Before you buy a used Alfa Romeo 145 / 146.
Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.
The essentials.
- 2 documented, sourced faults across its 2 engines.
- That is not much data: if no other faults show up here, it does not mean it has none.
- 1 of them depends on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
- We have no official recalls on record for this model; ask anyway, with the chassis number (VIN).
- According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
Typical faults by engine
The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.
1.4 / 1.6 / 1.8 / 2.0 TS
Petrol
- Twin Spark cam variator rattleTiming system
- Period mentioned
- Specific production period stated in the condition and evidence.
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: 145/146 after 1997 with the 2.0 Twin Spark 16V engine and matching noise; published workshop diagnosis, not a recall or a quantified incidence. Do not extrapolate to other engines without checking.
1.9 JTD
Diesel
- 1.9/2.4 JTD intake flaps, EGR and flywheelIntake / EGR / flywheel
- Period mentioned
- 1997–2012
- Mileage mentioned
- 80,000–150,000 km
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults |
|---|---|
| 1.4 / 1.6 / 1.8 / 2.0 TSPetrol | 11 with conditions |
| 1.9 JTDDiesel | 1 |
According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.
Official recalls: ask before you pay
We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.
- Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
- Ask an official Alfa Romeo dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
- Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
On the test drive: what to look and listen for
Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.
0 of 2 checked
Intake / EGR / flywheel
Look out for: 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).
Ask them to check: 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.
Timing system
Look out for: Diesel-like rattle on cold startup.
Ask them to check: Verify engine, oil and cold/warm noise; confirm source before replacing the variator during timing belt work.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.
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