The Lemon Index
Aston Martin's 5.9 L naturally aspirated 60° V12 in the DBS and V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S, model years 2010–2017. YouTube likes the 2012 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 61/100, #3 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 1 engine-related recall on record.
Reliability by year
Not enough complaints to chart. Owners filed 2 complaints with the government that we can tie to this engine's cars, 2010–2017, about any part of the car. Supercars sell in small numbers, so we show YouTube, recalls and the automaker's repair notes instead.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2012 (64) and least about the 2011 (59); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | DBS | 0 | not enough videos yet | 4 |
| 2011 | V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S, DBS | 0 | 59 (26 videos) | 4 |
| 2012 | DBS, V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S | 0 | 64 (27 videos) | 5 |
| 2015 | V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S | 1 | 60 (25 videos) | 1 |
| 2016 | V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S | 0 | 59 (28 videos) | 1 |
| 2017 | V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S | 1 | 61 (32 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine 5
1 of them is about the engine, fuel, cooling or powertrain. They come first.
17V796000 Power Train · Aston Martin DBS 2010–12
A communication error between the Engine Control Module (ECM) and the Transmission Con.
15V846000 Latches/Locks/Linkages · Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Vantage 2010–16
The affected vehicles are equipped with interior doo.
14V010000 Vehicle Speed Control · Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Vantage 2010–12
Due to a manufacturing error, the accelerator pedal arm may brea.
14V753000 Seats · Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Vantage 2010–12
In the affected vehicles, the electronic control module for the driver and front passenger seat heate.
13V228000 Vehicle Speed Control · Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Vantage 2012
Due to a manufacturing error, the throttle pedal arm may break.
NHTSA recalls by model and year. A recall counts here when every confirmed version of that model-year had this engine, or the recall names it. Check a car's VIN for its own open recalls.
Engine problems Aston Martin told dealers about
Aston Martin sent dealers 9 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Procedure for the Bosch engine management system (EMS) to do the variable valve timing (VVT) learn procedure,…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Aston Martin DBS DBS | 2010–12 |
| Aston Martin Vantage V12 Vantage, V12 Vantage S | 2011–17 |
Engine codes: AM08 (DBS), AM11 (V12 Vantage), AM28 (V12 Vantage S). Aston Martin's engine plant in Cologne. Power: 510–565 hp, factory figures. EPA lists the V12 Vantage S as 6.0 L; Aston Martin's figure is 5.9 L. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Aston Martin V12 engine · Aston Martin Vantage (2005).
Quick answers
What cars have the Aston Martin 5.9 V12 engine?
In the US: the Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin V12 Vantage / V12 Vantage S, model years 2010–2017. See the version table for each one.
Is the Aston Martin 5.9 V12 reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 61/100, #3 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); 1 engine-related recall on record. Not enough owner complaints to judge it per car: supercars sell in small numbers. Its cars had 5 recalls (1 about the engine, fuel or powertrain). Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Aston Martin 5.9 V12 make?
510–565 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.