- Is Alfa Romeo reliable?
- How reliable are consumer reports?
- Why is Alfa Romeo unreliable?
- Common Alfa Romeo problems
When you are looking at cars, reliability is an important factor. So important, in fact, that it is one of our top priorities when looking for a new car.
But, is this the case for those who are looking at buying an Alfa Romeo? As Which? said; “It’s widely accepted that anyone who buys an Alfa Romeo does so with their heart instead of their head”. Is this true? Are Alfa Romeo’s really that unreliable?
In this article, we look at whether Which are right, and whether Alfa Romeo’s are really as unreliable as people say, and how they fare against their competitors.
Is Alfa Romeo reliable?
No, is the short answer. As it stands, Which? is looking pretty accurate with its summary of Alfa Romeo.
ReliabilityIndex gives Alfa Romeo a rating of 214 for reliability, which is very poor. The UK Reliability Index takes into account the following:
- The factors of a repair
- The cost of the parts
- The frequency of the failures
The average of all cars is 100, and the UK average index is 118. So the lower the number, the more reliable the car is. And as we said, Alfa Romeo has a score of 214. Reliability Index state that the average age of an Alfa Romeo is 4.9 years old and the average mileage is 54,857 miles.
WarrantyDirect also scores Alfa Romeo as poor in terms of dependability.
However, if we look at the Auto Express reports from those that own the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the reviews are completely different. In fact, if we looked at those reviews alone, Alfa Romeo would look like one of the most reliable brands around.
That said, Auto Express, themselves have said that there is a problem with reliability, and in their Driver Power Survey of 2015, the Giulietta came 69th, which is quite a fall from the top ten when it debuted in 2013.
And of course, in the Which survey, Alfa Romeo came in the top 5 for most unreliable car manufacturers, with a reliability score of just 69%.
Everything but the driver reviews are telling us that Alfa Romeo are unreliable cars.
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How reliable are consumer reports?
Because everyone but the actual drivers are telling us Alfa Romeo are unreliable, how do we know if the consumer reports are reliable themselves?
To be honest, they are pretty reliable. Consumer surveys ask those who own the cars, and they also draw upon recalls and faults. WarrantyDirect, who work with Reliability Index, gather their results from their own data. WarrantyDirect sell extended warranties and have over 50,000 cars to gather their data from.
So, they are pretty reliable.
Why are the drivers on AutoExpress telling us differently? It could just be the people who are commenting. Consumer reports have a much wider range of people to gather results from, and the sample on AutoExpress is considerably smaller than the ones WarrantyDirect have had.All in all, consumer reports and surveys are probably the most dependable way of knowing the longevity of a car.
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Why are Alfa Romeos unreliable?
There are a few reasons why Alfa Romeos are considered unreliable.
According to Reliability Index, one of the main problems falls to the Axle and Suspension. This accounts for 25.91% of all faults. Electrical faults come in second with 18.13% of the faults.
Jalopnik has said that the car’s quick development time could be to blame for the unreliability of the car. The Alfa Romeo Giulia was developed in just two and a half years. This is nothing compared to the six years Mercedes tend to spend, or the seven years Volvo spent developing seats for their newXC90.However, Alfa Romeo is rebranding, according to Alfa Romeo. Well, at least in Australia. It has been reported that the new Giulia will come with a three-year, 150,000km (almost 100,000 miles) warranty, which is considerably better than some of their rivals. They are also offering a three-year capped-price servicing deal. Unfortunately, this is only happening in Australia as far as we know. But that’s not to say they won’t bring this incentive over to Europe should it go well down under.[vc_single_image image=”49911″ img_size=”article-image”]Alfa Romeo is not the only one that have had to rebrand after reports of unreliability. The likes of Fiat, Skoda and Dacia have done the same. And look how successful those brands are now.
Common Alfa Romeo problems
If you are buying a used Alfa Romeo or you are simply looking towards the future then you should be aware of the common problems that people face with Alfa Romeo’s. These include;
- Suspension problems
- The front suspension can fail, and you will know this if you hear a knocking noise
- Door alignment problem
- This is more common in the 159 and you can tell if there’s a bit of a breeze coming in
So it’s worth looking out for these if you are looking for a second hand Alfa Romeo.
