My childhood dream was to own a Ferrari! I finally realized my dream 5 months ago (2008 Ferrari 599 with 21,300 km, full history, Ferrari checked). I worked for 20 years like a dog to be able to afford it.. Drove it less than 700 km. It's been in the garage 3 times so far. Every time parts are missing, it costs a fortune, and the car stays immobilized for weeks... Result: I hate this piece of junk, i am selling it asap or sending it to the scrapyard... Ferraris are **** cars which are completely worthless... I am getting a Toyota...
The first thing you need to do is set aside your emotions, evaluate what has transpired and establish an objective action plan. Ferrari’s are far from ****. Missing parts?
You make no mention of the problems you have experienced. What do you mean by "Every time parts are missing"? The 599 has proven to be quite reliable. I have had my 2008 for 5 years now with trouble free motoring so far. At some point I will be required to carry out repairs and they will be expensive but that is part of ownership for which I am prepared. If you want a car that is virtually maintenance and trouble free then yes get a Toyota and enjoy your boring motoring.
Roger, Welcome to the world of Ferrari! A Ferrari can be like being with a beautiful woman. You like the form but sometimes with that comes all the associated drama and pain. It’s a love hate relationship. Try not to be too hard on yourself or the Brand. There is something very special about these cars. Don’t let your initial experience dissuade you. The car will be sorted out and you’ll enjoy it. And I’m sure there will be more to follow. Good luck.
With such an in-depth analysis of your problems, how could we not sympathize? Maybe you just need a new mechanic...or maybe a socket set?
Steering column leak, front suspension leak, back suspension leak, driver control module failure, .... all sorts of fun stuff... I cannot even imagine what will happen when i have to change the clutch and the ceramic brakes next year.. it will probably cost 100,000$!! .. Anyways, thanks for your messages and support. I will put the car up for sale when i get it back (4 weeks for the parts to arrive!!) and before it breaks again... What a waste of time and energy (and money)... Bye bye Ferrari, hello Toyota Yaris!
Or maybe you could drive it since it's all fixed and realize you may actually have a decent car. There is a theory among Ferrari owners that preparing to buy a Ferrari should include having an extra 20% of the purchase price for maintenance, etc.
Sort it out. Enjoy it on the weekends! Daily drive your Toyota. Take a vacation. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
It's unfortunate that you worked so hard saving up to realize a dream, but - at the risk of stating something obvious - the true "cost" of a Ferrari is the care and maintenance. The purchase price is just the "price of admission" to the club. Some say it's like owning a real horse; only enjoyable if you love caring for and maintaining it. I see you only have a few posts, so not sure if you've been "lurking" or researching on f-chat for a while beforehand, but it's considered best practice within this community to have an expert technician to perform a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) on a car before you acquire it, which can give you leverage in negotiating the sale, or at lease prepare you for budgeting the near-term maintenance expenses. There are all kinds of trite cliches that get tossed around about exotic cars, such as "If you cannot afford a new one, you cannot afford a used one," and "The cheapest Ferrari always winds up being the most expensive Ferrari (by the time you sort it out mechanically)." Those cliches happen to come with a grain of truth. If you had your car well-inspected before purchase, then it's really unfortunate - and anomalous - that all these items failed right after purchase. But my sense is, a lot of your headaches may have been avoided by a good PPI. If you can afford to persevere, give your car a chance; once it's "sorted" and you have the chance to experience a true Ferrari drive, you'll understand what all the hype is about and hopefully have a rewarding payoff for your dream.
we sympathize. most of us were in a similar situation. unfortunately, this is the nature of the brand. while sorting it out will likely result in a better car, there's no promise there won't be an expensive repair some time down the road. possibly a Porsche or an NSX is a more trouble-free ownership?
The car was fully maintained since new at Ferrari in Dubai, and I had it inspected by Ferrari before purchase. Complete inspection and the report was almost spotless. I had the remaining issues fixed by the seller at his cost. And it wasn't the cheapest on the market, it was actually the most expensive one available when i bought it. So i definitely did not go for the cheap option! It took me 20 years of preparation so trust me, i did my homework... And for the record, I can afford 10 Ferraris like it, so i can definitely afford to keep it... I just don't want to spend every minute driving it with my ear out to any weird sound and noise that i will hear next, wondering if i will be able to reach my destination, or if it will start when i turn the key. I thought by now, Ferrari would have figured out how to make their cars reliable... Apparently i was wrong..
There are lots of cars you can buy and have issues with even when they are new. It's the nature of buying a car you actually "enjoy" driving!
599 to F12 was a big leap in reliability. Same with 612 to FF and F430 to 458. You have to have patience and genuinely love the 599 era cars to put up with some of their foibles. I'd suggest something like an F12 TDF. Rare, beautiful, and it will scare the living daylights out of you. Oh, and way more reliable than a 599.
You mean something like this? I feel your pain and am trying to put some humor into your situation. Once you get it sorted, it's actually a fun car to drive! Image Unavailable, Please Login