Aston martin V8 vantage s problems

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The Aston Martin Vantage is a series of hand-built sports cars from the British automotive manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high-performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s. The modern car, in contrast, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston's lineup. As such, it is intended as a more focused model to reach out to potential buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 as well as the exotic sports and GT cars with which Aston Martins traditionally compete.

Production of the V8 Vantage ended in 2017 while production of the V12 Vantage continued until 2018. The 2005 Vantage and its variants became the most successful model in Aston Martin's history. Aston Martin unveiled the next-generation Vantage in November 2017, and started its production run the following year.

Overview

Following the unveiling of the AMV8 Vantage concept car in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show, the production version, known as the V8 Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005 for the 2006 model year. The two-seat, two-door coupé had a bonded aluminium structure for strength and lightness. The 172.5 in (4.38 m) long car featured a hatchback-style tailgate for practicality, with a large luggage shelf behind the seats. In addition to the coupé, a convertible, known as the V8 Vantage Roadster, was introduced later in that year.

The V8 Vantage was initially powered by a 4.3-litre (4,280 cc) quad-cam 32-valve V8 which produced 380 bhp (283 kW; 385 PS) at 7,300 rpm and 409 N⋅m (302 lb⋅ft) at 5,000 rpm. However, models produced after 2008 had a 4.7-litre V8 with 420 bhp (313 kW; 426 PS) and 470 N⋅m (347 lb⋅ft) of torque. Though based loosely on Jaguar's AJ-V8 engine architecture, this engine was unique to Aston Martin and featured race-style dry-sump lubrication, which enabled it to be mounted low in the chassis for an improved centre of gravity. The cylinder block and heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system and engine management were all designed in house by Aston Martin and the engine was assembled by hand at the AM facility in Cologne, Germany, which also built the V12 engine for the DB9 and Vanquish.

The engine was front mid-mounted with a rear-mounted transaxle, giving a 49/51 front/rear weight distribution. Slotted Brembo brakes were also standard. The original V8 Vantage could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.8 seconds before topping out at 175 mph (282 km/h).

In 2008, Aston Martin introduced an aftermarket dealer approved upgrade package for power and handling of the 4.3-litre variants that maintained the warranty with the company. The power upgrade was called the V8 Vantage Power Upgrade, creating a more potent version of the Aston Martin 4.3-litre V8 engine with an increase in peak power of 20 bhp (15 kW; 20 PS) to 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) while peak torque increased by 10 N⋅m (7 lb⋅ft) to 420 N⋅m (310 lb⋅ft). This consists of the fitting of the following revised components; manifold assembly (painted Crackle Black), valved air box, right and left-hand side vacuum hose assemblies, engine bay fuse box link lead (ECU to fuse box), throttle body to manifold gasket, intake manifold gasket, fuel injector to manifold seal and a manifold badge.

The V8 Vantage had a retail price of £79,000, US$110,000, or €104,000 in 2006, Aston Martin planned to build up to 3,000 per year. Included was a 6-speed manual transmission and leather-upholstery for the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, and shift-knob. A new 6-speed automated manual transmission, similar to those produced by Ferrari and Lamborghini, called Sportshift was introduced later as an option.

In their 2006 readership survey, readers of Car Design News voted the Aston Martin V8 Vantage as the best current production car design. The survey results were based on over 1,000 responses, most from working automotive designers and students of industrial and automotive design. The Vantage was also voted one of Automobile magazine's 2007 "All-Stars" for its performance, road manners, and design. The V8 Vantage is also one of the only two cars to be added to "The DB9 Section", – a mini-fridge reserved for the super "cool" – on the BBC's Top Gear (on which it is described as the baby Aston to differentiate it from the V12 powered DB9). The program rates cars from seriously un-cool to sub-zero. The fridge was an extra category added when the presenters deemed the Aston Martin DB9 too cool for the sub-zero category. In the 2005 awards, Jeremy Clarkson declared the V8 Vantage as Best Sounding Car of the Year and The Coolest Car of the Year, while the award winner was actually the Porsche 911.

