2022–23 Ferrari 296 Recalled for Fuel Leak with Do Not Drive Order

Ferrari has sent a notice to its dealers to stop selling or allowing test drives of the 2022 and 2023 296GTB and the 2023 296GTS “immediately and until further notice.”The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall of 425 Ferrari 296 cars and will send notification letters to owners by July 7.The cars are being recalled because corrosion in a fuel tank connecting pipe could lead to fuel leakage, potentially causing a fire.

Ferrari has issued a Stop Sale order marked “Urgent” to its dealers, telling them not to sell or allow test drives of its 2022–2023 296GTB or 2023 296GTS until a fix can be made for a potential fuel leak.

The explanation for the order is that the cars’ aluminum fuel tank connecting pipe could make “unintended contact” with the battery protection cover, leading to corrosion and possible fuel leakage. Ferrari said it first noticed the problem on April 12 when preparing a car for delivery in China. The automaker said there have been no reports of fires and no warranty claims submitted for the problem.

Under the NHTSA recall, dealers will replace the pipe with a reinforced pipe covered in a rubber protective sleeve. Starting on April 20, Ferrari 296 cars have started to be fitted with this sleeve during production. The recall affects 425 cars built before that date.

Ferrari 296 owners are advised not to drive the vehicles until the fix can be made. NHTSA will notify owners on or before July 7. In the meantime, owners can check the NHTSA recalls site to confirm if their vehicle is involved and get further details.

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Laura Sky Brown has been involved in automotive media for a very long time, and she sees it as her calling to guard the legacy and help ensure the continued high quality of Car and Driver. She was one of the first staffers at Automobile Magazine in the ’80s and has worked for many other car magazines and websites as a writer, editor, and copy editor ever since. It has been her privilege to edit many of the greats of automotive journalism over the years, including the ones who currently write for C/D.