Because Recalls...

Shouldn't be exclusive to Toyota drivers alone, Ferrari is recalling its 458 Italia supercar amid concerns of fire...

Last week I read of the suspicious, worldwide problems the owners were having of the limited-production, some $230,000 Ferrari super sports car. One burst into flames in Switzerland, another in China... France too...

Well, I'll say this- it takes more than two Ferrari owners worldwide to stir a concern- five fires have been reported, up to ten accidents have been rumored since the cars Summer 2010 introduction.

What's the world coming to?

Purportedly, a heat shield could come lose near the wheel housing, causing it to deform, heat and catch fire by the exhaust components. Or something like that.

Sounds like a reasonable, if not minor fix if you ask me...

Shit, the heat shielding on my '95 VW Jetta came lose all the time- and all I ever got to show for it was a resonating rattle at around 3,100 RPM, no fires... No crashes. And no glue!

I'm generally cool with complicated, exotic cars breaking- their supposed to- if you want reliable, buy a Toyota (right) but I do have a problem when I read-

Ferrari said the company is asking owners of the cars produced before July 2010 to bring them in to have the glue replaced with mechanical fasteners.

Glue? Are you kidding me?

For the record- when the heat shields on the old VW fell-off, it was because the fasteners were for shit...

But for $230,000- you get glued-on heat shields. They thought they out-smarted the old metal/mechanical, for shit clips trick...

Also for the record- when I thought I had a similar heat shield problem on my '85 Mercedes-Benz- much to my amazement (and chagrin) the axles had failed...

The car ran anyway.

Come to think of it- I'd hate to see a Ferrari run with failed axles.