Ferrari Recalls 80 Vehicles After Black Window Tint Fails Federal Visibility Standard

Ferrari North America, Inc. filed a safety recall in March 2026 covering 80 vehicles—all subject to a 100-percent defect rate—after determining that black window tinting on the rear and side glass of certain models reduced visibility below the minimum required by federal standards. NHTSA's recall acknowledgment letter for campaign 26V152, dated March 19, 2026, states that the condition violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205, which governs the minimum luminous transmittance for automotive glazing.

The recall covers 2025 and 2026 model-year Ferrari 12Cilindri vehicles. Because the defect rate is cited as 100 percent of the 80 vehicles in the recall population, the NHTSA notice suggests that all affected units received the same noncompliant glass specification. Ferrari North America's address of record is 250 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

FMVSS 205 requires that certain vehicle glazing zones—particularly the side and rear windows—meet minimum light-transmittance thresholds to ensure that drivers and law-enforcement officers can see into and out of the vehicle. Factory-applied tinting that falls below these thresholds is a federal safety-standard violation even if the tinting is otherwise legal under state law, because FMVSS 205 preempts state tint regulations for new-vehicle production.

The NHTSA notice calls for Ferrari to replace the black rear and side windows at no cost to owners. Owner notification letters were expected to be mailed on or around May 15, 2026. This recall illustrates an important compliance boundary for the auto glass aftermarket: replacement glass installed by shops must also meet FMVSS 205 luminous-transmittance requirements, and adding aftermarket tint film to certain glass zones can create similar compliance issues for vehicle owners.

Although the recall population of 80 vehicles is small relative to most recall campaigns, the case is instructive for the trade. Window tint—whether factory applied or aftermarket—is a regulated glazing characteristic. Shops that offer tinting services should verify compliance with applicable federal and state requirements and maintain records of the transmittance values of films they install, particularly on windshields and front side windows.