You are shopping for a performance sports sedan and have the Alfa Romeo Giulia on your list of potential winners. Before you buy, you do want to know that it is a reliable car worthy of your investment.
How reliable is the Alfa Romeo Giulia?
The 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia has a mixed reliability rating, drawing from both user reviews and long-term expert road reviews. Despite many reported issues, J.D. Power awarded Alfa Romeo the 2020 Quality Award and the Dependability award.
- User Reviews: 4.17 out of 5 stars
- Expert Review: Not Available
Well, mixed is an unusual verdict. What information contributes to this conclusion? We have laid all the important data out in this quick yet complete article. Keep reading to learn more.
Alfa Romeo Giulia: A Sports Sedan Oozing Pedigree and Performance
In 2017, the iconic Italian car manufacturer brought back one of their most popular badges, the Giulia. The long and low four-door is available as the eminently competent commuter car with 280 horsepower and a four-cylinder turbocharged engine. Trim levels improve in luxury and performance with the Sport, Ti, Ti Lusso, and Ti Grand Sport.
However, for those drivers that need to be able to lay down a quarter-mile in under four seconds, the Giulia Quadrifoglio is ready to race to your rescue. This amped up supercar offers up 505 horsepower, a 2.9L twin-turbo V6 engine, and all the extra suspension parts needed to blister the pavement.
If you are hunting for an upscale sedan featuring all the latest tech toys, the Giulia can include smart cruise control, blind-spot detection, and traffic sign recognition as part of its Active Driver Assistance Package. The interior upholstery ranges from premium cloth to hand-stitched leather over sport performance seats.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Reliability Breakdown
Open Recalls from the 2018 and 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued five recalls for the 2018 Giulia and two for the 2019 model year as of October 2020. The 2018 recalls include a faulty gas gauge, smart cruise control that will not deactivate, brake line leaks, a misfiring engine, and contaminated brake fluid. The recalls for the 2019 include the same fuel gauge and cruise control campaigns from the 2018.
Two Long-term Road Test Results with the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Car and Driver and Motor Trend each took the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio out for a long-term test. Their results were remarkably different in the reliability category.
The Car and Driver road test lasted for two years and about 40,000 miles. Their machine spent more than 80 days at the shop over that time for a variety of repairs, which all fell under warranty. They encountered repeated “service electronic throttle control” messages, loose hose clamp, failed fuel pump, a bad bearing requiring a new differential, and a flurry of other false warning lights.
On the other hand, the Motor Trend road test was remarkably devoid of any mechanical issues even after twelve months and 20,000 miles. The experts loved driving this well-heeled athletic machine.
Their only gripe is that the cost of service varied greatly from one dealer to the next.
What Do the Owners Have to Say About the Reliability of Their Alfa Romeo Giulia?
When we reviewed the Owners Comments at Vehicle History regarding Alfa Romeo Giulia reliability, we also noticed a mixed batch of opinions. While the 2020 Giulia has a 4.17 out of 5-star rating, each model year drops until the 2017 earned just a 3.75.
Some comments from users include, “Beautiful car with faulty building,” and “It’s the best car I have ever had.” One driver remarks it is completely reliable and the next says the opposite.
What About That J.D. Power Dependability Award?
The Dependability Award at J.D. Power takes 100 car owners of three-year-old cars of each brand. That means they reviewed the Giulia, Stelvio, and Spider for the Alfa Romeo brand. The brand with the fewest reported problems over a twelve-month period earns the award.
In the past, the Alfa Romeo brand has often been associated with poor quality builds out of Europe that are expensive to repair. Since 2015, Alfa Romeo has introduced a completely new line of vehicles based on new manufacturing and performance standards. Clearly the hard work is paying off.
Does that Used Alfa Romeo Giulia Have a Perfect or Checkered Past?
When you are faced with mixed reliability results, if you are considering purchasing a pre-owned Alfa, running a complete background check before you buy is crucial. Drop the vehicle identification number in VehicleHistory.com and see how many trips it has made to the repair shop.
