2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system4032.5%
- Engine2217.9%
- Electrical1915.4%
- Powertrain (other)86.5%
- Brakes86.5%
- Driver assistance64.9%
- Airbags43.3%
- Body & structure43.3%
- Exterior lighting32.4%
- Steering32.4%
- Visibility32.4%
- Seat belts21.6%
- Suspension10.8%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V586000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on approximately five occasions, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, lost motive power, and stalled on some occasions. The check engine warning light and the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) warning light were illuminated twice. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined to have a Co pump module failure because the pressure was too high and the Co pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle and parking the vehicle, upon returning to the vehicle a short time later, the vehicle hesitated while restarting. On another occasion, the vehicle was started and stalled while driving. Approximately 10 minutes later, the vehicle was able to be restarted. A diagnostic scan of the vehicle indicated a failure with the fuel delivery system. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a temporary workaround was performed; however, the vehicle became inoperable shortly after being started and driven. No further repairs were completed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number 25V586000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V586000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on approximately five occasions, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, lost motive power, and stalled on some occasions. The check engine warning light and the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) warning light were illuminated twice. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined to have a Co pump module failure because the pressure was too high and the Co pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.
NHTSA #25V-586 Recall #93C 2017-2019 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA, 2018-2019 ALFA ROMEO The vehicle has been experiencing inconsistent fuel readings, an electronic throttle control fault, and a service engine warning. When the electronic throttle control fault occurs, the vehicle loses power, stalls, and struggles to accelerate, which raises concerns about its suitability for commuting. On several occasions, while driving on highways, my vehicle has experienced loss of power, resulting in a significant reduction in speed. This has necessitated extended commute times on streets due to the apprehension of causing accidents. Consequently, I have had to miss several workdays in an attempt to address this issue. Initially, I resorted to using rental vehicles out of pocket until a solution for this recall was found. However, despite my efforts, there has been no resolution, and I am left with concerns about driving my vehicle and potentially causing an accident due to the lack of safety measures or the ongoing financial burden of renting vehicles until a solution for the recall is implemented. Despite multiple attempts to schedule a repair, there has been no resolution, and the date for bringing the vehicle in for inspection continues to be postponed. Despite multiple attempts to schedule a repair, no resolution has been achieved. The date to bring the vehicle in for inspection has been repeatedly postponed, and the date for inspection is now April 1st, 2026.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Alfa Romeo Giulia (and Stelvio) models have an exposed powertrain ground strap under the vehicle body. Because of the exposed position of the ground strap it is prone to corrosion which causes the fine wire braid of the ground strap to become brittle and break. Breaking of the strands of wire is further accelerated due to the acute 90 degree bend in the ground strap routing resulting in wire fatigue. When the ground strap fails it is typical the vehicle may not start. With continued attempts to start, alternate grounding paths may be sought by the current from the starting circuit. This results in substantial and expensive damage to other wiring and electrical components within the engine bay. Alfa Romeo is aware of design flaw of exposed ground strap and the resulting damage from their choice of placement (and lack of protection of the ground strap). Both my 2018 Giulia nd 2023 Stelvio Quadrifoglio have this exposed ground strap design. My 2018 Giulia has failed ground strap. Alfa Romeo will advise that washing the underside of the vehicle is required to keep ground strap free of corrosion. This is not a solution and underbody rinses are typically one spray bar in the car wash and this is insufficient to clean the woven ground strap braid. Alfa Romeo should be forced to issue a recall and remedy this design oversight.
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the horn was inoperable and there was no audible sound while depressed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the horn failure was caused by an air bag clock spring failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
i have been waiting for months received a letter from Alfa Romeo sent them my details, for them to get in touch with me when the remedy for this potential dangerous fault to be rectified. Many crashes have taken place, as the car could potentially cut out whilst on the highways. For Alfa Romeo to leave me in a state where this car could cut out without warning at any stage is not unacceptable. I have to use my car for work, and I am having to resort to using other means with the fear this car could cut out on me on the freeways. They have failed to respond to my email or have they sent me a followup letter to get my car booked in and fixed.
