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Ferrari2012–2017 Critical issues documented

Ferrari F12: common faults & what to check

Thinking about buying a used Ferrari F12 (2012–2017) in New Zealand? We've documented 6 known faults for this model spanning brakes, transmission, electrical, and body & rust. 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 F12

  • 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 →

6

Documented faults

Critical

Most serious

$500–$6,000

Typical repair

5

Systems covered

Which Ferrari F12 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.

6.3 V12 petrol· 6.3 litre petrol

Start your free check on this Ferrari F12

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 F12

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

Likely — same engine family

Ferrari F12

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 6.3L engine

What to look out for

The checks worth doing on a Ferrari F12 before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

  • Serious issue

    Ask for the dealer's recall history against the chassis number and confirm the brake fluid reservoir cap campaign is complete.

    See why

    Brake fluid reservoir cap recall — the vacuum that can drain the brakes (NHTSA 22V-536)

    The F12berlinetta and F12tdf are in Ferrari's 2022 brake-reservoir campaign: the reservoir cap may not vent properly, creating a vacuum that draws brake fluid past the seals and can lead to a partial or total loss of braking. Dealers fit a new cap and load a software update that adds a low-fluid warning, free of charge. It covers every F12 year, so on any car it must be marked complete against the chassis. The cost shown is what the same work costs if the car turns out to be outside the campaign.

    What you would notice

    • No record of the brake reservoir cap recall
    • Brake fluid level dropping with no visible leak
    • Brake warning light
    • Soft or long brake pedal

    Typically $0–$600 to put right.

  • Costly issue

    Turn the key and watch the airbag warning light come on and go out.

    See why

    Three airbag recalls — Takata passenger inflator, airbag ECU, and the rotated driver's airbag

    The F12 carries three separate airbag campaigns. The Takata passenger inflator can degrade and rupture on deployment (2013 builds under 18V-040, 2014–2017 F12s and 2016–2017 tdfs under 19V-006); the airbag ECU on 2015–2017 cars and the 2016 tdf can malfunction so the airbags and pretensioners fail to deploy (19V-411); and F12berlinettas built December 2014 to April 2015 had a driver's airbag module assembled so it could deploy rotated (15V-433). All are free dealer fixes and all must be confirmed against the chassis number, particularly on an imported car. The cost shown is what the same work costs if the car turns out to be outside the campaigns.

    What you would notice

    • No record of the airbag campaigns on a 2013–2017 car
    • Airbag warning light staying on
    • Recently imported car with unknown recall history

    Typically $0–$6,000 to put right.

  • Costly issue

    Look under the rear of the car where it is normally parked for oil drips.

    See why

    Seven-speed dual-clutch — oil seal leaks and speed-sensor faults that make it shift rough

    The F12's 7DCL750 dual-clutch is a strong gearbox, and Ferrari built its clutches to last the life of the car, but two things do go wrong with it: the oil seals leak, so the fluid level falls and the shifts slow down, and the speed sensor fails, which puts up a gearbox warning and makes the box shift roughly at low speed and on downshifts. Both are fixable without a rebuild if caught, and both leave a trace — a drip under the rear of the car, a warning in the history. A fluid change on schedule is what keeps the seals happy.

    What you would notice

    • Rough shifts at low speed or on downshifts
    • Gearbox warning light or fault message
    • Oil drips under the rear of the car
    • Shift response slowing over months
    • No record of gearbox fluid changes

    Typically $1,500–$9,000 to put right.

  • Common issue

    Look along the dash top through the windscreen and flip both sun visors down, looking for leather that has shrunk, cracked or lifted.

    See why

    Dashboard and sun-visor leather shrinking, sticky buttons on some cars, creaking driveshaft bolts

    The leather on the F12's dash top and sun visors shrinks and cracks in the sun, the soft-touch buttons go sticky on some cars, and owners report a creak from the rear driveshaft's torque bolts losing their tension — a re-torque or replacement fixes it. None is a mechanical worry; all three are things a buyer notices in the first minute of a viewing and a seller waves away, and together they say how the car has been kept.

    What you would notice

    • Dash-top or sun-visor leather shrinking, cracking or lifting
    • Buttons that feel tacky
    • Creak from the rear of the car on take-off or over bumps

    Typically $1,000–$7,000 to put right.

