Faults:

Clutch, flywheel, gearbox recondition. All very expensive. Nightmare.

Rough running - EGR valve cleaned.

The car wouldn't start one day, replaced battery. Not that car's fault to be fair, probably had never been changed.

Various sensors replaced.

Brakes a bit "grabby" but work OK.

Oil leak from somewhere.

General Comments:

The 159 is a stunning car from Alfa Romeo. I love the looks of this car, mine is black with original wheels. Always get comments from friends/family/passers by about how good looking it is. Pretty rare car too, which helps. It's good to be different!

Inside the interior is also very nicely styled. Comfy seats and all the electrics you would expect.

The car is great to drive, punchy 1.9 diesel engine and still manages over 40 mpg regularly even when driven fast.

Love it and will keep it - I have spent a tonne of cash putting that gearbox right (very common fault) but once sorted these cars are fine. It still feels a bit notchy, but that is characteristic of this gearbox.

It's a shame Alfa Romeo make such gorgeous cars but can never get on par with any decent reliability! These cars would be pretty much perfect if quality and build was improved!

Faults:

Clutch needed replacing at 170k, as it was getting harder to change gear. Expected given the mileage. Expensive to replace - almost double a Japanese car cost.

Cracked plastic hose connector at the rear of the engine caused coolant to leak. Caused large plumes of steam from the bonnet. No damage done as it was caught immediately. Was cheap to fix.

General Comments:

Good torque and acceleration compared to my previous car.

Great on the open road; feels more solid and planted, compared to my old car. Well specced.

Auto wipers are rubbish. Either don't wipe enough or too much.

Crap turning circle in town. A bit thirsty, but not as much as I was expecting.

Interior not as spacious as a Mazda 6, but better looking and more comfortable.

Servicing costs are higher than Japanese cars.

Had a full service history, so the main issues with this model had been encountered already by previous owners, i.e. stretched cam chain and steering rack.

A bit of a love/hate relationship with this car. Have now sold it, but wish I hadn't.

Might consider a Brera or another manual wagon if I can find one.

Love the look of this car. Is a head turner for such an old car.

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

I was wary about buying this car, especially after reading all the forum horror stories.

I am so happy I did!

It. Has. Not. Missed. A. Beat.

In 44,000km!!! And it's still on its original chain.

I drive it on the freeway mostly so I believe that has a lot to do with the car's reliability. I travel a 600km round trip almost weekly and rarely do short hops.

It came with a full service history, and after researching the car, I discovered that it hadn't had its chain replaced, but I was prepared to spend money if something went wrong. Because I bought it cheaply, I was happy to take a risk as it is the most beautiful car I have ever owned. Oops, I did own an 1974 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider which was a joy to drive, but the rust problem was painful.