Rolls-Royce Ghost (first generation) buying guide

The Series I carried a 6.6-litre BMW-built N74 twin-turbo V12 rated at 563bhp and 780Nm, with a ZF eight-speed automatic, air suspension and rear-hinged rear doors. A long-wheelbase body joined the range in 2011. In 2013 the V-Specification package raised output to about 600bhp and added 21-inch wheels and V motifs in the cabin.

The Series II was shown at Geneva in 2014. It got reshaped LED headlamps, a revised bumper, a bolder grille, front seats with extendable thigh supports and new rear seats. Satellite Aided Transmission also arrived, letting the gearbox use the navigation map to choose its ratios. Apart from that, the drivetrain carried over. Autocar notes that the Series II could be personalized far more than the Series I, and you can see them on our Series II listings.

Black Badge followed in 2016 for Series II cars. It brought extra power and torque, stiffer air springs, a recalibrated gearbox and brakes, and dark exterior trim. Octane Files says it is the Ghost enthusiasts single out.

CarsCounsel rates the 2014 to 2020 model years as the strongest choices and says 2010 to 2012 cars need care. That fits the recall history below, where the early cars carry the water pump campaigns. CarBuzz prefers conservative colors such as black, silver, grey, white or dark blue to wild bespoke builds, and warns that a heavily optioned car may conceal maintenance jobs nobody has explained. If a newer car appeals, our second-generation Ghost guide covers it.

Air suspension failure

CarsCounsel says the struts and compressors in the air suspension wear out often on first-generation cars, and the ride height sags when they go. Autocar adds that the front nearside corner is susceptible to pothole impacts.

Injector failure

Injectors are known to fail. The repair, including coils and plugs, runs to around £5000, and carbon fouling of the valve seats is another possible cause of poor running.

V12 oil leaks

Oil can leak from the rear main seal, the timing cover and the valve covers. Repairs often mean removing the engine or the transmission, so labor is a large part of the bill.

Auxiliary water pump fire risk

On 2010 to 2012 cars, a recall covered the electric auxiliary water pump, which could short-circuit and cause an engine compartment fire. Ask for proof the work was done.

Airbag and belt tensioner recall

Australian Car.Reviews lists a recall of 2012 production cars whose airbags and belt tensioners may not deploy. NHTSA's table adds airbag and seat belt campaigns for 2015, 2017 and 2018 cars.

Leaking screens, flat batteries

Ill-fitting front and rear screens can let water into the interior, and the result is condensation and baggy seat leather as the glue dissolves. A flat battery is generally down to neglect, and a trickle charger is the cure for a car that sits.

Autocar puts brake discs at about £500 a corner and pads at £400 each, front and rear, with discs lasting around 20,000 miles. It prices a replacement air suspension damper at £2500, labor and reprogramming included. These are UK figures.

Autocar also quotes around £3500 for the three-year Rolls-Royce Service Inclusive package without brakes, or £9300 with them. The £5000 injector repair noted above is the same magazine's estimate for the job itself, coils and plugs included. CarBuzz says a Ghost costs thousands a year to maintain, though specialists can undercut Rolls-Royce.

Buy a 2014 or later Series II in a conservative color, with a full dealer or specialist history. CarsCounsel rates 2014 to 2020 as the strongest years, and Black Badge cars are the ones enthusiasts single out. Autocar says a full service history is worth more than expensive fitted options, and CarBuzz says the best used Ghost is the one with the fewest stories to tell.

Treat 2010 to 2012 cars with caution and confirm the water pump recall work. Octane Files regards Rolls-Royce's own Provenance approved-used scheme, which adds a warranty and servicing, as the safest way in. Insist on a car that stands level and has a dry rear main seal, because sagging suspension is a known weak point and oil leak repairs often mean taking out the engine or transmission.