2012 Ferrari California

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train1
000
Engine1
000
Air Bags1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic22V536000
Filed Jul 26, 202223,555 vehiclesFerrari North America, Inc.

Defect. Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2005-2009 430, 2019-2020 488 Pista, 2016 F60 America, 2005-2011 612 Scaglietti, 2010-2011 612, 2018-2022 812, 2020-2022 F8 Spider, 2020-2022 F8 Tributo, 2021-2022 Roma, 2009-2017 California, 2015-2017 California T, 2013-2017 F12 Berlinetta, 2017 F12 TDF, 2012-2016 FF, 2017-2020 GTC4 Lusso, 2018-2020 GTC4 Lusso T, 2013-2015 LaFerrari, 2017 LaFerrari Aperta, and 2019-2022 Portofino vehicles. The brake fluid reservoir cap may not vent properly, creating a vacuum inside the brake fluid reservoir, and resulting in a brake fluid leak that may lead to a partial or total loss of brake function.

Risk. A loss of brake function can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap and update the software to provide a new warning message for low brake fluid, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 22, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed November 29, 2022. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is RC 80. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-833.

Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module18V381000
Filed Jun 7, 20181,507 vehiclesFerrari North America, Inc.

Defect. Ferrari North America, Inc. (Ferrari) is recalling certain 2012 Ferrari California, 458 Italia, 458 Spider, and FF vehicles that have not already had their passenger frontal air bag replaced. These passenger frontal air bag modules have air bag inflators that may explode in the event of a crash due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy. Ferrari will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assembly with one that uses an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Ferrari customer service at 1-201-816-2668. Ferrari's number for this recall is 61. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-018.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Sep 1, 2026FL

While driving the car, the transmission dont shifted correctly jurking the car almost causing the car behind to crash into my car. Sometimes in the highway the car goes into neutral or wont shift correctly, this starts creating traffic and almos accidents. This is well know by the factory and they never addressed a big issue with their cars.

Air Bags
Filed Dec 4, 2019NY

LONG ISLAND FERRARI DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE

Engine
Filed Nov 15, 20122,500 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FERRARI CALIFORNIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V211000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT READILY AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AND HAD NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED DUE TO THE PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 2,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2012
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20170100Routine
20160100Routine
20150100Routine
20141200Routine
20131200Routine
2012 — this page3200Routine
20111400Routine
20101400Routine
20090400Routine

Compare every California year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 26, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.