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Ferrari2010–2015 Critical issues documented

Ferrari 458: common faults & what to check

Thinking about buying a used Ferrari 458 (2010–2015) in New Zealand? We've documented 9 known faults for this model spanning engine, body & rust, transmission, and cooling. Each researched and verified before it's published. The most serious issues here are rated critical. Every one is listed below with its symptoms and repair cost, and each has its own page with where to look and what to ask the seller. Free, no account needed.

Check this exact Ferrari 458

  • Odometer history
  • Money owing
  • Reported stolen
  • Ownership history
  • Official NZ vehicle register data
  • NZ owned and operated

Type the plate for the free basics. The full record is a paid check from $13.49, one car at a time, no subscription.

No NZ plate yet, or buying in Australia? Pick the generation and engine and start a free check below. New to KickTyres? How the check works →

9

Documented faults

Critical

Most serious

$1,500–$4,500

Typical repair

7

Systems covered

Which Ferrari 458 are you looking at?

1 generation variant documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Which engine is in it? These cover every year of this model.

4.5 V8 petrol· 4.5 litre petrol

Start your free check on this Ferrari 458

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

Ferrari 458

Free. The paid plate check is separate, and stays optional.

Likely — same engine family

Ferrari 458

Narrowed by capacity and fuel. No engine code is recorded for this option, so a fault specific to one engine of that size cannot be confirmed from it.

Matched on capacity and fuel, not on an engine code.

  • 1 documented fault names an engine this selection cannot confirm. It is listed separately below.

matched on 4.5L engine

What to look out for

The checks worth doing on a Ferrari 458 before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

  • Costly issue

    Look under the front of the car where it is normally parked for coolant stains, because the radiators are in the nose and that is where a leak shows.

    See why

    Brittle coolant hoses, weeping thermostat housing and a whining water pump

    By the time a 458 is a decade old the rubber coolant hoses around the thermostat housing, the lower radiator hose junction and the throttle-body coolant lines have gone hard and started to weep at the clamps, and the water pump bearing announces itself with a whine before it fails. Owners on the forums report coolant appearing under the front bumper, where the radiators live, well away from the engine. Specialists recommend replacing the hoses preventively at about 60,000 km or eight years, whichever comes first, and a mid-engined car that is allowed to overheat does not give much warning.

    What you would notice

    • Coolant puddle or drips under the front bumper after a drive
    • White or pink crust around hose clamps or the thermostat housing
    • Coolant level dropping between checks
    • Whine from the engine bay rising with revs
    • Low coolant warning on the dash

    Typically $1,200–$4,500 to put right.

  • Costly issue

    Before the car is started, ask whether it lives on a battery maintainer and how long it typically sits between drives.

    See why

    Battery drain and control-module gremlins — manettino, seat sensors, door handles, Spider roof module

    The 458's electrical architecture is always awake, polling its networks, and a car left three weeks without a battery maintainer will be flat — leave it three months and control modules can lose their memory and throw a cascade of faults. On top of that the steering-wheel manettino switches, the seat position sensors, the motorised flush door handles and, on the Spider, the roof control module all produce intermittent faults as the cars age. None of it is catastrophic, but each one is a dealer-level diagnosis and a Ferrari part, and a car that has lived on a maintainer and been driven regularly has far fewer of them.

    What you would notice

    • Multiple warning messages on start-up that clear after a drive
    • Manettino or steering-wheel switches that work intermittently
    • Seat position or memory faults
    • A door handle stuck out or refusing to present
    • Spider roof stopping mid-cycle or throwing a roof error

    Typically $500–$3,500 to put right.

See all 9 documented issuesEverything researched for the Ferrari 458, including 2 rated critical.
Engine, transmission & cooling1 critical3

01Crankshaft machining recall — engines that could seize (NHTSA 12V-211)

petrol2011–2012Engine
RareEngine $0–$80,000 to fix

Ferrari recalled 2011 and 2012 458 Italias, along with 2012 Californias, because a batch of crankshafts had been machined incorrectly in one area, and under thermal and dynamic stress the crank could fail and seize the engine — with the wheels driving at the time. Owners were offered an engine repair or a complete replacement engine free of charge. The campaign was small and is long finished, but an engine that has been replaced under it should be recorded, and a 2011–2012 car with no mention of the recall either way is a car whose history has a gap in exactly the wrong place.

