2000 Alfa Romeo 156 TS from UK and Ireland - Comments

- Gearbox - new 1st, 2nd and reverse gear. Use the old cogs as candle holders... quite cool.

- Clutch - replaced at 56k miles

- Air Flow meter - replaced at 60k and 90k miles.

- Immobilser coils in key-barrel

- Rear drop links 4 times

- Rear control arms

- Rear anti-sway bar

- Rear wish bones (upper and lower)

- Front wish bones

- Handbrake assy in cabin collapsed.

- Handbrake snapped cable at 100k

- Air-con broke 4 times... replaced multiple parts to plug leak... it was never very good anyway.

- Drivers seat belt jams from time to time.

- Smoke from factory radio!!

- Eats tyre's on the front due to camber..

- Exhaust 'flexi-pipe' from manifold to exhaust system rotted and fell off at 85k.

This is a beautiful looking car... quite stunning when it first hit the market. Even in 2008 she still can hold her own in a car-park, and wears her number-plate to one side like a fashion statement. She’s a saloon car disguised with some make-up to look like a coupe… and it works well.

Very comfortable car on long journeys... you never get bored of the interior.. even stuck in traffic jams the retro-styles dashboard keeps me amused. The layout of the cabin is very driver orientated.. all the dials face the driver... as they should!

Excellent cornering if you shoe her with proper tyres (do not use silly eco-budget tyres)... if you're going to have a spirited drive you need Pirellis or Bridgestone’s. Very comfortable feeling steering wheel and (I found) and excellent driving position and I'm 6 ' 1"!!

The radio in the car is not great; but with music from the exhaust system why would you listen to mp3s when you got a symphony performing live downstairs all conducted with your right foot.

I have an Alfa GTV (same 2.0TS engine as the 156) as a weekend play thing, she's also fun little thing, great engine. OK she's only got about 150BHP to play with, I have a Japanese car with over 350BHP, but the Alfa has Italian horses... and that is a very important point. It just is.

My wife and I have just ordered a 159 Ti 2.2 petrol as our family car. I'm afraid we're addicted to the brand. I don't care if the 159 is going to also be unreliable... that's not the point... right?

To summarise, the Alfa 156 was less than reliable.. but if it’s reliability and predictability you’re after then marry a Japanese or German car... if it’s passion and fun you want then have an affair with an Alfa Romeo. Be warned, she'll be unreliable, moody, selfish and cost you a fortune... but when she’s up to it on a curvy twisty country road on a sunny summers evening she'll please you like no other car.

...so I bought the 159 Ti 2.2 and kept the 156 TS 2.0. My wife and I swap the cars on the way to work regularly.

I prefer the 159 but the 156 has a better exhaust grunt!

Our 156 now has over 130k miles on the clock as has been totally reliable for the last 1.5 years! (just oil changes etc)

I think I've figured out these Alfas... most cars breakdown and need stuff fixed as they get older... no not these Italian ladies.. they break down as soon as they leave the factory... but as soon as you fix all the stuff up front in their first few years they will go on to live long lives... Buy one over 6 years old with >90k on the clock, and she'll do another 50k. :)

That makes no sense... maybe another theory; that you have just been lucky up til now, is more likely.

Don't understand how replacing parts (which fail when brand new) with other new parts will make the car more reliable.

I couldn't agree more with you - Alfa is the only marque I care to drive. I'm on my 4th - however the other day whilst parking on the side of the road my Selespeed light started to flash and I couldn't engage any gears (I have an 01 156 2.0). As my pulse increased to an illegal level I called my Fiat/Alfa mechanic; to cut it short my Selespeed oil pump had died - so my goddess is in the shop now getting a nice new oil pump :-/

I'm not so bothered; this sort of thing happens. The car has also done 160 000km. I acquired it with 145 000km and it's been faultless.

Alfaholic - Australia.

Hello just want to comment on the following comment left on 12 Dec last to my original article:

"That makes no sense... maybe another theory; that you have just been lucky up til now, is more likely.

Don't understand how replacing parts (which fail when brand new) with other new parts will make the car more reliable."

Yes I have been very lucky up to now, yes I have been very fortunate to have been able to own an Alfa Romeo (actually more than one!)... I'm afraid it's an addiction.. if you understand then you just understand, if not then please don't buy one... you'll only be left broke from the repairs (this is a 156 we're talking about)..

My theory behind replacing parts up front is a joke, it's meant to be humour... but the real funny part of this is it's also the truth! When I bought my 156 first she was back to the garage 8 times in the first 6 months! One of the mechanics working the Alfa dealership lived near our house at the time, so when we had a problem with our car he would collect our 156 on the way to work and drop it off on the way home when it was fixed. We got to know him and his family quite well and still keep up contact!! :) See owning an Alfa wins you friends too...

When the 156 fell out of warranty I bought a heap of Snap-On Diagnostic equipment for my garage and some specialised tools to keep my 156 and GTV on the road. It turns out there is a market of this kind of thing. Lots of local Alfa owners in trouble; which has now spawned a hobby (little part time business)... so owning an Alfa also makes you money!

I now own a 159Ti too and someone recently asked me if I would rent my car for 45mins so a bride and groom could drive it away from the church for their photographs? When will the advantages to Alfa-ownership stop???!!! :) by the way I told them no of course.

On a serious note, yes they are unreliable in the past, yes the cost of maintenance is high. If you don't want to spend cash on a car or have it break down don't buy one. There are 100s of professional reviews out there on print and on the web... they all say Alfas are bad etc etc... but why do we still buy them? Are we mad? Are the Alfista insane? Possibly.

Cheers,

cherb@eircom.net.

Just to reply to Alfaholic on 14th Dec.

I'm sorry to hear the gearbox on your car gave problems... but I'm sure you'll agree that would still wouldn't get rid of the car until it became a financial impossibility to keep the car on the road! I hope she is feeling much better and gets back on the tarmac as soon as possible. I can empathise that it can make you feel very angry when the problems come in quick succession; but then they perform... they perform.

Cheers,

cherb@eircom.net.

Hello!!!

She is fine!!! And in fact the other day I hit 160 000km and the outside temperature was 40 degrees C - just another balmy summer day in Australia - haha.

I have heard many complaints about the air con in the 156 - mine is great - if it copes with an ozzie summer it can cope with anything :)