Category: Exotic Cars

Maserati Service Schedules & Cost

As you can imagine, we are often asked how frequently Maseratis need to be serviced and how much it will cost. We thought it would be helpful to put together a schedule based on the manufacturer’s recommendation along with any notes we had. According to the manufacturer's current recommendations, scheduled maintenance should be carried out on your Maserati every 12,500 miles or annually, whichever comes first. For those that do drive their Maserati more regularly and tend to be meticulous about maintenance, our lead Maserati technician, who has been Master Certified since 2010, recommends visiting your service center at 7,500 miles to prolong the health of the motor.

Ghibli, Quattroporte (2014+), and Levante Maintenance

The latest Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante models all share a similar maintenance schedule. Annual services average $500-$600 to include basic maintenance such as an oil change and pollen filter replacement. Replacing the spark plugs is recommended every 3 years. The most comprehensive maintenance is at the 4-year service to include replacing the belts; the average cost of this service is $1700.

GranTurismo Maintenance

Scheduled maintenance for the GranTurismo includes very specific recommendations from the factory at each yearly interval. These services tend to range from ~$1400-$2,000 for annual maintenance. Every 4 years, it is recommended to replace the belts, in addition to other routine maintenance. Replacing the spark plugs is only recommended every 12th year on this model range, which is less frequent than other Maserati models.

M139 Quattroporte Maintenance

Like the GranTurismo, earlier Quattroporte models, powered by a 4.2L or 4.7L V8 motor, have slightly different recommendations at each service interval and average between ~$1,400-$2,000 for annual maintenance as well. Every 6th year, it is recommended by the manufacturer to replace the belts and spark plugs in addition to routine maintenance; this service interval tends to average around $3,000 to carry out.

M138 Coupe, Spyder, Cambiocorsa, Gransport Maintenanc

An earlier M138 Coupe or Spyder should get an oil change and brake fluid flush annually at a minimum. The average annual service expense is between ~$800-$2,400. It is recommended to replace the accessory belt and spark plugs every 3 years for this model range, which is where owners generally see the higher side of the above range.

General Maserati Maintenance

At each interval, the manufacturer also recommends inspecting certain components on your Maserati. Our service center performs a complimentary multi-point inspection that either your Service Advisor or technician can help you understand.

As with any vehicle, standard annual services are not the only factor to consider with respect to overall maintenance costs. For example, earlier Maseratis that were equipped with an automatic F1 transmission have a wearable clutch just like a true, 3-pedal, manual transmission would. Brake pads and rotors are another wearable item that will need to be replaced every so often. Gaskets and seals will eventually fail and require attention as well. Of course, miscellaneous repairs will increase in frequency as the vehicle begins to age.

Much like Ferrari, the Maserati models tend to suffer from the same cosmetic challenges with leather shrinking and sticky buttons/interior trim. While this could be categorized as †wear and tear†and usually found in examples that have begun to age, it's worth noting that addressing these cosmetic concerns can be a considerable expense. To learn more about these nuances, be sure to check out another recent article †Is Maserati Service Similar to Ferrari Service? â€.

Whether you need routine maintenance, more advanced repairs, or cosmetic refurbishments, our service center is fully equipped to service Maseratis of any vintage.

Where exactly do Maserati service costs lay in the gamut of car maintenance?  Are they similar to their sister company Ferrari, or are they more in line with a high-end vehicle?  And, for the buyer who really wants a better understanding, why and how is a Maserati service different as compared to other cars?

Ever since Maserati decided to increase the supply of Maseratis and flood the market, we have been getting more and more questions about Maserati service and what can be expected. Many people do assume that being an Italian exotic it is going to be pretty expensive to maintain, but that is not necessarily true for Maserati. The great news is that the service is much, much cheaper than a Ferrari, and more affordable than most people would guess.

Digging into the details a bit, what can you expect?

Annual Service

All of Maserati’s models, the Ghibli, the Levante, the Gran Turismo, and the Quattroporte do require an annual service. This service includes changing all the filters, all the fluids, and an overall inspection. For the yearly service, you can expect to pay about $1,000 assuming no issues arise from the inspection. Some may balk at this, especially if you compare it to a Honda service, but for an exotic vehicle, this really is in line, and quite frankly on the lower end of the spectrum for an exotic annual service. In fact, this cost actually falls more in line with an annual service for a high-line, vehicle such as a Porsche or Mercedes. Also, considering an average Ferrari service can run you thousands and sometimes tens of thousands, this really is a good deal.

Additional Services

Every other year the annual service is a little bit larger because there are additional requirements. Then, at the fourth or fifth annual, you should expect to have issues arise from the inspection such as, spark plugs that need to be replaced. These issues can increase your bill a few thousand. Again, this is in line with other luxury vehicles such as a Porsche or AMG.

