Ferrari2006–2012 Major issues documented

Ferrari 599: common faults & what to check

Thinking about buying a used Ferrari 599 (2006–2012) in New Zealand? We've documented 5 known faults for this model spanning transmission, suspension, engine, and interior. Each researched and verified before it's published. The most serious issues here are rated major. 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.

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Odometer history
Money owing
Reported stolen
Ownership history

Official NZ vehicle register data
NZ owned and operated

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Documented faults

Major

Most serious

$1,500–$6,000

Typical repair

Systems covered

Which Ferrari 599 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.

Petrol

1 variant documented

2006–2012F1412006–2012F1416.0 V12 petrolPetrolDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

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.

6.0 V12 petrol· 6.0 litre petrol

Start your free check on this Ferrari 599

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 599

Likely — same engine family

Ferrari 599

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.

matched on 6.0L engine

What to look out for

The checks worth doing on a Ferrari 599 before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

Costly issue
Walk around the car on level ground and check it sits level at all four corners.
See why
Magnetorheological dampers — brilliant, and expensive when they knock
The 599 was the first Ferrari with magnetorheological adaptive dampers, which change their stiffness in milliseconds by magnetising the fluid inside them. They are superb when they work and dear when they do not: a knock or squeak from a corner over bumps means a worn damper or bush, and the dampers cannot be rebuilt by a normal suspension shop. The car's aluminium chassis also deserves a look for corrosion around the suspension mounts on cars that have lived near the coast.
What you would notice
- Knocking or squeaking from a corner over bumps
- Suspension warning light or a 'damper system failure' message
- One corner sitting lower than the others
- Harsh ride that does not change between the manettino settings
- Fluid weeping down a damper body
Typically $2,500–$12,000 to put right.

See all 5 documented issuesEverything researched for the Ferrari 599.

Engine, transmission & cooling3

01F1 clutch wear and hydraulic actuator faults — get the clutch life readout in writing

petrol2006–2012Transmission$5,000–$14,000Read the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02Engine mounts cracking from V12 heat at around 50,000 km

The rubber engine mounts on the 599 sit under a 6-litre V12 that runs hot, and they crack and separate at roughly 50,000 km — the rubber simply cooks.petrol2006–2012Engine$1,500–$4,000Read the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

03Oil overfilled on the dry-sump V12 — checked cold, topped up, then burned through the intake

petrol2006–2012Engine$300–$3,000

CommonEngine $300–$3,000 to fix

The 599's V12 has a dry-sump oil system that must be checked at idle with the engine fully warm, and the single most common problem specialists see on the model is owners checking it cold with the engine off, reading it low, and overfilling. The excess is drawn into the intake as oil and vapour and burned, which smokes the exhaust, fouls the plugs and catalysts and can look like an engine fault when it is a servicing one. A car with a fastidious history and a seller who knows how to check the oil is what you are looking for; oil smoke on the test drive needs explaining either way.

Symptoms to notice

Blue or grey smoke from the exhaust, especially on start-up or after idling
Oil smell from the exhaust
Oil level reading above the maximum mark
Fouled plugs or a catalyst efficiency warning

What to check

Ask the seller how they check the oil, because on this engine the right answer is at idle with the engine hot, and the wrong answer explains a lot of smoky 599s.
After the test drive, with the engine idling and warm, look at the dipstick reading and compare it with the marks.
Watch the exhaust in the mirror on start-up and after a spell of idling for blue smoke, and smell the exhaust for oil.
Ask whether the plugs or catalysts have ever been replaced for oil fouling.

Where to look: Dry-sump oil tank and dipstick in the engine bay; intake tract

Parts involved: Catalytic converter.

Ask the seller

“How do you check the oil level on this car?”
“Has it ever smoked or fouled its plugs?”

Body, brakes, suspension & interior2

04Magnetorheological dampers — brilliant, and expensive when they knock

Walk around the car on level ground and check it sits level at all four corners.petrol2006–2012Suspension$2,500–$12,000

OccasionalSuspension $2,500–$12,000 to fix

The 599 was the first Ferrari with magnetorheological adaptive dampers, which change their stiffness in milliseconds by magnetising the fluid inside them. They are superb when they work and dear when they do not: a knock or squeak from a corner over bumps means a worn damper or bush, and the dampers cannot be rebuilt by a normal suspension shop. The car's aluminium chassis also deserves a look for corrosion around the suspension mounts on cars that have lived near the coast.

Symptoms to notice

Knocking or squeaking from a corner over bumps
Suspension warning light or a 'damper system failure' message
One corner sitting lower than the others
Harsh ride that does not change between the manettino settings
Fluid weeping down a damper body

What to check

Walk around the car on level ground and check it sits level at all four corners.
Drive it over a rough patch of road and speed humps with the windows down and listen for knocks or squeaks from each corner, then switch the manettino between comfort and sport settings on the same stretch and confirm the ride actually changes.
Watch the dash for a suspension warning.
Look at the visible part of each damper through the wheel for oily weeping.
Ask whether any dampers or bushes have been replaced.

Where to look: Adaptive dampers at all four corners; suspension bushes and mounts on the aluminium chassis

Parts involved: Shock absorber / strut.

Ask the seller

“Have any of the adaptive dampers been replaced?”
“Has a suspension warning ever appeared?”

05Sticky console buttons and shrinking leather

petrol2006–2012Interior$1,500–$6,000

Very commonInterior $1,500–$6,000 to fix

Ferrari fitted the 599 with the same soft-touch rubberised buttons as the rest of the range, and over time the coating disintegrates into a tacky film that comes off on your fingers, while the leather on the dash and door tops shrinks and pulls away in the sun. Neither affects the driving, but a full refinish of the switchgear and a re-trimmed dash on a V12 Ferrari is not a small bill, and the state of the cabin is a fair read on how the rest of the car has been kept.

Symptoms to notice

Console and steering-wheel buttons that feel tacky
Black residue on your fingers after using the switches
Dash or door-top leather shrinking and lifting at the edges
Peeling finish on switch faces

What to check

Run a fingertip over the centre console buttons, the steering-wheel switches, the vent surrounds and the door pulls for anything that drags or comes off.
Look along the dash top from outside through the windscreen for leather that has pulled back from the edge, and check the door tops and the top of the instrument binnacle.
Ask whether the switchgear has been refinished and whether any leather has been re-trimmed.

Where to look: Centre console and steering-wheel switchgear, vent surrounds, dashboard and door-top leather

Ask the seller

“Have the sticky buttons been refinished or replaced?”
“Has any of the dash or door leather been repaired?”

Ferrari 599 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.

Engine mounts cracking from V12 heat at around 50,000 kmMajor · Engine F1 clutch wear and hydraulic actuator faults — get the clutch life readout in writingMajor · Transmission

Other Ferrari models

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Ferrari 599 buyer questions

Is the Ferrari 599 reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 5 documented faults for the Ferrari 599, the recurring problem areas are transmission, suspension, and engine. A Ferrari 599 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 599?

We've catalogued 5 known faults for the Ferrari 599, covering transmission, suspension, and engine. All 5 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 599?

Most single repairs on the Ferrari 599 fall between $1,500–$6,000 at NZ independent-workshop rates. Some of the 5 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 599?

Yes. A Ferrari 599 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.