KNOWN FAULTS · Alfa Romeo
Known faults for the Alfa Romeo 166.
2000–2007 · Petrol / Diesel
Sources are not verified in real time and no entry confirms that your car is affected.
Buying it used?Which engine has the fewest documented faults, which recalls to ask the seller about and what to look for on the test drive.Before you buy
2 known faults with sources
Engines: 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 V6 (Petrol)
Timing belt, water pump, air-flow meter and electrics on the Alfa 166Timing system
- Engine / equipment
- Alfa Romeo 166 petrol (2.0 Twin Spark, 2.5 and 3.0 V6)
- Period mentioned
- 1998–2007
- Symptoms
- Lack of power high in the rev range (air-flow meter); overheating if the water-pump impeller breaks; electrical faults; leaking gearbox seals.
- Possible cause described
- A buyer’s guide explains that Alfa halved the timing-belt interval on the petrols (about 58,000 km or 3 years), that the water pump should be changed with it because its plastic impeller breaks, and lists the air-flow meter, the electrics and the gearbox seals as weak points.
- Check for the garage
- Ask for the invoice for the last belt and pump change; if there is none, replace them before using the car; test all the electrics.
- Cost cited in the source
- No verified estimate; ask the garage for a quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Sources from the original database
View full entryEngines: 2.4 JTD (Diesel)
1.9/2.4 JTD intake flaps, EGR and flywheelIntake / EGR / flywheel
- Engine / equipment
- 1.9 JTD / Multijet (8 and 16 valves), 2.4 JTD and JTDm in Fiat, Alfa Romeo 147, 156, 159, GT and Brera, Lancia and the Opel 1.9 CDTI
- Period mentioned
- 1997–2012
- Symptoms
- Power loss, rough idle and an engine light with “swirl actuator malfunction”; soot around the intake manifold; vibration and knocks in low gears (dual-mass flywheel).
- Possible cause described
- On the 16-valve 1.9 and 20-valve 2.4, the intake flaps seize with EGR soot and oil, and the control rod comes off as its plastic bushes wear. The EGR fouls in town use and the dual-mass flywheel wears between 80,000 and 150,000 km. The 8-valve 1.9 has no flaps.
- Check for the garage
- Check the rod and flap operation on top of the manifold, read actuator codes, inspect the EGR and listen to the flywheel when starting and stopping.
- Cost cited in the source
- Intake manifold: €400–900 in parts; EGR cleaning: €150–250A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Mileage cited in the database: 80,000–150,000 km. This is not a maintenance interval and does not predict a failure.
Sources from the original database
Carchecker: Fiat Bravo 1.9 MultijetCarchecker: Fiat Croma 1.9 MultijetMS Motor Service (Pierburg): manifold and actuator failure on 1.9 JTD enginesFiatForum: 1.9 16v Multijet intake manifoldAlfa Club Victoria: 159 2.4 JTDm swirl flaps
View full entryEngines for this model
- 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 V6Petrol
- 2.4 JTDDiesel