You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t want to be told how reliable my Alfa is by someone just out of school uniform who clearly has never driven one (and couldn’t afford one in a month of Sundays).
Hi Jake, It’s great to get feedback from someone so passionate about the brand! I am sure our readers appreciate a balanced view of the manufacturer. Holly is a valuable member of our editorial team, who manages to produce these reviews from the experiences that our clients have had over the last 20 years and from independent motoring experts. But as we say we are really glad that you are so loyal and passionate about the Alfa brand.
These rankings are non sense, the registration door is not a failure, it can be fixed in one minute, the suspension problem is not a failure, it can make noise, it wont brake. Why don’t we take a look on the REAL reliability of a car, the engine and how easy can your car stop to move, and the results will change.
Hi Marco, Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that you feel the rankings mentioned are nonsense. These rankings are based on the Reliability Index: https://www.reliabilityindex.com/ We appreciate you sharing your experience with us and our other readers.
Owned 3 alfas a 156 a 159 a giuletta big miles in all of them and all of them utterly dependable. Then again so where my 8 Lancia’s which apparently should have broken down every time I used them if reliability indexes where to be believed. Its funny that the disparity between warranty based reliability and what consumers say. I know a few friends that owned alfas too theirs too have been good cars? begs a question?
Hi Gareth, this article is based on results from fleets, maintenance companies and independent consumer reports, with any product, there are always exceptions. Thank you for sharing your reliability experience with our readers.
I have no doubt, I think human phycology plays a part though. A good friend has a golf that is always being repaired under warranty but he thinks its the most dependable car known to man and any faults must happen to other cars and will defend to the hilt…conversely because of alfas reputation if a tentative buyer thinks he is taking a risk but buys one anyway and a bulb blows. its probably because its an alfa. I think that makes sense 🙂
https://www.whatcar.com/news/reliability-survey/
Not sure if I’m allowed to post link here? remove its its not allowed
Well said people dont hesatate to pull alfa romeo and lancia apart .all my alfa,s and lancia,s have always been the best .ive had alot of cars in 30 years and my italian cars you will never come close from an alfaholic.
I am sorry to tell, but you have messed with the wrong brand!
Old Alfas did have some issues concerning reliability, but they were loved precisely because of that. Those cars were so good giving hours of real driving pleasure that flaws were considered car personality.
Since then many things have changed and Alfas are now truly reliable and, after some boring years, are finally showing again what a car should be, I mean much more than a mean of transportation. Must be said, few brands can do it.
Now, if you want facts, even though I personally think car surveys aren’t reliable (if I must, I can explain why) , here they are:
https://www.whatcar.com/news/reliability-survey/
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars/driver-power/95238/best-cars-to-own-driver-power-2018-results
Hi David,
Thank you for your feedback. The rankings are from the Reliability Index, but we understand that this is not the only information someone will look at when considering an Alfa Romeo. We are sure that our readers will find your opinion helpful when making their decision.
I don’t believe that old alfas were loved BECAUSE they broke down, rather, they were loved DESPITE breaking down… They were loved because they were unique and effective drivers’ cars, i.e. they were unlike any other car, EXCELLENT in other aspects, and breaking on occasion could be tolerated. Owning an Alfa, for a man (in the case I cite), is like having a beautiful, sexy girlfriend who tests your patience once in a while, but who is well worth that minor cost!
I’ve owned my USA Stelvio since June, 2018 and haven’t had any problems.
I did upgrade my battery to an AGM type for increased electronics reliability ( I had one very minor glitch which has never come back).
Remember many or most of the sub-assemblies are German.
The new Alfas are clean sheet cars and have nothing to do with the older Alfas that people think of. Once you look past the 2017’s (which were rushed) I’ll bet the reliability surveys will look very different.
Judging from my friend’s experience with her new Audi, the Stelvio has it beat.
Hi Hank,
Thank you for your comment. Everyone has a different experience with a car. This report was put together using figures from a company that provides data on repairs on a year on year basis. I am sure that your experience with a newer model of Alfa Romeo will be very interesting to our readers.
