Most of the luxury auto brands selling pre-owned (used) vehicles have some sort of “certified” program. The vehicle sitting on the lot has either already been prepped or “certified” or you can get it “certified” for some incremental cost of the vehicle in question. Since Ferrari is “special” their certified programs entail both points previously mentioned meaning the car is certified and you must pay monies incremental to the sale price of the car. It’s more complicated than keeping up with all the Kardashian love interests but let me try to clarify.
Ferrari’s certified program is called “Ferrari Approved” and is a pre-owned certification program designed to help provide security and comfort to owners purchasing their cars registered within the last 14 years. The program contains the usual verbiage you’d expect about certified cars. The verbiage below was pulled straight from Ferrari’s site.
The program encompasses a comprehensive series of controls and coverage issued by Maranello itself, including:
A detailed inspection by Ferrari technicians
Provenance and maintenance history verification of every Ferrari pre-owned car
Exterior and interior pre-sale preparation
12 months of Ferrari roadside assistance
Minimum of 12 months Ferrari coverage
I did some additional searching and found more details on Autotrader.com, which adds to the confusion. They state there are three types of “certified” Ferraris.
There is:
Power Cube – Cars still covered under the new car warranty
Power Normal – Covers the powertrain and other areas like electronics
Powertrain – Only covers engine and transmission
Autotrader.com also states Ferrari’s certified warranty can extend for up to nine years! Say what? Ferrari’s site says minimum of 12 months but nowhere did I read nine years. Keep reading as I think I might have figured it out
Most pre-owned Ferraris that would qualify are certainly over $150,000.00 so Ferrari doesn’t seem quite generous especially since most other luxury imports offer no less than six years (four year new car warranty plus two years pre-owned certified) and 100,000 miles minimum. Does Ferrari know something we don’t know about the potential longevity of their cars? Are their cars that high maintenance that they don’t want to extend their program to compete with the other luxury imports because it would prove too costly or is Ferrari just “special”? My guess is their response would be there’s a difference between an import luxury vehicle (car or SUV) versus an exotic luxury sports car and I could see their POV but we will never know.
If you are just one of those guys that lust for a Ferrari and remain unfazed then it doesn’t matter what I say. However if you are taking a more pragmatic approach then have no fear. In 2011 Ferrari announced that their 2012 models would come with a seven-year maintenance program. This applies to the FF, 458 Italia and the California models. The company’s “Genuine Maintenance Program” covers labor, parts and “Ferrari approved lubricants” involved with regular scheduled maintenance checks on US cars only. According to Ferrari those standard service intervals occur every 12,500 miles with no restriction on total mileage. In theory the program assures owners the vehicle is regularly inspected by a Ferrari-trained technician equipped with genuine parts and tools. Ferrari says the complimentary maintenance scheme is fully transferable to new owners until the car reaches its seventh birthday. So pre-owned buyers this clearly benefits you.
There are a few things to understand here and hence the reason I stated earlier this is confusing. Their pre-owned certified program is not to be confused with their new car warranty that started with the 2012 models. They are two different things. If we do the math the Ferrari to buy pre-owned starts with the 2012 model year due to the seven-year new car warranty. That means you’d have two more years of coverage if you bought one today. However, based on what I found any 2012 Ferrari in question would still have to be inspected and approved by an authorized dealership. So if you are buying from a private owner the first step once you decide you want the car is to have a pre purchase inspection done at an authorized Ferrari dealership. That exercise will enlighten you about the status of the 2012 or later warranty. Let’s circle back to my earlier statement discovered on Autotrader.com where they state certified Ferraris can have a warranty of up to nine years. Here’s what I have concluded. If you bought a 2012 or newer that automatically gives you seven years. If you buy a “Ferrari Approved” car you can get up to two additional years. Assuming it’s simple math, 7+2 could equal 9 but since we are dealing with automotive dealerships we also know they have a way of sometimes incorporating new math that can lead to trick answers for your questions.
The good news is there is some sort of certified program that essentially acts as an insurance policy for your Ferrari dream. If you have the financial capabilities then start with model year 2012. You should also know that if you were on a budget the least inexpensive Ferrari would be the California. That’s a two-seat hardtop convertible. I am actually pleasantly surprised to find cars with mileage ranging from the high teens to the low twenties and asking prices in the $120,000.00 range. If you prefer the 458 Italia then you are looking at asking prices north of $190,000.00. The only other 2012 model is the FF and asking prices start north of $150,000.00. The FF is very polarizing as most love or hate it but MSRP new was north of $300,000.00 so a pre-owned version seems to offer the best “value” of the three. However the most desirable and arguably more traditional Ferrari is the 458 Italia. In the end all that matters is what you like. Depreciation is your friend and the year of choice starts with the 2012 models as it adds a level of insurance and comfort to the Ferrari owner experience. Are you ready to joint the Ferrari fraternity?