Alfa Romeo 156: common faults & what to check

Which Alfa Romeo 156 are you looking at?

6 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Petrol

4 variants documented

1997–20059321997–20059321.6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

1997–20059321997–20059321.8 petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

1997–20059321997–20059322.0 petrolPetrolDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

1997–20059321997–20059322.5 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Diesel

2 variants documented

1997–20059321997–20059321.9 JTD dieselDieselDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

1997–20059321997–20059322.4 JTD dieselDieselDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Alfa Romeo 156

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Alfa Romeo 156 before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Costly issue

  On a test drive over rough ground listen for knocks, creaks and squeaks from the front.

  See why

  Front double-wishbone arm, bush and drop-link wear (knocking)

  The 156's double-wishbone front suspension gives sharp handling but wears quickly. The upper and lower wishbone ball joints, the bushes the arms pivot on, and the anti-roll-bar drop links all wear out, commonly noticeable from around 80,000-120,000 km and a near-certainty on high-km cars. Owners report knocking, creaking and squeaking from the front over bumps and vague steering. Parts are relatively cheap but a full front rebuild adds up, and worn joints are a warrant-of-fitness (WOF) failure.

  What you would notice

  • Knocking or clunking from the front over bumps and potholes
  • Creaking or squeaking from the front suspension, worse when dry
  • Vague or wandering steering that won't hold alignment
  • Uneven or accelerated front tyre wear
  • Play felt when the wheel is rocked

  Typically $500–$1,800 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Inspect the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, floor pans, boot floor and spare-wheel well for bubbling, scale or holes, probing suspect areas.

  See why

  Corrosion in sills, arches, subframe and underbody

  Rust is widely cited as the 156's biggest weakness, and on 20-plus-year-old NZ and AU cars it is age-driven rather than mileage-driven. Owners and buying guides report corrosion in the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, boot floor and around structural underbody and subframe points, and recommend inspecting the platform on a ramp. Structural rust is a warrant-of-fitness (WOF) failure and can be expensive or uneconomic to repair on a low-value car, so it is a key thing to check before buying.

  What you would notice

  • Bubbling paint or flaking metal along sills, arches and door bottoms
  • Rust flakes or holes in the boot floor and spare-wheel well
  • Corrosion or scale on the subframe and underbody structure
  • Damp or musty smell inside from water ingress
  • Filler or fresh underseal hiding previous repairs

  Typically $300–$3,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Do a genuinely cold start and listen for a diesel-like rattle from the cam cover area that clears once oil pressure builds.

  See why

  Twin Spark cam variator rattle ('diesel' knock on start-up)

  The Twin Spark (TS) petrol engines use an oil-fed cam-phasing variator on the exhaust camshaft that wears and rattles as it ages, typically from around 80,000-120,000 km. Owners describe a loud diesel-like knock or rattle for a few seconds on cold start (oil drains from the unit overnight) that lengthens as it deteriorates, and rattling under load below about 1500 rpm. A worn variator loses top-end power, and if it disintegrates it can damage the cam and valvegear, so it is normally replaced together with the cam belt.

  What you would notice

  • Loud diesel-like rattle or knock for a few seconds after a cold start
  • Rattle that lasts longer as the fault worsens
  • Metallic rattle under load below about 1500 rpm
  • Loss of top-end power and higher fuel use
  • Ticking or tapping from the top of the engine

  Typically $600–$1,800 to put right.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Alfa Romeo 156’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Cambelt Replacement Cost

Other Alfa Romeo models