These may be “clean sheet cars,” but they absolutely DO have something to do with the older Alfas that people think of… They are made by the same company. I think it is true of most, or maybe all Italian cars… they are long on passion and driver enjoyment, but…they are probably all a bit short of such mundane values as reliability, durability and longevity. I don’t believe that old Alfas were loved BECAUSE they broke down, rather, they were loved DESPITE breaking down… They were loved because they were beautiful, unique and effective drivers’ cars, i.e. they were unlike any other car, EXCELLENT in other aspects, and breaking on occasion could be tolerated. Owning an Alfa, for a man (in the case I cite), is like having a beautiful, sexy girlfriend who tests your patience once in a while, but who is well worth that minor cost!
“In conclusion, Alfa Romeo aren’t too reliable. Their fast development time could be the reason for this. Many surveys and consumer reports put Alfa Romeo at the bottom end of the scale in terms of reliability, though there are drivers who say that they have had no problems with their model?”
I might have “no problems” myself, even if I did have to do some mechanical work… I just got back to Boston from Rome, and while there I saw a 4C scooting quite fast through traffic… it looked like a blast! The thing is, if one likes a car enough, we can tolerate a few reliability problems. This car is FANTASTIC (in most ways; see below). These cars are exceptional, is almost (again…) every way EXCEPT reliability, and they are not cheap, so presumably, most buyers can swing repair costs if necessary, so that minor problem can be tolerated.
The one aspect of these cars I CANNOT tolerate is the lack of a manual transmission! I can hardly believe that a sports car company (or any company that makes drivers’ cars) that is self-respecting can offer cars without one… To me, fully 1/2 of a driver’s pleasure comes from shifting the MANUAL transmission! Any car without a nice, refined 5 or 6-speed, on the floor between the buckets (WITH A MANUAL CLUTCH), is a NOT A DRIVER’S CAR!
It might as well be a soccer-Mom’s VAN. I’d ALMOST rather drive a van with a MT (if there were such a thing), than a 4C without one!
To Richard S…. I love Americans! A van with an MT ( If there is such a thing )….. Effing brilliant! But agreed, a drivers car should be manual. In the UK Automatic is rare… EVEN IN VANS!!!!! But as a myriad car owner, with over a million miles of road driving over decades, what makes the Alfa special is simply the way it drives. The older Alfa GT was an excellent example. I`ve had 3 GTs, but also owned Audi, BMW. Mercedes, Ford, Mitsubishi ( Starion Turbo 2.0 ltr was amazing ), Toyota. Lotus and on and on…..
ALFAS ARE NOT THE EXPERTS FAVOURITE AT TOP GEAR FOR NOTHING !! The engines in the diesels are bomb proof, with high performance and economy. The 1.9 JTD in my experience will out strip most Audi/Merc/BMW and Jap equivalents in the same engine size. Driving and Alfa is like driving a high performance cloud. Audi/Merc/BMW are a harsher more disconnected drive ride.
The only downsides do seem to come from the suspensions / assemblies with rattles that can happen ( Alfas don`t like pot holes! ) But can be fixed easily and cheaply.
I have a sneaky suspicion that their quirky leg assemblies may hold the secret to their unique drive feeling.
Agree with you Bobby, having owned in 3 years an Audi S3, a 147 and a Bravo 1.6mjet I don’t agree with this myth going on and on about Alfa’s braking down etc.. And about how it drives only people who have no clue would put it under say VW or Audi. In the curves my 2003 Audi S3 didnt stand a chance against the 147. The s3 was a heavy , underperforming brick next to the agile, sporty 147. The front would just lower while turning and it inspired so much confidence. I was on an A3 of the same year and the difference in handling with the 147 was huge like a tank next to a butterfly. Also the 1.6mjet on my Fiat (I believed shared with Alfa)) has been the most reliable engine I have ever had.
You are neglecting the results of quite a few recent surveys. The Giulia was the third most reliable premium midsize car in Whatcars survey. Autoexpress also ranked Alfa Romeo in the top 5 most reliable brands last year. They also finished ahead of BMW and Audi in both surveys. BMW finished dead last in one of them.
