Alfa 156/147/GT Buyers Guide

There seem to be a lot of posts here at the moment asking about alfas and their reliability etc so since I have some time I thought a buyers guide mught be of some use to someone. Note that the 156 147 and the GT are built on the same platform and are esentially the same car! The guide applies to the petrol 4 cylinder versions - the diesel is the same bar the engine (obviously) and its a solid unit used in many other cars including opels, saabs, and fiats!

Overall these cars are quite reliable however there are a few major (and a few not so major) things to watch out for.

Engine:

The oil on the twin spark petrol HAS to be checked weekly and if its low topped up with some semi-synthetic 10W40 oil. If an engine was ever run low on oil it will start to knock so if there is a deep knocking from the engine your looking at then run!

The timing belt and tensioners must be changed at 36k miles or 3 years whichever comes first. It is also recommended to change the variator at the time of belt change as this can wear over time. If the car you are looking at sounds like a diesel after starting and then quietens then the variator is on the way out and will need to be changed next time the belts are off.

The thermostat can get stuck open and if the car does not come close to 90 and keeps dropping to 75 ish on the open road after a good run then this may need to be replaced. Easy quick job and not one that has to be done urgently.

Another area that can sometimes be an issue is the MAF - if this is on the way out the car may perform poorly or refuse to rev over 3k ish rpm. Easy to replace and not really an issue when going on a test drive as hopefully the sellar wouldn't be so bold as to try and sell one with a problem as obvious as that!

The final thing I will mention in relation to the engine (and may save someone some time doing DIY diagnostics it the crank sensor. It this is going the car may cut out when the engine gets warm. If this happens to your alfa and it won't start again until it cools down then this is most likely your problem. Again this is not really an issue when buying!

Gearbox

The gearbox is usually solid out but there are some reports of the synchro rings (especially on 2nd and 3rd) wearing causing crunching when changing up at high revs.

Suspension

In my opinion this is the real weak part of these cars especially up to 2004 ish. After that there were some tweaks and they seem to be doing better.

The top suspension arms (wishbones) can wear after as little as 30k miles causing squeaking over bumps and knocking noises. The squeaking can be checked on a test drive and you can jack up the car and check for play in it when considering a buy. The bottom arms seem to last much longer but can wear at high mileages causing knocking and creaking. Not much more often than any other car though unlike the tops.

Another major issue is the bushes in the anti-roll bar itself. These wear and the supporting collars break and cause a knocking in the footwells and its horrible. Drive over a poor uneven road and you'll soon know. You can also visually inspect them by removing the wheel. The official Alfa solution is to replace the whole bar and this costs about 350-400 at a main dealer. The bushes alone are available through other channels but still take 3-4 hours work to fit. Since 2004 ish the bar has been slightly redesigned and the colars are now steel which I think increases the lifespan.
If you are looking at a car thats 5-6 years and 60k ish miles then the bar is probably needing replacement so take that under consideration.

The anti-roll bar droplinks can wear but they do on all cars and are an easy cheap fix.

The rear suspension is less troublesome but the stub axel bushes and transverse arms don't seem to have the best lifespan. Again a good test drive and a shake of the arms on a jacked up car should give a good idea.

Electrics

People say alfas have dodgey electrics - I completely disagree. I think they are quite good and definitely no worse than any other make.


So basically in my opinion, these cars (especially pre 2004/5) are slightly more problamatic than your average Jap make and DO take some looking after. The GT seems to suffer less problems probably as it was only manufactured post 2004.

The short version for people who couldn't be bothered reading all above!

Good cars which are great to drive however need a small bit more care and attention than your average car. Make sure it was serviced (including belts and tensioners every 3 years/36k) regularly and was not run low on oil and that there are no funny noises coming from the engine or suspension!

It is not my intention with the length of the post to make it seem like there are tons of problems, this is just a guide as to what MIGHT need attention and what to look out for!
Hope this is at least some help to someone and if you have any questions or suggestions post here or drop me a PM!