Symptoms to notice

  • No record of recall 12V-211 or an engine replacement on a 2011–2012 car
  • Knock or rumble from deep in the engine that rises with revs
  • Low oil pressure warning
  • Engine number that does not match the original build record

What to check

  1. Ask whether the crankshaft recall was carried out and whether the engine was repaired or replaced under it — on a 2011 or 2012 car the answer belongs in the service file, and a Ferrari dealer can confirm recall completion against the chassis number if the seller cannot.
  2. Compare the engine number on the block with the one in the paperwork and ask about any difference.
  3. On a cold start and again when hot, listen with the engine cover up for a deep knock or rumble that rises with revs, and watch for an oil pressure warning on the drive.

Where to look: Crankshaft inside the engine block

Ask the seller

  • “Was the crankshaft recall done, and was the engine repaired or replaced?”
  • “Does the engine number match the original build record?”

02Exhaust manifold cracking on early cars — the cold-start tick

petrol2010–2013EngineRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

03Brittle coolant hoses, weeping thermostat housing and a whining water pump

Look under the front of the car where it is normally parked for coolant stains, because the radiators are in the nose and that is where a leak shows.petrol2010–2015CoolingRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller
Electrical2

04Takata passenger airbag inflator recall — check it was done

petrol2014–2015Electrical
OccasionalElectrical $0–$3,500 to fix

The 458 was caught up in the worldwide Takata recall: the passenger frontal airbag inflator can degrade with years of heat and humidity and rupture on deployment, firing metal fragments into the cabin. Ferrari recalled 2012-build 458 Italias and Spiders and later 2014–2015 458s including the Speciale A, replacing the passenger airbag module free of charge. New Zealand and Australia both ran Takata recalls, and a car imported from another market may have slipped between them, so completion has to be checked against the chassis number rather than assumed. The cost shown is what the same work costs if the car turns out to be outside the campaign.

Symptoms to notice

  • No record of the Takata passenger airbag replacement on a 2012–2015 car
  • A recently imported car whose recall history is unknown
  • Airbag warning light on the dash

What to check

  1. Ask whether the Takata passenger airbag recall has been completed and look for it in the service history, and if it is not there ask the seller to have a Ferrari dealer check the chassis number — the work is free, but a car that has never been checked is a car with a live safety recall.
  2. Note where the car was first sold and whether it was imported, because that affects which national recall it fell under.
  3. Turn the key and confirm the airbag warning light comes on and then goes out.

Where to look: Passenger frontal airbag module in the dashboard

Ask the seller

  • “Has the Takata passenger airbag recall been completed on this car?”
  • “Was the car NZ- or Australian-delivered, or imported from elsewhere?”

05Battery drain and control-module gremlins — manettino, seat sensors, door handles, Spider roof module

Before the car is started, ask whether it lives on a battery maintainer and how long it typically sits between drives.petrol2010–2015ElectricalRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller
Body, brakes, suspension & interior1 critical3

06Wheel-arch heat-shield adhesive fire recall — the 2010 cars that burned

petrol2010Body & Rust
OccasionalBody & Rust $1,500–$3,000 to fix

In 2010, within months of the 458 going on sale, five of them caught fire, and Ferrari traced it to the adhesive used to bond the heat shields inside the rear wheel arches: under hard use the glue could soften, run onto the exhaust and ignite. Ferrari recalled all 1,248 cars built up to August 2010 and replaced the glue with mechanical fixings. The fix is well documented and every early car should have had it, but this is a fire risk, so on a 2010 build it must be proven from the paperwork rather than assumed — and a car that has been repaired after a fire is a different purchase entirely.

Symptoms to notice

  • A 2010 build with no recall record in the service file
  • Hot-plastic or burning smell after a hard drive
  • Heat discolouration or melted liner visible inside the rear wheel arches
  • Signs of fire repair — fresh paint or new liners in the rear arches on an early car

What to check

  1. Check the build date and the first registration date, and on any 2010 car ask to see the recall completion in the service history or ask the seller to have a Ferrari dealer confirm it against the chassis number — this is not one to take on trust.
  2. Look inside both rear wheel arches with a torch at the liners and heat shields for melting, discolouration or a repair, and notice whether the liners are held by visible screws and bolts, which is what the fix looks like.
  3. Smell around the rear of the car after the test drive for hot plastic.
  4. Ask directly whether the car has ever had a fire or heat damage.

Where to look: Rear wheel-arch liners and heat shields, either side of the engine bay

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

Ask the seller

  • “Was the 2010 wheel-arch fire recall completed on this car, and can you show me the record?”
  • “Has the car ever had any fire or heat damage at the rear?”

07Sticky switchgear — eight to fifteen pieces by the time you see it

petrol2010–2015Interior
Very commonInterior $3,000–$6,000 to fix

Ferrari kept the soft-touch coating on the 458's dashboard switches, vent surrounds, centre console and door-pull trim, and it breaks down into a tacky residue that picks up fingerprints and dust and comes off on your hands. Specialists typically find eight to fifteen affected pieces on a car of this age. It is cosmetic, but refinishing or replacing the lot properly is a few thousand dollars, and the dash leather can tear and lift over time as well, so a car where it has all been done is worth more than one where it is waiting.