One thing that is important to point out is what can be expensive when you own a Maserati. Maseratis, unfortunately, are known for a few reoccurring service issues. Window regulators and interior door handles will constantly be failing. Poor quality trim pieces and shrinking leather is usually a surprise to most who are new to Maseratis, but this will happen, and when it does, it can be expensive to replace.

Considering all of these service costs, we believe that Maserati represents a terrific, exotic value. If you also factor in the sporty, luxurious design, the Ferrari-inspired sound, and the fact that the cost of some Maseratis is similar to that of an Acura or Infiniti, then we believe that Maserati represents an excellent, exotic decision!

Over the past several years one consistent observation about Maseratis is that the values have surely plummeted. You might ask why this is? Is it because these cars are really not good cars? Is it because there are Maserati service issues and people are dumping them? Or is it simply because of a strategy Maserati decided years ago?

Several years ago Maserati as a company decided they wanted to sell more Maseratis. They decided they wanted to sell 50,000 cars a year meaning they would have to greatly increase production. The result? It all comes back to simple economics… supply and demand.

One thing we say here at Merlin Auto Group is determining the value of a car has several components and the most important factor is looking at supply and demand in the market. When Maserati made a conscious decision to introduce an entry-level Maserati starting at $50,000 and increase production hoping to sell 50,000 units a year they changed the market for their brand. When the supply increased much more rapidly than the demand, the market became flooded with Maseratis and buyers became opportunistic buying $100,000 and $50,000 Gran Turismo's for a fraction of the price.

Now, with the Italian design, the Ferrari-inspired motor, the sound, the handling, and the performance, some people would say Maseratis are the best value on the market today. Would I go and buy a new one? There is absolutely no chance, but if you are looking for an unbelievable value and a ton of car for the money, then you should absolutely consider a Maserati and especially a used Maserati as the supply and demand have greatly affected the pre-owned market. In addition to a great deal, Maseratis are very reliable and safe vehicles. Maserati service, while still much more than a Hyundai or Toyota, is much more cost-effective than other exotic brands. Oh yeah, and did I mention, they are gorgeous and fun to drive!

It's not often you will hear the terms “bang for your buck” and Italian exotic in the same sentence, but when you're talking about Maseratis, this definitely applies to the current market.

What is the cost of ownership for a Maserati?

Over the last few years, the values of used Maseratis have fallen quite a bit; actually, they have fallen so far that many people who previously found the price tag unattainable are now considering purchasing one.  Are they so cheap because the cost of a Maserati service is so astronomical? Is the cost of ownership so high that the value of the Maserati has dropped?  These are questions I get asked a lot and, interestingly, I enjoy answering them because I believe in value, and I think a Maserati is one of the best values in the exotic car space.

Maintaining a Maserati, while certainly more expensive to maintain than a Toyota or Honda, is not cost prohibitive. By and large, Maseratis are terrific automobiles.  What you can expect is a luxurious, Italian, sports car with a gorgeous interior designed with style and convenience in mind.  The unique design of this vehicle is stunning and comfortable, making it a great daily driver.  And, let’s not forget about the engine!  The Maserati will deliver all the speed and performance that you would expect of such an engine, while at the same time delivering a smooth and gentle drive.  Considering all this car offers, I find it to be great for a single person as well as for a family with kids.

Now, let’s talk about what you can expect on the service side.  An annual Maserati service is recommended and, as you have probably guessed, it will cost more than your typical Hyundai service, but much less than a Ferrari service.  You can expect the cost to compare to the service of a standard AMG Mercedes or Porsche.  What you will find is that Maserati parts such as, brakes and rotors are not prohibitively expensive, they just need to be maintained regularly to avoid larger, more costly services.  A Maserati will last many years, trouble-free if it is properly maintained.  It is important to qualify that this applies to the newer generation Maseratis, 2014 and later; the  earlier models, while still not cost-prohibitive to maintain, can certainly pose some different challenges.

There are a few issues that all Maseratis have that are important to point out, especially to a first-time buyer, because they are not common problems in other cars.  Maseratis do have issues with “sticky buttons” and shrinking leather components that their sister company Ferrari is famous for.  To elaborate, “sticky buttons,” are when the buttons in the Maseratis start to develop a tacky feel over the years.  This stickiness has been an issue for decades and there is no easy solution out there.  In addition to the buttons and leather shrinkage, there are electrical issues, like broken window regulators,  that are much more common in these vehicles.  However, aside from these items, you will find the Maserati to be a reliable vehicle that will not take you to the poorhouse.

