mine has now 6 times . at 1year and 4 month of owning. car is 155 q4 4 times because map-sensor and now second time because the another sensor on the engine... but still happy . every time she works its love to drive.... T:Jarkko

In 10 weeks of owning Alfenia, she has faield to start as many times, admittedly all these happened in the 1st 5 weeks of owning her

 

I've been let down on two occasions, neither totally broken down, but bad enough I called out the AA. Once was a worn fan belt; it was worn down to about 5mm width and I could smell it rubbing, as I was 200 miles from home I thought that by getting the AA home I'd have just enough life left to drive it to a garage. The other occasion was when the wiper linkage failed at XX mph on the M6 in the rain overtaking a lorry :rant: :rant:

 

does running out of petrol counts?? :lol: :lol: :cheese: :cheese:

silly me

Damn, fogot about that

My excuse was I was trading the 166 for the 156 the next morning

 

never, over 15 years driving with italian cars ,)

 

Twice!
Once with a broken clutch, and last Sunday with a broken timing belt.
Still can't decide if it's worth repairing or not, garage estimate is ~2200-2500 euro

-Nick

 

Well you're the one who insisted on a ride on the only miserable, rainy day of the whole week. I just kept hoping that the car wasn't going to develop a previously unknown "water-related issue" when we were out. I've still never been out in the spider in as bad a rain as we had that day. The car just isn't equipped for those conditions. Next time you visit, I'm going to insist that we go out on a bright, beautiful, sunny day.

I'd like to say that all of the issues that caused failures have been cleared up, and while I think they have (knock on wood) it's a touchy, older car, and I live with the reality that at any point in the future, something can (and probably will) give out. How's that for faith?
--Toronto

Well, at least you did see that it can handle heavy downpour without dying.

And yes, I MUST go to Canada again.

 

Well you're the one who insisted on a ride on the only miserable, rainy day of the whole week. I just kept hoping that the car wasn't going to develop a previously unknown "water-related issue" when we were out. I've still never been out in the spider in as bad a rain as we had that day. The car just isn't equipped for those conditions. Next time you visit, I'm going to insist that we go out on a bright, beautiful, sunny day.

I'd like to say that all of the issues that caused failures have been cleared up, and while I think they have (knock on wood) it's a touchy, older car, and I live with the reality that at any point in the future, something can (and probably will) give out. How's that for faith?
--Toronto

 

Mine has left me and other family members* using the car stranded about a half dozen times or so. Honestly I've lost count. A few of them don't count as they occurred during shake-down test runs, although to be fair, the car was never taken out with the expectation that it was going to fail. Others weren't.

I've also done the limp-home-praying-to-whatever-gods-protect-foolish-motorists more than once. I hate those rides, especially when I've got people in the car who a) aren't family or b) aren't car enthusiats. There have also been many runs done with a chase car complete with tow chains, just in case something goes wrong. Fun, fun, fun.

*The standing rule is anybody can take any car in the family fleet out whenever they desire.
--Toronto

Ok, reading that just freaked me out!!

I'm glad your buggy didn't give up on the rain.

 

Mine has left me and other family members* using the car stranded about a half dozen times or so. Honestly I've lost count. A few of them don't count as they occurred during shake-down test runs, although to be fair, the car was never taken out with the expectation that it was going to fail. Others weren't.

I've also done the limp-home-praying-to-whatever-gods-protect-foolish-motorists more than once. I hate those rides, especially when I've got people in the car who a) aren't family or b) aren't car enthusiats. There have also been many runs done with a chase car complete with tow chains, just in case something goes wrong. Fun, fun, fun.

*The standing rule is anybody can take any car in the family fleet out whenever they desire.
--Toronto

 

does running out of petrol counts?? :lol: :lol: :cheese: :cheese:

silly me

If so, add one to my list.

 

does running out of petrol counts?? :lol: :lol: :cheese: :cheese:

silly me

 

Once, but it was the battery. Wait, it was the original Alfa Romeo battery, so it counts.