Symptoms to notice

  • Buttons and trim that feel tacky and leave residue on your fingers
  • Dust and fingerprints stuck to the vent surrounds and console
  • Dash leather lifting or split along the seams
  • Door-pull trim with a gummy finish

What to check

  1. Run a fingertip over the steering-wheel switches, the centre console buttons, the vent surrounds and the door pulls and see what drags or comes away, then look at the dash leather along the seams and at the windscreen edge for lifting or splits.
  2. Ask which pieces have been refinished or replaced and whether the dash has been repaired, and price in what has not.

Where to look: Dashboard and steering-wheel switchgear, vent surrounds, centre console, door pulls, dash leather

Ask the seller

  • “Have the sticky switches and trim been refinished or replaced, and which ones?”
  • “Has the dashboard leather been repaired?”

08Front-axle lift system losing height — pump seals that dry out on cars that sit

petrol2010–2015Suspension
OccasionalSuspension $1,500–$4,500 to fix

Many 458s carry the optional front-axle lift that raises the nose for driveways and speed humps, and its hydraulic pump seals dry out on cars that are not used, so the system stops holding the nose up or will not lift at all. Owners were reporting lift failures within a couple of years of the car going on sale. It is a comfort feature rather than a safety one, but a rebuilt or replacement pump and a system bleed is a real bill, and a car without a working lift will scrape its nose on the first steep driveway you own.

Symptoms to notice

  • Nose lifts slowly, only partly, or not at all
  • Lift dropping back down on its own within minutes
  • Lift system fault message on the dash
  • Hydraulic fluid stain near the pump

What to check

  1. Ask whether the car has the front lift, then use it: raise the nose from the button, watch how quickly and how far it comes up, and leave it up for several minutes while you look around the car to see whether it holds.
  2. Lower it and raise it again.
  3. Look for a lift fault message on the dash.
  4. Ask whether the lift pump has ever been rebuilt or replaced and whether the system has been bled.

Where to look: Lift hydraulic pump in front of the rear right wheel well; lift rams on the front dampers

Ask the seller

  • “Does the front lift work fully and hold its height?”
  • “Has the lift pump ever been rebuilt or replaced?”
Depends on which engine this Ferrari 458 has — 1Each of these is documented for one particular engine. Pick the year and engine above to see which of them apply.
Engine, transmission & cooling1

01Seven-speed dual-clutch — wet clutches, sensors and the fluid nobody changed

The 458's Getrag seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is a strong unit and a huge step on from the old F1 box, but it is not maintenance-free.petrol2010–2015TransmissionRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

Ferrari 458 faults in detail

Each of these has its own page: the symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller and what the repair costs. Free, no account needed.

Battery drain and control-module gremlins — manettino, seat sensors, door handles, Spider roof moduleMajor · ElectricalBrittle coolant hoses, weeping thermostat housing and a whining water pumpMajor · CoolingExhaust manifold cracking on early cars — the cold-start tickMajor · EngineSeven-speed dual-clutch — wet clutches, sensors and the fluid nobody changedMajor · Transmission

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Ferrari 458’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

Other Ferrari models

Ferrari 3607 documented faultsFerrari F4307 documented faultsFerrari 4886 documented faultsFerrari California6 documented faultsFerrari F126 documented faultsFerrari F3556 documented faults

Ferrari 458 buyer questions

Is the Ferrari 458 reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 9 documented faults for the Ferrari 458, the recurring problem areas are engine, body & rust, and transmission. A Ferrari 458 with a full service history and no signs of the issues listed on this page can be a sound buy but each one needs to be checked individually before you commit.

What are the most common problems with a used Ferrari 458?

We've catalogued 9 known faults for the Ferrari 458, covering engine, body & rust, and transmission. All 9 are written out in full on this page, with the symptoms to notice, what to inspect, and typical repair costs for each. Free to read, no account needed.

How much do repairs cost on a Ferrari 458?

Most single repairs on the Ferrari 458 fall between $1,500–$4,500 at NZ independent-workshop rates. Some of the 9 documented faults cost less and a few cost considerably more, and no one car needs them all. Knowing which ones to look for before you view is what lets you negotiate the price down or walk away.

Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a Ferrari 458?

Yes. A Ferrari 458 inspection focused on its known weak points is the single best way to avoid an expensive mistake. KickTyres gives you a guided, model-specific inspection plus a market valuation and negotiation figure for $24.90 far less than the cost of missing one of the faults on this page.