California reliability?

I can only speak for myself, but my Cali has been pretty reliable (knock on wood!). Major head ache for me thus far has been the battery, which was original in my case; the batteries are a well-known source of grief (apparently, on all F-cars, not just the Cali). I replaced it with a new battery, and it's been fine since then (again, knock on wood!). From reading F-chat, the major worries are the hard-top convertible, and transmission sensors. The latter seems to be helped out recently by the supposition that more dealers can service the DCT without having to completely remove the old one and replace it with a new one. I think your inference that these issues were more common in the earliest Calis is supported by the conventional wisdom here on F-chat. If it is a concern, then I would advise either getting on CPO or starting a "rainy day" fund in case of a $$$ repair, as you did with your Lambo...T

 

Order Forza #146 (12-2015). It has a California buyer's guide.

 

My best friend has a 2004 Gallardo and before owning the 10 California, I owned a Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa. Just like the Lambo, Ferrari is very reliable and a breeze for DIYers. I always serviced my maser and my friend services his Lambo.

The First gen F1 clutch in Maser was notoriously expensive to repair as in 12K but eventually they have come down in price to 2-3K with time. Same with Lamborghini - now you have aftermarket clutches available cheaper than factory and last much longer as some are carbor fiber.

In my 5 years of ownership (I put on maybe 7K miles spirited driving) of the Coupe, I never had a clutch issue just once a transmission relay failure ($10 part). A broken window track was quoted by dealer at $1800. I bought a used one from a junk yard for $240 and replaced it myself. When my AC compressor went out at 42K miles, dealer wanted $2800 for a new one from Modena - I researched locally and had the compressor rebuilt for $180 locally (Its a GM part).

On the topic of California, 2012 and newer have a newer version of DSG - If I am not wrong its called Gen 3. Older ones (2009-2011) have Gen 2 DSG. An extremely low number of them had a sensor fail - Ferrari did not have a procedure to fix the issue at the time and only remedy was to replace the DSG at around $28K. Since 2012 - Ferrari has issued the repair process to its dealers and the dealer cost of fix, should it ever happen is around 6K.

Don't be afraid - Ferraris don't bite. They are special in build quality but not overly complex or unusual. I do not see much I cannot do on my car. If you are mechanically inclined, invest is a OBD programming tool like Autel Maxisys Pro. I have it and it covers my car.


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Pics of the ole maser


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Here ya go...Its available to read online:
http://www.forza-mag.com/issues/146/articles/grab-and-go?page=1

 

Test Drive it. I'll bet you will not get that Audi feeling in the Ferrari. Its a breed of its own. Very distinct feeling. Having driven both, Lambo is more raw power more muscle-car feel and very angular visually. Ferrari is more finesse and style with that high-pitch signature exhaust. Both have pedigree! Owning any of them is a privilege.

 

There is no maintenance cost spike compared to Lambo's or any other exotic. In fact, California's are referred by most as "most reliable Ferraris ever". Ferrari California Got the technology in 09 that current Ferraris (as in 458/488) have. The transmission is more advanced than the F430. I wouldn't call them bullet proof - but cost of maintenance and everyday stuff is probably the same as ANY exotic, just rate of failure is low making them more reliable among Ferrari's of past decade. I can probably use Maserati as an example - 80-s and 90's Masers were always found on the side of road broken. But ever since Ferrari collaborated, the mechanical reliability has improved drastically.

With passage of time, you have more indy's out there and lot more parts available outside of dealerships. Internet is really a blessing with used and new parts OEM or not. My friends 04 Gallardo - with Audi tech is reliable as anything. These exotics have come a long way. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I will add one thing, the most common source of error messages on my TFT seems to be related to the HELE (start/stop) system. Had another today; as usual, it went away upon stop & restart . I usually turn HELE off at first start-up, but forgot today. Just another mildly useful gizmo that can act up IMO. Also, it places special demands on the battery. If it were me, I'd avoid a HELE car.
T

 

The HELE "High Emotion Low Emission" is what I think most other manufacturers call start/stop. This YouTube video gives a good overview of the system. HELE was an option for the earlier Cali. For example, these are the exterior options listed for my car on Ferrari.com.

