Did the 2012's have any problems compared to the later versions?
My 2012 FF seemed to have more of the typical electrical gremlins compared to my 2015, but other than that I'm not aware of any problems. I certainly didn't experience anything.
2012 vs. 2013 (we owned one of the first 2013's) were mechanically identical some of the early cars had minor gripes - the seatbelt handover assembly would get confused, some minor trim items were upgraded, etc. there were also a number of campaigns on the car, which if done should resolve any issues (eg. hydraulics on the lifter, if you have one) Between our 2 cars and about 6-8 other FF's my friends have had, the car seems to be pretty solid mechanically, the aggravations were minor (belt arm, INT software upgrade) and eventually addressed. Our 2015 has been bulletproof, only service visit was for the airbag recall. Biggest difference 2012-2013 is that in 2013 a number of "paid-for options" became standard at the same MSRP, was around $15K worth (eg. parking camera/sensors, electrochromic mirrors, "free" optional rear wiper, a few other ones), so hypothetically if you're comparing MSRP's, bear that in mind. Also, a lot of 2012's were dealer-spec'd and/or demos, so they tend to be overloaded with (expensive) options that inflated the MSRP's.. The pricing delta and the demo spec is what fueled a lot of the "$400K MSRP now selling for $300K!!" depreciation threads here. A sensibly optioned car without the leather lined trunk were $335K MSRP, so while the depreciation could give you a heart attack, it was really a bit overamplified. FWIW, have not heard of any chronic DCT issues on FF's. Did see/hear of one front gearbox (4RM) issue that required a replacement, primarily because the dealer was not able to repair in-house.
Same DCT as 458 and F12 I was told by FNA, and 2012 has some issues that were ironed out. I would say if they 2012 has over 10k miles to go for it.
All the new current range has had the same Getrag mechanical unit since 2009 (Cali), though obviously software and gearing different. The original DCT issues were primarily 2009-2011.....the 2012 FF (as well as the other models) had the original internal wiring/solenoid issue resolved via a redesign. Even still, I'm unsure how many of the original gearboxes had issues; I'd guess less than 5%? Additionally, they are now field repairable so much much cheaper to fix than before.
