SF90 Problems - Ferrari Customer Service Is Horrible!

I have been a loyal Ferrari enthusiast for many years. I have owned many different Ferrari models, the latest being the SF90. In my opinion, the car is phenomenal. It is incredibly fast, extremely tight and precise, and a pure joy to drive. Despite my love for the car, I have experienced an issue that has jaded my opinion of the brand:


May 18th: I was driving a mountain road and following a McLaren 720S. We were definitely “driving” the cars. There were hard downshifts and decelerations followed by immediate accelerations and upshifts. Basically, the car was being driven the way it was designed to be used. At the end of the 10 mile stretch of road we pulled into a parking lot and the digital display lit up with multiple error messages: “Engine Control System Failure,” “Warning Limited Performance of the engine,” “Hot pipe control system failure.” The car went into limp mode and a turtle appeared on the screen. For the next 15 miles I limped my way out of the canyon and back home.

May 20th: I had the car towed to Salt Lake City Ferrari. After weeks of run arounds and difficulty reaching the Ferrari Corporate Offices, Ferrari Corporate finally got back to Salt Lake City Ferrari and decided to replace the Hot Pipes. The Salt Lake City service technician believes that the issue is related to software or a sensor, not the Hot Pipes, but because the car is under warranty, the service department is required to follow Ferrari’s directives.

June 20th: Last week, about 30 days after the car arrived in service, the Hot Pipes finally arrived at the dealership and were installed. Great! I finally get my car back, right? Not so fast……although the hot pipes have been installed the service department is now waiting on Ferrari to send a password to complete the install.

June 25th: Still no password from Ferrari. Apparently, Ferrari’s technical system is down and, despite the dealership’s efforts of texting/calling/emailing Ferrari for the password there has been zero response. How can a brand of this magnitude have such horrible communication with its dealerships? To make matters worse, this may not even fix the issue. Remember, if the problem is related to software or a sensor, as the technician expects, we are back at square one and there will be much more time involved.


I understand that Ferrari is a very exclusive brand with an exclusive clientele list. With that being said, shouldn’t customer service and customer retention be a top priority? Ferrari has failed miserably on this repair and the customer service side has been nothing short of atrocious. An email to Ferrari Headquarters regarding my concerns was brushed off with a very simple, yet deflective, reply from Natalia in Ferrari Customer Care of “We would like to inform you that we verified your case with our responsible department and that Ferrari of Salt Lake City remains your main point of contact. Therefore, we kindly advise you to refer to them for further details. Furthermore, please rest assured that Ferrari of Salt Lake City will be at your full disposal in ensuring you can enjoy your Ferrari in short time.” Basically, Ferrari accepts zero accountability for their failures. My sole source of recourse is with the dealership; a dealership that has given their all in resolving this issue and is completely dependent on Ferrari for prompt replies and assistance.


I have been a Ferrari enthusiast since I was 12 years old and I will forever love the joy that comes with driving their cars. The cars that they produce are nothing short of spectacular. Even with this problem, the SF90 remains one of the best cars that I have ever driven. The performance is otherworldly, the steering response is absolutely perfect, and each drive always ends with a huge smile on my face (well – almost every drive). Despite these positives, the SF90 will be the last Ferrari that I own. I refuse to deal with a brand that doesn’t value me as a client and doesn’t prioritize customer service. To have an $800,000.00 car sit for 35+ days, and counting, in service is simply inexcusable. I know that I am a small fish in a big pond but, there are many other brands that will gladly take my money and treat me the way I deserve to be treated.

 

Loyalty requires effort on both sides and I haven't seen any real effort from Ferrari in this situation. Even given the CDK hack, the time that has been wasted due to Ferrari Corporates poor communication channels with SLC Ferrari has been inexcusable. I have owned many other exotics and have never had a single car sit in service for more than 10 days. I understand that this is a new vehicle and that it takes time to work out the kinks but, we are nearly 4 years into SF90 production. I am not the first owner with this issue and I wont be the last. The fact that Ferrari hasn't streamlined the process, 4 years into a production run, with the appropriate checks and balances is inexcusable. To me, Ferrari has demonstrated that warranty repairs and customer service is taking a back seat to sales and new production and that doesn't sit well. When your SF90 sits in service for a significant period of the prime driving season perhaps you will feel the same. That is my .02 cents.

