Spare Wheel Compartment

The Spare Wheel Compartment, identified by Maserati Part Number 673006258, is an integral part of your Maserati Ghibli’s trunk area, designed to thoughtfully accommodate essential emergency equipment. While it might seem like a simple recess, its design contributes to the vehicle’s practicality, structural integrity, and overall refinement.

This precisely formed compartment provides a secure and dedicated home for your spare tire (if equipped) or your tire repair kit and tools. By integrating this storage into the vehicle’s underbody, Maserati ensures that these crucial items are always accessible yet neatly tucked away, maximizing usable trunk space for luggage and cargo. Beyond mere storage, the compartment’s design, often incorporating specific contours and sometimes sound-deadening materials, helps to isolate road noise and vibrations originating from the rear of the vehicle, contributing to the Ghibli’s quiet and composed cabin environment. As a part of the rear floor pan structure, it also contributes to the overall rigidity of the body-in-white and plays a role in the vehicle’s crashworthiness, helping to manage energy absorption in the event of a rear-end impact.

Given its location and function, the spare wheel compartment can be susceptible to various forms of damage:

• Collision Damage: Rear-end collisions, even seemingly minor ones, can cause deformation, bending, or tearing of the spare wheel well, impacting its ability to hold the spare securely or affecting the alignment of other rear body panels.
• Impact from Trunk Contents: Heavy or sharp items shifting in the trunk can potentially cause dents, punctures, or cracks in the compartment floor, especially if the protective mat is absent.
• Severe Corrosion: Although modern vehicles have good rust protection, long-term exposure to moisture, road salt, or unaddressed fluid leaks could, in very rare and severe cases, lead to corrosion that compromises the integrity of the steel well.
• Improper Jacking: Incorrect placement of a jack or lifting equipment during tire changes or repairs could potentially deform the compartment if it is used as an unintended support point.

Symptoms of a damaged spare wheel compartment include visible dents, tears, or buckling in the trunk floor, difficulty in seating the spare wheel or cover properly, water leakage into the compartment, or signs of rust. While generally not affecting the vehicle’s direct driving performance, a compromised compartment reduces practicality, can lead to rattling noises from a loose spare, or potentially allow moisture ingress. Replacement of this component typically involves complex bodywork, including cutting and welding, as it is an integral part of the unibody structure. Such repairs should only be performed by certified body shops to ensure structural integrity and correct fitment.

For your Maserati Ghibli, ensuring the integrity of the Spare Wheel Compartment (Part Number 673006258) is important for maintaining the practical utility of the trunk, contributing to cabin refinement, and preserving the overall structural integrity of the vehicle’s rear section. Replacing a damaged compartment with a genuine Maserati part helps ensure the continued quality and functionality expected of your Italian luxury sport sedan.