Fault File
All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Alfa Romeo Giulia

Alfa Romeo Giulia

All generations and engines together · 6,803 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 62k

Reliability verdict
BBy age
CBy miles

Graded against its peers

Better than most saloons and estates for its age, though about average per mile driven. Watch suspension and emissions/leaks. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.

First-time failure at age 7
15.3%
Across 1,800 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 17.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
15.1%
Across 947 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 16.8%.
Rank in its class
14 of 34
1 = lowest failure rate among the 34 saloons and estates we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
62k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Electrical gremlins and body control module faults

Emerging

Owners on Honest John report intermittent electrical failures ranging from dash warning lights and window/central locking glitches to full body control module replacements, with one case logging 22 weeks off the road across 21 months for recurring faults. It is not tied to one part, which is what makes it hard to pin down and expensive to chase. No manufacturer acknowledgement or TSB has surfaced for this, it is reported as a pattern rather than a single defect.

Reported at all ages and mileages · sources: Honest John owner reviews, Giulia Forums

Front suspension clunks and knocks

Partly in the MOT data

A recurring owner complaint is a clunk or knock from the front end over speed bumps, on light braking, or turning at parking speeds. Forum diagnosis usually lands on worn upper control arm bushings, sway bar end links or strut top bearings rather than the steering rack, and some owners report replacing several parts before it goes away. This lines up with the measured MOT data, which flags suspension as this model's weak point; the folklore and the numbers point the same way, even if the exact culprit part varies case to case.

Reported from around 40-60k miles · sources: Giulia Forums, Alfa Owner forum, independent diagnostic writeups

2.0 petrol timing chain chatter

Emerging

Some 2.0-litre turbo petrol cars develop a rattly chatter from the timing chain area, particularly noticeable on start-up or at idle. Owners on Giulia Forums discuss chain tensioner wear and adjustment as the likely cause, with opinion split on whether it is cosmetic noise or a sign of a chain that needs attention. Not officially acknowledged by Alfa Romeo, and no recall exists for it.

Reported from around 30k miles up · sources: Giulia Forums ("2.0 chain chatter" thread)

ZF 8-speed automatic: jerky, shuddering shifts

EmergingAutomatics only

On automatic cars, owners and gearbox specialists report harsh or delayed engagement pulling away from cold, and shuddering through the lower gears, sometimes flagged as an input speed sensor fault (P0716) that in the worst cases needs the whole mechatronic unit replacing. Reported from as early as 40-60k km by some UK gearbox repair shops. Does not apply to manual cars, which were a minority of UK sales.

Reported from 40-60k km · sources: Giulia Forums, UK gearbox repair specialists (Service4Service, Go-Parts diagnostics)

2.2 diesel DPF and EGR clogging

EmergingDiesel only

The 2.2 JTDm diesel is reported to struggle with DPF regeneration on cars used mostly for short urban trips, leading to a clogged filter, reduced power and heavier fuel use, sometimes alongside EGR-related rough idle. Motorway-heavy use largely avoids it; stop-start city driving is what triggers it. Costs vary widely depending on whether a clean, EGR service or full DPF replacement is needed.

Reported from roughly 30-50k miles on urban-driven cars · sources: owner and workshop write-ups on Alfa Romeo diesel ownership

Recalls: fuel leak sensor and headlight calibration

Confirmed pattern

Two official UK safety recalls cover Giulias built in the recall windows: a production fault in the fuel pressure/temperature sensor that could cause a fuel leak (cars built roughly September 2020 to June 2021), and uncalibrated automatic headlight position sensors falling short of the ECE R48 standard (cars built roughly November 2020 to May 2022). Both are free dealer fixes once flagged against the VIN.

Official DVSA-registered recalls · sources: DVSA recall database (via car-recalls.co.uk)

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 3.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%
Dampers Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 3.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.3%
Leaks Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 1.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
Brake pipes underneath Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 1.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%
Warning lights on ignition Turn the ignition on without starting the engine and watch the dash. Every warning light should appear, then go out once it is running. Be more suspicious of a light that never comes on at all than of one that stays on; warning bulbs have been known to vanish before a sale.Recorded on 0.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.5%
Wheels Look at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 0.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all fourRuns high on this model Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 31.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 17.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Pull the full service history and check for repeated electrical warning lights or module replacements. Recurring dash faults with no clear fix logged is the electrical gremlin pattern, not a one-off.
Drive over a few speed bumps at low speed and do a couple of full-lock parking turns. A clunk or knock points to worn front suspension bushings or end links, the model's known weak spot.
Start the 2.0 petrol from cold and listen for a minute before moving off. A rattly chatter from the front of the engine is the reported timing chain chatter, not just cold-engine noise.
On an automatic, pull away from cold and check the first few gear changes. Harsh, delayed or shuddery engagement suggests the ZF 8-speed's known jerky-shift complaint.
On a 2.2 diesel, ask how much of its life has been short urban trips and check for DPF warning history. A city-only diesel is far more likely to have a clogged filter or EGR problem than a motorway car.
Run the VIN through the DVSA recall checker before buying. An open recall for the fuel sensor or headlight calibration should be sorted free before you hand over money.
Check the MOT history for repeated suspension advisories. The same suspension advisory appearing more than once backs up the graduated-fault pattern above.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Alfa Romeo GiuliaClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 4,217 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
4.9%class 6.8%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
3.0%class 2.3%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
1.5%class 2.0%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
1.2%class 1.9%
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Fail
0.8%class 0.5%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Fail
0.6%class 0.3%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
0.6%class 0.6%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
34.9%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
17.3%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.9%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
5.2%class 13.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
4.3%class 2.3%
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Fail
4.2%class 2.1%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
3.5%class 3.4%
A tyre cords visible or damaged
Fail
3.3%class 1.2%

Others in its class

Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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