How reliable is the Ferrari California compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Ferrari California, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 93.8% across 1,487 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Ferrari California?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 11.1% of all Ferrari California tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Ferrari California usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 24,685 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Ferrari California years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Ferrari California cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 93.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 92.3%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Ferrari California get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 93.5% of Ferrari California tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 92.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Ferrari California MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,487 recorded MOT tests of the Ferrari California, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,487 MOT tests, 93.8% of Ferrari California tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Ferrari California fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, which appears in 24.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 24,685 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

93.8%unadjusted, not comparable1,487 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the California. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 1,487 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Ferrari California tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage24.7%
18 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged21.9%
16 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged12.3%
9 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements12.3%
9 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
5.A tyre cords visible or damaged6.8%
5 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.8%
5 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction5.5%
4 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.Audible warning inoperative5.5%
4 occurrencesHorn not working, or of the wrong type explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement5.5%
4 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake4.1%
3 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ferrari California tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A tyre seriously damaged11.1%
165 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements5.5%
82 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage3.2%
47 testsShock absorber defective explained
4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded1.7%
25 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.3%
20 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened1.3%
20 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Nail in tyre0.8%
12 tests
8.A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting0.8%
12 testsRoad wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Ferrari California

The 15 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

California pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Ferrari California passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201994%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201696%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201392%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier92%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer California outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The California fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 24,685
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Check a specific Ferrari California

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Ferrari models

Ferrari F430 — 95.0% unadjusted
Ferrari 488 — 96.2% unadjusted
Ferrari 360 — 95.1% unadjusted
Ferrari 812 Superfast — 96.4% unadjusted
Ferrari F355 — 91.8% unadjusted
Ferrari 458 — 96.5% unadjusted
All Ferrari models

Common questions

How reliable is the Ferrari California compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Ferrari California, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 93.8% across 1,487 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Ferrari California?: The item recorded most often is "A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage", which appears in 24.7% of failed Ferrari California tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Ferrari California?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 11.1% of all Ferrari California tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Ferrari California usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 24,685 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Ferrari California years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Ferrari California cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 93.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 92.3%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Ferrari California get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 93.5% of Ferrari California tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 92.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.