Also, I don’t think you should use Jalopnik as a source for information on Alfa Romeo reliability. They have a serious grudge against the brand. Search their website for “Alfa Romeo” and you will see nothing but articles that are slating Alfa (always based on anecdote and conjecture) and almost nothing positive at all. It’s gone beyond reasonable comment now and appears to be fuelled by a vendetta against the brand.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your comment. We appreciate that many people are incredibly loyal to specific brands, especially Alfa. This article, and several other reliability pieces we have on the site are currently in review and will be updated with the latest data from multiple sources in order to get a balanced overview of the brand. Throughout the article we have cited several different resources where we have obtained information about reliability and never rely on one site or consumer survey in order to produce information which is unbiased.
We have alfaa in our family for very long yes, we had renaults, opels, vw, audi, fiat …. Our 159 is very old and it had few bigger repairs. We don’t have money for younger cars. Most people who soit on AR are those who drive themselves boring and unrealiable cars. I watched a video about a Mercedes from 2001, which was very popular and it impressed me too till the part where they found so many problems e.g. it coroded much under. Somebody mentioned that the hate to AR is psychological. It is true. People who drive for example german cars say always:”oh, but alfas are so unreliable”. Have you ever driven one? Do you know the past of the car owner. It is a fact that most guys destroy the car and sell it like this. We had this problem. We also own a mito, and we had never problems. I think that the writer of the article was either paid to write how people lie about their experiences a or he doesn’t know that every car has it’s flows
Hi Teti,
This article was written using information from multiple sources, we aim to ensure that every piece we produce is both helpful to our readers and 100% unbiased. Ee are certainly not paid by any manufacturer to present innaccurate or biased information that will misinform.
We understand that there is a very strong customer loyalty towards multiple brands, with Alfa being one. However, our article was written utilising information that was, at the time, up to date and obtained from consumer survey reports and data from warranty companies that look at data from a very balanced perspective.
Before my first AR i ahve been owning a leading quality German cars. And all my impresion when I have switched over was, that I have been always driving a faulty or defected car. Since 2013 for another 4 years I was owner of Giulietta 1,4 TB MA TCT 170 HP, 4 years and – nothing. Tu be honest, there was problem with electrical lock of the back door. Water was entering over the logo push button for opening and rusting contacts of micro switches and that all. Driving fabulous. During that time was in use A3 and A Class. How many times with them have been visiting service with small and bigger problems I have lost count on it. So that I am some special or what? I am always surprised with reporting of the low reliability of the AR. I have one knowledge, Giulietta never failed on the road. Never happen that I had to call high way service for help, as the car with no reason just refuse to go. And what was excellent with the AR that not so obvious with the leading in reliability German motorized barrows as I call them by my own experience. For them fail and stop was just obvious, normal condition. Now has second AR, this time Stelvio Quadrifoglio adn C class Coupe. Stelvio 1,5 year and C Class AMG 2 months less. With Stelvio no any problem so far. And Merc just keep similar performance to the A class before. Within one year 2 times on the tow truck and plus 2 extra visits in the service. One on the signal as some hose on the cooling has burst and was leaking. Service was just behind the corner, so I could manage. But in reliability Merc is much higher of course. And as before with Giulietta I can evaluate it myself comparing both brands. And if I will look for next car, I will look for Maserati or AR again. And always purchase a factory new car. So have direct comparison.
Despite the negatives, I am drawn to Jaguars and Alfas. I no longer work on cars, so I need a mechanic who works on these brands. The mechanic where I take my Mercedes says he doesn’t work on Jaguars “unless he doesn’t have to.” There is no one within ninety miles of here that might…MIGHT work on Jaguars or Alfa Romeos. So I keep a few thousand in a slush fund to see to repairs etc. I don’t care. That’s part the cost of keeping one of these cars running
Another biast survey against alfa romeo .this is 1 reason why this marque don’t get far .but let’s face it alfa have more history than any German box builder. And its usually german owners that slat alfa .all I can say look after a car and it wont let you down as with all my 10 alfas I’ve owned never a problem .as with my giulia now a pleasure to own.