As new car manufacturers continue to broaden their line and ramp up production in order to gain marketshare, it brings to mind the question: how does this affect the value of pre-owned cars? What does it do to the current cars on the pre-owned market and how does it change? At the end of the day, it’s the same philosophy that we often talk about: Supply and Demand. Simple economics–as long as the demand exceeds the supply, then values will remain stable. However, when supply far exceeds demand, that’s what generates all the rebates and low prices, diminishing the value of all of the products. As a result, used car prices go down and new car prices go down. The reason why a lot of the domestic manufacturers and these super high-volume brands all have big rebates is because the supply heavily outweighs the demand–They have so much inventory they have to discount it to get rid of it. So what happens next? When you start selling new cars for $15,000 off of MSRP, whats a one-year-old one, same make and model, going to be worth? How many times have you seen a recent year model and thought, well, I could buy a new one for virtually the same price…so why would I buy the used one? This starts to kill the market.

Another thing that happens when these manufacturers broaden their brand to this degree, is they can confuse customers. Someone who wants to spend upwards of $100,000 on a highline car, a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz or a Lexus, for example, they can often see similar models out there on the market for almost half the price. This diminishes that value of the market in general, so if there is an entry-level, $20,000 Mercedes-Benz, it makes the aspirational $200,000 Mercedes technically worth less because it is the same brand. There is an element of exclusivity of the brand that inevitably deteriorates. It’s no different than a big-time designer going into outlet stores, it diminishes the value of that particular brand. The goal is to keep price integrity and keep values high, and that is all done by the supply and demand ratio. The only way to maintain high prices is to have a smaller supply of product than there is a demand for it.

As it pertains to the exotic market, we couldn’t help but wonder, is this the direction we see the Ferrari brand going in with some of the mass-production of newer models? We can’t say for sure, but it is definitely nerve-racking, considering Ferrari’s production is the greatest it has ever been. What makes a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa so special is there are just not that many of them out there. Contrarily, you can find a plethora of used Ferrari 458 models on the market, so you can see how people naturally gravitate toward the model that there are not as many of–it’s more exclusive. Even more worrisome, there is talk of Ferrari ramping up production even more, and potentially offering an SUV. In other words, Ferrari is doing things to broaden their customer base, which is understandable, since it is a publicly traded company and they have a stock price to worry about, but it is not necessarily a good thing for the market. Another thing to think about: The manufacturers make money when they sell their cars to the dealers, they don’t then make money again on the used car sale, aside from selling parts, so Corporate Ferrari is not as concerned with the pre-owned Ferrari sale.

The good news is, this only bodes well for older exotic cars, whether it’s an older Porsche, an older Ferrari 360, and certainly an older Ferrari Testarossa. These older cars continue to go up in value with the mass-market production of newer, more modern models, as it makes these older exotics even more special and exclusive.

Why does it take people so long to buy a car in today’s market? Why are people spending so much time online prior to going to the dealership, before they even see the car they want? We started to wonder why this could be…Is the reason people go above and beyond to make sure they study the market before buying because there is so much information now available? Maybe. Could this be driven by the fact that the car business, and dealerships as a whole, have a bad reputation? Possibly. We think both are true.

Everyone talks about how wonderful the internet is, but sometimes there is just so much information out there that it really does hinder people from making a decision because they’re so afraid of making a bad choice. With the broad offerings from every dealer, people don’t really know what to choose, causing analysis paralysis in a lot of instances. People feel like they have to look at everything, weigh out every single option, out of fear of making a mistake. In addition, the automotive industry unfortunately has a bad reputation, and people assume that car dealers are always trying to take advantage of them. While this is of course not always the case, this idea has taken root enough in peoples’ minds that they take every proper precaution to ensure they know exactly what they’re looking at. The research that is now being done at home before heading to the dealership has been taken to a whole new level. This can be both a good and bad thing.

The fact of the matter is, it is never a bad idea to educate yourself prior to buying a car. In the exotic market, we find that most of the time, customers come into our dealership with a wealth of knowlege about the used Ferrari they are coming to see. They may even know more about the car than we do sometimes, because they have compared our 2009 Ferrari 430 Spider against every other one on the market. Most of the time, the customers do their research…a lot of it. It is important to know exactly what you’re looking at, narrow down your choices, and figure out what is important to you before going to a dealership, so you are able to make an informed decision that you are excited about. In the world of luxury cars, this is especially important, considering the steep financial investment that is involved. If one of our customers is about to buy their very first pre-owned Ferrari 360, we want them to be sure it’s the right one.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to doing your homework and finding people you trust. Whether you’re buying an every day driver at your local Honda store or you’re buying a used Ferrari, our advice is simple: do your research beforehand without letting it overwhelm you, and find a professional to help guide you. For example, if you want to buy a house, you’re going to hire a real estate agent, and they’re going to help you understand the area, they are going to tell you everything you need or want to know about the house, and walk with you through the entire process. It is the same thing with buying a car–find someone who can walk you through the process, someone whom you can trust and who knows the market. In conjunction with your own research, seek the advice of a professional before going and buying a car, and it would eliminate a lot of the legwork that you have to do.