While the V8 Vantage was never a common car, the success of the model is highlighted by the completion of chassis number 10,000 – a specially ordered Onyx coupé delivered to a customer in the USA – during the first half of 2008. While the production of 10,000 cars is a tiny number by the standards of typical car manufacturers, it was a significant milestone for an Aston Martin – the DB9 being the only other model to have achieved that number. By the end of production in 2017, Aston Martin had produced 15,417 V8 coupés, 6,231 V8 Roadsters, 2,551 V12 Coupés, and 465 V12 Roadsters (363 V12 S Roadsters, 101 V12 Roadsters and 1 V12 GT Roadster). While strong demand for the Vantage contributed to Aston Martin's health during this period, it is equally true that the relatively low production of all Aston Martins means seeing a V8 or V12 from this generation remains a rare treat. For perspective, during the same period, Porsche was producing over 20,000 911s annually and have built more than 1 million 911 variants in total.

Design credit for the original V8 Vantage has been disputed. The design is officially credited to Henrik Fisker, design director of Aston Martin at the time the Vantage was introduced. However, some sources, including Callum himself, claim that Ian Callum, director of design for Jaguar at the time and former director of design at Aston Martin, was responsible for creating a large amount of the design for the Vantage during his time at Aston Martin, before Fisker joined the company. In an interview with Car and Driver, when asked how much of the V8 Vantage was completed under his watch, Callum replies "I would say a good 80 percent. In fact, we started the V-8 first and then shelved it while we did the DB9—that’s why they’re quite similar".

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Aston martin V8 vantage s model years

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Common Aston martin V8 vantage s problems

Based on the information from various sources, here are some common problems with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S cars as reported by owners:

These common problems with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S cars underscore the importance of thorough maintenance, regular inspections, and awareness of potential issues to ensure a smooth ownership experience. Addressing these issues promptly and proactively can help mitigate the impact of these known concerns on the overall performance and reliability of the vehicle.

Aston martin V8 vantage s

Are the Aston Martin V8 Vantage reliable?

Is the V8 Vantage reliable? For such a high-performance machine, the V8 Vantage's dependability is impressive. Any early niggles have long since been addressed and the car enjoys a reputation for excellent reliability.

Is Aston Martin Vantage expensive to maintain?

Every year or 10,000 miles, you have to complete an annual service, which costs $1,400 at the Aston Martin dealer. Every three or four services, you have to do some extra stuff, bringing the cost closer to $3,000.

What is the problem with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage gearbox?

The main problem is that Sportshift is known to encounter high premature failure rates. This was especially true in certain models such as the V8 Vantage model between 2010 and 2013. The transmission failure rates were so high that Aston Martin issued a global recall on the V8 Vantage.

Are Aston Martins cheap to maintain?

Depends. Maintain properly by a dealer trained mechanic with genuine parts,yes very. Maintain a older model doing some things yourself but useing genuine parts and a Trained mechanic fairly costly.

Percentage distribution of complaints by Aston martin V8 vantage s years

We have researched Aston martin problems and analysed all the complaints filed against Aston martin V8 vantage s cars and compiled the top 2 most problematic Aston martin V8 vantage s model years:

Below you can see the percentage distribution of known problems by Aston martin V8 vantage s model years.

Distribution of the number of complaints by Aston martin V8 vantage s years

We've also compiled a chart for you with the number of complaints about Volkswagen Jetta cars of certain model years:

Aston martin V8 vantage s car problems categorized by type of issue

After analysing all complaints related to Aston martin V8 vantage s , it was concluded that the most common issues with these cars are:

  • Vehicle speed control problems
  • Engine problems
  • Structure problems
  • Unknown or other problems
  • Electrical system problems

The graph below shows statistics for all Aston martin V8 vantage s vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

Distribution of the number of complaints where the accident occurred by V8 vantage s model years

A total of 3 complaints were registered in which the accident occurred. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model year.

Distribution of the number of complaints with injuries by V8 vantage s model years

There were a total of 3 complaints that resulted in a injuries. In the graph you can see the distribution of the number of complaints by model year.

The NHTSA has received 5 complaints about various vehicle components related to the Aston martin V8 vantage s . Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for Aston martin V8 vantage s vehicles.

