2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
1
Owner Complaint
4
Recalls
7
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
The 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER has received a total of 1 safety complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE, AIR BAGS. 7 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ferrari North America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problem area is the Service Brakes (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER, potentially affecting up to 25,097 vehicles.
Recall 21V833000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
| 9,985 vehicles affected
Defect: Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2010-2015 458 Italia, 2012-2015 458 Spider, 2014-2015 458 Speciale, 2015 458 Speciale Aperta, 2016-2019 488 GTB, and 488 Spider vehicles. The brake system may leak brake fluid, resulting in a loss of braking ability.
Consequence: Loss of braking ability increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap and update the software, at no charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is 78.
View full details →Recall 19V411000 — AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
| 893 vehicles affected
Defect: Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2018 488 Spider, 488 Pista, 2015 458 Speciale A, 2016-2018 488 GTB, 2015-2017 F12 Berlinetta, 2016 F12 tdf, and 2016-2018 Carlifornia T vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly causing the non-deployment or improper deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ferrari will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2019. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is 70.
View full details →Recall 19V411000 — AIR BAGS
| 893 vehicles affected
Defect: Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2018 488 Spider, 488 Pista, 2015 458 Speciale A, 2016-2018 488 GTB, 2015-2017 F12 Berlinetta, 2016 F12 tdf, and 2016-2018 Carlifornia T vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly causing the non-deployment or improper deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ferrari will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2019. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is 70.
View full details →Recall 19V090000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
| 2,150 vehicles affected
Defect: Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2017 LaFerrari Aperta, 2018-2019 488 GTB, GTC4Lusso T, GTC4Lusso, 488 Spider, 812 Superfast, and 2019 488 Pista vehicles. The fuel vapor separator may crack and allow fuel to leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: Ferrari will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel vapor separator, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is 69.
View full details →Recall 19V006000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 11,176 vehicles affected
Defect: Ferrari North America (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2014 Ferrari California, 2014-2015 Ferrari 458 Italia, 458 Spider, 2014-2016 Ferrari FF, 2014-2017 Ferrari F12, 2015-2018 Ferrari California T, 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale A, 2016 Ferrari F60 America, 2016-2017 Ferrari F12 tdf, 2016-2018 Ferrari 488 GTB, 488 Spider, 2017-2018 Ferrari GTC4Lusso and 2018 GTC4Lusso T vehicles nationwide. These vehicles are equipped with certain...
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ferrari will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2019. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-866-551-2828. Ferrari's number for this recall is 65.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
1 complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
On 07 September 2021, I had been driving my 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider for 8 to 10 miles when the car suddenly displayed the following message "Brake Fluid Low, Go to Dealer Slowly". (note: Dealer is 2 hours away at 60 mph). As I slowed the car from approximately 45 mph, the brakes felt minimal but with down-shifting and minimal brakes I was able to slow the car. I attempted to limp home at 5 to 10 mph however within 3 miles or so the brakes failed completely. With the pedal to the floor there was absolutely no effect on the vehicle. It was fortunate that I was able to slow the car prior to complete failure and did not hit anything or anyone. Once the brakes failed completely, I did end up running through a stop sign before I could pull off the road into a parking lot and only stopped the car by rolling into an uphill parking spot and hitting the concrete parking barrier with the tires. I found it was necessary to turn the car off in order to keep it from rolling backwards. The car does not have a classic emergency brake but rather an electronic hold function. When trying to activate this function to keep the car from rolling backwards the car displayed the following message (as best I can remember) "Depress Brake Pedal to Activate Hold". However, with the brake pedal fully depressed, the function would not activate even though it worked fine prior to the brake failure (and subsequent to repair). The car was towed to the dealer and repaired under warranty. The service manager reported that the Master Cylinder leaked into the vacuum booster. I had requested that the failed parts be returned to me however the service manager advised me that failed parts replaced under warranty are returned to Ferrari.
Safety Rating for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
Ferrari North America, Inc. has issued 7 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
2621 — EQUIPMENT
Gearbox speed sensor replacement
2620 — EQUIPMENT
Replacement of CCP on DCT gearbox
131 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Corse Clienti 131 - Checking Intercooler Efficiency
121 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Corse Clienti 121 - RCS Diagnostic software update
114 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Corse Clienti 114 - 488 Challenge Tech doc update
115 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Corse Clienti 115 - RCS certificate install
2314 — EQUIPMENT
Installation of front and rear license plate holders. The instructions for fitting the front rear license plates are given as follows.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FERRARI 488 SPIDER
- 2015 FERRARI 488 SPIDER — 0 complaints
- 2016 FERRARI 488 SPIDER — 0 complaints
- 2017 FERRARI 488 SPIDER — 0 complaints
- 2018 FERRARI 488 SPIDER (current)
- 2019 FERRARI 488 SPIDER — 0 complaints
Other FERRARI Models
- FERRARI 488 GTB — 8 total complaints
- FERRARI CALIFORNIA — 8 total complaints
- FERRARI F430 — 7 total complaints
- FERRARI TESTAROSSA — 7 total complaints
- FERRARI 360 — 6 total complaints
- FERRARI 458 ITALIA — 6 total complaints
- FERRARI 612 — 6 total complaints
- FERRARI F355 — 6 total complaints