Maserati recalls some $141,500 Quattroportes due to fire risk

Maserati North America Inc. is recalling some of its 2014 Quattroporte GTS V8 sedans because of the potential for an engine compartment fire or stalling in the $141,500 luxury sedan capable of speeds as much as 190 miles (306 kilometers) per hour. The flaw may affect all 984 of the vehicles manufactured from Oct. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2013, the U.S. unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Maserati SpA said in a notice posted Saturday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the affected vehicles, which can accelerate from 0 to 100 km an hour in 4.7 seconds, the battery positive cable for the alternator and starter motor may not have its insulating cap installed properly, and the cable may not be adequately secured in the engine bay, the carmaker said in its report to NHTSA. An incorrectly protected starter motor cable end, in conjunction with a loose cable, can lead to several electrical problems, from draining the car’s battery to, in the most severe of cases, an engine compartment fire, Maserati said. The recall is to start Nov. 1, Maserati told the agency. (By Todd Shields/Bloomberg)