93.9%
Ferrari California pass rate
Used Ferrari California buying guide
In 2025, Ferrari California cars passed 93.9% of 1,511 initial MOT tests, 21.6 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific California? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Ferrari California MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+21.6
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the California sits 10th of 575 models in the data. Ferrari as a brand averaged 94.9%, so this model runs 1 points behind its own brand. Ferrari California cars 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%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Ferrari California MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the California compares with similar cars.
California fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Ferrari California cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the California fails its MOT
Where Ferrari California cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific 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%). See every common California MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Ferrari California that failed, not a claim that every California has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used California?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at 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.
4
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 13.1% of California failure items.
5
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 10.1% of California failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Ferrari California failures cluster around tyres and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact California you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Ferrari models
The most-tested Ferrari models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the California.
See all 3 Ferrari models ranked by MOT pass rate.
Used Ferrari California FAQs
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.
Do older Ferrari California cars fail their MOT more often?
Ferrari California cars 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%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
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 history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.