Photo credit: Koshi Group
Alfa Romeo has been battling the unreliability misconception for ages now. To know where the bad reputation came from and to answer the question “Is Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable?” we have to get to the core of the problem. Besides this, we will also cover the Alfa Romeo Giulia common issues, which will help you gain better insight.
As you already might know by now, Alfa Romeo builds special cars.
They look apart, they perform better than their competitors, and they handle like a dream.
There is a saying “Alfa Romeo is a poor man’s Ferrari”, and that saying is true in more than one way.
We, at the Alfisti Crew are into car mechanics, and we work on different brands and models besides the Alfa. This gives us a special perspective when Alfa’s reliability is in question.
Whether the model of Alfa you are interested in buying is old or new, the answer to the reliability question is always going to be the same. Alfa’s just as reliable as any other car, but if you want one you have to buy one that has been well taken care of.
Abused Alfas that haven’t been properly maintained can be a world of trouble. As we mentioned above, most of the cars Alfa produces perform on another level compared to competitors, and people tend to push them constantly.
Now, there isn’t anything bad with that as long as you properly maintain it. This includes regular oil changes, small, and major services, and so on. Now before we get deeper into the reliability question, we have to understand the audience Alfa appeals to most, and those are young people.
Alfas are flashy, beautiful, fast, and special, all of the attributes that appeal to young people. The one thing young people don’t have in abundance is money, and parts for Alfa Romeo can get quite expensive. While their Alfa is pushed constantly, it rarely gets the attention it deserves.
In the end, you end up with a car that has been abused constantly without proper oil changes, or regular service or repairs. That car is, of course, going to be unreliable, regardless of the fact that it is an Alfa.
And that is my friends how the misconception of Alfa’s unreliability was created. Now that we got to the bottom of the subject, let’s move on to the car in question – the Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Alfa Romeo got a big revival under the late Sergio Marchionne, and after their exhibition the 4C, Alfa Romeo produced the spectacular Giulia. This car wasn’t made in the spur of the moment, it was a product of a great and well-funded development that employed some of the best engineers from Ferrari.
They developed top-notch engines and the Giorgio platform which is truly a masterpiece. While we won’t go any further into the production itself, we have to say that the end product looked stunning, but more importantly, it outperformed its competitors leaving them in the dust.
Numerous awards for design, and performance confirm this particular statement. Besides this, when it came out, it received the highest safety scores. Alfa, however, did make several mistakes when launching this model.
First off, they let the journalists test the pre-production Giulia QVs which weren’t as refined as they should be. This resulted in several issues which played into the unreliability misconception.
However, Alfa Romeo Giulia is not a perfect car, nor is any other, especially a modern one. So, in the second part of the article, we’ll get to few Alfa Romeo Giulia common issues, and closer to the answer is Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable.
Weak Battery
If you do any research before purchasing the Giulia, you’ll see that the main problem they have is with batteries. Giulia is equipped with a start-stop system that does require more powerful batteries, and while they are good while new, as time passes, they start diminishing in power which can lead to some electric gremlins.
However, all of those issues are resolved with battery replacement and reset procedure which is relatively simple. Another issue which is regarding the charging system is corroded battery terminals.
This is due to the oversea shipping during which salt causes corrosion to the mentioned parts. This can result in poor charging of the battery, and poor battery output, which again, can cause some warning lights and electric faults.
Leaky Radiator
One of the other Alfa Romeo Giulia common issues that’s not really frequent is the radiator leak. It usually happens on the earlier models, and Alfa has actually issued a service bulletin to remedy this problem. So there is a smaller chance that you will come up to this issue if you are looking to buy used or new Giulia nowadays.
Dealership Network
One of the biggest problems with Giulia is the dealership network itself. Alfa has just returned to the United States, and they have not yet established a well-organized network that will meet your needs without much hustle. However, you will still be able to find a good Alfa dealer that will take good care of you and your car.
Besides this, Alfa recognized this issue and they are exerting huge efforts and financial resources to resolve this issue, especially now when they are under Stellantis, and when new Tonale came out. Also, if you have an issue with your Alfa make sure to contact Alfa Customer Care, your issue will be resolved much quicker.
Conclusion
To answer once and for all is Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable, yes it is. It is as reliable as any other premium car if not more. Giulia did not have any complete engine failures like BMW or Audi, nor did it have any issues with differential, or transmission, as some of the other brands.
All of the Alfa Romeo Giulia common issues, or any other you might encounter are easily remedied. On the other hand, you will get an amazing car, which is not only beautifully designed but also engineered to perfection. The chassis will offer outstanding handling, while its feisty engines provide performance that is unmatched by the competition.
Besides this, Giulia is very well built, so you can be sure you and your family will be safe in the event of a collision. Lastly, we have to say that Giulia offers the most bang for the buck, and before you even consider buying something else, make sure you give it a good thought.
In the end, we have to say that Giulia is a great car. Hopefully, we gave you more insight into Alfa Romeo Giulia common issues, but more importantly, the answer to the question is Alfa Romeo Giulia reliable?