2018 Maserati Quattroporte Recalls & Complaints

Incident: November 14, 2019 · Filed: December 19, 2019

I WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IN "SPORT" MODE. I ACCELERATED FROM A STOPPED POSITION, RATHER AGGRESSIVELY TO GET UP TO SPEED (ABOUT 30-35 MPH). WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNCOMMANDED. I PRESSED THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD, BUT THE ENGINE REMAINED AT FULL POWER ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. I WAS NEARLY ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THE ENGINE OVERPOWERED ME WITH BOTH FEET STANDING ON BRAKE PEDAL. IT SHUDDERED FORWARD ABOUT 25 FEET, MOVING AT LESS THAN 5MPH, ALMOST LIKE THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WERE CAPTURING AND RELEASING, UNTIL I STRUCK A VEHICLE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. THE DISPLAY READ "SERVICE ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL." ONCE I STRUCK THE OTHER VEHICLE, MY VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND THE ENGINE FINALLY STOPPED REVVING. THE FLOOR MATS WERE IN THEIR PROPER PLACE, SO THEY WERE NOT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR HAD ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, BOTH OCCURRING IN CONJUNCTION WITH AGGRESSIVE APPLICATION OF THE GAS PEDAL. THE FIRST TIME I WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME IT FAIRLY QUICKLY, AND THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AN ANOMALY. IT MAY BE IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE MANUFACTURER APPROVED AND COMPLETELY REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (WHICH I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP WAS A RARE EVENT) ONLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, DUE TO A VIRTUAL ELECTRONIC MELTDOWN WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL. BOTH UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION EVENTS OCCURRED AFTER THIS REPLACEMENT. AFTER THE "INVESTIGATION" BY THE MANUFACTURER, THEY CLAIM THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND ACCEPTED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT, NOR DID THEY TAKE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO ENSURE OUR FUTURE SAFETY. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 4500 MILES. I'VE HAD IT FOR JUST UNDER 1 YEAR, AND IT HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE NEARLY 2 FULL MOUTHS WITH THREE ELECTRONIC/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.