2004 Maserati Quattroporte 4.2L Petrol · EY04 CKU

The Maserati Quattroporte presents a mixed mechanical picture, with a maintenance trend that has shifted from stable to mildly deteriorating in the most recent test cycle. The September 2025 pass at 66,104 miles, while technically a pass, carried six separate advisories, including worn and pitted front and rear brake discs, an oil leak from the front of the engine, both rear tyres worn to the legal limit and feathered on their edges, and a rear differential oil leak. By contrast, the June 2024 test at 65,450 miles recorded zero defects, and the December 2022 test at 64,500 miles was also entirely clean. The jump from a spotless pass to six advisories in roughly 15 months suggests the car has either been driven harder, stood idle for extended periods allowing corrosion to set in on brake components, or that basic preventative maintenance has lapsed. The mileage profile is notably low for a 2004 vehicle. At 66,104 miles over approximately 22 years, the annual average sits at just 3,005 miles. The interval between the August 2021 test at 62,197 miles and the December 2022 test at 64,500 miles shows roughly 2,303 miles covered in 16 months, and the gap between December 2022 and April 2024 accounts for only 950 miles across 16 months. The car has clearly spent long periods stationary. Extended standing is particularly relevant here because pitted brake discs and oil seals that dry out or corrode are classic symptoms of a vehicle that sits unused for weeks or months at a time. The April 2024 failure at 65,415 miles is the most significant red flag in the record. The nearside rear parking brake recorded zero effort on a single-line system, overall service brake efficiency fell below the legal minimum, and parking brake efficiency dropped below 50 per cent of the required value. That the car passed cleanly just two months later in June 2024 suggests the issues were addressed, but the advisories returned by September 2025 on the same braking components, pitted discs rather than a complete failure, point to either a superficial repair or a car that has returned to prolonged standing after brief use. A buyer should have the rear braking system inspected thoroughly, including caliper slide pins, parking brake cables, and the condition of the rear diff, which was leaking oil at the most recent test. The front oil leak advisory from September 2025, combined with the rear diff leak, raises questions about the condition of engine and drivetrain gaskets and seals after years of intermittent use. The uneven rear tyre wear, both edges feathered, hints at worn rear suspension bushes or tracking that has gone unchecked. Before committing, a prospective buyer should put the car on a lift and inspect the underside for corrosion on subframes and suspension mounting points, verify the source and severity of both oil leaks, and check the rear suspension geometry. The braking system deserves a road test under firm application to confirm there is no pull, judder, or delayed release from the rear calipers.