Used Alfa Romeo Stelvio review and buying guide (2017 to present): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Alfa Romeo Stelvio should you buy?

No Stelvio year or version stands out as the safer buy, because there are no known faults logged against it and only three owners' reports, all from 2018 and 2019 cars. Little on record isn't a clean record, though. It means nobody can tell you yet which years hold up, so treat every Stelvio as unproven and let the individual car's history decide.

What little there is points at brakes and electrics. One owner of a 2018 2.2 diesel had the brakes fail completely at 11,000 miles, with a faulty brake vacuum pump suspected. Another car, supplied new in 2019, had an engine management warning, a security alarm that went off by itself, air con that wouldn't cool and a failed auxiliary water pump, all while it was brand new.

There's nothing at all on record for cars built after 2019, and that doesn't make them better or worse; it just means there's no evidence either way. Whichever year you look at, the one to buy is the car with every service stamped on time and invoices for any warranty repairs, because that paperwork is the only track record you'll get.

Which Stelvio engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

None of the Stelvio's engines can be called proven, because no known faults are logged for any of them and every owner's report that names an engine involves the 2.2 diesel. That's an absence of evidence, not a clean bill of health. The engines pull hard and stay quiet, and every car comes with an automatic gearbox, which has nothing recorded against it.

On the 2.2 diesel, one 2018 car lost all braking at 11,000 miles with warning lights showing and a drop in power, and it then wouldn't switch off; the brake vacuum pump was the suspect. A 2019 car with the same engine and all-wheel drive needed rear discs and pads by 22,000 miles. They're single cars rather than a pattern, but they show which jobs to ask about.

What should you check when viewing a used Stelvio?

The brakes come first, since two of the three owners' reports involve them. Look at the rear discs for rust and a raised lip, because one 2019 car had its rear discs and pads replaced at its second service, at 22,000 miles. The pedal feels odd on every Stelvio because it's electronically controlled, so that feel alone isn't a reason to reject one, though any dashboard warning with it is.

Switch on and watch the dashboard. Amber or red brake warnings, an engine management light, or brake lights that stay lit with your foot off the pedal all need explaining before you hand over any money. Set the alarm and make sure it doesn't go off by itself, check the air con blows properly cold, and ask whether the auxiliary water pump has ever been replaced, since one car's failed when new.

Check the tyres closely, as one owner needed a new set at 15,000 miles, and drive it over a rough road, because the ride suffers on 20-inch wheels. Then ask for the full service history, receipts for any brake work (a replaced vacuum pump especially) and proof that any warranty repairs were done, so you can see what's already been fixed.

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 Stelvio cost to run?