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Ferrari California, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

1,328 Ferrari Californias are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 93.9% of initial MOT tests, 21.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific California? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Ferrari California at the MOT

93.9% of 1,511 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the California 10th of 575 models. Ferrari Californias aged 6 to 10 years passed 95.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 92.4%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Ferrari California93.9%
  • All Ferrari modelsThe California is 1 pt behind94.9%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Ferrari California tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years705 tests95.6%
  • 11 years and over806 tests92.4%

Where Californias fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Ferrari California tests in 2025.

  • Tyres21.4%
  • Suspension16.1%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.5%
  • Identification of the vehicle13.1%
  • Brakes10.1%

The items testers recorded most often were registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements (10.7%), shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (10.7%) and condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (9.5%).

The MOT page lists every common California MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Ferrari California MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The California's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.21.4% of California failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.16.1% of California failure items

  3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.15.5% of California failure items

Ferrari Californias in the UK

1,328 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Ferrari. The number licensed has grown 47% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 1,413 at the end of 2017.

Change since 2014
+47%from 901 licensed
Typical year of first use
2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
First registered in 2025
1against 276 in 2015
Declared off the road
18712% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Ferrari Californias since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014901
End of 20151,130
End of 20161,350
End of 20171,413
End of 20181,353
End of 20191,335
End of 20201,302
End of 20211,305
End of 20221,260
End of 20231,185
End of 20241,140
End of 20251,138
End of June 20261,328

How old they are

Licensed Ferrari Californias by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
2018815
2017119143
2016172241
2015200276
201486
201367
201297
2011120
2010151
2009108

California engine sizes

4.3 litre engines made up 54% of Ferrari California MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.9 litre at 46%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed Californias.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 1,510 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 4.3 litre54.1%
  • 3.9 litre45.7%

Ferrari California recalls

6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ferrari California. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every California is affected.

  1. Feb 2022 R/2022/066

    The cap of the brake oil reservoir may not be able to ensure proper ventilation to maintain the atmospheric pressure inside the reservoir

    Californias built Feb 2005 to Jul 2022 · 11,642 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The cap of the brake oil reservoir may not be able to ensure proper ventilation to maintain the atmospheric pressure inside the reservoir itself.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the brake oil reservoir cap and software update of the Instrument Panel Node.

  2. Jun 2019 R/2019/188

    A possible non- conformity of the air bag and the seat belt pretensioners electronic control unit

    Californias built Jul 2015 to Jun 2018 · 224 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Non-conformity of the air bag and seatbelt pre-tensioner ECU.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the ECU

  3. May 2016 R/2016/115

    Airbag may not deploy correctly

    Californias built May 2008 to May 2018 · 24,798 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to a non conformity during production the passenger's front air bag inflator may rupture during deployment. This may cause metal fragments to pass through the air bag and into the vehicle interior at high speed which may result in injury or death to vehicle occupants.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace passenger's front air bag.

  4. Dec 2015 R/2015/251

    Risk of fire

    Californias built Sep 2015 to Nov 2015 · 12 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    As a result of a possible nonconformity in the production process for low pressure fuel pipes on a limited lot of components fuel may evaporate during engine start-up smoke may be emitted and in exceptional cases the vehicle may catch fire.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the low pressure fuel pipe.

  5. Jul 2015 R/2015/148

    Drivers airbag may not deploy correctly

    Californias built Dec 2014 to Apr 2015 · 30 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The driver's airbag module may not conform to the required specifications. In the event of a collision this may cause the airbag to deploy incorrectly and t may not offer the appropriate degree of protection for the driver
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace driver's air bag module.

  6. May 2012 R/2012/064

    Engine may seize

    Californias built Jul 2011 to Aug 2011 · 15 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Non-conformity in the final stages of machining of the crank shaft for the F136 type engine which may lead to failure in the incorrectly machined zone caused by thermal and dynamic stresses.
    Remedy
    Replacement of the crankshaft and the relative main bearings and connecting rod bearings.
How to check a specific California for recalls

Other Ferrari models

The most-tested Ferrari models in 2025, against the California's 93.9% MOT pass rate.

All 3 Ferrari models

Ferrari California FAQs

How many Ferrari Californias are there in the UK?

1,328 Ferrari Californias were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 187 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Ferrari California reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 93.9% first-time pass rate for the Ferrari California across 1,511 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Ferrari California had any recalls?

6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ferrari California. The most recent was published in February 2022. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Ferrari California?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Ferrari California's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a California?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the car history check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.