FF PTU Design Flaw.

This is certainly not true. If you look at the data that I and ANOpax have compiled its pretty clear that the failure rate is going to be in the low single digit percentage. Anecdotal evidence based on the number of replacements that dealers have claimed to have made corroborates this. If you have data that suggests otherwise I think we would all love to see it.

While it is certainly something to be aware of, and pretty sad that Ferrari let it happen and hasn't fixed it, it certainly shouldn't be a deterrent to buying a FF/GTC4Lusso.

 

officeline said:
eventually all PTUs which are frequently used will blow up sooner or later.

Jaguar36 said:
This is certainly not true.

I have to agree with Jag. I know someone here in Massachusetts who has 70,000+ miles on his 2012 FF. He has driven it cross country to Colorado and back, at least twice. He has done nothing but normal maintenance. Maybe his car is an outlier, but his PTU hasn't blown up sooner nor later.

 

Actually I was so focused on the PTU when I said he had nothing but normal maintenance. I think he had a few minor repair items, but nothing major like the PTU.

 

If worried...buy the car with a warranty

 

Side note: leaks and seals are not covered with the new power warranty

 

If this subject was relating to the engine then there would be more concern and comment. As it relates to a small number of cars from a niche model it is being rather swept under the table. There is clearly something that goes wrong based on circumstances an internet forum is hardly going to uncover. Who would go near one of these cars in 10 years time ? Maybe a little like the comments regarding laF batteries, these are issues for when only future owners will have to worry . Someone will work out how to remove or disengage the unit on the V12 without causing issues, provide a solution as described in some other posts, or just buy the V8 . It is a shame, because this really could be a lovely left field option for someone wanting a long term NA V12 to grace their garage. It is one of my favourite Ferrari of all time, and I have had all sorts. As everything becomes so generic these days, it really was/is something different. For some it is not a real Ferrari as it is not a sports car as such, but it can never be confused with any other car. I hope some solutions to the PTU are forthcoming, even as a service upgrade, as it deserves better as it enters retirement.

 

I would never have this car in a V8 version

 

Solutions have already been found by third parties. ‘Twas ever thus with Ferrari. You only have to look at the superior aftermarket manifolds and ball joints offered by third party companies to realise that Ferrari can’t always be bothered to fix the engineering problems it creates.

 

My gear wheel code appears every now and again but only after lots of stop start city and secondary back street driving.
Next morning all gone maybe it’s Halloween..

 

Hi all, my 2012 FF is in for a PTU issue as well. Started with the standard error messages (no prior issues/leaks) on a trip out of town, and nursed it around in WET mode and dropped it off at dealer. First diagnosed as a cracked PTU fluid reservoir, replaced that, said that it fixed the issue ($1.5k). But as soon as I got it home it was leaking, and they picked it back up. Was hoping that it was something along the lines of something not tightened up or overflow, but alas - now they are saying that the high pressure and low pressure lines are old and brittle, need to be replaced too now ($3k). Adding up the numbers, and thinking about a rebuilt option / what is the next most likely to fail item that should be replaced / preventative maintenance I should be doing. For example, is there a way to understand whether the PTU seal itself is blown while they have the car apart, some type of test/diagnostic approach? Or is it a just waiting for it to be the next thing to fail?

 

You seem very critical of Ferrari in general, and very concerned.

I used to be concerned. The quick fix, is a warranty for up to 12 years at $500 a month.

The local dealer tech is a genius, and knows this failure well.
The good news is that it's a cheaper fix than it used to be. Say $10,000 USD not $30,000.

I have not heard any examples of engine issues from this failure from him. The failure is electrical. It's not common. 2012 and 2013 FF had more than later cars but it's unclear how because the design is (supposedly) the same. I spoke to the head of Ferrari NA in 2016 and he was unaware of a systemic issue in the FF PTU.

So to self insure is still a good bet.

Hope this helps. If you can't enjoy your car then GET RID OF IT.

 

Frankly I question the competence of whoever is working on your car. I'd take it to another mechanic, Ferrari or independent, for their opinion.

Just before I purchased my 612 the previous owner had it serviced (including belt change) at a Florida dealership. When I got it up here we discovered 3 botched items that had to be rectified.

 

It sounds to me like the failures you’ve experienced have been external to the PTU itself so it doesn’t seem that you can justify a tear down to replace the inner seals as the PTU itself hasn’t failed.

 

You can drain the PTU trans oil and check the volume drained, if the seal between high pressure command oil and trans oil is leaking the volume will be higher than expected.

 

Although it’s certainly true that that there are PTU failures, I’m convinced the number is not as high as reported as of course, the failure owners visit forums looking for advice and that skews the numbers.

Every car suffers problems, ask a 911 997 gen 1 owner about bore scoring.

I hope i never experience the problem but it will never stop me using my car.

 

Has ferrari updated the ptu for cars that need replacements? Ie have they addressed the issue?

 

Agree 100% with you, but I also understand the concerns that owners have with the issue, on request for my own interest I asked my service advisor at Ferrari Ft Lauderdale
his advice on the issues he said few and far between cases he knows of but still quoted me $41.000 for the job.
That was last April before we knew of the independent shops that have given us hope.
Let’s just all enjoy this wonderful car.

 

The quote Ferrari FtLauderdale gave me did not include labor.

 

have the new units been rectified of the original flaw?

 

Lets all move to Belgium !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

if thats the new price it cld explain in the uptick in FF prices we have seen over the past 6 months - something like that wld surely make its way into the market

 

I noticed that Eurospare have a new part category for lusso and ff as PTU repair kit. Don’t know if those parts are new updated components. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I purchased a 2012 FF that had the PTU done prior to my ownership. Never pinned it down but I suspect that the Ferrari dealer that replaced the PTU incorrectly re-installed the oil/water pump seal (which I learned is a very delicate and precise installation method that must be completed by a technician that is properly trained for this) - if the seal is not reinstalled correctly the seal will pinch and over time oil/water will mix which leads to the failure of the pump. In my case the seal leaked and I had to replace the pump. Unfortunate for me the part was a few months out of warranty and the dealer that did the PTU told me to get lost.... so if the PTU goes make sure your dealer knows what they're doing (specific to this repair) My FF had 11k miles on it and the PTU had about 2k miles on it when the pump went. This was not an inexpensive repair...

I LOVED the FF- probably the best car I've owned. Without a warranty its just too much to deal with.