Comments: 1-15, 16
Short in electrical caused battery to die.
Front spoiler lip was very low and needed to be repaired twice.
The timing belt needed replacing - watch out for this service cost, the engine needs to be removed!!
Passenger seat locked up and would not adjust anymore.
This was a very impulsive purchase as my cousin had just bought his dream car a 328 gts at the beginning of summer. While at the dealership, I found myself looking at the 348 and not being able to take my eyes off of it. The lines are so exotic, yet not so macho like the Testarossa. I must admit, the test drive was more about "wow, I am driving a Ferrari" than how amazing it was as a sports car.
Let's say this for the record... you do not buy this car because you want to overtake every other car on the road. It will not. I have been passed by many an M Roadster (my previous car).
This car is about "Ferrari Feeling", which is indescribable. I had a TS, which means it was a Targa. You will definitely prefer the sound of the engine while driving to the radio.
Be careful at high speeds, as the front end tends to get a little light.
Every time I could get into this car, I fell in love all over again. If it were not for the expensive maintenance costs and the frequency of the repairs, I would have kept this car. But here in Switzerland, it cost about $9,000 to replace the timing belt as the engine must be removed. By the way, you should do this every 30,000 kilometers. I have since heard that a new belt is available that let's you go much longer, but I have not verified this.
One Tip: If you are looking to buy one, make sure that it has just had this service with the belts, and preferably the clutch at the same time.
Since selling the car, I have come back to earth and only have owned Porsches, which in my view are fantastic sports cars. The 348 is a real looker, but the German tractor is much more reliable.
Good lord, $9,000 to replace a timing belt? I'll do it myself..lol.
If you can "do it yourself", then by moving to Switzerland with the sole purpose of changing owner's timing belts on 328s, 348s, 355s you could make an amazing living! :)
I own a 348 and I overtake cars all the time even porsche's and there ARE not many cars that would outhandle a 348.thanks.
You are absolutely correct. The 348 is a good performer, but does not keep up with today's current performance standards. Even lowly M3's will easily outrun a 348.
I have been reading all of the comments and find that if you own one of these cars, and it is fast enough for you - then there is none better. Besides, as a life long worshipper of the Ferrari history, I think the car is probably the most beautiful Ferrari ever made.
Just my two cents. I am about to buy my first exotic car and it will be a 348, Cheerio.
James Henderson, United States.
I'm looking to buy a 348ts. I'm an old timer Alfa Romeo owner, but I want to include a Ferrari in my stable, and a 348ts seems right for me (355s are too expansive, I think). The problem is I hear horror stories about repair costs and I'm afraid I would not be able to fully enjoy the car if I'll be thinking about repair costs each time I start it. I've heard there are good Ferrari mechanics in central California that do not change as much as the "specialty" Ferrari shops. Any advice from seasoned 348 owners would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Help - yes,
348's are great as long as you know what you are getting and what needs to be done, don't worry too much about a little leak from the cam box, its quite usual, cam belts early cars cars (upto 92 every two years) afterwards 3 years, clutches are expensive the early type (an AP unit) can only be sourced through Ferrari and costs £1000 pounds sterling, the later clutch is about £600. the ideas is that you do everything at once, belts, clutch, leaks which through a good specialist will cost about £2500 total. I have never been let down by either of my two 348s they are reliable, with most faults coming from faulty CAT sensors, however, make sure the windows seal at the top / back of roof and the windscreen run off fits well (this will save having a wet leg if it rains and wet trim. Fantastic handling car, Front battery model is a must. no power steering which makes the car talk to you and makes responses of the car a more personal achievement. However after you have test driven a 348, (which is fantastic and my personal choice) you ought to go and try an NSX, their rather good in different way, ie, everyday usability and easy, but excellent driven fast. Enjoy.
Thanks for the advice. I ended up buying a '91 348 TS. So far, I drool each time I see/drive it. It's really a very nice design. As is written in one previous comment; it’s not a macho design like the Testarossa. I love the subtlety of the design and the size of the car. Of course the sound can’t be beat, especially with the Tubi exhaust upgrade.