Fuel pump issues have caused my car to create unsafe driving. My etc system kicks on and off while driving which causes massive loss of power then accelerates to the point of red line. it's like I'm putting my pedal to the floor in traffic when trying to inch up. Fuel lump is on order for me but has been on back order for more than 3 months with no date of shipment. Dealership said car was OK to drive but could ultimately cut off and not start back up till this part is replaced.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while at a complete stop on several occasions, the engine abnormally revved to 1,100-1,400 RPMs. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed low speed on a ramp, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and failed to decelerate while the brake pedal was depressed. Additionally, the contact stated that while at a complete stop at the red light, the engine revved, and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly while the brake pedal was depressed and struck another stopped vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No police report was filed. The contact's vehicle sustained minor damage, while the other vehicle did not sustain damage. There was no warning light illuminated. There were no reported injuries. Both vehicles were drivable after the incident. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be duplicated. A third-party contractor, sent by the manufacturer, performed an evaluation of the vehicle and sent the raw data report to the contact. The contact noticed that the crash incident date listed on the report was March 4, 2026, while the incident occurred on April 4, 2026. The contact informed the third-party contractor of the error, and the contact was concerned that the contractor had pulled the wrong data because the incident date listed was incorrect. The manufacturer later sent a summary of the evaluation report to the contact, stating that the reported incident was not due to the manufacturer's responsibility. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
The contact's husband owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 60 MPH, several braking system warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, including the ABS warning light. Upon depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, and the braking system failed to operate as needed. Due to the failure, the contact's husband activated the hazard lights and coasted the vehicle to the residence. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact saw brake fluid leaking underneath the passenger’s side of the vehicle. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer; the contact was informed that the hydraulic braking system had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V828000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the vehicle was no longer covered under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while at a complete stop on several occasions, the engine abnormally revved to 1,100-1,400 RPMs. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed low speed on a ramp, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and failed to decelerate while the brake pedal was depressed. Additionally, the contact stated that while at a complete stop at the red light, the engine revved, and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly while the brake pedal was depressed and struck another stopped vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No police report was filed. The contact's vehicle sustained minor damage, while the other vehicle did not sustain damage. There was no warning light illuminated. There were no reported injuries. Both vehicles were drivable after the incident. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be duplicated. A third-party contractor, sent by the manufacturer, performed an evaluation of the vehicle and sent the raw data report to the contact. The contact noticed that the crash incident date listed on the report was March 4, 2026, while the incident occurred on April 4, 2026. The contact informed the third-party contractor of the error, and the contact was concerned that the contractor had pulled the wrong data because the incident date listed was incorrect. The manufacturer later sent a summary of the evaluation report to the contact, stating that the reported incident was not due to the manufacturer's responsibility. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
My fuel pump has been failing multiple times over the last 4 months. It has left me stranded in the middle of intersections, freeways, and highways on multiple occasions that has cause back up traffic and areas of the road completely closed until I can move my car. I have had this car diagnosed twice with a certified mechanic shop and a master tech with these issues and it is confirmed both times that I need a new fuel pump. When contacted Alfa Romeo/ Mike Ward dealership for review, diagnostic scans, and part replacement they told me it could be a couple of weeks until my car can even be looked at. Both my shop and the dealership have told me that this part is on back order with no ETA and no possible way of getting that part so my car can be functional. These issues first appeared when I would accelerate from a complete stop and it would take a few seconds for my car to begin moving. This slowly progressed into my check engine light, auto start/ stop error light, electric throttle error light, and front crash detection light have all turned on and remained on for about 2 months until the car began dying in the middle of the street. This had come to be so servers that the car is now no longer drivable and each time it is driven it dies within a few minutes of driving.Again since there is no ETA there is no way for me to fix my car, this is my only mode of transportation and it has left me ain multiple dangerous situations and now with no transportation now that Alfa Romeo is refusing to make the parts needed for repair.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was in an accident with another vehicle where my car rear ended theirs. It a pretty bad damage because my car is totaled. The seatbelt never locked and my airbag never deployed, causing me to go headfirst into my wheel and followed my chest. I was escorted to the hospital due to those injures. I was never notified of a recall from either dealership, which they have failed me because there was nothing there to support my body. There were no warning signs or anything of that sort to let me know there was an issue. I never heard anything from Alfa Romeo or Reed Nissan after they did an inspection on my vehicle. I am highly disappointed and suffering from traumatic pain and injury from this.
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the horn was inoperable and there was no audible sound while depressed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the horn failure was caused by an air bag clock spring failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
I have now learned the hard way that there is a design defect with this car. It appears that water runs down the front cowl into an area near the fresh air intake. Particularly bad if you have the car running as it goes through a car wash, or if snow accumulates on the windshield and melts. Water is then sucked into the air intake and leaks into the passenger side footwell and gets into the electronics (including the area where the body control module is kept). Many owners have reported this issue on forums. Alfa Romeo needs to correct their design and should fix every Giulia that they have produced. Loss of electrical power or control of car can cause an accident or impact safety features.
