Used Alfa Romeo Giulia review and buying guide (2016 to present): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Alfa Romeo Giulia should you buy?

The Giulia to buy is one whose history proves the recall issued in 2018 was done, because contaminated fluid could damage parts of the brake and clutch hydraulics and the fix was to replace those components. There's also dealer bulletin work on brake pipe routing, an electrical harness swap and a software update, so ask to see that on the invoices too.

There aren't any known faults on file for the Giulia, and that's a gap in the record rather than a clean bill of health. The owners' reports that give a build date are all 2017 or 2018 cars, and the electrics come up again and again: flat batteries, a dead horn traced to a wiring fault, and one Quadrifoglio that had to be rewired from end to end.

Nothing at all is on record for later Giulias, good or bad. Don't take that silence to mean Alfa sorted the early problems, because fewer reports isn't the same as fewer faults. Treat a newer car exactly like an early one and judge it on its own paperwork, its warning lights and how it behaves on the drive.

Which Giulia engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

No Giulia engine has a known fault logged against it, so none of them can be called the safe one or the one to dodge on the evidence available. What exists is a handful of single owners' reports covering the 2.2 diesel, the 2.0 and the Quadrifoglio, and the three that name a gearbox are all automatics, so there's nothing on record for any other transmission.

On the 2.2 diesel, one owner had an engine idling above 800rpm and running roughly, and the dealer fitted a new injector on one cylinder without curing it. A different owner's 2.2 JTDM-2 180 automatic lit its engine warning light and spent two weeks at the dealer before a failed swirl motor on the intake manifold was found. That's two cars with two different faults, not a pattern.

The 2.0 has its own single reports. One owner of a June 2018 automatic couldn't get rid of a transmission fluid smell in the cabin when stopped after a long run, and a carbon pollen filter only toned it down. Another, with a March 2017 2.0 200 automatic, had an oil warning that stayed lit after the level was corrected and a parking brake that wouldn't release.

What should you check when viewing a used Giulia?

Turn the steering to full lock with the car cold and listen. Three separate reports describe the front tyres juddering, cracking or chuntering at or near full lock, worse before they've warmed up: one on a 2018 2.2 diesel on 17-inch wheels and two on the 2.0 280PS with its wide front tyres. A dealer called it a characteristic of the car, so decide whether you can live with it.

Check the battery and the electrics properly. One report said the stop/start battery lost capacity fast even on cars that had covered just 7,000 miles in 18 months, with plenty swapped under warranty and replacements taking 1 to 2 weeks to come from Italy. Another owner had three roadside breakdowns traced to the battery. Make sure it starts cleanly, stop/start works, the horn sounds and the dash is free of warnings.

Ask for paper proof of the 2018 brake and clutch component recall and any bulletin work on brake pipes, the wiring harness and software. On the drive, brake gently from low speed and listen, because one Quadrifoglio owner had a squeal and rumble from new that the dealer couldn't cure. Try the parking brake a few times too, since one 2.0 200 automatic refused to let it go.

On a diesel, let it idle once warm and watch the rev counter: one owner's car sat above 800rpm and ran roughly. If it's an automatic, sit in it with the engine running at the end of the test drive and sniff for a transmission fluid smell coming into the cabin, which one 2.0T owner couldn't get rid of.

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 Giulia cost to run?