Ferarri recalls Italia 458s after fire reports

Italian car firm Ferrari has decided to recall every single Italia 458 it has made so far, after the car was found to carry a design flaw that can cause it to set on fire.

The recall comes after photos of several burnt-out Italias emerged on the internet last month. Five of the £170,000 vehicles are believed to have been destroyed by fire this year, according to BBC News.

Ferrari engineers have been around the world in an attempt to get to the root of the problem, and have since discovered a fault at the rear of the 458 which can cause the vehicle to ignite.

The rear wheel arch is fitted with an adhesive that can melt easily, causing the car's bodywork to droop onto the exhaust and subsequently overheat. 

Ferrari has now invited around 1,200 owners to return their vehicles for repair work. The luxury manufacturer has also promised a free new replacement for any owners who can prove their vehicle was destroyed by the fault.

Potential car buyers who had been thinking "I'm going to sell my Aston Martin and buy an Italia 458" will now almost certainly have a re-think, as question marks continue to hang over the car's safety.

Announcing the recall, a Ferrari spokesperson told The Sun: "Dealers are contacting clients to ask them to take their cars in to carry out modifications to the wheel arch assembly and heat shield."

"Obviously, the work will be carried out free of charge and those customers whose car has been destroyed as a direct result of the fault will be offered a free vehicle as soon as possible at no cost to them," he added.

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