List of Aston martin V8 vantage s complaints

Aston martin V8 vantage s 2011
  • Date Of Incident: 2020-09-02
  • Date Complaint: 2020-09-11
  • VIN: SKFEKBDL6BG
  • Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
  • Summary: CONDENSATION BUILDING UP IN THE REAR TAIL LIGHT THAT COULD CAUSE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. ISSUE IS HOW THEY ARE INSTALLED PER REP AT COMPANY. CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME THE CAR GETS WET.
Aston martin V8 vantage s 2016
  • Date Of Incident: 2018-02-13
  • Date Complaint: 2019-04-13
  • Number Of Injuries: 1
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: SCFEKBDL0GG
  • Components: STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE
  • Summary: IN ONCE INCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE THE SECOND DAY I LEASED THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND I HAD TO TOW IT OFF THE FREEWAY TO THE CLOSEST CORNER STORE. I THEN CALLED THE DEALER I LEASED THE CAR FROM AND WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF OPTIONS, NONE OF WHICH WORKED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE MY $160,000 CAR OVERNIGHT IN A VERY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND ASTON MARTIN WOULD PICK IT UP THE NEXT DAY. I WAS TOLD OVER A WEEK LATER THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. LESS THAN 30 DAYS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED EXCEPT THIS TIME I WAS SIDE-SWIPED/REAR-ENDED BY A CAR GOING 70 MPH AND MY CAR AT A NEAR STOP. MY CAR WAS TOTALED COMPLETELY WITH ALL THE RIGHT SIDE AIR BAGS GOING OFF. MY INSURANCE WOULD NOT COVER IT SAYING IT WAS A DEFECT WITH ASTON MARTIN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SINCE I CAN'T AFFORD THE REPAIRS. THE PERSON THAT HIT ME ONLY HAD $5,000 INSURANCE COVERAGE. PLEASE HELP.
Aston martin V8 vantage s 2016
  • Date Of Incident: 2018-02-14
  • Date Complaint: 2019-01-02
  • Number Of Injuries: 1
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: SCFEKBDL0GG
  • Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
  • Summary: THIS WILL BE MY SECOND COMPLAINT. MY CAR ABRUPTLY CAME TO A STOP ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR CAUSING THE RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY AND CAUSING THE CAR TO BE LABELED AS A SALVAGED VEHICLE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED DESPITE INFORMING THE DEALER.
Aston martin V8 vantage s 2016
  • Date Of Incident: 2017-12-21
  • Date Complaint: 2018-08-03
  • VIN: SCFEKBDL0GG
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
  • Summary: THE CAR WAS MOVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THEN SUDDENLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND LOST ALL POWER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. WE HAD TO PUSH IT OFF THE ROAD. THEN IT WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND WE CALLED THE DEALER TO HAVE IT TOWED, PLEASE NOTE THIS IS THE SECOND DAY AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED.
Aston martin V8 vantage s 2016
  • Date Of Incident: 2018-02-15
  • Date Complaint: 2018-04-07
  • Number Of Injuries: 1
  • Crash: 1
  • Components: POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
  • Summary: IN THE FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THE VEHICLE THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD IT PUSHED OFF AND ASTON MARTIN (GALPIN FORD) TOWED IT BACK, SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE ISSUE AFTER ALMOST A FULL WEEK AND REFUSED TO HAVE IT RETURNED. NOT MORE THAN 30 DAYS LATER THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURS EXCEPT THIS TIME A CAR HITS ME FULL SPEED WHILE MY CAR IS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL TOTALING THE VEHICLE AND CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO ME. IF I HAD A PASSENGER, HE/SHE WOULD HAVE DIED.

Recalls Aston martin V8 vantage s

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 1 recalls for different components of the Aston martin V8 vantage s.You can explore the year of the Volkswagen Jetta you are interested in by selecting it from the list.

  • Model: Aston martin V8 vantage s 2011
  • Report Received Date: 2014-01-16
  • Manufacturer: Aston Martin Lagonda of North America
  • Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
  • Summary: 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.

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