On 18 Aug 2004 04:27:01 -0700, (Laurence)
wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I know this is possibly the wrong place to ask, but I am considering
>getting an 01/02 Alfa 156 2.4 JTD. But am hearing mixed reports about
>the reliability of the car and how well it is put together. Now the
>question is are these concerns justified?

Yes..it's an Alfa Romeo and they built up a bad reputation for
reliability and customer service. I had these concerns too when I
considered getting mine.

On mine, the suspension bushes wearing out every five minutes has
seriously dented my wallet (two £800 bills before 3 years and 24000
miles) at service time. The indicator relay (which I changed in a shop
car park waiting on the wife and kid) packs in every 18 months. 12UKP
for the part and easy to fix..in fact..*trivial for an Alfa"*. The
fuel filter seal is supremely delicate. It's at the rear of the engine
and, if you or a mechanic pulls it, the seal will never be reliable
again. You have to replace the fuel filter. This also happens all too
often after service replacement too.

Note that main dealer servicing may well start at about 300UKP for any
service.

Having said all that, mine's a 2001 and it's never let me down. AA/RAC
membership, 3 year warranty etc have been a waste of money. If you get
an 01/02, the only stock issue that should be left on it is worn
bushes.

Check all the tyres on the car, they should wear perfectly evenly.
Check, also, the metal panels for dents (the boot lid is particularly
easy to dent just shutting it). Check radio reception (all bands) with
and without the rear demist (where the antennas are). If there's a
difference, you may well have a broken demist element which means new
back window.

One last thing, look under the front and ensure the under tray is in
excellent condition. A new one is 80UKP but it's plastic instead of
fibre so is far more robust (flexible). You can also check on how
badly the car has been scraped along the road (sadly a normal
occurrence).

I think the 2.4JTD is, overall, the best in the 156 range and I'd get
another one if some pillock hadn't screwed up the front of the current
ones!

--
Z
Scotland
Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather
'Oil' be seeing you..
(Email without 'Alfa' in subject are auto-deleted..sorry!)