Ferrari has just done something remarkably uncommon for a company of its stature: admitted it got something wrong. After a wave of complaints from owners regarding the haptic touch controls on its steering wheels, the automaker is now offering a retrofit solution — first reported by Motor1 based on an Instagram post from Ferrari of Atlanta.
The replacement wheel substitutes physical buttons for virtually all of the haptic controls, with one exception: the engine start/stop function retains its haptic design. Ferrari hasn't explained why, but the likely reason is that this particular control sits far enough from where your hands rest on the wheel that inadvertent activation isn't a concern.
A Ferrari spokesperson confirmed the program to Car and Driver and noted that it will eventually be extended to cover the 296 GTB, 296 GTS, and Roma Spider. The new steering wheel was developed in-house at Ferrari and is being offered as optional equipment for those models, with installation handled by authorized dealerships.
This kind of retroactive acknowledgment from Ferrari is rare, though the physical-button retrofit itself is perhaps the most striking aspect. Consider the 2027 Ferrari Amalfi: technically a new model, but essentially a refreshed take on the Roma. The 2026 Roma shipped from Maranello with a haptic-heavy steering wheel. The 2027 Amalfi reverses that decision and returns primarily to physical controls — a direct response to the same feedback now driving the retrofit program.
