Used Alfa Romeo 156 review and buying guide (1998 to 2005): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Alfa Romeo 156 should you buy?

The 156 to buy is the one with a bill for its last timing belt, tensioner and water pump change, because the belt on the 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 Twin Spark petrols can fail from 25,000 miles and usually wrecks the valves, and often the engine, when it goes. That's a known fault across every year of Twin Spark, so the paperwork matters far more than the age or the trim.

Later cars aren't automatically safer. The September 2003 facelift shares the same Twin Spark belt fault as the earliest cars, so a 2004 1.8 needs the same proof as a 1998 one. The 2.0 JTS petrol from June 2002 and the JTD diesels sit outside that fault, but they've got weak spots of their own (see below), and there's too little on the JTS to call it the safe one. Cars from spring 2000 have a different immobiliser that ended the trouble with lost red keys.

Which Alfa 156 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

No Twin Spark is safe without proof of its belt history. The belt, tensioner and idler pulleys on the 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 can let go anywhere from 25,000 miles, and Alfa cut the change interval to 36,000 miles or four years after a run of failures. The water pump runs off the same belt, so a seized pump can throw it, and because these are interference engines a failure usually wrecks the valves and often the whole engine.

The 2.0 petrol has a second weakness: a run of them have died of oil starvation with the sump full, which points at the oil pump. Twin Sparks also burn oil, up to a litre every 600 miles, so one that's been left to run low is a gamble; pull the dipstick before you drive it.

Both V6s, the 2.5 and the 3.2 GTA, need the belt, tensioners and water pump changed every 48,000 miles or four years, with a metal-impeller pump fitted, so ask for that bill too. The 2.0 JTS isn't part of the Twin Spark belt fault, but the oil-starvation failures above aren't pinned to one 2.0 engine and there's little else on it, so don't treat it as proven either.

On the diesels, soot can jam the swirl flaps in the 1.9 JTD's inlet manifold, causing smoke or a sudden loss of power, and the lasting fix is a new manifold, a six-hour job. The 2.4 JTD's alloy sump can crack on speed humps. The Selaspeed's actuator has given trouble, with long waits for parts, so a manual's the simpler choice, though the 1.8 and 2.0 five-speed manual has a slightly loose shift.

What should you check when viewing a used Alfa 156?

The belt bill comes first, and it must list the tensioners and water pump as well as the belt: within 36,000 miles or four years on a Twin Spark, within 48,000 miles or four years on a V6. Then ask for proof of recall work: the 1999 fix for door hinges splitting away from all four side doors, the 2000 fix for cracking brake pipe connectors on early cars, and the 2002 extra clips for a fuel pipe that could strain and leak.

With the bonnet up and the engine running, listen for a rattle or whirr from the belt end and look for coolant weeping from the water pump. A tappety top end means it's been run on low or dirty oil and the variable valve timing's suffered, so check the oil pressure's up to spec. Poor starting can be a sticking fuel enrichment device. On a diesel, ask whether the brakes have ever felt as though they'd gone; a new master cylinder has cured that on some cars.

Drive over bumps. Knocks from the front can be worn steering rack bushes, drop links or wishbones, and clonks from the back mean the bolts through the aluminium rear suspension haven't been retightened. On a V6 or JTD, check the inner edges of the front tyres: wear there comes from too much toe-out (all four wheels need laser-aligning) or tired strut top bearings. Feel the discs for scoring or a lip, and look for cracks round a 2.4 JTD's sump and drain plug.

Make sure the air conditioning blows cold and the condenser isn't holed by stones, try every electric item, and look for accident damage and kerbed alloys. Solid black paint can have lacquer problems. Work the bonnet catch: it needs grease, and a sticking safety catch can let the bonnet fly open onto the windscreen. Clutches, release bearings and gearbox input shaft bearings all fail too, so listen for bearing noise with the pedal up and down.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Alfa Romeo 156 cost to run?

What do Alfa 156 owners like about them?

It's the looks that win people over, in saloon or Sportwagon form, and the facelift made a pretty car even sharper. Several owners who paid between £400 and £1,000 for one say they ended up with something that's fun to drive, dependable day to day and still turns heads.

The engines are the other big draw: the 1.8 and 2.0 Twin Sparks are great to drive and the 2.5 V6 is a proper hooligan. Every 156 gets quick, direct steering, and it's a keen handler with the sports pack fitted, so look for one of those if you want the sharpest drive.

• Owners of Alfa Romeo 156 and Sportwagon models report them to be enjoyable, reliable cars with appealing styling, even when purchased for under £1,000.
• A Selaspeed automatic gearbox on one Alfa Romeo 156 provided complete reliability over 12,000 miles of use.
• The Alfa Romeo 156 features excellent styling, powerful engines including the 2.5 V6, and responsive steering, offering good handling.
• The 2.0 litre Selaspeed gearbox with steering wheel controls performs well on country roads, while the 'Q' system V6 is a full automatic.
• A revised immobiliser system on 2000 model year cars resolved previous issues with lost 'Red Keys'.