I'm with you there. In 3 yrs/90k rapid miles in a 156 2.5 V6 it was 99% reliable (one wheel bearing, and the suspension bushes, were all that went, neither a breakdown issue) but the battery died in under 3 years and I had to get a push-start once, having only been parked up for 2 days after a long drive. odd - the passat battery was as-new after 7 years!

 

Alfa 145 - once ( on the drive) - siezed starter motor,

Alfa 166 - Twice; with broken big ends and failed gearbox.

Alfa 156 - once. drained battery (but that was my fault for installing the dension kit with the ignition on, not realising aircon was on auto mode )

 

Left me once !!

After only a week my left frontwheel broke off.... :rant: :rant:
When I got her back I lost the connection to the reverse gear - but it doesn´t count as I could still drive to the garage

Now 3 month later I love my bella more than ever

 

alfa 166
never

alfa 33 16v qv

a thief try to stolen the car and broke the steering block. :tut:
but I think this don't count.

Alfetta 1.6
clutch,
but I made everything for myself.

 

My spider once.... bust crankcase sensor.

My GTV never, my 146TI never

bl00dy unreliable these alfas aren't they

JaB

 

Never.


Touch wood.

 

My 33 broke a cambelt tensioner in the middle of the city once. My fault for not requesting for them to be changed along with the belts.
The battery and its connections stranded me in traffic a few times until I sorted that out. Once motorists behind me saw the holdup was caused by the Alfa driver who was getting out and looking under the bonnet, I could see them all thinking "silly fool driving an unreliable Alfa Romeo!"
I've also been late for work due to the Alfa not starting (water in the distributor, my fault for leaving the car in the rain, but how does the rain get in there?)..
And then there's the times when I get in the car ready to go somewhere and the car won't move because the rear brakes have stuck on. The reason there are holes in Alfa alloys is so you can beat your brake drums with the wheel brace from the Alfa toolkit to unstick your brakes! :lol:
Another problem I used to have is when I tried to shut the drivers door, the lock spring would jump off so the door wouldn't close. Can't lock any doors, can't arm the alarm, can't drive anywhere, no choice but to disassemble the door on the spot. This is something I can now do very fast.

But it's all part of the fun, even if the cambelt tensioner wasn't very fun. *admires bent valve desk ornament*

 

My Spider once: snapped timing belt
My Giulia twice: both caused by starter motor

I have no probs with it, because I choose myself to drive old Alfas. Starter motor has been revised and shouldn't cause any problems from now on (knock on wood).

 

Well in 26 years of Alfa Romeo Ownership I have been left stranded 3 times.

1983 Alfetta GTV 2.0
a) Battery
b) Rear clutch Slave cylinder failure


2002 Alfa 147
a)Battery


And I am now touching a lot of wood :cheese:

 

Not once, in three years of owning her.
She did once refuse to move off the driveway though, had to have a temp sensor replaced.

 

My GT 1300 Junior has left me down twice.

First time it was a leak in the hydraulic fluid for the clutch. But this was really my fault as it had been on the blink for a while.

More recently while driving to a classic car show after pulling off the motorway two plugs got fouled up and I thought I had a blown engine. Luckily its safely back home now but I am still worried as to how the plugs got fouled up so suddenly in the first place. Must do a compression test on it to make sure there is not a more serious problem lurking in the engine,

 

Once, but it was the battery. Wait, it was the original Alfa Romeo battery, so it counts.

But I've blown the coolant hose at least three times, fortunately pretty close to home, so I was able to limp from there to the shop the next morning, when the car had already cooled down.

 

Never..... yet

 

mine has now 6 times . at 1year and 4 month of owning. car is 155 q4 4 times because map-sensor and now second time because the another sensor on the engine... but still happy . every time she works its love to drive.... T:Jarkko

:lol: Iv had mine on the road now about 10 months, it has ditched me:

at the nurburgring - burst power steering pipes

at home before an Alfa meet - broken crank sensor cable

on the way to a nice day out with the missus - broken water pump

but as you say it is worth all of this - all part of the fun