Five of the cars have burst into flames since leaving the company’s factory at Maranello near Bologna, northern Italy.
Incidents have been reported in California, Paris, China and Switzerland. None have taken place in Britain.
The recall involves 1,248 cars in all, including around 50 in Britain. Owners include Louis Saha, the Everton footballer, Eric Clapton and Chris Evans, the broadcaster.
Although this is not the first recall in the Italian manufacturer’s history, it is especially embarrassing for the company which only began producing the car at the start of the year.
The fault is understood to involve the glue used to secure the wheel arch lining to the car’s chassis.
Accoarding to Ferrari the glue has been overheating. This has led on particularly hot days to the adhesive catching light when the car has been driven for a sustained period of time at high speed.
The repair at a dealer takes about half a day, a company said.
Anew Ferrari 458 costs just under £170,000. However such is the demand for the vehicle that even a used model attracts a £50,000 premium.