Ferrari California MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 14,718 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 7.2%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Ferrari California MOT Reliability Overview
The Ferrari California is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 14,718 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 92.8% and a failure rate of 7.2%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Ferrari California earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Ferrari California presents for MOT with approximately 19,164 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2017 models achieve the highest pass rate at 97.2%, while 2018 models have the lowest at 88.9%. This 8.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Ferrari California is Tyres, affecting 5.5% of all tests. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. The second most common issue is Suspension at 2.0%. Brakes rounds out the top three at 1.8%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 9 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Ferrari California vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Ferrari California. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 15 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Ferrari California actually sees a 24% decrease in failure rate after the warranty period. This is likely due to survivorship bias — unreliable cars are already off the road by this age. Peak failure occurs at age 3 (9.8% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.5% | 816 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 2.3% | 334 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.0% | 297 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.8% | 262 |
| 5 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 1.3% | 194 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.1% | 160 |
| 7 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.0% | 142 |
| 8 | Driver's View Of The Road | 0.4% | 53 |
| 9 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 0.3% | 42 |
| 10 | Road Wheels | 0.2% | 36 |
| 11 | Non-component Advisories | 0.2% | 35 |
| 12 | Steering | 0.2% | 30 |
| 13 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.1% | 19 |
| 14 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.1% | 16 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 19,164 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 2.89 | 5.5% | 816 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 1.18 | 2.3% | 334 |
| Suspension | 1.05 | 2.0% | 297 |
| Brakes | 0.93 | 1.8% | 262 |
| Visibility | 0.76 | 1.5% | 213 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.69 | 1.3% | 194 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.50 | 1.0% | 142 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.15 | 0.3% | 42 |
| Wheels | 0.13 | 0.2% | 36 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.12 | 0.2% | 35 |
| Steering | 0.11 | 0.2% | 30 |
| Body & Structure | 0.07 | 0.1% | 19 |
| Seat Belts | 0.06 | 0.1% | 16 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Ferrari California has 19,164 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Ferrari California has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.76% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Ferrari California MOT Data
The Ferrari California is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 14,718 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 10 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 92.8% and a failure rate of 7.2%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Ferrari California owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on tyres and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific California is likely to perform.
Tyres — 5.5% of failures
Tyres issues account for 5.5% of MOT failures on the Ferrari California. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Suspension — 2.0% of failures
Suspension issues account for 2.0% of MOT failures on the Ferrari California. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Brakes — 1.8% of failures
Brakes issues account for 1.8% of MOT failures on the Ferrari California. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ferrari California?
Based on 14,718 MOT tests in our database, the Ferrari California has an overall pass rate of 92.8% (7.2% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Ferrari California?
The top 3 reasons a Ferrari California fails its MOT are: 1. Tyres (5.5%), 2. Suspension (2.0%), 3. Brakes (1.8%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Ferrari California reliable?
With a 7.2% MOT failure rate, the California is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Ferrari California?
Based on failure data, focus on: Tyres (5.5%); Suspension (2.0%); Brakes (1.8%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.