On the road
Every Maserati Quattroporte V should deliver effortless performance, good feel and great handling: anything less needs attention which will inevitably be expensive. The ride can feel a bit harsh, but there should be no knocks or clonks. Skyhook electronic adaptive dampers with switchable Normal/sport modes reduce the harshness in the Normal setting without ever becoming wallowy; the S and GT S used fixed-rate shock absorbers and stiffer springs, contributing to an even more fierce ride.
Engine issues are rare; rattly timing variators are most common, costing c£1800 per side to replace. A rattle lower down in the engine bay, which goes away if you push ‘ECO’ on the dash, is a worn air-con compressor, well over £1000 to change. Budget c£850 per year for regular servicing, but keep plenty in hand for the unexpected: new Maserati parts are very costly.
ZF transmissions are durable but the Duoselect can eat clutches if driven badly (Maserati diagnostics can give a wear indication) and if it’s slow or noisy changing, it may need new hydraulic selectors – each costs around £2000-2500.
Brakes are strong and effective but wear fast; ABS sensors corrode and are costly to replace. On Zf-gearbox cars, the electronic handbrake sticks if used infrequently and you have to rock it back and forth, switch off and reboot until it frees (or spend £1000+ on new cables and shoes). Quality tyres can be very expensive and last 8-15,000 miles, so check for wear and brand.