alfa romeo 156 problems

The Alfa Romeo 156 is brilliant to look at and occasionally dramatic to live with—surprise, surprise.

Here are the gremlins most owners meet, and what to watch for when buying used:

• Selespeed issues (actuator/pump/clutch wear) on the automated manual: jerky shifts, warnings, or refusal to select gears—needs specialist diagnosis.
• Timing belt, water pump and VVT variator: change around 60,000 km or 3 years; overdue belts can snap, and a rattly variator sounds like a diesel at idle.
• Front suspension wear (upper/lower wishbones, bushes, ball joints): clunks over bumps and uneven tyre wear—budget for refreshes.
• Electrical/sensor niggles (MAF, crank sensor, thermostat, coil packs) plus minor oil leaks from cam covers; watch temps and idle quality.

Get a pre-purchase inspection by an Alfa specialist and keep maintenance current; treat it right and it’ll pay you back with steering feel that makes traffic almost tolerable.