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2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
17
Latest Apr 7, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
8
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 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

  • Engine418.2%
  • Driver assistance418.2%
  • Electrical418.2%
  • Brakes313.6%
  • Fuel system313.6%
  • Other / unspecified29.1%
  • Powertrain (other)14.5%
  • Visibility14.5%

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

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Just bought a 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia from Carvana and two days later while driving the check engine light came on along with the electronic throttle light and the auto start/stop light. While driving the vehicle went into complete limp mode in a busy intersection and I had to pull off quickly to avoid being hit by other traffic. Engine codes came up fuel pressure related.

NHTSA ID 11729571 · filed Apr 7, 2026

Around January 30, 2023 (need to verify the exact date). My vehicle went on limp mode, the engine light went on plus an additional warning light. I was driving on highway 99 when my car started to stall. It felt like the car put itself in neutral mode. It was frightening as it happens randomly & suddenly after being able to drive 60+ mph. It wouldn’t pick up speed. Driving 5 mph. It was frightening as I was far from the exit & the vehicles behind were honking and 1 swerved, thankfully the driver was able to change lanes. I tried my best to move to the slow lane, but it was extremely difficult as the car would not pick up speed. I finally made it to the slowest lane (no emergency lane avail.) I was anxiously hoping for an exit. It took a while, kept on my hazard lights. When I finally found an exit completely stalled, then after turning it on and off it picked up a bit of speed. Tt felt like it was on neutral. I parked and attempted to call a tow truck. The car kept struggling and it was raining that day. After hours, I was able to get assistance to take it home. I did call Alfa Romeo, which they towed it to their nearest dealership. They ran test but did not find anything wrong with the engine. They did find other things like the coolant leaking. They did fix those things. However, they did keep my vehicle for over 2 months! And I had to request the inspection because they did not send it or placed inside the vehicle like they normally do. The vehicle has only done it one additional time since then but this time it was minor, while trying to leave my house. I turned it off for a few minutes and then everything was fine. I have also notified Alfa Romeo of the infotainment turning off since I had this vehicle. The engine/throttle error (limp mode) is dangerous and scary for the us the driver and the drivers around us. On may 24, 2023 I received an email from Alfa Customer Retention Specialist, offering to buy back the vehicle due to Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(B).

NHTSA ID 11567541 · filed Jan 24, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Just bought a 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia from Carvana and two days later while driving the check engine light came on along with the electronic throttle light and the auto start/stop light. While driving the vehicle went into complete limp mode in a busy intersection and I had to pull off quickly to avoid being hit by other traffic. Engine codes came up fuel pressure related.

NHTSA ID 11729571 · filed Apr 7, 2026

I was traveling along the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge on a normal commute day when the brakes started sticking early on after that point, by the time I reached the Caldecott tunnel after the incident on the Bay Bridge, the brakes locked up completely, forcing me to coast without using any brakes and subsequently the brakes started smoking. I had to exit the nearest exit to stop the car and tun it off. I had to have my car towed to the repair shop the following day. My car is now unusable for the past two weeks until I can get a resolution to the faulty brakes situation.

NHTSA ID 11704490 · filed Dec 11, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Let me start by stating that this incident is just one of many occurrences that has happened to me with this vehicle. I was driving down a straight highway that was pretty heavily congested with traffic of other vehicles, when all of a sudden I felt a loss of power with the vehicle and some error codes came up on the dashboard indicating the engine needed to be serviced, start & stop was unavailable, and to service electronic throttle control. I also noticed that the vehicle driving mode had switched by itself from Dynamic to Natural mode. After a few short seconds, I felt the RPMs drop completely to zero and I felt a loss of the power steering as well because the engine had shut down completely in the middle of highway traffic. As I was driving on the left lane of a two lane highway, I had to immediately pull over to the right side shoulder, nearly being hit by vehicles behind me as the Alfa Romeo Giulia stalled and immediately cut my speed. I was parked on the right shoulder of the highway with my hazard lights on and put the vehicle into Park. When I tried to restart the engine, it just cranked over for a long time before finally turning on. The same error codes popped up on the dashboard indicating the problem was still there. I tried to continue driving down the highway but the engine kept on shutting itself off and the issue persisted. Eventually I had to call a local friend who has a trailer to help me tow my vehicle back home. The vehicle, when scanned, released the code P008A which indicates a low pressure fuel system error. I have read that this issue is currently being investigated by the NHTSA and would like to clarify and state that this is indeed a very dangerous safety issue and it should be dealt with accordingly.

NHTSA ID 11667062 · filed Jun 16, 2025

Driving and stopped at a traffic light, car engin stopped then when I tried to start the engin burning smell and smoke came from under the hood. Took the car to the dealership and they advised me that the starter had been completely burned out but yet they don't know why or how. This incident had made me fearful for my kids, wife and my life, the starter is close to gas lines and that could have caused an explosion. I am not sure how can the starter burn in flames when there is a relay and fuses to protect the regulation of current going into the starter. Thanks

NHTSA ID 11598699 · filed Jul 3, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

This is regarding a ABS unit that under the part number for this Vehicle it shows it meets the recall but it is not listed under vin number in order to get repairs correctly completed for this vehicle. Vehicle was diag. and confirmed issue at a local auto repair shop. ABS warning msg, is present on display, engine light on due to abs pump, as well braking issue is also present. When running part number from parts department for this vehicle part number matches recall 21V-309. a case has also been created CASE: 96026913 for this vehicle vin. part# for vehicle current pump 68505278aa.

