Before you buy a used Alfa Romeo 166.
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 official recall on record: ask for the chassis number (VIN) and confirm it has been done.
- 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.
2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 V6
Petrol
- Period mentioned
- 1998–2007
- Mileage mentioned
- What the sheet says: 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.
2.4 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 | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 V6Petrol | 1 | 1 |
| 2.4 JTDDiesel | 1 | 0 |
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
A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.
- 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.
Power steering connection leakSteering
Engines: 2.0 / 2.5 / 3.0 V6 (Petrol)
How to check it: Confirm recall; replace supply and return pipes, cooler and fluid as specified.
View full entryOn 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
Timing system
Look out for: Lack of power high in the rev range (air-flow meter); overheating if the water-pump impeller breaks; electrical faults; leaking gearbox seals.
Ask them to check: 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.
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.
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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