Management of Vehicles in Stock

It is imperative to maintain vehicles during the in-stock period at the dealer. This is required to ensure the quality and reliability of maintenance components such as but not limited to batteries and tires.

In the following “Management and maintenance of Maserati vehicles in stock” (Circular Letter MAS004420), you can find the operations to be performed for vehicles in stock.

Maserati dealerships are responsible for proper vehicle storage. Claims related to vehicle deterioration are not covered by the new car warranty.

All Maserati dealers are required to follow the vehicle storage standards listed below:

• All in-stock vehicles should be stored indoors or under a protected area outdoors, in order to prevent damage from the environment.
• Each vehicle should be cleaned weekly to ensure proper cosmetic maintenance and to identify any possible damages.
• Battery failures on in-stock vehicles which are not properly stored and cared for are not covered under warranty.
• Check for any open recalls and/or campaigns on all in-stock vehicles. This will ensure that the vehicle is ready for sale. You must also check for any open recalls and/or campaigns immediately prior to retail sale.
• Tire pressure should be monitored and properly maintained.
• All warranty claims submitted on in-stock vehicles must be submitted under cost code 12 and require prior approval from the service manager/service director.
• Vehicles in dealer stock must be moved in order to avoid tire flat spotting, rusty rotors, dead batteries, etc.
• Monitor vehicle mileage and status to avoid potential warranty coverage concerns
• It is the dealer’s responsibility to ensure that customers do not receive a vehicle affected by 'lot rot', a condition that can develop when vehicles remain stationary for extended periods.

Dealers are required to periodically move vehicles in their inventory to prevent damage to the two components most affected by lot rot:

• Tire flat spotting
• Brake rotor corrosion

Lot rot can also lead to unnecessary 12V battery replacements when dealers fail to perform proper charging maintenance on unsold vehicles.