1988 Ferrari Testarossa Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1988 Ferrari Testarossa, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine150.0%
- Seat belts150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPONTANEOUS ENGINE FIRE OCCURRED WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact's son owns a 1988 Ferrari Testarossa. The contact stated that vehicle was manufactured with an electrical seat belt that would recline once an occupant was seated in either the driver’s or passenger’s side seat. The contact stated that the track for the passenger side seat belt was defective and would not recline with an occupant seated in the passenger’s seat. The seat belt warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 03V142000 (Seat Belts) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .