2009-2011 versus 2012+ California DCT transmission reliability

Given the circumstantial evidence here, I would indeed focus on 2012+.
I might even stretch or wait until 2013s get into your target area.
Good luck...T

 

As a rule of thumb, my wife and I steer clear of the first couple of production years of any car model. There are always at least a few bugs that need to be worked out. We chose a 2013 California because it was the "second generation" so to speak of the California but still had a naturally aspirated engine. Ours also has the Handling Speciale package. It seems many people suggest buying the latest model year you can afford. Bear in mind that only about 3000 cars were produced in 2013 and 2014 run. They are the California 30's: 30 Kg. less weight and 30 more horsepower.

 

I’ve had a 2013 for fifteen months now. The ‘12 thru ‘14 model’s gearbox was supposed to be significantly more reliable, but in the first two years after its production mine had two complete gearbox changes. It hasn’t had any issues since then, and only had 14k on the odometer, so I bought it from a SoCal dealership who had done all the required service on it for those trouble free years. It was speced out to the max and I love the car. Best of luck to you.

 

The rebuild kit is a major hurdle now because Ferrari has stopped producing them. As a result, very few service facilities will work on those gearboxes, so replacement becomes the most likely course of action in the event of any type of failure, even a small part like the speed sensor.

 

Sad to hear that, Bill.

 

No, I’m good. Those problems were taken care of long before I bought the car.

 

Well, sad to hear in general. We have a 2013 and are hoping that nothing goes wrong with the DCT. It seemed that rebuilds were possible but if you heard something to the contrary that is troubling. However, there are no guarantees! We will do regular maintenance and hope for the best!

 

I think the transmission is structurally sound. The issue seems to be the sensors within the DCT and specially the plastic ties that keep them in place degrading, leading to failure. At least that's my read from F-chat.

911 is a great car too. I have a 997.2S and I love it. Such a different driving experience from the Cali...T

 

This is really eye-opening about the California. Hard to believe that a relatively new Ferrari wouldn’t be covered by the factory for such a potentially expensive repair.

 

This might help. My 2011 18k mile Cali diff exploded under normal load. Well cared for and regularly serviced car. Warranty out by two months and a £23k bill for a complete new gearbox
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Terrible. I can't recall seeing one grenade before...T

 

Wow, wish I could un-see that.

 

Really sorry to hear this; has your car a full Ferrari service record ? If so surely worth a goodwill claim through your dealership.


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There I was looking at Cali’s in my budget and now thinking I’ll double back for a 430. The Cali was the perfect solution for me with two younger children

 

FWIW, before I bought my last car I had a discussion with my indy mechanic of 7 years, who has extensive experience with Ferrari & Lamborghini, about a California......his recommendation was to limit my purchase to a T or newer.

But then I went and fell in love with a hardcore manual transmission icon, so that was that.

 

I'm not sure who told you this information, but I can 100% assure you and others that it is not the case. I have a DCT repair in the shop right now, parts on the bench, and repairs are about to commence.

There are however different levels of repairs possible, but each level is its own repair, with some overlap. If the case itself is damaged, then yes, you may have to replace the entire unit. Or, if you need to replace 3 or more internal components then you may just replace the whole unit, each situation is different.

In the end all of these parts are still available as of today.

If it fails under the initial 3 year warranty it is covered
If it fails under the 4th & 5th year warranty its covered
If it fails under New Power Warranty its covered
If it fails under Main Power Warranty its covered
If it fails under Power Warranty... its covered

If it hasn't been maintained at a Dealership, no service records available, and its on the 3rd owner.. yeah, probably not covered.

WOW! Never seen that before... are you sure they didnt slip a TR Diff in your California on accident!
I'm sorry that happened.
I'm very interested in what they confirmed as the actual cause of failure was/is ? Did they tell you?

While I tend to agree, Cali T over California, you may be trading 1 concern for another.
( DCT Gearbox issue for engine oil leaks )

S

 

So what would be the worst case DCT failure expense? And is this common among the model, similar to valve guide issues were with the 355, or is it relatively uncommon?

 

Worse case, entire DCT replacement, over $40k range. Repairs can be low teens to high $30's all depending on the actual failure. In my experience.

Define common, so far only 1 in 2021, in 2020 counting cars that have come to us from all over the US, eight that I can remember. One of which was in a 488 Challenge car.

Now, TTV8 engine oil leaks, I would venture to say more are leaking that are not leaking...

S

 

I'm thinking any F-car can toss up a four-figure repair bill.
T

 

Steve - sensor issue on the DCT? Have you ever seen a mechanical failure on a Cali transmission like the one in post # 12? Thanks...T

 

Um, any Ferrari can throw up a 5 figure repair bill... < wink >

S

 

never have I ever... that kind of failure would have stored codes for days, storing errors and faults leading up to failure.
That's why I asked, what was the owner told the cause of failure was...

S