See all 6 documented issuesEverything researched for the Ferrari F12, including 1 rated critical.
Electrical2

01Three airbag recalls — Takata passenger inflator, airbag ECU, and the rotated driver's airbag

Turn the key and watch the airbag warning light come on and go out.petrol2013–2017Electrical
OccasionalElectrical $0–$6,000 to fix

The F12 carries three separate airbag campaigns. The Takata passenger inflator can degrade and rupture on deployment (2013 builds under 18V-040, 2014–2017 F12s and 2016–2017 tdfs under 19V-006); the airbag ECU on 2015–2017 cars and the 2016 tdf can malfunction so the airbags and pretensioners fail to deploy (19V-411); and F12berlinettas built December 2014 to April 2015 had a driver's airbag module assembled so it could deploy rotated (15V-433). All are free dealer fixes and all must be confirmed against the chassis number, particularly on an imported car. The cost shown is what the same work costs if the car turns out to be outside the campaigns.

Symptoms to notice

  • No record of the airbag campaigns on a 2013–2017 car
  • Airbag warning light staying on
  • Recently imported car with unknown recall history

What to check

  1. Turn the key and watch the airbag warning light come on and go out.
  2. Ask for the dealer's recall history against the chassis number and check that the Takata inflator, airbag ECU and (on a 2015 build) driver's airbag campaigns are all marked complete.
  3. Ask where the car was first sold.

Where to look: Passenger and driver airbag modules in the dashboard and steering wheel; airbag control unit under the console

Ask the seller

  • “Have all three airbag recalls been completed on this chassis?”
  • “Was the car delivered new here or imported?”

02Lazy hot restarts with a cascade of electrical warnings — starter and battery

petrol2012–2017Electrical
OccasionalElectrical $500–$3,500 to fix

F12 owners describe a car that has been driven for an hour, switched off for a few minutes and then does not want to fire again — a slow, reluctant crank with a run of electrical warnings on the dash. Starter motor faults and a battery that has not been kept up on a maintainer are the usual causes, and like every modern Ferrari the F12 punishes sitting unplugged. A car that starts cleanly hot and cold, and lives on its maintainer, is the normal case.

Symptoms to notice

  • Slow or reluctant restart when the engine is hot
  • Electrical warning messages appearing on a restart
  • Failure to start after the car has sat
  • Battery replaced early in the car's life

What to check

  1. Start it cold and note how eagerly it cranks, then after a proper drive switch it off, wait five minutes and start it again, watching the dash for warnings.
  2. Ask whether the car lives on a battery maintainer, whether the battery or starter has been replaced, and whether it has ever refused to start hot.

Where to look: Starter motor on the engine; battery in the boot

Parts involved: Starter motor.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the car ever been reluctant to restart when hot?”
  • “Is it kept on a maintainer, and has the battery or starter been replaced?”
Body, brakes, suspension & interior1 critical3

03Brake fluid reservoir cap recall — the vacuum that can drain the brakes (NHTSA 22V-536)

Ask for the dealer's recall history against the chassis number and confirm the brake fluid reservoir cap campaign is complete.petrol2013–2017Brakes
OccasionalBrakes $0–$600 to fix

The F12berlinetta and F12tdf are in Ferrari's 2022 brake-reservoir campaign: the reservoir cap may not vent properly, creating a vacuum that draws brake fluid past the seals and can lead to a partial or total loss of braking. Dealers fit a new cap and load a software update that adds a low-fluid warning, free of charge. It covers every F12 year, so on any car it must be marked complete against the chassis. 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 brake reservoir cap recall
  • Brake fluid level dropping with no visible leak
  • Brake warning light
  • Soft or long brake pedal

What to check

  1. Ask for the dealer's recall history against the chassis number and confirm the brake fluid reservoir cap campaign is complete.
  2. Look at the brake fluid reservoir level with the engine cold.
  3. With the engine running, press the brake pedal hard and hold it, feeling for it to sink, and note any brake warning on start-up.

Where to look: Brake fluid reservoir and cap under the bonnet

Ask the seller

  • “Has the brake fluid reservoir cap recall been completed?”
  • “Has a brake warning ever appeared?”

04Corrosion and peeling paint at the rear mesh vents, and water getting into the tailgate

petrol2012–2017Body & Rust
OccasionalBody & Rust $1,500–$8,000 to fix

The F12's bodywork corrodes around the mesh vents on the rear three-quarter panels, where steel mesh meets aluminium skin and moisture sits, and the paint on the rear mesh peels for the same reason. Water also finds its way into the tailgate on some cars. None of it is structural, but a proper repair on a car of this value is a body-shop job, and it is the place to look first because a car that has been kept dry and garaged will not have it.

