Used Maserati Levante 1st Gen (2017-2024): Buyer's Guide

A 2017 Maserati Levante can suddenly lurch into neutral in the middle of stop-and-go traffic, then the engine shuts off entirely. That's not forum exaggeration: it's the exact defect NHTSA recall 17V161000 exists to fix. The Levante is Maserati's only SUV generation, sold in the US from 2017 through 2024 with no full redesign in between, so every model year on the used market is really one long story with a handful of real dividing lines. This guide covers all of them: which engine to buy, which recalls actually apply to your exact year, and the fuse check that can save you an unnecessary air suspension repair.

This Generation at a Glance

The Levante rides on the Tipo M161 chassis, a shortened evolution of the same architecture family underneath the Ghibli and Quattroporte, tracing back to Maserati's 2011 Kubang concept. It launched in Europe in 2016 and reached the US as a 2017 model, with the 3.0L twin-turbo V6 as the only engine (Europe also got a diesel; the US never did). The Ferrari-built 3.8L twin-turbo V8 arrived for 2019 in GTS and Trofeo trims. A December 2020 refresh brought new infotainment software for the 2021 model year, though it treated the Levante differently than its sedan siblings: the Ghibli and Quattroporte jumped to a 10.1-inch Android Automotive touchscreen, while the Levante kept its existing 8.4-inch display, just running improved software (Maserati Intelligent Assistant, with TomTom navigation and over-the-air updates). The trim ladder was renamed for 2022: Levante, S, GTS, and Trofeo became GT, Modena, Modena V8, and Trofeo (Trofeo kept its name). Production ended after the 2024 model year, with the Trofeo V8 winding down in late 2023 ahead of an all-electric successor.

Current pricing and inventory: Maserati Levante market data, with per-year pages for 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Powertrain & Trim Breakdown

3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 (Levante/GT, S/Modena)

This is the volume engine across the entire generation, and owners generally like it. A long-term owner on maseratilife.com reported four years and 30,000 miles with no problems and called it the best overall SUV they've owned. Cars from 2020 onward are consistently described as tidier and more consistent than the 2017-2019 launch cars.

The engine shares its basic architecture with the Ghibli's V6, and Ghibli owners document a recurring failure: the plastic timing chain guides and hydraulic tensioners become brittle and fail, commonly cited around 60,000 to 61,000 miles. The first symptom is a tapping or knocking noise near the valve covers that doesn't fade at operating temperature. Because the tensioners depend on oil pressure, even a mildly low oil level can let the chain jump time. Repair cost runs $5,000 to $7,500 because the front and top of the engine has to come apart. This pattern is documented on Ghibli-generation engines; whether it recurs at the same mileage on Levante-spec tunes isn't independently confirmed, so treat it as a symptom to watch for rather than a certainty.

More specific to the Levante: some 2017 models shift unexpectedly into neutral in stop-and-go driving, sometimes with the engine shutting off, with no fault code showing on a scanner. That's the exact defect behind recall 17V161000, an ECM software fix that needed regulatory clearance before Maserati could push it. A separate forum thread describes a ZF 8-speed transmission slipping specifically in wet or icy conditions, again with no scanner fault code, which forum consensus treats as a warning sign of an eventual overhaul rather than a one-off.

3.8L Twin-Turbo V8 (GTS/Modena V8, Trofeo)

The Ferrari-built V8 is the reason most people cross-shop a Levante against German rivals. A 2019 CNBC review called the GTS "a Ferrari-engined monster" that delivers on speed, and it's the trim owners and press consistently point to as the highlight of the lineup. US-spec Trofeo cars make 590 hp (Europe gets 580 hp), hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, and top out around 187 mph.

The tradeoffs are fuel economy and brake wear. Combined mileage runs 15-16 mpg, noticeably worse than the V6. Because the car is heavier and built for performance, brake cost complaints skew toward V8 examples: Edmunds owner reviews note pads and rotors needing replacement as often as every 10,000 miles, and one 2022 owner posted a dealer quote of $3,000 for front pads and rotors plus another $1,000 for the rear set, a $4,000 total brake job. The same shared-architecture timing chain risk noted for the V6 applies in principle to the V8, though no V8-specific mileage case study turned up in research; treat it as an open question rather than a confirmed pattern.

The upside: because Trofeo depreciation is steep (see Running Costs below), a used Trofeo is one of the more affordable ways to buy a Ferrari-built V8 in an SUV body. CarBuzz has framed this directly in coverage of used Trofeo pricing: three-year-old examples often sell for roughly half their original sticker price, with some five-year-old cars down as much as 70 percent, and original owners frequently drove them so little that low-mileage examples aren't hard to find.

