Ferrari2004–2011 Critical issues documented

Ferrari 612: common faults & what to check

Thinking about buying a used Ferrari 612 (2004–2011) in New Zealand? We've documented 5 known faults for this model spanning engine, brakes, transmission, and electrical. 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.

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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.

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Documented faults

Critical

Most serious

$3,000–$8,000

Typical repair

Systems covered

Which Ferrari 612 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

2004–2011F1372004–2011F1375.7 V12 petrolPetrolDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 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.

5.7 V12 petrol· 5.7 litre petrol

Start your free check on this Ferrari 612

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 612

Likely — same engine family

Ferrari 612

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 5.7L engine

See all 5 documented issuesEverything researched for the Ferrari 612, including 1 rated critical.

Engine, transmission & cooling1 critical2

01Cam belts every five years — the V12 service that cannot be skipped

petrol2004–2011Engine$5,000–$8,000Read the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02F1A clutch life and the 2008 gearbox sensor recall

petrol2004–2011Transmission$5,000–$14,000Read the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

Electrical1

03Instrument panel failure — the dash display's power supply and motherboard

petrol2004–2011Electrical$1,500–$6,000Read the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

Body, brakes, suspension & interior2

04Carbon-ceramic brakes — a refurbishment bill the size of a small car

petrol2004–2011Brakes$3,000–$35,000

OccasionalBrakes $3,000–$35,000 to fix

Many 612s carry the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, and while the discs last a long time when looked after, they do wear and they are eye-wateringly expensive to renew — specialists quote around £15,000 for a set with pads in the UK, more from Ferrari. The wear is measured by weighing the discs and should be on the service invoices. A buyer who does not check which brakes the car has, and how much life is left, can inherit the biggest single bill on the car.

Symptoms to notice

No disc wear measurements in the service history
Squeal at low speed that does not go away
Vibration through the pedal under braking
Chips or glazing on the disc face

What to check

Look through the wheels to see whether the car has the dull grey drilled carbon-ceramic discs or cast-iron ones, and ask for the latest disc wear measurements.
Look at the disc faces with a torch for chips at the edge or glazing, and brake firmly a few times on the drive feeling for vibration.
Ask whether any discs or pads have been replaced.

Where to look: Brake discs and pads at all four wheels

Ask the seller

“Does the car have carbon-ceramic brakes, and what were the wear readings at the last service?”
“Have any discs or pads been replaced?”

05Sticky switches and dash-top leather splitting in the sun

petrol2004–2011Interior$1,500–$7,000

Very commonInterior $1,500–$7,000 to fix

The 612's instrument and console buttons go sticky with age and lack of use as the rubberised coating breaks down and rubs off on hands and clothing, and on cars from sunny climates the leather on the dash top shrinks and splits. Both are common enough that specialists treat them as expected, and both cost real money to do properly across a cabin this large. A car stored unused for long periods is worse for it, not better.

Symptoms to notice

Buttons that feel gooey or leave black residue on your fingers
Dash-top leather shrinking away from the windscreen or splitting
Peeling switch faces

What to check

Run a fingertip over every button on the console and the instrument panel for stickiness, and look along the dash top through the windscreen for leather pulling back or splitting.
Ask whether the switchgear has been refinished and whether the dash leather has been repaired, and whether the car has been garaged.

Where to look: Console and instrument switchgear; dashboard top leather

Ask the seller

“Have the sticky switches been refinished?”
“Has the dash leather been repaired?”

Ferrari 612 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.

Cam belts every five years — the V12 service that cannot be skippedCritical · Engine F1A clutch life and the 2008 gearbox sensor recallMajor · Transmission Instrument panel failure — the dash display's power supply and motherboardMajor · Electrical

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Ferrari 612’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

Cambelt Replacement Cost

Other Ferrari models

Ferrari 4589 documented faults Ferrari 3607 documented faults Ferrari F4307 documented faults Ferrari 8125 documented faults Ferrari Dino5 documented faults Ferrari Enzo5 documented faults

Ferrari 612 buyer questions

Is the Ferrari 612 reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 5 documented faults for the Ferrari 612, the recurring problem areas are engine, brakes, and transmission. A Ferrari 612 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 612?

We've catalogued 5 known faults for the Ferrari 612, covering engine, brakes, and transmission. 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 612?

Most single repairs on the Ferrari 612 fall between $3,000–$8,000 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 612?

Yes. A Ferrari 612 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.