 

Ferrari SLC has been fantastic. They are keenly aware of my gripes with Ferrari Corporate. This post has in no way circumvented them. And, to be clear, there is nothing that I am wanting out of this post. To think that this irrelevant post may have some sort of positive effect on my situation would be nonsensical. Basically, the situation is what is and I actually agree with what you saying regarding elite brands. Ferrari isn't going to change because they don't need to change. And yes, I absolutely knew this before I purchased this vehicle. With that being said, on the multiple Ferrari's that I have owned, this is the first time that I have ever experienced this type of service issue and time lapse on any vehicle. That has been disappointing.

And...just for the record, my gripe isn't with the product. As mentioned in my post, the SF90 is the best car that I have ever owned and I am willing to deal with Ferrari's inefficiencies to own the car. I have no intentions of selling this car and will continue to deal with Ferrari and the warranty process; however, that doesn't mean that I support the way that the warranty is being handled nor does it mean that I will continue to accept Ferrari's inefficiencies on future purchases.

 

I received my SF90 back after 40 days in service and it was like Christmas all over again. The car is truly spectacular. After the Hot Pipes were replaced and the software was updated, the error codes were able to be cleared and we were back in business. Thank you SLC Ferrari.

My first stop on the way home was to Lamborghini to drive the SF90 back-to-back with the new Lamborghini Revuelto. The performance of the SF90, at least at our altitude of approximately 4000 ft, is noticeably stronger. The Revuelto, with its naturally aspirated V12, is an amazing car but, from a performance standpoint, the SF90 is a clear winner at this altitude.

 

The Revuelto is definitely an amazing car. I placed my order this month for a January build. Delivery should be April or May of 2025. I ordered the matte verde turbine (basically army green) with a baseball glove brown leather interior. I have a Urus S that is the same color so, it will be fun to have matching cars.

The sound of the Revuelto V12 is a deeper, more menacing sound. Not the high pitched V12 sound of the Aventador. The Revuelto feels bigger than the SF90 and isn’t as “precise” of a feel. I have the Assetto Fiorano package on my SF90 and the titanium springs are otherworldly. The precision of that car is so exact, I feel like I could hit a spot the size of a dime in the middle of a corner at 120mph. The Revuelto feels softer and less precise. Not in a bad way though. It is just different. On a track, the SF90 is my pick all day long.


Here are my votes for a few characteristics of each car (I know that this is very subjective so feel free to chime in with your thoughts):

- LOOKS: Revuelto

- SOUND: Revuelto

- PERFORMANCE: SF90

- HANDELING: SF90

- INTERIOR: Revuelto

I intend to keep my SF90 and Revuelto (when it is delivered). They are very different cars that, as configured, serve very different purposes. If I am taking my wife to dinner, the Revuelto would be the easy choice. The various suspension settings and interior appointments with comfort seats and more cabin space make it a very comfortable car. If I am driving a mountain road with friends or just wanting to push my limits and get my adrenalin pumping, the SF90 is my choice all day long. It is the first car that has ever scared me, from a performance standpoint, and the only time I have ever been completely speechless during a launch. The SF90 is a PERFORMANCE BEAST and, I don’t think anything will ever compare (performance wise)!

 

Hey TiFuze,


I’m not sure that we have formally met but, I absolutely know of you from the service crew at Lamborghini. In fact, they mentioned your SF90 issue to me when they found out that my SF90 was in service at SLC Ferrari. Glad you got your car back. Enjoy!!!


I completely agree with your assessments of the Revuelto:

- I do have the Assetto Fiorano package on my SF90 and, although it is stiff, I wouldn’t change it. Besides the fact that the rear carbon spoiler looks amazing with AF Package, I love the precision and performance of the car with the titanium springs. It really is spectacular. With that being said, I also enjoy that the Revuelto has the ability to change the suspension settings on the fly. Much like the “bumpy road” setting in my past Ferrari’s, it will be a welcome addition on these crappy Utah roads.

- I also agree with your “spaceship” feel of the SF90 and I love it! Technology is constantly advancing, and the current design of the cabin is definitely the wave of the future. Aside from a few buttons on the steering wheel that I would opt to have repositioned (I accidently hit crap when using the blinkers), the design is very elegant, sleek, and futuristic looking.


What color Revuelto did you order?

 

Great color choice! The Revuelto has the lines of a fighter jet so the utilitarian colors of Battleship Grey (Grigio Acheso) and Army Green (Verde Turbine) look awesome on the car!

Matte Grigio Acheso was my original "first choice." I then purchased a Urus in the Matte Verde Turbine and that changed my decision. Much like you, I think matching colors in the same garage looks amazing. So the Urus and Revuelto will be in Matte Verde Turbine.