Maserati recalls 3,300 Levante crossovers for software bug
The bug may cause the engine to stall at very low speeds.
Recalls are never good, but they're especially rough when they affect a car that's only been on sale for a short time, as is the case with the 2017 Maserati Levante.
Maserati has issued a recall for 3,299 examples of the 2017 Levante crossover. According to the defect report, Maserati expects every single recalled vehicle to contain said defect. The vehicles in question have production dates between July 1, 2016 and December 13, 2016.
This is the Levante's third recall, according to the NHTSA, if you also count the safety recall issued for this problem late last year.
The problem, in this case, involves a software bug. If the Levante is operating at speeds of about 2 miles per hour, the transmission may shift into neutral, or it may just stall and conk out completely.
Naturally, this presents a safety concern. The speeds in question are common in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and a vehicle that inadvertently becomes immobile may increase the risk of a collision.
Maserati opened its investigation into the issue back in October, when it received one report in China of an improper transmission shift in heavy traffic. The automaker tested its own vehicles extensively to replicate the bug, and those follow-up tests indicated and confirmed the gremlin. A vehicle safety recall was first issued in December 2016, but it took subsequent analysis to consistently replicate the bug.
In order to remedy the issue, Maserati dealers will have to reflash the software in the engine control module. The fix is free, and it shouldn't take very long. Owners will be notified at the end of March, which is when the recall campaign is expected to begin.
