Ferrari 488 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Ferrari 488 options? We analyzed 5 model years (2016–2020) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Ferrari 488 has 10 owner complaints and 14 safety recalls across model years 2016–2020. The most reported issue area is SERVICE BRAKES.
- Make
- Ferrari
- Model
- 488
- Model years analyzed
- 2016–2020 (5 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 10
- Safety recall campaigns
- 14
- Crash-related complaints
- 2
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2017 (4 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- SERVICE BRAKES
- Reliability signal
- Good
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe FERRARI 488 has 10 NHTSA complaints and 14 recalls on record. 2 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 10 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 14 federal recall campaigns
- 2 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
14 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2016–2020. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 10 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
10 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2019 Ferrari 488 GTB. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V833000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that he was concerned about driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Headliner is sagging and this is causing sun visor to come down thus affecting visibility of the driver. this problem is very common on this model and causing a safety issue.
On Sunday Sept 4th, while attending an Edge Addicts track day event at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, My 2017 488 Was parts of the run group, 2 laps were completed prior to the brake pedal failing completely to the floor and causing my driver to loose all braking capability and slamming into a wall. We have in car video from Go Pro footage, footage from another vehicle from behind my 488 and also footage from the control room of the track. This vehicle was purchased 3 months ago, the brake fluid is at the correct level and the new "Recalled" Brake fluid cap is installed. There is some sort of serious manufacturing defect with this system, this is a car designed for this type of use. This needs a serious investigation before others are hurt or killed.
IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED NOTICE OF AN AIRBAG RECALL. THE NOTICED MENTIONS PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. WE TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH OUR DEALER BUT THEY MENTIONED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. WE HAVE FOLLOWED UP WITH THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. WE CONTACT FERRARI USA CUSTOMER SERVICE AN THEY ONLY MENTIONED THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THE SITUATION BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY POOR AS IT A SAFETY CONCERN THAT IS NOT BEING GIVEN ANY REAL PRIORITY. THE MANUFACTURE CONTINUES TO LAUNCH CARS THIS YEAR YET OUR PASSENGERS ARE NOT SAFE. THIS DEPARTMENT IS OUR LAST CHANCE AT TRYING TO KEEP OUR PASSENGERS SAFE IN A MOTOR VEHICLE THAT HAS A KNOWN DEFECT.
THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS LOCKED THE BRAKES BY ITSELF WITHOUT ANY USER INPUT OR PRESSING OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3X, THE FIRST 2 WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING, THE LAST WHILE IT WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE, THE 1ST AND 3RD TIMES RENDERED THE CAR IMMOVABLE, THE 2ND WAS MOVABLE AFTER A RESTART. TWICE THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THUS UNABLE TO FIX IT. THE 3X HAVE OCCURRED IN ~3K MILES, THE 1ST AT ~1850 MILES. THE FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT INVOLVED REPLACING THE BRAKING SYSTEM ECU AND A BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH, PERFORMED AS A "SHOTGUN" APPROACH SINCE NO CAUSE COULD BE DETERMINED. THE 2ND AND 3RD ATTEMPTS INVOLVED FERRARI WASHING THEIR HANDS OF THE PROBLEM. I FILED TO LEMON LAW THE CAR, AND FERRARI MAINTAINS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AFTER THE FIRST "FIX", WHICH IS CLEARLY ABSURD DUE TO THE 2ND AND 3RD OCCURRENCES. ASKING ONLINE IN A FERRARI FORUM PRODUCED ONLY ONE PERSON SAYING THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THEIR CLOSE-TO-IDENTICAL FERRARI CAR , WHICH PRESUMABLY SHARES A VERY SIMILAR IF NOT IDENTICAL BRAKING SYSTEM. THE CAR HAS AN UNUSUAL "HILL-HOLDER" FEATURE WHICH ENGAGES EVEN WHILE ON FLAT GROUND, AND IT IS THIS WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE INABILITY TO MOVE A CAR THAT HAS SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOCKED ITS BRAKES AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP IS NOT ONLY FRIGHTENING, BUT IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL.