NHTSA ID 11725174 · filed Mar 18, 2026

I was traveling along the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge on a normal commute day when the brakes started sticking early on after that point, by the time I reached the Caldecott tunnel after the incident on the Bay Bridge, the brakes locked up completely, forcing me to coast without using any brakes and subsequently the brakes started smoking. I had to exit the nearest exit to stop the car and tun it off. I had to have my car towed to the repair shop the following day. My car is now unusable for the past two weeks until I can get a resolution to the faulty brakes situation.

NHTSA ID 11704490 · filed Dec 11, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Just bought a 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia from Carvana and two days later while driving the check engine light came on along with the electronic throttle light and the auto start/stop light. While driving the vehicle went into complete limp mode in a busy intersection and I had to pull off quickly to avoid being hit by other traffic. Engine codes came up fuel pressure related.

NHTSA ID 11729571 · filed Apr 7, 2026

Let me start by stating that this incident is just one of many occurrences that has happened to me with this vehicle. I was driving down a straight highway that was pretty heavily congested with traffic of other vehicles, when all of a sudden I felt a loss of power with the vehicle and some error codes came up on the dashboard indicating the engine needed to be serviced, start & stop was unavailable, and to service electronic throttle control. I also noticed that the vehicle driving mode had switched by itself from Dynamic to Natural mode. After a few short seconds, I felt the RPMs drop completely to zero and I felt a loss of the power steering as well because the engine had shut down completely in the middle of highway traffic. As I was driving on the left lane of a two lane highway, I had to immediately pull over to the right side shoulder, nearly being hit by vehicles behind me as the Alfa Romeo Giulia stalled and immediately cut my speed. I was parked on the right shoulder of the highway with my hazard lights on and put the vehicle into Park. When I tried to restart the engine, it just cranked over for a long time before finally turning on. The same error codes popped up on the dashboard indicating the problem was still there. I tried to continue driving down the highway but the engine kept on shutting itself off and the issue persisted. Eventually I had to call a local friend who has a trailer to help me tow my vehicle back home. The vehicle, when scanned, released the code P008A which indicates a low pressure fuel system error. I have read that this issue is currently being investigated by the NHTSA and would like to clarify and state that this is indeed a very dangerous safety issue and it should be dealt with accordingly.

NHTSA ID 11667062 · filed Jun 16, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

A persistent humming/whining noise occurs at highway speeds (around 60–70 mph). The noise has been present for more than two years and has continued through multiple major repairs. The sound appears to come from the drivetrain area and raises concerns about a potential driveline or mechanical failure at speed. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by multiple authorized dealerships. The vehicle has undergone two rear differential replacements, a transfer‑case replacement, chassis ear testing, STAR engineering cases, and testing with OEM wheels and tires. The noise remains after all repairs. The manufacturer’s Area Representative test‑drove the vehicle and verified the noise. Despite this, the manufacturer has stated that no further repairs will be approved, and the vehicle was returned with the defect still present. The vehicle has been out of service for more than 100 days for attempts to diagnose and repair this issue. The unresolved noise at highway speeds creates a safety concern because it may indicate an underlying drivetrain problem that could worsen or fail while driving. There were no warning lights or messages. The only symptom is the persistent noise at highway speeds.

NHTSA ID 11727390 · filed Mar 27, 2026

I was traveling along the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge on a normal commute day when the brakes started sticking early on after that point, by the time I reached the Caldecott tunnel after the incident on the Bay Bridge, the brakes locked up completely, forcing me to coast without using any brakes and subsequently the brakes started smoking. I had to exit the nearest exit to stop the car and tun it off. I had to have my car towed to the repair shop the following day. My car is now unusable for the past two weeks until I can get a resolution to the faulty brakes situation.

NHTSA ID 11704490 · filed Dec 11, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

A persistent humming/whining noise occurs at highway speeds (around 60–70 mph). The noise has been present for more than two years and has continued through multiple major repairs. The sound appears to come from the drivetrain area and raises concerns about a potential driveline or mechanical failure at speed. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by multiple authorized dealerships. The vehicle has undergone two rear differential replacements, a transfer‑case replacement, chassis ear testing, STAR engineering cases, and testing with OEM wheels and tires. The noise remains after all repairs. The manufacturer’s Area Representative test‑drove the vehicle and verified the noise. Despite this, the manufacturer has stated that no further repairs will be approved, and the vehicle was returned with the defect still present. The vehicle has been out of service for more than 100 days for attempts to diagnose and repair this issue. The unresolved noise at highway speeds creates a safety concern because it may indicate an underlying drivetrain problem that could worsen or fail while driving. There were no warning lights or messages. The only symptom is the persistent noise at highway speeds.

NHTSA ID 11727390 · filed Mar 27, 2026

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I noticed that the windshield is delaminating. I did a search on the internet to see if anyone else was having this issue and many other Alfa Romeo owners did notice that around the windshield you can see bubbles. Took the car to the dealership and they said it was not covered by warranty. I decided to go to their parking lot to check other client cars and sure enough i found other Alfa with the same problem. I think this could be a very dangerous problem for drivers. I'm afraid this issue will continue to get worst. Thank you

NHTSA ID 11541598 · filed Aug 30, 2023

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

Data on this page last refreshed .