Symptoms to notice

  • Bubbling or flaking paint around the rear three-quarter mesh vents
  • Corrosion on the mesh itself
  • Damp or water marks inside the tailgate or rear luggage area
  • Paint peeling on the rear mesh

What to check

  1. Look closely at the mesh vents on both rear three-quarter panels and at the paint around them for bubbling, flaking or corrosion on the mesh, and sight along the panels in daylight for any repaint.
  2. Open the tailgate and look for water marks, damp or rust in the luggage area and along the tailgate seals.
  3. Ask whether any bodywork has been repainted and whether the tailgate has ever leaked.

Where to look: Mesh vents on the rear three-quarter panels; tailgate and rear luggage area

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

Ask the seller

  • “Has any bodywork around the rear vents been repainted or repaired?”
  • “Has the tailgate ever let water in?”

05Dashboard and sun-visor leather shrinking, sticky buttons on some cars, creaking driveshaft bolts

Look along the dash top through the windscreen and flip both sun visors down, looking for leather that has shrunk, cracked or lifted.petrol2012–2017Interior
CommonInterior $1,000–$7,000 to fix

The leather on the F12's dash top and sun visors shrinks and cracks in the sun, the soft-touch buttons go sticky on some cars, and owners report a creak from the rear driveshaft's torque bolts losing their tension — a re-torque or replacement fixes it. None is a mechanical worry; all three are things a buyer notices in the first minute of a viewing and a seller waves away, and together they say how the car has been kept.

Symptoms to notice

  • Dash-top or sun-visor leather shrinking, cracking or lifting
  • Buttons that feel tacky
  • Creak from the rear of the car on take-off or over bumps

What to check

  1. Look along the dash top through the windscreen and flip both sun visors down, looking for leather that has shrunk, cracked or lifted.
  2. Run a fingertip over the buttons for stickiness.
  3. On the drive, pull away firmly and go over a few bumps with the windows down, listening for a creak from behind you.
  4. Ask whether the dash has been re-trimmed and whether the driveshaft bolts have been re-torqued.

Where to look: Dashboard top and sun visors; centre console switchgear; rear driveshaft bolts

Ask the seller

  • “Has the dash or visor leather been repaired?”
  • “Is there any creak from the rear on take-off?”
Depends on which engine this Ferrari F12 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 — oil seal leaks and speed-sensor faults that make it shift rough

Look under the rear of the car where it is normally parked for oil drips.petrol2012–2017Transmission
OccasionalTransmission $1,500–$9,000 to fix

Can't confirm for this car

The F12's 7DCL750 dual-clutch is a strong gearbox, and Ferrari built its clutches to last the life of the car, but two things do go wrong with it: the oil seals leak, so the fluid level falls and the shifts slow down, and the speed sensor fails, which puts up a gearbox warning and makes the box shift roughly at low speed and on downshifts. Both are fixable without a rebuild if caught, and both leave a trace — a drip under the rear of the car, a warning in the history. A fluid change on schedule is what keeps the seals happy.

Symptoms to notice

  • Rough shifts at low speed or on downshifts
  • Gearbox warning light or fault message
  • Oil drips under the rear of the car
  • Shift response slowing over months
  • No record of gearbox fluid changes

What to check

  1. Look under the rear of the car where it is normally parked for oil drips.
  2. Drive it in automatic mode in traffic and then with the paddles, feeling for roughness at low speed and on downshifts, and watch the dash for a gearbox warning.
  3. Ask when the gearbox fluid was last changed, whether any seals or sensors have been replaced, and whether a gearbox warning has ever appeared.

Where to look: Dual-clutch transaxle at the rear; gearbox oil seals and speed sensor on the transmission

Parts involved: Clutch.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the gearbox ever leaked oil or shown a warning?”
  • “When was the gearbox fluid last changed, and have any sensors been replaced?”

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Ferrari F12’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 F3556 documented faultsFerrari 5995 documented faultsFerrari 6125 documented faults

Ferrari F12 buyer questions

Is the Ferrari F12 reliable?

Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 6 documented faults for the Ferrari F12, the recurring problem areas are brakes, transmission, and electrical. A Ferrari F12 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 F12?

We've catalogued 6 known faults for the Ferrari F12, covering brakes, 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 F12?

Most single repairs on the Ferrari F12 fall between $500–$6,000 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 F12?

Yes. A Ferrari F12 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.