Used buying checklist

Maserati Ghibli reliability, common problems and used buying checks

A used Maserati Ghibli looks better than average for reliability in UK MOT data: 13.3% of 3,859 tests failed, compared with 18.7% across all indexed models. A good example should have a clean MOT history for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering.

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). MOT data does not capture every reliability issue, especially intermittent engine, gearbox or infotainment faults that do not appear during the test.

• 13.3% MOT failure rate
• Median tested mileage 48,247 miles
• 514 failed MOT tests analysed

Most useful finding

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest area to check

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest named problem area in this model's MOT history (3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests). Example MOT phrases from this area include does not clear the windscreen effectively, provides insufficient washer liquid, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view.

Example MOT phrases to search in the car's history:

• does not clear the windscreen effectively
• provides insufficient washer liquid
• damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view
• to the front outside the swept area of the windscreen wipers restricted by an obstruction
• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
• with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
• warning lamp indicates a fault
• does not illuminate the front and rear position lamps with a single operation
• across an axle
• Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

Before you view one

Focus on windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering

The model's recorded failure rate is 13.3%, -5.4 percentage points compared with the average across all models. Use the seller questions below to check whether repeat MOT notes have actually been repaired.

• MOT tests analysed3,859 tests
• Median tested mileage48,247 miles
• Failed MOT tests514

Used buyer verdict

Should you buy a used Maserati Ghibli?

86.7% of the MOT tests we analysed for this model passed. The model's recorded failure rate is 13.3%, -5.4 percentage points compared with the average across all models. This is a buying brief for the exact car in front of you: clean repeat history matters more than badge reputation.

Better than average in our MOT data

Green light if The car has a tidy MOT pattern, recent repairs for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering, matching tyres, and paperwork for service or recall work.

Renegotiate if The latest MOT mentions windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering, consumables are due together, or the seller cannot show what was fixed after advisories.

Walk away if Dangerous defects, corrosion near structural areas, warning lights, or the same component family keep returning without clear repair evidence.

• Repeat unresolved MOT notes for windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering
• windscreen, wipers, and mirrors appearing across more than one MOT
• Any dangerous MOT failure on the exact car, especially if the same area appears again later
• No paperwork showing applicable recall work has been completed
• A seller who cannot explain MOT wording such as "does not clear the windscreen effectively"

What should I check first?

Start with windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, suspension and steering, and corrosion and structure. The checklist on this page explains why each area is being recommended, what to inspect, and what to ask the seller. Each item shows whether it comes from MOT results, recall notices, or a standard used-car check.

• Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors Seen in MOT results

  Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check windscreen damage, wiper operation, washers, mirrors, and demisting.

  • Ask the seller: Have windscreen, wiper, washer, mirror, or demisting faults appeared in recent MOT history?
  • Example MOT wording: does not clear the windscreen effectively; provides insufficient washer liquid; damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, and 100-150k miles
• Lights and electrical Seen in MOT results

  Lights and electrical is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (3.1 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check every lamp, warning light, horn, battery condition, and dashboard messages.

  • Ask the seller: Have any lighting, warning-light, horn, battery, or electrical MOT notes come back more than once?
  • Example MOT wording: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources; with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning; warning lamp indicates a fault
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, 100-150k, and 150-200k miles
• Suspension and steering Seen in MOT results

  Suspension and steering is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (2.4 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and inspect steering play.

  • Ask the seller: Has any suspension, steering, ball-joint, spring, or wheel-bearing advisory been repaired?
  • Example MOT wording: across an axle; Play in steering rack inner joint(s); ball joint has excessive play
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k, 50-100k, and 100-150k miles
• Corrosion and structure Seen in MOT results

  Corrosion and structure is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (2.1 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Inspect sills, subframes, mounting points, arches, and underside corrosion advisories.

  • Ask the seller: Has any sill, subframe, mounting-point, chassis, or structural corrosion advisory been repaired properly?
  • Example MOT wording: excessively corroded; corroded and seriously weakened; corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 50-100k and 150-200k miles
• Emissions, engine, and exhaust Seen in MOT results

  Emissions, engine, and exhaust is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.9 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check warning lights, smoke, exhaust leaks, recent emissions failures, and service history.

  • Ask the seller: Has the car had repeat emissions, smoke, exhaust, lambda, or engine-warning MOT failures?
  • Example MOT wording: has a major leak of exhaust gases; leaking excessively from engine; Fuel Pipe/s corroded
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 100-150k and 150-200k miles
• Tyres and wheels Seen in MOT results

  Tyres and wheels is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (1.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check tyre age, tread depth, sidewall damage, wheel condition, and alignment wear.

  • Ask the seller: Have uneven tyre wear, damaged tyres, wheel damage, or alignment issues been corrected?
  • Example MOT wording: Nail in tyre
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k and 150-200k miles

What changes with mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Maserati Ghibli, MOT records most often point to lights and electrical, suspension and steering, and emissions, engine, and exhaust.

Common MOT problem areas

3,859 MOT tests analysed for this model

3,222 Distinct vehicles represented

13.3% Recorded MOT test failure rate — -5.4 percentage points vs all models

Common faults: what usually fails on this model?

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is the clearest named problem area in the MOT history (3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests). These counts are issue notes, not failure rates, because a single MOT can list several faults.