A US-market warning: the Levante Hybrid GT was never sold here

Maserati introduced a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder mild hybrid, the Levante Hybrid GT, in Europe and the UK starting with the 2021 model year: 330 hp, a 48V belt starter-generator, no plug-in capability. CarScout's own EPA fuel economy data shows zero four-cylinder Levante entries in any US model year from 2017 through 2024, only V6 and V8. If you see a domestic listing badged "Levante Hybrid," treat it as a red flag: either a grey-market import or a mislabeled listing, not a legitimate US-spec trim.

Electrical and body issues that cross every powertrain

The single most-discussed non-engine complaint across every Levante forum is the air suspension. A "Service Air Suspension System" or "malfunction, service immediately" warning shows up repeatedly. The root cause ranges from a blown fuse (specifically fuses #37 and #41 in the fuse box near the spare tire in rear storage, which power the ASCM module and motor) up to a full compressor and valve block replacement that one owner reported took 16 days at a dealer. A local independent shop quoted one owner $2,000 to replace the air suspension module on a 2017 Levante. Before paying for a module, ask a shop to rule out the fuses first.

2017 and 2018 cars also draw more infotainment complaints, with owners describing freezing and lag that Maserati service centers struggled to fully resolve; 2020-and-later cars are described as noticeably smoother. Separately, KBB's common-problems page for the generation flags certain 2018 Levantes with incomplete welds on the front subframe. That claim did not turn up in CarScout's NHTSA-sourced recall data for any year checked, and 2018 itself has no current snapshot in CarScout's dataset, so it's included here as an unverified forum and aggregator claim, not a confirmed recall-level defect. Treat it as a reason to have a 2018 inspected carefully, not as an established fact.

Later Modena cars, 2022 and 2023 specifically, have their own separate nuisance: false alarm triggers and key fob synchronization glitches that cause the horn to honk unexpectedly after locking. It's an annoyance rather than a safety issue, but it's worth testing the fob and alarm arming a few times on a test drive before you buy. A "Service Electronic Throttle Control" dash warning also shows up across multiple model years and multiple forum threads without a single confirmed root cause; treat a recurring one as a reason to have a shop scan for stored codes, not necessarily a sign of a major failure. And a few quirks are just Maserati being Maserati, not defects: the glovebox locks and unlocks only through a PIN code entered on the touchscreen, the tailgate release button is mounted up near the driver's head instead of on the door, and heated seat controls are scattered in a way that a longtime reviewer, Doug DeMuro, called out as genuinely confusing on a first drive. None of that will show up on an inspection report, but it's worth knowing before you're sitting in the driveway trying to figure out how to open the trunk.

Trim Levels

Maserati renamed the whole trim ladder for the 2022 model year. A "Levante S" and a "Modena" are the same car under two different names, so don't assume a 2022-and-newer listing is a different, unfamiliar trim when you're cross-shopping against a 2021 or earlier example. The Vulcano Limited Edition (150 units, matte Grigio Lava paint, dark Nerissimo trim pack, red brake calipers) was sold only in Europe and Asia; if a US listing claims Vulcano trim, verify the VIN carefully before assuming it's genuine.

GranSport and GranLusso ran alongside the core trim ladder for most of the generation as equipment overlays rather than separate powertrains: GranSport adds paddle shifters and a firmer sport-biased tune, GranLusso leans into comfort-focused leather and a softer ride. Neither changes the recall or maintenance picture above, so choose based on how you'll actually use the car, not on which badge looks better in a listing photo.

Which Model Years to Target Within This Gen

Recall counts reflect each campaign's full stated coverage years, not just the single model year CarScout's per-year query happens to surface it under. 21V872000 (a cracked fuel line sensor housing) covers 2021-2022 Levantes; 25V098000 (a backup camera software fault) covers 2021-2024 Levantes across multiple Maserati models. Both fixes are straightforward: a fuel line replacement and a software update, respectively.

2020 is the quiet pick if you just want a clean V6 with no known recalls in CarScout's data. 2022 is the best overall pick: it's the first year of the current trim names, it has the deepest used inventory of the whole generation, and both recalls that apply to it have simple, well-documented fixes. 2017 logged NHTSA complaints including a crash report and an injury report in CarScout's data, on top of the recall; it's not a car to buy without confirming the recall was completed. 2023 and 2024 examples carry the fewest miles of any Levante on the used market, since the car was still in production, but expect fewer listings to choose from and higher asking prices than the 2020-2022 window.

