[roxiedog13]

I was just about to purchase the Quadrifoglio,however, after reading a Motor Trend article on the Gulia Quadrifoglio, I'm not quite sure this is a smart choice. I live in a rural area, the nearest dealer is over 1860 Kilometers away, a vehicle that would need multiple warranty trips to the original dealer would be a nightmare. I own a BMW X3 now, the dealer is still 700 kilometers away however, I've not had one single issue that required dealer intervention, all service has been done at a local garage with the exception of one mandatory service inspection.

Is the situation from Motor Trend isolated, misleading marketing bias, or should I be worried?

 

[ChiGuy]

We use this post on the Alfa Owners Facebook page to respond to this question that seems to come up daily:

CERTIFIED PRE-APPROVED RESPONSE to daily reliability inquiry from potential new owners:

“Most of us love our Alfas, and talk enthusiastically about how fun they are to drive. There have been periodic updates and recalls issued over the years - as with all other cars. But there are no general reliability problems. Most common problems are minor electrical gremlins. I am unaware of any true mechanical issues. They are beautiful, well built, quality cars. You will always find individuals who have experienced problems, but don’t let that scare you. If buying used, make sure any car you purchase has had all of its updates and recalls performed and you’ve got nothing to worry about. Buy it and you will love it!”

 

[AlfaMD]

Did you know 1860 kilometers = 1155 miles, wow! As much as i love my Alfa's, not a chance unless i was wealthy enough that money was no object. Or perhaps if had had a Chrysler/ Dodge dealer with a certified Alfa technician a bit closer. Chances are you won't have any major issues but having to drive 2 days if you did is 1 day too much for me. And with an issue, you would be towing it 2 days and perhaps leaving it for a few days.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Is that just the Alfa dealer?

Or are you remote enough that most dealers are that far away?

In general the Alfa is as reliable as competitive models from Germany or Japan, however, just like them there is always a chance of needing a trip to the dealer. If the distance is the same for everything..Alfa.

If another brand you would also enjoy driving is located closer...probably smart to get that honestly. Not because Alfa's are less reliable but because regardless of what you drive a trip to the dealer has a decent chance of being required at some point, and that is a very long way.

 

[roxiedog13]

Did you know 1860 kilometers = 1155 miles, wow! As much as i love my Alfa's, not a chance unless I was wealthy enough that money was no object. Or perhaps if had had a Chrysler/ Dodge dealer with a certified Alfa technician a bit closer. Chances are you won't have any major issues but having to drive 2 days if you did is 1 day too much for me. And with an issue, you would be towing it 2 days and perhaps leaving it for a few days.

I certainly do understand 1860Kilometers=1155miles, most older Canadians do the conversion daily without even thinking of it. Either way, it's the same distance and a long one at that. I do have a Chrysler dealer within a stone's throw, highly doubt there is a trained Alfa technician though. I'm really only concerned about the warranty period return process, the dealer assured me roadside assistance will tow the vehicle no matter where it is, although, now that I think of it, they may not actually return to the owner once fixed, a trick most companies conveniently forget to advocate. Either way, it's a bit of a gamble, with my BMW I lucked out over six years, never had one issue. This vehicle will be my wife's daily driver if it breaks it's not the end of the world as we carpool in my vehicle most of the time anyway, so losing it for a month would not be the end of the world. Shipping the vehicle one way is a $1650 Canadian charge if the vehicle was a lemon, that could get old quite quickly. Pretty sure I'm taking the risk as it seems the consensus is, the vehicle is on par with others for reliability, the fun to risk factor will dictate the outcome I expect.

Appreciate the feedback.

Robert

 

[roxiedog13]

Is that just the Alfa dealer?

Or are you remote enough that most dealers are that far away?

In general the Alfa is as reliable as competitive models from Germany or Japan, however, just like them there is always a chance of needing a trip to the dealer. If the distance is the same for everything..Alfa.

If another brand you would also enjoy driving is located closer...probably smart to get that honestly. Not because Alfa's are less reliable but because regardless of what you drive a trip to the dealer has a decent chance of being required at some point, and that is a very long way.

Knowing the vehicle is as reliable as other major brands is what I need to hear, still a risk obviously, but one I believe is worth it. After reading the Motor Trend review of the Giulia I was bothered about the many issues that vehicle had, I'm hoping that was an earlier version and a bit of an outlier. I agree another brand might be the lower risk, since this vehicle is my wife's daily driver, losing it for a while will not be the end of the world as we carpool in my vehicle 90% of the time and have other vehicles if the Alfa is gone for an extended time.

Appreciate the comments

Robert

 

[roxiedog13]

We use this post on the Alfa Owners Facebook page to respond to this question that seems to come up daily:

CERTIFIED PRE-APPROVED RESPONSE to daily reliability inquiry from potential new owners:

“Most of us love our Alfas, and talk enthusiastically about how fun they are to drive. There have been periodic updates and recalls issued over the years - as with all other cars. But there are no general reliability problems. Most common problems are minor electrical gremlins. I am unaware of any true mechanical issues. They are beautiful, well built, quality cars. You will always find individuals who have experienced problems, but don’t let that scare you. If buying used, make sure any car you purchase has had all of its updates and recalls performed and you’ve got nothing to worry about. Buy it and you will love it!”

We are buying a brand new Stelvio Quadrifoglio and the extended roadside assistance will consider extended warranty after a year of driving. Knowing the Motor Trend review of the Giulia was not typical and that reliability is as good as other manufacturers is reassuring.