Exterior Options
Additional Options
AFS SYSTEM
HEAT INSULATING WINDSCREEN
HIGH EMOTION LOW EMISSION
'SCUDERIA FERRARI' SHIELDS
MAGNERIDE DUAL MODE SUSPENSION
INT/EXT ELECTR. MIRROR+HOMELIN
PARKING CAMERA

It may have become standard later on, I am not sure.

This video and article are reasonably informative about the HELE system.



http://gtspirit.com/2010/12/03/video-ferrari-california-with-hele-system/

There are some performance enhancements that come with HELE, but for me, not worth the extra complication...T

 

In Europe, HELE was standard on all California's due to emissions.

 

Are you in EU

 

Oh well, one less thing to fret about!
T

 

2015 California T 12.5K miles. No issues.

 

Oh heck no - US cars still come without HELE - You have to pay to get that $hitty system. You always have the option to turn it off - but it turns itself on at every restart by default.

I have start/stop on my commuter 2015 S550 and sometimes find it annoying even though It is smart and turns car back on if cabin temps deviate by 2 degrees. In C and E class you get a nastier version where it turns off for x amount of seconds (minutes?) regardless of you boiling inside or freezing. In my friends 14 E, we always turn the system off at the first signal light when ac gets hot. I live in Houston and temps get burning hot here.

 

I'm on my third Cali, now a '16 T, owning a 2010 and a 2012. Put over 30,000 miles on the first two then sold to move up. You can see my posts and had very little trouble. A smoke issue but it was overfilled with oil at the dealer that took months to show up. One top sensor fail, easily troubleshot by the dealer computer, one wiring issue with the first that most of them had at that time. No other issues. And I drive mine all year in NW Ohio, yes in the snow and salt with SottoZero tires fitted to my spare set of wheels. Probably replaced one battery. The car can set for weeks without charge even though I drive either my FF or my Cali T every day. No other car in my garage. I do borrow my wife's Cayenne to go to Detroit Metro Airport but that is the only time I'm not in my Cali or FF. These cars are as reliable as any American car.

 

The HELE in my car works great. While the system had a faulty electrical connection from the factory which made it function erratically when I got the car new, once that was sorted it has worked flawlessly. Tom, you should really get your car's HELE system sorted out.

FWIW, my car now has a full aftermarket exhaust system and it is probably much louder than most tracks would allow. The dB meter on my phone maxed out and I estimate noise levels reach 120+ dB at times. When I do my fun drives, it is wonderful to give my ears a break when I pause the car at the lights. The car restarts whenever I want it to and in my case, it pops and burbles when it comes back to life, another bonus. I enjoyed the HELE feature even before my exhaust system upgrade. It's easy to modulate the behaviour of the HELE system.

Finally, a car with STOP/START (start/stop is a silly misnomer) may also make it more acceptable when emissions regulations inevitably start to impinge on Fcar ownership. In heavy traffic, HELE can reduce emissions by up to 25%. Cars with STOP/START would be deemed more emissions-compliant than cars without.

 

my appologies for opening up a dead thread but I am wondering if there is any new info. My mom has always dreamed of owning a ferrari and as a good sun I would like to get her into one. Any info? things to look out for? is dealer servie mandatory? common faults? Any info you have is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Roof and transmission are the two faults that seem to crop up most here on F chat. In both cases, sensors more than mechanical issues.

Dealer service not mandatory. But, confirm that your independent has the computer diagnostics necessary to treat a modern Ferrari if you go this route.

Finally, the Cali is a great first Ferrari. Make sure mom let's you borrow the keys from time to time!

T