Ferrari has issued a recall for 425 examples of the 296 GTS and 296 GTB, all from the 2022-2023 model years, due to a potential fuel leak that could lead to a fire. Ferrari recalls are rare but they do happen on occasion. According to the recall documents filed with the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Italian supercar company "has determined that a defect related to motor vehicle safety may arise" in those affected vehicles.

Ferrari says that some corrosion was detected on the fuel tank connecting pipe, a result of unintended contact between the fuel tank connecting aluminum pipe and the high-voltage battery protection cover (which is made of glass fibers and inox steel). In turn, this defect could potentially cause fuel to leak. Even worse, the leakage could happen in the presence of an external ignition, hence the fire concern.

Fortunately, Ferrari is unaware - and there have been no reports of - fires, injuries, deaths, or related accidents in customer vehicles so far. The repair, obviously free of charge, involves replacing the existing fuel tank connecting pipe with a new one that has a connecting pipe reinforced with an anti-corrosive protective sleeve made of rubber.

All 296s currently on the Ferrari assembly line in Italy have already been equipped with insulation to prevent corrosion. Recall notification letters will be sent to US owners on or before July 7, 2023. Ferrari confirms it first became aware of this issue in early April following a pre-delivery inspection involving an owner in China. Corrosion was found on the fuel tank connecting pipe and the dealer immediately notified the higher-ups.

A full investigation then got underway. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that corrosion was, in fact, being caused by a chemical reaction due to the aforementioned unintended contact between that aluminum pipe and the steel covering the battery. Until the necessary repairs are made, Ferrari strongly suggests that owners not drive their cars as a precautionary measure.

Hybrid technology certainly has its advantages beyond improved fuel economy. For supercars like the 296, electrification technology can seriously help boost performance without having to sacrifice emissions. But, there could be some technological drawbacks because Ferrari, like Lamborghini, is still fairly new to the hybrid world.