Thanks

Robert

 

[Badger]

In my opinion, access to reliable local support and service is a key factor in vehicle selection regardless of brand. With the reality that a minor electronic gremlin can disable a vehicle and owner repairs next to impossible, there is a significant risk is owning a vehicle of any brand that does not have service available within a reasonable distance.

 

[AlfaMD]

I found that many of the issues on this forum are battery related and would be solved by installing a quality AGM battery so that is what i did when i bought mine. If you do purchase a Stelvio, have the dealer install an Interstate AGM as part of the deal. And all the brands, BMW incuded, are having battery issues. I was leaning towards GLC63 or X3M until their respective forums scared me streight back to Alfa.
I f you have a good local tech, dont think they will have any issues working on the Stelvio. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Tom]

Robert,

My first new car was a 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider. At the time I was living in Toronto, Don Mills actually. There were two independent mechanics in my area that I used. Don't remember ever going back to the dealer for service. The Alfa parts warehouse for all of Canada was not far away either. It doesn't get much better than that.

Now I'm back in Oregon where I grew up and I have a 2019 Stelvio and the dealer is a 3 hour round trip from me. I've been back 3 times. Once for the free 10,000 mile service, second for entertainment system software update, and most recently for the W05 recall, a software update also. I did an oil change myself at 20,000 miles. Oh, and I replaced the Varta battery myself with an AGM Interstate battery. I wasn't having any battery related problems, I just did it as prevention.

Assuming you don't get a lemon, those are the kind of things that you can expect might need a trip to a dealer. And long road trips in an Alfa are usually something to look forward to.

 

[QuadHHi]

I was just about to purchase the Quadrifoglio,however, after reading a Motor Trend article on the Gulia Quadrifoglio, I'm not quite sure this is a smart choice. I live in a rural area, the nearest dealer is over 1860 Kilometers away, a vehicle that would need multiple warranty trips to the original dealer would be a nightmare. I own a BMW X3 now, the dealer is still 700 kilometers away however, I've not had one single issue that required dealer intervention, all service has been done at a local garage with the exception of one mandatory service inspection.

Is the situation from Motor Trend isolated, misleading marketing bias, or should I be worried?

Purchase an AGM battery day 1, and most likely no issues will arise.

 

[SAID06]

Read the last paragraph under Verdict.

2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio TI Sport Review | CarProUSA

The 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio TI Sport impresses as a sporty drivers vehicle that you can enjoy on a daily basis. Find a CarProUSA Certified Alfa Romeo dealer near you.

www.carprousa.com

.

 

[Chas]

I'm afraid there may be no dealers soon. The dealer I bought from in Savannah dropped Alfa before the first service. So I went to Jacksonville dealer which was about same distance. They dropped Alfa sometime this year. Now it's 3 hours to Charleston.
Will Alfa stay in the U.S. if they keep losing dealers?

 

[Badger]

I'm afraid there may be no dealers soon. The dealer I bought from in Savannah dropped Alfa before the first service. So I went to Jacksonville dealer which was about same distance. They dropped Alfa sometime this year. Now it's 3 hours to Charleston.
Will Alfa stay in the U.S. if they keep losing dealers?

Great dealer in West Palm Beach - Arrigo but not sure how far that is for you..

 

[roxiedog13]

Purchase an AGM battery day 1, and most likely no issues will arise.

Thanks for the advise, will follow up on the suggestion and get the AGM battery many have suggested. If you don't mind, what are the problems associated with the original battery that
comes with the vehicle? My Stelvio should arrive within a few days, guess I'll have to manage for a while until I figure out the type of AGM battery I'll require.

 

[Tom]

The Interstate MT-49/H8 is what many of us have switched to. I don't know if they are available in Canada. A good battery dealer should be able to find a cross reference if not.

Here is a writeup that someone on this forum did. I reformatted it to pdf format. But the credit goes to the original author (who I can't remember).

 

[ChiGuy]

Thanks for the advise, will follow up on the suggestion and get the AGM battery many have suggested. If you don't mind, what are the problems associated with the original battery that
comes with the vehicle? My Stelvio should arrive within a few days, guess I'll have to manage for a while until I figure out the type of AGM battery I'll require.

Roxie, not everyone has problems with the battery. It might be the most common issue, but the majority of owners have no problems. I’m on my second Alfa and have been an owner for 3 1/2 years and have never had a battery problem. I wouldn’t rush out to get a battery unless something happens.

 

[Monk]

OP, your a long way from dealer. Demand an agm battery before leaving the dealership. A mopar AGM will be just fine. The varta batteries in these cars are designed to be light weight and they don’t possess the same charging capacity of an AGM. Batteries have been an issue with Giulias as well as Stelvios. If you had a dealer close no biggie but your distance from a dealer you want to stack the deck in your favor. I love Alfa’s and own a 20 Stelvio and a 19 Giulia quad. My quad gets an AGM tomorrow. Also get a trickle charger as winters will be even harder on batteries. As I said, I love Alfas but if I lived as far away from a dealer as you id buy from whomever has a dealer close. My 2 cents. Good luck

 

[AlfaMD]

My problem is once a vehicle lets me down, i lose faith in it. And i love my Stelvio Quad too much to let a dead battery come between us. So I went ahead and replaced the battery with AGM to save our relationship.

I would also ask the dealer to swap the battery prior to pickup even if you pay for it. But using a battery tender would work too.