The vehile comes with panaromic, all-glass power sunroof as a standard option. The power sunroof on my vehicle had failed to operate due to a broken "guide", as identified by the dealer. I initiated an out of warranty claim through the dealer because I believe this is a quality defect, during follow-up correspondance I learnt from dealer that the manufacturer acknowledged this is a known issue. Online vehicle owner communities have also had numerious reports on similar failure, some of which left the sunroof open and vehicle undrivable. The manufacturer agreed to cover 50% of repair cost but had declined to cover the repair in full.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
At night, with headlights set to AUTO, the headlights (right and left) will randomly turn of and on while driving. This could render my vehicle momentarily invisible to other drivers around me. Dealer confirmed the issue is the headlights. 70,000 mile service was just completed prior the the issues fist occurrence. No warnings or messages before the first incident.
When going over road bumps or hitting a pothole, the headlight adjusters pop out of alignment and is unable to be adjusted. This is the second headlight replacement for the same issue after my first pair of headlights were replaced under a tech service bulletin. The replacement lights which should have fixed the issue did not fix the issue and I know have a second pair of headlights that need to be replaced. This is a safety hazard as the lights point upward into oncoming traffic when the adjuster/clip breaks internally.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
UNKNOWN, driving down a busy road and check engine light popped up and service electronic throttle system as well car stalled in the middle of the road and would not start when I tried to it would crank but not start. I noticed this incident was occurring in the past when I was close to half a tank of gas but now it’s occurring when I’m at 3/4 tank. I already addressed the possible issue of being a weak battery as I had to spend $250 on a new battery and the next day it happened again. After going through the forums and speaking with dealers they all have the same diagnosis that the fuel pump is going out. I would buy a fuel pump and replace it myself but you have to replace the module with it and have to have a very expensive scanner to sync the two together.
Temporarily loas power steering (or so it seemed) during highway speed driving. The car steering wheel jerked in my hands and an ATV fault code illuminated on the dash. I managed to keep the car in control, but it required a lot of physical effort. I was decelerating when it happened (brakes were being applied).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
When attempting to close an open sunroof, something failed and the sunroof will no longer move. I had to drive 2 hours at highway speeds with the open panoramic sunroof, which caught a lot of air and which I was worried would blow off or be damaged by debris since it was now raised up and exposed. A mechanic has looked at the sunroof and is unable to operate it manually or electronically. Alfa Romeo does not have a manual method to close the sunroof in case of failure, and the electric motor only makes a flapping sound when used, as if the cable connecting the motor and the sunroof had snapped. There were no warnings or indications that anything was wrong or that any issues were developing. I normally do not use the sunroof and opened it for the first time when this happened. The cost to repair this issue seems excessive, on par with a full turbocharger replacement.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF WAS SHATTERED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HERITAGE ALFA ROMEO (11216 REISTERSTOWN RD, OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117, (855) 529-3222) WHERE THE SUN ROOF WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,900.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was in an accident with another vehicle where my car rear ended theirs. It a pretty bad damage because my car is totaled. The seatbelt never locked and my airbag never deployed, causing me to go headfirst into my wheel and followed my chest. I was escorted to the hospital due to those injures. I was never notified of a recall from either dealership, which they have failed me because there was nothing there to support my body. There were no warning signs or anything of that sort to let me know there was an issue. I never heard anything from Alfa Romeo or Reed Nissan after they did an inspection on my vehicle. I am highly disappointed and suffering from traumatic pain and injury from this.
AFTER SEVERAL ISSUES WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS THE RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT FAILED. IT WOULD NOT RETRACK PROPERLY AND THEN TOTALLY LOCKED IN THE MID POSITION MAKING IT TOTALLY UNUSABLE TO SECURE MY 8 YEAR OLD CHILD. THE CAR IS ABOUT THREE WEEKS OLD WITH APPROX. 700 MILES
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
The drivers side front control arm failed. Had the control arm failed during operation it could have resulted in the loss of life. The issued has been confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. See additional details below: The drivers side front control arm failed Sunday 08.07.2021 resulting in the car collapsing to the ground. An issue with left from driver side control arm (sounds of metal on metal rubbing from the control arm) was brought to the service center's attention on 07.09.2021 and the service center diagnosed my complaint as being related to a defective control arm ball joint on the right front passenger side and the car was returned to me while the replacement part arrived. Handling of the car deteriorated significantly on 08.06.2021 on my way to and from work. I called a tow truck to drop the car off as the service center on 08.07.2021. During movement in reverse gear to position the car onto the tow truck, the front control arm failed resulting in the car collapsing to the ground. Had this failure occurred during vehicle operation it could have resulted in the loss of life. The vehicle is currently at the service center for repairs.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .