Having owned two Maserati Quattroporte project cars, including #47/100 Cento Collector’s edition Quattroporte, we are somewhat becoming experts in knowing all there is to know about the 4 Door Maserati that goes 180 MPH. We decided to put together a mini guide for those of you considering this very attractive bargain exotic.
Depreciation: Probably one of the main reasons people consider the Maserati Quattroporte over some of its competitors is the fact that it depreciates very quickly, creating a very unique opportunity to buy a fairly new one at 60 – 80% off the price of a new one. That’s right, you can buy a $138K Quattroporte GT for $28K with less than 20K miles. Imagine owning a hand built 4 door Ferrari with low miles in pristine condition for the same price as a new Honda Accord. Sounds like a dream come true for many but there is a reason why that happens and we’ll get to that in a moment.
Photo credits: Yunfei Yang
Photo credits: Yunfei Yang
Best years to buy: There are currently 3 generations of Quattroporte out. Gen 1 runs from 2005 – 2008, Gen 2 from 2009 – 2013 and the newest body style which started in 2014. There are very few differences between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 cars, but Gen 3 cars are fully redesigned inside and out and uses a different technology platform.
Here are the facts on each model year and what you should know:
2005 – 2006 – Base and GT Model Available – Only available with F1 Transmission.
2007 – Introduction of the ZF Automatic transmission.
2008 – Introduction of the GTS model.
2009 – 2013 – All models available – both transmissions available. Improved new front/rear bumpers, wheels and improved navigation unit and usability.
2014 – Fully redesigned inside and out.
2005 – 2006 – Base and GT Model Available – Only available with F1 Transmission.
2007 – Introduction of the ZF Automatic transmission.
2008 – Introduction of the GTS model.
2009 – 2013 – All models available – both transmissions available. Improved new front/rear bumpers, wheels and improved navigation unit and usability.
2014 – Fully redesigned inside and out.
In general, the main idea is try to stay away from 2005 cars and be very selective on 2006 cars. All other years have less issues.
Photo credits: Activ Films
Photo credits: Activ Films
Probably the #1 reason most people stay away from the Maserati Quattroporte is the fact that the car can be expensive to fix and is notorious for leaving you stranded. While most earlier cars had transmission issues and were notorious for bad clutches, all cars we have ever owned shared very similar issues. Here are the 4 most common repairs that you should lookout for on any Maserati regardless of mileage.
Problem #1: Leaking steering rack. We have seen cars with as little as 10K miles with full leaking racks. 6 out of 6 Maserati we PPI’d including the Gran Turismo and the Quattroporte showed signs of leakage coming from the rack. A very easy way to detect a leaking rack is simply by lifting the car and looking for oil residue near the boot. This repair can cost north of $4000 and can seriously put a dent in your budget, especially if you are leveraging our method of driving an exotic for free.
Photo credits: I am Ted7
Photo credits: I am Ted7
Problem #2: Power Steering Pump. Another notorious failure from Maserati is the power steering pump, which seems to go bad just as often as the rack. While not as expensive costing less than $1500 installed, it typically goes hand to hand with a failing rack which makes the combo a $5000+ repair. This was evident in 4 of the cars, all had over 20,000 miles.
Photo credits: D2 Forged
Photo credits: D2 Forged
Problem #3: Oil Gasket. 3 out of the 6 Maserati’s had leaking oil gaskets either on one side or both sides, which was the cheapest of the repairs to handle. A private shop can typically do each side for about $500 – 700. Oil gaskets can typically show their leakage also from underneath the car and are easily detectable by a great mechanic.
Problem #4: Clutch Wear. 2 of the cars showed major clutch wear despite very low mileage. This was more evident on the 2006 and 2007 Quattroporte, but still can leave you with a nice $5000 bill for parts and labor. This is something that you should have measured before jumping into your next bargain buy.
Photo credits: Mark Plat
Photo credits: Mark Plat
Other very common issues with the car that can cost a pretty penny but are not going to keep you from enjoying the car are the trim pieces. It seems that every single Quattroporte we have ever driven, bought, or tried to buy, showed excessive signs of wear on the leather, as well as squeaks coming from the leather piece on top of the instrument cluster. None of them had glove boxes that would entirely shut without being slammed, this being probably a design flaw as an extra push remedies the issue.
Photo credits: Ansho.nl
Photo credits: Ansho.nl
Aside from all the repairs and issues associated with driving an Italian 4 door Ferrari, there is also the amazing feeling of the amazing leather surface, Ferrari engine sound (especially with Larini exhaust) and what we consider to be one of the sexiest sedans every built. While it’s not as fast as the S63, M5, or even the Jaguar XFR, it has more character and individuality than all three combined. Despite having its flaws, the driving experience is still present and very fun. You can actually take the car out on a spirited drive, or out to dinner and in both forms it will still wow the crowds and put a smile on your face when you rev it up. The main beauty is that in America, Maserati cars do not hold their value very well and if you learn how to make sure you buy the right car then you are ultimately buying a $140K car for a third of its wort. With some Maserati’s selling for $35,000 it would almost seem worth it to deal with some of the repairs that come with owning a Maserati for the price of a loaded Honda Accord.
Photo credits: FDJeunx_Photography
Photo credits: FDJeunx_Photography