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors

• does not clear the windscreen effectively
• provides insufficient washer liquid

3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests

Lights and electrical

• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
• with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

3.1 MOT notes per 100 tests

Suspension and steering

• across an axle
• Play in steering rack inner joint(s)

2.4 MOT notes per 100 tests

Corrosion and structure

• excessively corroded
• corroded and seriously weakened

2.1 MOT notes per 100 tests

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• has a major leak of exhaust gases
• leaking excessively from engine

1.9 MOT notes per 100 tests

Tyres and wheels

• Nail in tyre

1.5 MOT notes per 100 tests

Recall-related areas to verify

Official recall areas

Manufacturer recall notices for the Maserati Ghibli mainly involve 5 areas: emissions, engine, and exhaust, mixed recall notices, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering. Treat each as something to verify on the specific car you are viewing; the recall table below shows the official notice text.

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• 718 Ghibli and Quattroporte V8 short Fuel line replacement in engine compartment
• Engine code marked on diesel engine in aftersales is different from the homologated and production code

5 recalls · 470 vehicles

Mixed recall notices

• Wrong type variant version on statutory plate.
• Vehicle can move away after driver has exited

4 recalls · 3,879 vehicles

Lights and electrical

• Front headlamps full led version headlamp vertical beam out of compliance
• Possible short circuit of driver seat wiring

2 recalls · 4,164 vehicles

Suspension and steering

• Loss of control

1 recall · 5 vehicles

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors

• Possible loss of vehicle control

1 recall · 2,453 vehicles

Mileage and age checks

Mileage changes: what starts showing up after high mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Maserati Ghibli, MOT records most often point to lights and electrical, suspension and steering, and emissions, engine, and exhaust. On lower-mileage cars, the most common named areas are windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, lights and electrical, and suspension and steering.

Mileage range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median mileage
0-50k	2,033	1,726	11.2%+0.3 percentage points vs all models	35,062 miles
50-100k	1,661	1,372	15.8%-4.9 percentage points vs all models	66,575 miles
100-150k	133	112	15.0%-11.2 percentage points vs all models	110,970 miles
150-200k	15	12	20.0%-7.3 percentage points vs all models	163,273 miles

Problem areas by mileage

Past 100k miles on the Maserati Ghibli, MOT records most often point to lights and electrical, suspension and steering, and emissions, engine, and exhaust.

Mileage range	Car areas most often recorded	Specific MOT defect examples
0-50k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (2.2 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (1.8 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
50-100k	Lights and electrical (3.7 MOT notes per 100 tests) Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (3.5 MOT notes per 100 tests) Corrosion and structure (3.3 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
100-150k	Lights and electrical (7.5 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (6.8 MOT notes per 100 tests) Emissions, engine, and exhaust (6.8 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
150-200k	Corrosion and structure (6.7 MOT notes per 100 tests) Emissions, engine, and exhaust (6.7 MOT notes per 100 tests) Tyres and wheels (6.7 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.

Fair comparisons: is this problem normal for its age?

The MOT failure rate rises from 10.0% at 0-3 years to 8.9% at 15+ years. Compare the car with the nearest age range before treating a fault as normal wear or a warning sign. The average MOT failure rate across all models in the same dataset is 18.7%. The highest failure rate by age is 13.8% for 6-10 years cars, based on 2,793 tests.

Age range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median age
0-3 years 2023–2026 reg.	60	54	10.0%+1.6 percentage points vs all models	3.0 years
3-6 years 2020–2023 reg.	949	800	12.4%+1.8 percentage points vs all models	5.0 years
6-10 years 2016–2020 reg.	2,793	2,327	13.8%-2.8 percentage points vs all models	7.8 years
10-15 years 2011–2016 reg.	1	1	0.0%-23.5 percentage points vs all models	10.5 years
15+ years pre-2011 reg.	56	53	8.9%-17.0 percentage points vs all models	26.0 years

Recall records and data freshness

Recall context: are there safety notices to know about?

6 relevant recall notices appear for this model. Treat them as safety checks to verify for the exact car, not as normal MOT wear.

2024-06-03	718 Ghibli and Quattroporte V8 short Fuel line replacement in engine compartment On affected vehicles the pressure/temperature sensor within the short fuel line may cause a possible fuel leakage in engine bay. This may lead to a loss of power and in the worst case a potential fire. Replacement of the short fuel line containing the pressure sensor.
2021-12-03	WRONG TYPE VARIANT VERSION ON STATUTORY PLATE. Wrong TVV (Type-Variant-Version) on statutory plate. Replace label located on B Pillar
2020-06-17	ENGINE CODE MARKED ON DIESEL ENGINE IN AFTERSALES IS DIFFERENT FROM THE HOMOLOGATED AND PRODUCTION CODE Engine code marked on Diesel engine replaced in aftersales is different from the homologated and Production code Documentation will be provided to the customer stating the Italian transport authority confirm this marking is an administration error.
2019-07-24	FRONT HEADLAMPS FULL LED VERSION HEADLAMP VERTICAL BEAM OUT OF COMPLIANCE Front headlamps full LED version headlamp vertical beam out of compliance. Check and adjustment of the front headlamp vertical beam.
2019-02-05	POSSIBLE LEAK MAY OCCUR IN THE FUEL LINE AT THE QUICK RELEASE CONNECTOR There is a possibility that a leak may occur in the fuel line. Replacement of the fuel delivery line.
2018-01-22	FUEL LINE MAY LEAK Due to material imperfections the fuel delivery line may leak at line unions. This is more likely after prolonged use. On affected vehicles replace the fuel delivery line.

Related searches

Common ways people look up the Maserati Ghibli. Each link runs the search and lands on the relevant section of this report.

• Maserati Ghibli common problems
• Maserati Ghibli reliability
• Maserati Ghibli after 100k miles
• Maserati Ghibli after 200k miles
• Maserati Ghibli high mileage common problems
• Maserati Ghibli age related problems
• Maserati Ghibli MOT failures
• Maserati Ghibli recalls

Related reliability guides

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). These are patterns from many MOT tests and recall notices. They help you decide what to inspect and what to ask; they do not certify the condition of one specific car.