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

If you're buying a V6 (Levante/GT, S/Modena):

• Start it cold and listen near the valve covers for a tap or knock that doesn't fade as the engine warms up. That's the symptom tied to timing chain tensioner wear on this engine family.
• Cycle the air suspension through every height setting with the engine running. Watch for a "Service Air Suspension" warning or uneven ride height side to side. If a seller or dealer says it needs a new ASCM module, ask them to check fuses #37 and #41 first; a blown fuse is a common, far cheaper cause.
• Creep the car in Drive at low speed (a parking lot is enough) and confirm it doesn't hesitate or drop toward neutral unexpectedly. On a 2017 VIN, ask for proof that recall 17V161000 was completed.
• On any 2021-2024 VIN, ask whether recall 21V872000 (fuel line) or 25V098000 (backup camera software) applies and was completed.
• On any 2022-2023 example, lock and unlock the car a few times with the key fob and confirm the alarm doesn't false-trigger or honk unexpectedly. Also watch for a recurring "Service Electronic Throttle Control" dash message during your test drive.

If you're buying a V8 (GTS/Modena V8, Trofeo):

• The same air suspension and neutral-shift checks above apply; this is a shared platform.
• Inspect front brake pad and rotor wear closely. Owners report replacement intervals as tight as 10,000 miles and dealer quotes around $4,000 for a full front-and-rear job. Budget for it before you buy rather than discovering it after.
• Confirm you're looking at a genuine US-spec Trofeo (590 hp) and not a Euro-spec import (580 hp) or a mislabeled "Hybrid GT," which was never sold in the US.

Run every VIN through a recall check before you commit to anything above.

Running Costs

Dealer service pricing runs roughly double independent-shop pricing for the same jobs: a dealer oil change runs around $400 and a dealer brake job around $1,500, versus roughly half that at a qualified independent shop that will still honor your service records. Estimates for average annual maintenance cost vary by source, from around $799 a year over the first five years of ownership on the low end to $1,200-$1,500 a year on the high end, with routine visits commonly running $200-$500 or more per stop. Ask for full maintenance history before you buy; some buyers report dealerships being cagey about giving a straight answer on total cost of ownership until after the sale, so ask for a written estimate before you commit.

The real running cost is depreciation. iSeeCars data puts the Levante at 50.8% depreciation by year three and 73.4% by year seven. That's bad news if you bought new and good news if you're buying used: a well-vetted three-to-five-year-old example has already absorbed the steepest part of the value hit.

FAQ

Is the Maserati Levante V6 reliable? The 3.0L twin-turbo V6 is the more dependable half of the lineup, and long-term owners on Maserati forums report years of trouble-free driving. It shares timing chain and tensioner architecture with the Ghibli, though, where owners report failures near 60,000 miles costing $5,000 to $7,500. Listen for a cold-start tap near the valve covers before you buy.

What year Levante should I avoid? 2017 carries the highest documented complaint volume and the neutral-shift recall, 17V161000, plus more infotainment freezing complaints than later years. 2018 is a data gap in CarScout's own market snapshot this week, so treat it with the same caution until you verify recall completion directly through a VIN check.

Is the Levante Trofeo worth buying used? The 590 hp Ferrari-built V8 depreciates faster than any other trim, which is exactly what makes a used Trofeo one of the more affordable ways into a Ferrari-engineered SUV. Budget for 15-16 mpg and brake jobs that can run $4,000 at the dealer.

Why does my Levante's air suspension warning keep coming on? It's the most common non-engine complaint across Levante forums, showing up as a "Service Air Suspension System" dash message. Before paying for a new ASCM module or compressor, ask a shop to check fuses #37 and #41 first. Owners consistently report a blown fuse as a common, far cheaper cause than the parts a dealer might quote.

Was the Maserati Levante ever sold with a hybrid or four-cylinder engine in the US? No. The 2.0L mild-hybrid Levante Hybrid GT launched in Europe and the UK for 2021 but was never sold in the US. Every US-market Levante from 2017 to 2024 came with a V6 or V8; a domestic listing claiming "Hybrid" is a red flag.

Bottom Line

A 2020 or 2022 V6 Modena is the sweet spot: enough performance to feel like a Maserati without the V8's fuel and brake bills. Whatever year you land on, run the VIN through a recall check first, since four separate NHTSA campaigns touch this generation depending on model year. CarScout checks the Levante market every day and emails you when something in your price range changes, at usecarscout.com.

Data sourced from NHTSA's recalls database, EPA fuel economy data, and real owner experiences from maseratilevanteforum.com, maseratilife.com, and the Ghibli community at ghibliforum.com. See the full Maserati Levante market data for pricing and inventory.