1,354 tests in 2025
Ferrari California reliability and MOT pass rate
95.3% passed first time. The 4.7% fail rate is 17.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 22,282 miles.
Pass rate
95.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 4.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
22,282 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 334 | 4.2% |
| 10-13 years | 556 | 3.4% |
| 14+ years | 464 | 6.5% |
What the California fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres17 dangerous34.9%
- Suspension1 dangerous25.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment19%
- Brakes3 dangerous17.5%
- Visibility12.7%
- Identification of the vehicle9.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks7.9%
- Steering6.3%
Is the California getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.1 points to 4.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,502 | 9 | 6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,456 | 10 | 4.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,169 | 11 | 4.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,285 | 12 | 4.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical California at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a California in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak11 tests
- 2Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure10 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords9 tests
- 4Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements5 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed4 tests
- 6Horn: not working4 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction4 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements4 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical California collects 1.97 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure80 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm46 tests
- 3Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak32 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm15 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded14 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened12 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords12 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre10 tests
Questions
What is the Ferrari California MOT pass rate?
95.3% of the 1,354 Ferrari California first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 4.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ferrari California usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak", recorded on 11 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" and "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords". By section, tyres appears in 34.9% of failures, suspension appears in 25.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 19% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 6.5%. The median Ferrari California tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 22,282 miles.
Is the Ferrari California getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.1 points to 4.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every California trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 6 safety recalls naming the Ferrari California: Ferrari California recalls.
Other Ferrari models
Checking a particular California?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.