The one thing I need to tend to right away is the light switch on the steering column. The lever is loose and pulls right out. I found a replacement, but I wander if I can fix the original. Any advice?
I have an interesting 348 scenario. I agree with the above; a "sweet looking" car. However, Ferrari is a new venture for me. I've been a Porsche driver for years. I am in the US; California to be exact. A friend is in trouble, and to help him out, I will get his 348. A mechanic acquaintance familiar with this car claims that it is really clean. Here's the challenge, the car is from Europe. It is here in the States, however I don't know if it has been registered here or made street ready. What does it cost to get a Euro Ferrari street ready in the US? What steps will it take? Will US changes compromise this car? Should I just sell the car to someone in Europe? With about 25k miles, what is this car worth? I'd love to keep it as a weekend driver, but I'm concerned that it will cost me a fortune to get the car street ready for California. Any advice? By the way, the sound is amazing (I agree).
I drive a 1992 model 348ts and it is an amazing car. I have read previous comments and would like to point out a few things.
The car was originally designed and built 18 years ago, so it may not be the fastest vehicle on the road, that said it is still incredibly quick and will hold it's own against cars like the BMW Z4 and Mercedes Benz SLK350. I know because I own A SLK350.
I agree that it is a very expensive car to maintain with a cam belt change costing me in the region of $3500.00 and a clutch change around $2000.00. That said it is not a car to drive every day so the costs are not an every year occurrence.
It remains a beautiful car and age has not detracted from the modern look it has. Not something that can be said of some other vehicles of that age. Something to consider that may actually be a let down is the cabin space and specifically the tiny seats especially if you are a big person. Those seats can pinch your hips pretty hard.
Would I recommend it as a first sport car? Yes, not only is it a fantastic driving experience, it also has a soul and the feeling of pride in ownership that no other brand of sport car can match.
Great comments and insight here from current and previous owners of what I refer to as the ”beauty and the beast”.
I have to say I love this car and I cannot stop thinking about owning one. I am currently looking at a 1990 GTS GTS with 28K miles for 37,500. This is in fly yellow with tan interior, the car as a whole looks pretty much stock. I know the maintenance cost are high in the range of 8K for clutch, cam belts and timing belt change. I am wondering a few things, how often should these 3 items be changed? With this asking price I suspect all of this maintenance needs to be done, so I should tack another 8K to this price which would bring me to 45-46K. This still seems low to me. Is there anything special I should be considering ie year, spider vs GTS vs GTB etc… I do love the spider which car would give me the biggest bang for my buck? Any ideas? Thank you in advance. Brian G. WDC..
Hi Brian,
Since you're looking for an oldie, why not consider a Mondial? Performance is obviously not the same, but neither are costs. You can drive it more often, worry less about costs, and it handles much better and has half the problems that burden the 348. We are talking about half the buying costs and a fraction of the maintenance costs.
Timing belts can be done by removing the tire, avoiding the engine removal, and it's a four seater. Same prestige at half the costs and a fraction of the problems.
I own a 348 ('92) and the cost (labor) to change the clutch and belts were 400Euros (roughly 600$)... the lucky part is we are in Romania ---
Perhaps we should open up a business, shipping all these Swiss and German cars over here to do the maintenance.
Oh yeah, liability insurance is LESS than 300$/year.
I was upset about the yearly registration cost of 1200$ until I read all the above comments. Good luck to everyone.
Hi. Does that mean it is a good idea to drive to Romania, say, to get the work done? Are there any reliable Ferrari servicing outlets over there (or Bulgaria etc?) I am looking to buy a 92 onwards 348TS for use in France and Spain. Thanks for the info.
I own a Ferrari 348ts 1992. It's not comfortable driving it, but hey ho, life goes on. There are no Ferrari agents nor part or accessories suppliers in my country. All mine are bought from abroad or through the Internet.
One thing that I notice about Ferrari is it's overrated. The workshop I send for servicing or replacement of parts does not charge like what most Ferrari owners mentioned in websites or forum. I recently changed the timing belt and it cost me just total Brunei $800.0 (US$1.00 = B$2.74) that is inclusive of labour charges etc etc.