FF ownership after 6+ years

what happened to your DCT?

I'm getting a light once in a while and a howl from the back... never lost any gears or anything though

 

Did you have the power warranty (looking at DCT and PTU cost)?

 

Great post, very helpful for any potential FF buyer (that’s what I’m also doing for my Cali30 HS).

 

Thanks all for posting the maintenance history - this was very helpful while navigating the buying process. I will soon add records for the FF that I just picked up.

 

@ttforcefed : Hey there! Thanks a bunch for all your awesome advice and many hours of replies- it's been a lifesaver. I recently purchased an '88 TR, and my creaky bones are throwing a little back party. Looks like I need a more willing dance partner, and 4 seats are just the ticket. However, the maintenance on this newer-gen Ferrari has me raising an eyebrow. Compared to my fleet of trusty Mercedes & BMW V12s, the reliability gap is like night and day. I get it, low production, “it’s a Ferrari”charm, but why are TR buyers so fixated on the engine-out service cost? I would be surprised if a sorted TR could ever cost this much to run for 40k miles.

So I am really hyped about an FF with some initial very low miles but sans warranty, and I'm wondering about the maintenance tab for the next 40k miles. I get the whole "buy with warranty" deal, but those eventually run out. If you nab a Ferrari FF at $150,000, are you automatically signing up for a $60,000+ maintenance bill in the next 40k miles? Maybe, maybe not.

I totally respect the Porsche game, although I don’t drink the Kool-aid, but how often do you see Porsche fanatics convert and make the leap to Team Ferrari? ️ Help a newbie out on my first post - need some assurance that this dream is worth every penny. Cheers! LenV12

 

Thanks ttforcefed. With a estimate from the chatter of 5-10% PTU/DCT failures, it would seem unnecessary to be as concerned as many on FChat members have become. have become. It is unfortunate that Ferrari is unlike Porsche, BMW in recognizing their design flaw and offering a lengthy warranty to all owners. With the exception that failure may be caused by excessive force, there is no excuse for Ferrari not to extend warranty. How many owners have encountered PTU failure without engaging in overtly aggressive driving? ( I have a friend….. replies accepted )

 

In all fairness to the Ferrari community support , it is challenging to accept a potential out-of-warranty cost of somewhere near $60,000, especially when it constitutes 50% of the present estimated initial purchase price of an FF. My inclination toward a less favorable view of Ferrari’s management stems partially from a comparison with BMW, which provided me with a new crate S54 engine for my MZ3 one year AFTER the warranty expired, addressing a known bearing issue that affected a smaller number of cars than the potential impact of the PCU on Ferrari FF owners. I appreciate your acknowledgment of the expected cost of ownership for a race-bred car. However, it's worth noting that other manufacturers with comparable statistics at a fraction of the price are gaining prominence. My intent is not to suggest switching to the competition; rather, I am highlighting the concern that Ferrari seems to overlook contemporary issues, especially with low-mileage vehicles.

 

I agree 100% especially considering there going to have the same issues With possibly there highest profile new vehicle,
The Purosangue.

 

Yes, let’s hope they do simply to force recognition and coverage of what may likely become an ongoing issue until redesigned. sooner or later their arrogance may be their undoing.

 

Has Ferrari revised/improved their replacement PCT/DCU so they don’t continue to fail, or is part of the solution simply the frequent fluid changes?

 

Thanks ttforcfed. Happy New Year. Your knowledge and commitment are greatly acknowledged and appreciated.
I guess I will have to negotiate an extra $15-30 off the price of the FF, or hope on my sale Testarossa’s hold their prices into the spring

 

Hey Team -- yeah, indeed an interesting thread.

Context here is I've held my FF for 3 years, and each year I've opted to go with the Factory Extended Warranty as offered by my dealer.
(Strangely, I held a 1999 456M GT between 2010 and 2017, and was never offered an Extended Warranty on that car.)

Why are we asking? -- well, when I bought my house, I never thought twice about Homeowners Insurance being part of the purchase.

Given that's the case, why would it seem so odd to take advantage of the coverage provided by the Factory for years 7 thru 15?
(The Coverage provided to me by the Factory is called "New Power 15" (not 20), so as a 2012, I'm 7k year between years 2020-2027.

In short, this covers the Engine, the F1/Mechanical Gearbox, the DCT gearbox, the Power Transmission Unit, and the Suspension and Steering.

It specifically goes out of it's way to state that it does NOT cover wear and tear. And would NOT cover things you might expect to be covered, such as the occasional electrical gremlins which so often seem to occur on Ferraris (and can often be sorted with a New Battery, which I took care of already).

Beyond the cost of the Extended Warranty, here is an extremely typical bill breakdown for annual "standard" service -- mind you, in my last service, I'd completed all the factory spec maintenance -- especially a flush & fill of all fluids & lubricants. I drive my Ferrari like a Ferrari, so I don't play games with maintenance.

(I'm at 23,750 miles, FYI, and have had ZERO issues during my 3 years of ownership...) The car is undergoing annual Factory Authorized service now, and here is the detail:

Engine Oil Change: $1164.10
Cabin Filter Change: $238.68
Brake Fluid Replacement: $597.97
...and given car is 2012 (10+years) I optioned for the recommended:
Brake Hose Replacement: $1900.

Add the $7k Factory Warranty, and I can drive it like a Ferrari for ANOTHER year, care-free, with a transferrable Warranty in the event where I may sell it, which I am EXTREMELY unlikely to do given the 2012-2014 FFs just made it onto the Wall Street Journals "Top 10 of 2023". It's an incomparably practical racecar

People don't buy thoroughbreds only to worry about how much they are going to feed them. Those aren't going to be happy horses.

My advice is if you keep your horses happy, you'll be happy. There is no half-way to do this.

If I have I have the privilege of owning a Factory Covered FF thru 2027, I'm sure as hell not complaining about maintaining it.

It's just a different level of Homeownership. But not even close. LFG FFs !!!

 

Ok, Ok, I am board. . The financial landscape in my semi-retirement isn't overflowing, but I can manage. The days of abundant funds are behind me, and unexpected $30k bills aren't exactly welcome. However, I've weathered the storm of $15-20k annual depreciation on my daily drivers for a solid two decades, so I understand the financial ebb and flow, and perhaps there may be a balance of retained value/maintenance cost
The FF offers so many advantages it is difficult to refuse!

 

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Code appeared last night , filled with gas before taking it to mechanic, started car to leave gas station the code disappeared !

 

Sorry to see that Dan -- I had a weird dash-display hiccup recently too which was just grey screens - no error messages -- nothing, just nice gray binnacle screens, but only for a strange moment in time. Same as you -- gassed it up, went to lunch, fired it up, and it was as though nothing ever happened. All the while, it's under the Power15 Warranty, and the binnacle/cluster instruments are NOT covered. So that was weird. Brought it back to Dealer in Jan, they ran full inspection, and I'm Warranteed again thru Jan of 2025. No errors present. Drives like it's factory fresh @ 23k mi. I also am a big fan of battery-maintenance. Always topped up.