocked me was that the RAC said they only aim to recover, it isn’t a contractual right, and there is no recourse to an Ombudsman. Classic car owners may want to ponder on thst. However, I’m going to test that with the CMA and FOS (because it was an add on to an insurance policy) but you certainly need to aviid the RAC for a standalone recovery service.

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Happily I am there on Saturday but a friend now can’t go – he has to go to Hockenheimring as he’s working for a team in the ADAC GT Masters

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Thanks again Tony – very helpful.  I think he was quoted £45 an hour labour for the bumper removal (ex-VAT) and £150 for the paint job itself

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Thanks again Graham

[Vaughan Jenkins]

Thank you – hopefully the fitting isn’t too tricky

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