Generation-specific owner insights from 101+ substantive owner discussions, with US complaint and recall records.
Should I buy one?18
US owner complaints (NHTSA), 1977–2016
23
recall campaigns
exterior lighting
most-complained area
Our take, from owner reports
Owners of the 1977-2016 V8 Vantage broadly love these cars, describing them as reliable, special, and a strong value for the money, with the engine repeatedly called bulletproof and the driving experience raw, analog, and involving.
14 problems reported (1 very frequent, 2 recurrent, 11 isolated) · high confidence
Insufficient owner data available to declare a consensus. Partial signal favors the 4.7L cars over the 4.3L, and the 2012.25+ facelift cars over earlier ones for their quicker steering rack, larger six-piston front brakes, updated stability control and Track Mode, seven-speed SportShift II, and revised bumpers and ducktail bootlid. Manual cars are repeatedly preferred over SportShift, and the 2016 model year is singled out for its updated dash and electronics.
Owners compare it most often with the Jaguar F-Type, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Bentley Continental GT, Jaguar XKR and Lotus Emira.
Is a 1977–2016 V8 Vantage right for you?
Get an answer for your year, mileage and budget.
Owners of the 1977-2016 V8 Vantage broadly love these cars, describing them as reliable, special, and a strong value for the money, with the engine repeatedly called bulletproof and the driving experience raw, analog, and involving. The most common criticisms center on running costs: clutches are treated as a wear item, parts and servicing are expensive, and the automated manual (SportShift) is disliked unless driven as a manual. Owners consistently distinguish early cars (roughly 2007-2008, 4.3L, SportShift I) as rawer and more anxious to own, while later cars (2009+, 4.7L, and especially 2012.25+ and 2016) are seen as quicker, more comfortable, better equipped, and better steering.
Owners position the Vantage as more special and occasion-worthy than an F-Type, with a stiffer ride, more driver involvement, and a rawer, more mechanical feel, while conceding the F-Type is more comfortable and relaxed. Against the 911 Carrera S, owners admit the Porsche is more robust and reliable but found it "meh" to drive compared to the Aston's fun factor. Versus the Bentley Continental GT, owners see the Aston as the smaller, nimbler sports car and the Bentley as a heavy luxury GT cruiser. The XKR is described as delivering about 85% of the experience at lower running costs. The Emira is mentioned only as a potential replacement consideration.
Owners recommend the 4.7L V8 over the 4.3L, and the 2009 and newer cars over earlier ones. A manual transmission is strongly preferred; where an automated manual is chosen, owners say to get the seven-speed SportShift II (2009 and later, standard from 2013) rather than the six-speed SportShift I, and to drive it in manual mode with the paddles rather than in automatic. Owners advise budgeting for a twin-plate clutch with lightweight flywheel, ideally fitted at the first clutch replacement, and note the 2012.25 cars gained the S-model front brakes and quicker steering rack.
Owners say these cars suit buyers who will drive them regularly and can absorb expensive parts and servicing, and they warn that very low mileage cars that sit unused can be problematic. A pre-purchase inspection by a qualified Aston Martin specialist is advised almost universally, including a compression and timing check if service history is missing, and buyers are told to check for dash leather peeling, water ingress behind the seats, and the condition of the clutch and hydraulic lines. Owners recommend using a good independent shop and sourcing Ford, Volvo, or Jaguar alternatives for some parts to control costs, and setting aside money annually for maintenance. Buyers worried about running costs are pointed toward the XKR instead.
Owners repeatedly note that these cars need to be driven regularly and that low-mileage examples can suffer from lack of use. Manual cars are scarce and command a premium, and several owners report difficulty trading or selling an Aston Martin compared to mainstream sports cars. Values are described as having stopped depreciating, with low-mileage cars seeing upward insurance valuations, though owners agree standard Vantages are not collector pieces. Special editions mentioned by owners include the N400, N420, N430, SP10, GT8, GT12, and AMR Pro, with the SP10 noted as limited to 384 units worldwide. Analysis based on approximately 101 substantive owner discussions about this generation.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 | 1 | vehicle speed control |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | exterior lighting |
| 2012 | 1 | 7 | exterior lighting |
| 2011 | 2 | 5 | exterior lighting |
| 2010 | 2 | 3 | power train |
| 2008 | 1 | 3 | suspension |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 | electrical system |
| 2006 | 2 | 1 | exterior lighting |
Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Higher-selling years naturally accumulate more complaints.
2016 · latches/locks/linkagescampaign 15V846000
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."
2015 · latches/locks/linkagescampaign 15V846000
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."
2012 · power traincampaign 17V391000
Aston Martin the Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2011-2014 V8 Vantage vehicles equipped with 7-speed Auto-Shift Manual (ASM) "SportShift II" transmissions. A connector for the clutch fluid line may break, resulting in a hydraulic fluid leak.
2012 · electrical system:softwarecampaign 17V389000
Aston Martin The Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2011-2012 V8 Vantage vehicles. The affected vehicles received updated transmission and engine control software which may conflict with the pre-existing clutch settings and may cause the transmission to shift to neutral, or enable clutch protection mode which give abrupt gear shifts.
2012 · latches/locks/linkagescampaign 15V846000
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."
2012 · power traincampaign 17V390000
Aston Martin The Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2012 V8 Vantage vehicles equipped with 6-speed Auto-Shift Manual (ASM) transmissions. A connector for the transmission fluid lines may break resulting in a hydraulic fluid leak.
2012 · seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolercampaign 14V753000
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.
2012 · vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalcampaign 14V010000
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.
2012 · vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalcampaign 13V228000
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.
2011 · power traincampaign 17V391000
Aston Martin the Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2011-2014 V8 Vantage vehicles equipped with 7-speed Auto-Shift Manual (ASM) "SportShift II" transmissions. A connector for the clutch fluid line may break, resulting in a hydraulic fluid leak.
2011 · electrical system:softwarecampaign 17V389000
Aston Martin The Americas (Aston Martin) is recalling certain 2011-2012 V8 Vantage vehicles. The affected vehicles received updated transmission and engine control software which may conflict with the pre-existing clutch settings and may cause the transmission to shift to neutral, or enable clutch protection mode which give abrupt gear shifts.
2011 · latches/locks/linkagescampaign 15V846000
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."
1 more recall not shown. Check nhtsa.gov with your VIN for the full history.
Owner insights summarize real ownership discussions for this generation only. Complaint and recall data is public NHTSA (US) information. Always verify recalls against your VIN at nhtsa.gov.