How are the high mileage early Californias doing?

I think one with high mileage like that which was going to have those failures has already had them addressed but regardless just because it's cheaper than most modern Ferraris doesn't mean it's cheap to maintain. I'm about to drop 10k on shocks and springs this week for a car which has been "reliable". So I guess what I'm saying is you should go into it expecting to spend money on the car, some guys get lucky and don't need anything but regular maintenance but many do not.

 

I second what @FrancisK said.

'11 Cali, 36+K miles. 8 years ownership this May. Not a daily driver, but it's gotten a lot of miles put on it by F standards. Typical Point A to Point A driving, up along the roads to the north and/or west of the Metroplex. I mostly work from home, so commuting is not a need. The few times I have had it in DFW traffic, it's been perfectly fine. Most of the stress is keeping an eye out for the other yahoos on the road.

It's been pretty reliable, apart from v. early battery/charger issues (replaced those and upgraded from OEM battery tender; knock on wood, no issues since then) & the fact that critters seem to like the taste of Ferrari wiring. But, all in, I would make a wild guesstimate that it costs ~$1 K per month to keep on the road between gas, insurance, maintenance, service, spa days @ Boardwalk, fixing small things like new key, plastic ware, and such. And, I have been putting off doing the sticky plastic bits for a while, which is going to be another $$$ affair.

I'd reach out to Steve F @ BF. He could give you a good rundown on how the early Calis are holding up. I always see a few every time I'm there. I'd also ask Steve about the latest on the transmission issue. At first, it was $$$$ as the sensors that failed could only be replaced by replacing the whole transmission. Then, it got more reasonable since the failed sensors could be replaced, not the entire transmission. Then, I thought I read on here the price went back up due to need to do something else. It was confusing, and I've been blissfully ignoring it!

Good luck...T

 

Hi, Tom!

Are you going to brave a trip to the Midwest to attend the FCA 2024 Annual Meet in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin? We are planning to be there. Dates are Sept 8th through 11th.

 

Alas, no. Work, the curse of the driving class, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde! [emoji2] Hoping for an early spring for you guys up north, so you can get those Ferrari out on the roads!

T

 

We are too, Tom! Not much driving to be had before late April up here! And hopefully they'll get to the potholes by then!

 

We think alike.
Talk to Steve F.
I have a few other modern spoprtscars that I thought I "NEEDED" until figuring out they weren't Ferraris. Still love them but they aren't Ferraris.

The first gen California's exhaust RIPS ! The turbo era not so much.
Perhaps I'm hollow but that means a lot.
These are not race cars.
If you want a race car buy a Formula Mazda.

Paying 10 or 20 grand more for a lower milage or car in which the tranny issue is not a major issue is totally worth it.
Dont know if they cured the tranny issue with later builds.
IIRC it was a simple clamp issue that caused rubbing on internal electricals.

 

What do you consider high mileage? I'm up to just short of 47,000 miles, from just short of 19,000 on my '09 car I bought in August 2021. It's not my daily driver, but I do drive it a bit. I've had one or two niggles, blocked exhaust manifolds that required changing, and impact damage on a gearbox pipe that needed the gearbox out to fix it.

Other than that costs have been pretty much just tyres, fuel, servicing, and a couple of switch/sensor replacements. I've heard the tales of gearbox issues but so far, not experienced them. I don't push until everything is up to temperature, but don't hang about either. It's the best car I've driven, but my first Ferrari. I did have the New Power 15 warranty for the first two years but haven't renewed. I'll decide in July whether to keep it, or move onto a newer car. At the moment I'm leaning towards keeping it.

 

My ‘13 has 27k miles, 12k by me after I bought it four years ago. I had to change the motor mounts early on, the spark plugs a year later (the Cali is notorious for carbon buildup) and the annual service visits. No issues at all with the roof or the gearbox. I love everything about it.

 

$12k annually, Tom?

 

Yup, all in. That's my best guess...T

 

Agree, our California has been in the shop or down waiting on parts more than its been driven. 2010, and it was on the low end price at the time with 35k miles.
Fun car though, wife loves it also for taller people its comfortable.

 

That's surprising to me, my 2013 was very reliable (it was up to 20k miles before I traded it) and my 2015 has needed basically nothing for 5 years except oil changes, a battery and rear tires ... I drive that car a lot, it's got 32k miles on it now.

 

So my Cali was totaled out recently and the week prior I had just spent 11k on shocks and I was lamenting to the world renowned tech at my local dealer about how I thought I was buying the "reliable" Ferrari but it has killed me on service the couple years I owned it, he shook his head and said that definitely hasn't been his experience with them. He pegged the Cali's reliability at a 5 with a 348 being a 1 and a 488 being a 10.

 

Yea, I chalk ours up to being driven in the city a lot, carbon build up, failed injectors, now chasing some strange suspension issues.

 

Had the same exact issues

 

It's been reliable, but throw in leaking shocks, engine mounts, walnut blasting the intake manifold (think it was walnuts, don't quote me! [emoji2]), regular maintenance, gas, insurance, new tires, batteries, detailing and probably a mess of things I forgot and it's added up. Don't regret a penny of it. Better yet, the wife probably enjoys the Cali more than I do...T

 

Nailed it.... same same, but the WIFE is happy.