The 2012 DB9's naturally-aspirated 6.0L V12 is legendary but fragile—bore scoring and bottom-end failures dominate the high-mileage conversation. The Touchtronic II transmission and associated cooler/mount issues add to ownership anxiety, while electrical gremlins and hydraulic latch problems keep specialists busy.
Catastrophic Bore Scoring and Piston Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive oil consumption (1+ quart per 1,000 miles), Blue smoke on cold start or under load, Metallic ticking or knocking from cylinder bank, Loss of compression on cylinder leak-down test
Fix: Requires engine-out for cylinder sleeve repair or complete short-block replacement. Reputable shops spend 60-80 hours on full rebuild with bore correction, piston/ring replacement, and reassembly. Some engines receive factory sleeves, others get aftermarket Nikasil re-coating. Budget high—this is the DB9's Achilles heel.
Estimated cost: $25,000-45,000
Main and Rod Bearing Wear Leading to Bottom-End Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Deep knocking on cold start that fades as oil pressure builds, Low oil pressure warning on dash, Metallic debris in oil filter media, Audible rumble under acceleration
Fix: Engine must come out for crank removal, bearing replacement, and journal inspection/polishing. If the crank is scored, replacement or grinding is required. Conservative approach: inspect pistons/bores while apart. 50-70 labor hours for bearing replacement alone; expect more if crank needs machining.
Estimated cost: $18,000-32,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Failure and Transmission Mount Collapse
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: ATF leaking onto subframe or puddling under car, Harsh shifts or clunking during 1-2 or 2-3 upshift, Visible sagging of transmission tunnel or drivetrain vibration, Pink fluid visible near front cooler lines
Fix: Oil cooler replacement requires front undertray removal and cooling system partial drain—4-6 hours. Transmission mounts are hidden and labor-intensive; expect 6-8 hours to drop the exhaust, crossmember, and trans enough to swap mounts. Both jobs often done together since access overlaps.
Estimated cost: $2,800-5,500
Door and Trunk Latch Hydraulic Actuator Failure
Common · low severity
Symptoms: Door or trunk won't open from outside but interior release works, Slow or delayed latch operation—takes 2-3 seconds to pop, No response from key fob but alarm arms/disarms normally, Audible hissing or faint click with no mechanical movement
Fix: Each door/trunk has a hydraulic actuator that fails due to internal seal degradation. Replacement requires door panel or trunk liner removal; 2-3 hours per latch. OEM parts are expensive but aftermarket rebuilds exist. Front doors are easier than rear or trunk.
Estimated cost: $800-1,800
Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Fault (Recall Item)
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: Throttle sticks partially open or closed—dangerous in traffic, Check engine light with P2138 or P2135 throttle correlation codes, Limp mode activation—engine limited to idle or 2,000 RPM, Intermittent loss of throttle response requiring key cycle
Fix: Covered under NHTSA recall; dealer replaces pedal assembly and updates ECU calibration. If outside recall window, pedal replacement is 1-2 hours. Verify recall completion on any used purchase—this is a safety issue.
Estimated cost: $400-900
Fuel Filter Clogging and High-Pressure Pump Starvation
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Rough idle or hesitation under hard acceleration, Misfires at high RPM (5,000+ RPM) under load, Long crank time on hot restarts, Fuel trim values out of range on scanner
Fix: In-tank fuel filter is not a scheduled maintenance item but clogs from ethanol varnish and debris. Tank must drop for filter access—6-8 hours labor. Replace filter, inspect pump strainer, and clean pickup while apart. Some shops recommend fuel system flush during reassembly.
Estimated cost: $1,800-3,200
Owner tips
Send oil samples to Blackstone every 5,000 miles starting at 40k—early detection of bore wear or bearing debris can save the engine
Use quality 5W-40 full synthetic and change every 5,000 miles regardless of oil life monitor; V12 runs hot and shears oil quickly
Verify all recalls completed before purchase—accelerator pedal and TCM updates are critical
Budget $3,000-5,000/year for maintenance and deferred items; cheap DB9s become expensive quickly
Find a specialist who knows the VH-platform V12 inside-out—general Euro shops often misdiagnose bore scoring as valve cover leaks
Buy only with comprehensive pre-purchase inspection including bore-scope and oil analysis—budget $10k cushion for inevitable engine or transmission work, or walk away if you can't afford the risk.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) · 17V796000
2017-12-11
Aston Martin The Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2009-2016 DB9, 2009-2012 DBS, 2010-2015 Rapide, 2012 Virage, and 2014 Vanquish vehicles equipped with a 6-Speed Touchtronic II Automatic Transmission. A communication error between the Engine Control Module (ECM) and the Transmission Control Module (TCM) can cause the transmission park pawl to not engage.
Consequence: If the park pawl does not engage and the vehicle is stopped on a slope and exited without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly roll, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will update the TCM software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 1, 2018. Owners may contact Aston Martin customer service at 1-888-923-9988. Aston Martin's number for this recall is RA-07-0028.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES · 15V846000
2015-12-16
Aston Martin Lagonda of North America (Aston Martin) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 DB9, 2010-2012 DBS, 2010-2016 V8 Vantage, 2012 Virage, 2010-2016 Rapide, 2014-2016 Vanquish, 2011-2016 V12 Vantage, and 2012-2013 V12 Zagato vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with interior door unlocking mechanisms that may not function when the vehicle has been locked from the outside. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Consequence: If the doors cannot be opened by an occupant from inside the vehicle, they may be trapped inside, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will disable the double locking feature by reprogramming the software, free of charge. The recall began August 10, 2016. Owners may contact Aston Martin customer service at 1-888-923-9988. Aston Martin's number for this recall is RA-01-0021.
Aston Martin Lagonda of North America (Aston Martin) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 DB9, V12 Vantage, V8 Vantage, DBS, and Virage vehicles manufactured July 3, 2006, to November 5, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic control module for the driver and front passenger seat heaters may fail, preventing the seat heaters from being able to be turned off.
Consequence: If the electronic control module fails, the seat heater could get hot enough that areas of the seat may overheat and smolder, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Remedy: Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional module to the circuit that can interrupt the power to the seat heaters in case the electronic control module for the seat heaters fails, free of charge. The recall began in January 2015. Owners may contact Aston Martin Customer Service by calling 1-888-923-9988. Aston Martin's number for this recall is RA-01-0019.
Aston Martin Lagonda of North America (Aston Martin) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 DB9 and V8 Vantage, 2009-2012 DBS, 2010-2012 Rapide, 2014 Rapide S, 2011-2012 V12 Vantage, 2011-2014 V8 Vantage S and 2012 Virage vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the accelerator pedal arm may break.
Consequence: If the accelerator pedal arm breaks, the engine will return to idle and the driver will be unable to maintain or increase engine speed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator pedal assemblies. The recall began on February 11, 2014. Owners may contact Aston Martin customer service by calling 1-888-923-9988. Aston Martin's recall number is RA-03-0017. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes recall 13V-228. Any vehicle that has been remedied under the previous recall needs to have the current remedy applied.
Aston Martin is recalling certain model year DB9, Virage, V8 Vantage, V12 Vantage, and Rapide vehicles manufactured from May 14, 2012, through April 10, 2013. Due to a manufacturing error, the throttle pedal arm may break.
Consequence: If the throttle pedal arm breaks, the engine will return to idle and the driver will be unable to maintain or increase engine speed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will replace the throttle pedal assemblies. The recall began July 19, 2013. Owners may contact Aston Martin customer service by calling 1-888-923-9988. Aston Martin's recall number is RA-03-0016.
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