1996 Alfa Romeo 155 review from UK and Ireland

Driver's seat missing a bolt when new.

Faulty engine management wiring on when new - car engine cut out a long way from home at 2,000 miles.

Faulty front wheel tracking when new.

Faulty ABS when new.

Cracked heater valve inside the car at 30,000 miles - leaked coolant into the car.

Blew a hole in rear exhaust silencer box at 36,000 miles.

Gearbox broke a seal and leaked its lubrication. The gearbox has a dipstick, but can only be accessed from under the car.

Optional front splitter is made of a brittle plastic and keeps breaking - quite expensive to replace.

Very comfortable car on long runs with standard suspension.

Hated speed bumps with standard suspension.

Slight tendency to oversteer with standard suspension.

Pulls from 18mph in 5th gear (and does 40 in 1st).

There are two kinds of brake pads available from the dealer - none of which work as well as the orignal set. Resolved with Mintex 171 pads.

Handing issues resolved with the Koni spring/adjustable damper kit. Ride was compromised, but worth it.

Car seemed to lose it's top end after 24,000 miles. 164 Green Cloverleaf cams (made up from blanks) and retune fixed this. Lost a bit of torque, but still pulled from 18mph in 5th.

Maintenance schedule suggests changing cam belts at 72,000 miles. Always change them at 36,000. This is quite expensive because of the close fit of the engine in the bay - takes time to get it right (and time is money). In fact, even changing plugs is a nightmare for the same reason.

One of the best normally aspirated cars around.