Hi Ian,
Thank you for your feedback. The data that is used to put together these reports is actually from multiple consumer research surveys as well as data from warranty companies. We are not affiliated to any specific manufacturer and acknowledge that there are exceptions to every single rule.
i own an Alfa romeo Giulia Veloce from last 4 years and nothing went wrong , not a squeak .
don’t know where these people get there information from .
Hi Sohail, thank you for sharing your experience. It’s great to hear your Veloce is still going strong! This article has been put together with data from various consumer research surveys, including data from warranty companies. We are not affiliated to any specific manufacturer and acknowledge that there are exceptions to every single rule.
I purchased a new 159 in 2007: a 2.4 diesel. It has done 150 km and never missed a beat. Still have it and I love it. It drives superbly around town and excels in country touring. Service the vehicle correctly and it is ultra reliable. And it’s the best looker on the road. What I don’t like about FCA is their hellbent fanaticism on making everything in the new cars black. Even the headlining. It dues to make sense in a country like Australia where black attracts heat and shows up every speck of dust.
Hello Ray, thank you for sharing your experience with Alfa Romeo. It’s fantastic to hear that your 159 is still going strong.
Well I’m sorry to report that my 2020 alfa Romeo stelvio diesel
Broke down at a busy intersection here in perth
26000kms on the dial 2 log book servicing done by the dealer
So sad to say after spending close to $65000 dollars on this machine
Was the biggest mistake of my life thank god it’s still under warranty
My next car will be a Japanese full wheel drive …just like the one I traded
For this heap of unreliable junk!
Hi there James, thank you for sharing your experience with Alfa Romeo. I’m sure our readers will find it very informative and helpful towards their vehicle buying decision.
I have a 2013 Alfa Giuletta Sportiva diesel and it’s the most wonderful car I’ve ever had. I have had NO problems for 8 years and it is my one joy in life. And it’s Alfa red so it goes faster! Deb
Hello Deb, thank you for sharing your positive experience with your Giuletta car. This will be very helpful to our readers in their buying decision.
I am now driving my 5th Alfa – this one is a 2018 Giulia Veloce and I love every moment I am in the driving seat. I have heard people express concerns about Alfa reliability ever since I bought my Alfa 33. This was followed by a 164, 147, GT but I have not experienced the reliability issues others speak of. I have kept most of my vehicles for around 150,000 km so I think that speaks volumes but they have mostly been serviced by Alfa specialists and I think that makes the difference. There are so few Alfas on the roads in Australia that dealers (who usually cover multiple brands) do not build or retain expertise in the brand. My very few poor experiences (i.e return to get a problem diagnosed/fixed, etc) have been at the hands of dealers so I think AR Australia has some work to do. I love driving and my current Alfa is the pinnacle of the cars I have owned. I’m really pleased to see that Alfa have announced a 5 year warranty – if you want to change perception that’s a good start but they need to follow through on better training within the dealer network and support for Alfa buyers.
Hello Liz, thank you for sharing your experience with your Alfa Romeo vehicles and dealerships. This will be very valuable for our readers.
I have a Alfa 159 it has never let me down great to drive road holding is excellent if they are looked after then you should never have a major problem best car I have ever had
Hello Rick, thank you for sharing your experience with your Alfa Romeo 159. This will be very useful for OSV’s readers.
It’s interesting a simple good search of “are Alfa Romeos a sound car” and 2 popular results populated at the top. The first saying they are a “top 5 for most reliable” and then this article saying they are a “5th place for overall unreliable”…. It’s further interesting that the article mentions that individual consumers are saying more in the positive vs the “professionals” in regards to their vehicles, as well as the additional comments posted here… Sounds like somebody didn’t do their homework well
Hi there Doo, it’s indeed interesting to see the varying opinions and rankings when it comes to Alfa Romeos’ reliability. The diverse perspectives, both from individual consumers and professional reviews, can make it challenging to draw a definitive conclusion. It’s crucial to consider multiple sources and take into account the experiences of actual owners.
Have you personally owned or considered an Alfa Romeo? We’d love to hear more about your thoughts and experiences or any specific models you’re interested in.