Rpm Royalty a rental car company located at [XXX] has been renting out a rebuilt 488 Ferrari with no functional airbags. This is a serious safety risk INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Read 4 more owner reports
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FERRARI 488 GTB. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V006000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. FERRARI BEVERLY HILLS (9372 WILSHIRE BLVD, BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER TO CALL BACK IN SIX MONTHS FOR PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
ON 6/4/21, MY 2018 FERRARI 488 GTB DISPLAYED A MESSAGE IN MY LEFT DASH INSTRUMENT PANEL PRIOR TO COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE IN MY DRIVEWAY THAT READ "BRAKE FLUID LOW-DRIVE TO DEALER SLOWLY", THAT RESULTED IN MY FERRARI BEING TOTALED BY STATE FARM AFTER I JUMPED OUT OF THE RUNNING AND MOVING FERRARI ONTO MY REAR LAWN BETWEEN 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR BEFORE IT WENT INTO A POND BEHIND MY RESIDENCE. THEN, 6-WEEKS LATER THE REPLACEMENT 2018 FERRARI GTB VIN#[XXX] I PURCHASED FROM FERRARI OF ATLANTA DISPLAYED THE SAME MESSAGE IN MY LEFT DASH INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT READ "BRAKE FLIUID LOW-DRIVE TO DEALER SLOWLY BEFORE THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE. AFTER HAVING THE REPLACMENT FERRARI TOWED INTO CONTINENTAL FERRARI IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED INSIDE THE BRAKE BOOSTER THAT CAUSED THE BRAKE FAILURE ON THE REPLACEMENT FERRARI. THE FIRST FERRARI WAS TAKEN TO A COMPANY AND SOLD AS SALVAGE. THE COMPANY NAME IS COPART AND THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER IS (314) 291-8400. NONE OF THE FERRARI SERVICE DEPARTMENTS OR SALES DEPARTMENTS THAT I CONTACTED HAD ANY RECORD OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEMS THAT I EXPERIENCED WITHIN A 6-WEEK PERIOD ON 2 SEPARATE FERRAI 488 GTB'S. I COULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED INSIDE MY FERRARI THAT WENT INTO THE POND BEHIND MY RESIDENCE AND POSSIBLY KILLED. I COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED ALONG WITH OTHER MOTORISTS IN MY REPLACMENT FERRARI THAT HAD THE SAME BRAKE FAILURE ISSUE JUST 6-WEEKS LATER IF I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE REPLACEMENT FERRARI HOME AND SAFELY INSIDE NY GARAGE BEFORE THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED A SECOND TIME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY FERRARI HAS THE MESSAGE "BRAKE FLUID LOW-DRIVE TO DEALER SLOWLY" DISPLAY" THAT GIVES DRIVERS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT THE BRAKES WILL CONTINUE TO WORK PROPERLY UNTIL YOU DRIVE TO THE DEALER. THAT'S A DEADLY WARNING AND MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN TO ME. MY CELL NUMBER IS [XXX] AND I LIVE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA. PLEASE CALL ME! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
THE TWO HORN "BUTTONS" ARE LOCATED IN THE STEERING RIM AT 9 AND 3. IT IS NOT A NORMAL LOCATION FOR THE HORN BUTTON WHICH IN ALL OTHER CARS IS IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. TWO TIMES IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS I HAVE NEARLY HAD SOMEONE TURN INTO ME WHEN I CANNOT WARN THEM WITH MY HORN, DUE TO THE ILLOGICAL LOCATION OF THE "BUTTONS".
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.
Showing 10 of 10 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
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Before you buy, check the exact Ferrari 488
These pages show model-year patterns across 5 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Ferrari 488, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Ferrari 488 has 10 complaints on record across 5 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Ferrari 488 has 14 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 2 of the Ferrari 488's 10 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Good) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Ferrari 488 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Ferrari 488 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Ferrari 488 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Ferrari 488 by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Ferrari 488.
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Ferrari 488 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Ferrari 488 reliable?
Good. The Ferrari 488 has 10 NHTSA owner complaints and 14 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is SERVICE BRAKES. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Ferrari 488 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2017 (4 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Ferrari 488 problems?
Top reported issues: SERVICE BRAKES (5 complaints); AIR BAGS (3 complaints); HYDRAULIC (1 complaints).
Does the Ferrari 488 have recalls?
Yes — 14 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Ferrari 488. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.