Careful, You Might Not Know The Brakes On Your Ferrari 488 Are Worn Out

Most of the recall notices that come across our desk are, naturally, for mass-produced vehicles. But every once in a while we see a campaign for something more exotic. Like the Ferrari 488, in this case.

According to the statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ferrari has discovered a problem with the software on some of its 488s. As a result, it may not properly warn the driver if the brake discs wear out.

The glitch runs afoul of federal regulations, and could leave the supercars’ legendary performance unchecked. So the Italian automaker is recalling a handful of them to have their software updated. And by “handful,” we mean just 40, all from the 2016 model year in which they were introduced. 39 of them (all but one) are GTB coupes, made between June 3 and November 25, 2015. A single Spider (built on June 2, 2015) is also affected.

That’s a rather small number even for Ferrari, which sells a couple hundred new cars in the United States each month. Last year it sold 2,518 vehicles in the US, split between model lines including the Portofino, 488, F12, and GTC4 Lusso. The 488 is typically one of the company’s best sellers. But while it doesn’t break down its sales figures, the 40 units being recalled would barely account for a third of the volume it usually moves here each month.

Ferrari introduced the 488 GTB in 2015 as the upgraded, turbocharged replacement for the 458 Italia. It packs a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8, set amidships in the aluminum chassis. The award-winning engine delivers 661 horsepower (493 kW/670 ps) and 561 lb-ft (760 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The 488 Spider arrived later that same year with the same engine and a folding hardtop.

Earlier this month, the Prancing Horse marque introduced the 488 Pista. The more hardcore version is based on the GTB, but with a more potent engine – now rated at 710 hp (530 kW/720 ps) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque – and less weight to deliver even more astounding performance.