Ferrari is instructing 296 GTB and 296 GTS hybrid owners not to drive their vehicles. The automaker has issued a recall for the model because it discovered that a potential leak could form in the fuel tank connecting pipe. The recall affects 425 vehicles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Safety Recall Report, Ferrari discovered that the aluminum fuel tank connecting pipe might unintentionally contact the high-voltage battery protection cover that’s made of glass fibers and inox steel. This is bad because the aluminum and the steel can chemically react, causing corrosion to form and leading to a fuel leak, which increases the risk of a fire in the 296 GTB and 296 GTS.
Ferrari will repair the issue by replacing the current fuel tank connecting pipe with one wearing an anti-corrosive rubber protective sleeve. It’s a free fix, and Ferrari will send a notice letter to affected vehicle owners on or before July 7. It will instruct owners to contact their Ferrari dealer to schedule the repair and “request them not to use their vehicles.”
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Ferrari first learned of the potential issue on April 12 during a pre-delivery inspection in China that discovered corrosion and a fuel leak. Ferrari then observed similar deterioration on the connecting pipe on another vehicle. The automaker investigated the issue and learned that a design flaw allowed unintended contact between the pipe and the protection cover.
The company said it had not received any reports of accidents, injuries, fuel leaks, or deaths related to the potential issue. Documents shared by NHTSA show that the automaker also issued a stop-sale on the model until the vehicles at its dealers are fixed. Ferrari has already fitted 296s currently in production with the new protective sleeve, which began on April 20.
Earlier this year, Ferrari recalled the SF90 Stradale because of an airbag issue that could interfere with an installed child safety seat. During an accident, the airbag could impact the child seat, which fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. However, the recall was much smaller than the one for the 296, affecting just 13 vehicles.
