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Ferrari2009–2017 Critical issues documented

Ferrari California: common faults & what to check

Thinking about buying a used Ferrari California (2009–2017) in New Zealand? We've documented 6 known faults for this model spanning engine, transmission, electrical, and interior. 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 California

  • 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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6

Documented faults

Critical

Most serious

$800–$7,000

Typical repair

4

Systems covered

Which Ferrari California are you looking at?

2 generation variants 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.

Start your free check on this Ferrari California

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Ferrari CaliforniaEngine not picked yet

Pick the engine above first: the California came with 2, and without it the report has to show all of their faults. Pick the engine

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Can't confirm for this car

Ferrari California

Nothing has been narrowed yet, so nothing below is a claim about a particular car. Pick a year and an engine to see which faults apply.

Tell us the engine, or check the engine code on the car, before relying on this.

matched on no vehicle context

See all 6 documented issuesEverything researched for the Ferrari California, including 2 rated critical.
Depends on which engine this Ferrari California has — 6Each of these is documented for one particular engine. Pick the year and engine above to see which of them apply.
Engine, transmission & cooling3

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

petrol2009–2012Engine
RareEngine $0–$80,000 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

A batch of crankshafts on early Californias — under two hundred 2009 cars, plus 2012 Californias recalled alongside the 458 — were machined incorrectly and could fail under load, seizing the engine while the car was moving. The symptom before failure was a rattly engine at low mileage. Ferrari replaced the engines free of charge under recall 12V-211 in 2012. It is a small campaign and a long-closed one, but a replaced engine changes the car's identity in the records, and an early car with no mention of it either way deserves a phone call to a dealer with the chassis number.

Symptoms to notice

  • No record of the crankshaft recall on a 2009 or 2012 car
  • Rattle or knock from deep in the engine, rising with revs
  • Engine number that does not match the build record
  • Low oil pressure warning

What to check

  1. Ask whether the crankshaft recall was carried out and whether the engine was replaced, and look for it in the service file — a Ferrari dealer can confirm against the chassis number if the seller cannot.
  2. Compare the engine number with the paperwork.
  3. Listen with the bonnet up on a cold start and again when hot for a deep knock 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 completed, and was the engine replaced?”
  • “Does the engine number match the original build?”

02Early dual-clutch faults — sensors and connectors that get misdiagnosed as a dead gearbox

petrol2009–2011Transmission
OccasionalTransmission $1,500–$35,000 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

The California was the first Ferrari with a dual-clutch gearbox, and the 2009–2011 cars had teething trouble: speed and clutch-position sensor faults, and connector problems that put the box into a fault state. The expensive part of the story is that some of these were diagnosed as a failed gearbox — with Ferrari not supplying rebuild kits, that meant a replacement transmission costing more than many used cars — when the real fault was a bad connector that could be soldered back into life. Later cars are far better, and on any California the fluid needs changing every two to three years or shift quality suffers. A gearbox warning in the history is not a walk-away, but it needs to have been properly explained.

Symptoms to notice

  • Gearbox warning or 'gearbox failure' message, sometimes intermittent
  • Rough shifting, delayed engagement or being stuck in a gear
  • Slow shift response — often a sign of a transmission oil leak
  • Hesitation engaging first after reverse when parking
  • No record of gearbox fluid changes

What to check

  1. Drive it in automatic and then with the paddles, in traffic and on the open road, feeling for a shudder on take-off, a delay when you select drive or reverse, and any clunk between gears — the shifts should be quick and smooth on a healthy car.
  2. Watch the dash for a gearbox warning at any point.
  3. Ask whether the gearbox has ever shown a fault, what was found and what was replaced, and ask when the fluid was last changed and to see the invoice.
  4. Look under the rear of the car where it is normally parked for oil drips.

Where to look: Dual-clutch transaxle at the rear; gearbox sensors and wiring connectors on the transmission

Parts involved: Clutch.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the gearbox ever shown a warning, and what was actually found?”
  • “When was the gearbox fluid last changed?”
  • “Has the gearbox or any of its sensors been replaced?”

03Sagging engine mounts and transmission oil leaks

petrol2009–2017EngineRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller
Electrical2

01Retractable hardtop faults — Hall sensors, hydraulics and broken plastic sliders

petrol2009–2017ElectricalRead the full fault: symptoms, where to look, what to ask the seller

02Takata passenger airbag inflator recall — California and California T

petrol2009–2017Electrical
OccasionalElectrical $0–$3,500 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

Both the California and the later California T were caught by the worldwide Takata recall: the passenger frontal airbag inflator can degrade after years of heat and humidity and rupture on deployment, throwing metal fragments into the cabin. Ferrari recalled 2009–2014 Californias and 2015–2018 California Ts, replacing the passenger airbag module free of charge. New Zealand and Australia both ran Takata campaigns, and an imported car can fall between them, so completion must be checked against the chassis number. 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
  • Recently imported car with unknown recall history
  • Airbag warning light staying on

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 dealer check the chassis number.
  2. Note whether the car was delivered new here or imported.
  3. Turn the key and confirm the airbag warning light comes on and goes out.

Where to look: Passenger frontal airbag module in the dashboard

Ask the seller

  • “Has the Takata airbag recall been completed on this car?”
  • “Was the car imported, and from where?”
Body, brakes, suspension & interior1

01Dashboard leather shrinking off the binnacle and sticky switchgear — worst in the sun

petrol2009–2017Interior
Very commonInterior $2,000–$8,000 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

The California is the Ferrari most often mentioned for dashboard leather shrinkage: the hide on the dash top and around the instrument binnacle shrinks in the sun, pulls away from the edges and lifts, and dealers have quoted five-figure sums to re-trim it properly, though a good independent upholsterer with Ferrari hide does it for a fraction of that. The soft-touch coating on the buttons and switchgear goes sticky in the same way as every Ferrari of the period. An open car that has lived outdoors in the Australasian sun is the one to look at hardest.

Symptoms to notice

  • Dash leather pulled back from the windscreen edge or lifting around the binnacle
  • Visible gap or bare foam at the edge of the dash top
  • Buttons and switches that feel tacky or leave residue
  • Leather wrinkling on the door tops

What to check

Stand outside and look along the dash top through the windscreen for leather that has pulled back from the edge, lifted around the instrument binnacle or exposed the foam beneath. Inside, run a fingertip over the climate buttons, window switches and vent surrounds for stickiness. Ask whether the dash has been re-covered and whether the switchgear has been refinished, and whether the car has been garaged or lived outside.

Where to look: Dashboard top and instrument binnacle leather; centre console and door switchgear

Ask the seller

  • “Has the dashboard leather been repaired or re-covered?”
  • “Has the sticky switchgear been refinished?”
  • “Has the car been garaged?”

Ferrari California 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.

Retractable hardtop faults — Hall sensors, hydraulics and broken plastic slidersMajor · ElectricalSagging engine mounts and transmission oil leaksMajor · Engine

What these repairs cost on other cars

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

Other Ferrari models

Ferrari 4589 documented faultsFerrari 3607 documented faultsFerrari F4307 documented faultsFerrari F126 documented faultsFerrari F3556 documented faultsFerrari 5995 documented faults

Ferrari California buyer questions

Is the Ferrari California reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 6 documented faults for the Ferrari California, the recurring problem areas are engine, transmission, and electrical. A Ferrari California 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 California?

We've catalogued 6 known faults for the Ferrari California, covering engine, transmission, and electrical. All 6 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 California?

Most single repairs on the Ferrari California fall between $800–$7,000 at NZ independent-workshop rates. Some of the 6 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 California?

Yes. A Ferrari California 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.