Other Restraint System Info: Force Limiter for front seats; no child restraint anchorage because it is a convertible car
Plant City: Modena
Plant Country: Italy
Pretensioner: Yes
Seat Belts All: Manual
Trim: GT/Cambriocorsa
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2000
STEERING
ON 3/28/04 I HAD AN ACCIDENT. I HAD NO IDEA WHY THIS HAPPENED. THE NEXT DAY, IN THE MAIL, I RECEIVED A "RECALL" LETTER FROM MASERATI S.P.A., MANUFACTURER OF MASERATI CARS TELLING ME THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MTSVS ACT THEY WERE REQUIRED TO ADVISE ME ABOUT A DEFECT IN MY CAR THAT "COULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN CONTROL AND POSSIBLY, A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING". THIS DEFECT INVOLVED MY CAR, AND INVOLVED "TWO OF THE FOUR SECURING BOLTS IN THE STEERING ASSEMBLY" THAT MAY BECOME LOOSE BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING ERROR. THE DEALER VERIFIED THAT THE TWO BOLTS REFERRED TO IN THE LETTER WERE VERY LOOSE. THEY ARRANGED FOR A REPRESENTATIVE OF MASERATI TO EXAMINE THE CAR. HE VERIFIED THE CONDITION, AND THEN SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH THE LETTER THEY SENT OUT SAID THIS DEFECT COULD CAUSE A CRASH, IT WAS NOT TRUE. THEY ONLY SAID WHAT THEY DID TO SATISFY THE NTMVSA. THIS DEFECT COULD NOT REALLY CAUSE A PROBLEM OR A CRASH, AND THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. THE DAMAGE EXCEEDS $30,000.00, BUT I AM TOLD IT WILL COST ME THAT MUCH TO SUE THEM, AND I AM NOT ASSURED TO WIN. WHAT SHOULD I DO? DOES THE LAW PROTECT ME IN SUCH A CASE? CAN YOU HELP ME? MASERATI SAID THEIR LETTER WAS WRITTEN ONLY TO SATISFY YOU, AND ISN'T TRUE. WHAT SHOULD I TO DO? THE DEALER SAYS MASERATI ADMITTED FAULT, BUT HE HAS NO POWER IN THIS MATTER. DOES THIS COME UNDER YOUR AUTHORITY, OR ANY GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY? PLEASE ADVISE ME. MASERATI SAYS THAT THEIR ONLY RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO ADVISE ME OF THE DEFECT, AND REPAIR THE DEFECT. NOT ANY DAMAGE THAT RESULTS FROM THE DEFECT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THE LETTER I RECEIVED FROM THEM, PLEASE E-MAIL ME YOUR FAX NUMBER, AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU. COULD YOU ADVISE ME HOW LONG A RESPONSE WILL TAKE TO THIS COMPLAINT, AS I CURRENTLY HAVE NO USE OF MY CAR. LEONARD SYLK (MASERATI IS NOT LISTED IN YOUR VEHICLE INFORMATION SECTION. SO I CHOSE FERRARI, WHO OWNS MASERATI. THE CAR IS A MASERATI SPYDER) *AK *SC *JB