MajorCommonBody & Rust

Alfa Romeo 156: Corrosion in sills, arches, subframe and underbody

Corrosion in sills, arches, subframe and underbody is a common body & rust fault on the Alfa Romeo 156 on the 1997–2005 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $300 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 5 documented faults on the Alfa Romeo 156.

Vehicle: Alfa Romeo 156
Years: 1997–2005
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Alfa Romeo 156 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Alfa Romeo 156 faults5 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

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

How to check it

Where to look. Sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, boot floor, subframe and underbody mounting points

Inspect the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, floor pans, boot floor and spare-wheel well for bubbling, scale or holes, probing suspect areas.
Get the car on a ramp or look underneath at the subframe, its mounting points and the floor structure for heavy corrosion.
Check for fresh underseal or filler masking earlier rust, and confirm it holds a current WOF with no structural-rust advisories.
Any perforation in structural areas is a red flag on a car of this value.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$300 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Is there any rust in the sills, arches, floor, boot floor or subframe?”
“Has any welding or rust repair been done, and can I see it on a ramp?”
“Does it hold a current WOF with no structural-rust advisories?”

Now check the Alfa Romeo 156 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Alfa Romeo 156 buyer questions

Is corrosion in sills, arches, subframe and underbody serious on a Alfa Romeo 156?

We rate it major and common on the Alfa Romeo 156. 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.

How much does it cost to fix on a Alfa Romeo 156?

$300 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Alfa Romeo 156 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1997–2005 Alfa Romeo 156. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Inspect the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, floor pans, boot floor and spare-wheel well for bubbling, scale or holes, probing suspect areas. Get the car on a ramp or look underneath at the subframe, its mounting points and the floor structure for heavy corrosion. Check for fresh underseal or filler masking earlier rust, and confirm it holds a current WOF with no structural-rust advisories. Any perforation in structural areas is a red flag on a car of this value. Look here: Sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, boot floor, subframe and underbody mounting points