2018 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO Engine Problems

My 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio experienced a complete electrical failure and will not start at all. The vehicle suddenly lost all functionality and remains fully inoperable. The dealership has had the vehicle for an extended period and has been unable to diagnose or repair the defect. This appears to be related to known electrical issues in 2018 Stelvio models, including BCM (Body Control Module) failures, wiring faults, and fuel system defects reported in recalls and TSBs. A no-start electrical failure is a serious safety concern because similar defects in this model have been linked to unexpected engine shut-offs. The vehicle has been out of service for over 30 days. This is a major safety and reliability issue. I am requesting that NHTSA review this defect, because the manufacturer has not provided a resolution.

The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 60-75 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be restarted the following day, but the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store, where it was scanned, and a DTC for low fuel volume was retrieved. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V586000( Fuel System, Gasoline), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Mileage: 110,000

The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed, and DTC: P008A (Low-pressure fuel system pressure is too low) was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was waiting for an available service appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

I’m having fuel pump issues which it came to my knowledge there was a recall with no remedy

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The low-pressure fuel pump (fuel delivery module) appears to be failing, consistent with Recall 25V-586 / Alfa Romeo Campaign 93C. This causes fuel starvation and loss of motive power. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle has experienced loss of motive power (LOMP) while driving. At times it jerks or hesitates when accelerating from a stop, and while climbing a hill it suddenly lost power, displayed a Service Electronic Throttle warning, and went into limp mode. This created a risk of being unable to accelerate safely in traffic, increasing the chance of being rear-ended or unable to merge. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. I described the symptoms to Alfa Romeo Service dept, and they told me it is related to the recall and that other customers have reported the same symptoms and warning lights. However, they advised that there is currently no remedy available, and I must wait for the fix before scheduling an appointment. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet. Alfa Romeo advised that no remedy is available at this time, so the vehicle has not been formally inspected by the dealer or manufacturer. Advised not to drive long distances until fix determined. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. Check Engine Light and Service Electronic Throttle came on as car lost power and entered limp mode with code P0299. Alfa Romeo Service Dept tech said these warnings match the recall. Rep said this shows how loss of motive power from fuel starvation manifests electronically & ECU interprets fuel starvation as underboost, which then triggers limp mode.

Description of the Problem: While operating the vehicle, multiple warning lights illuminated including the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning light, the check engine light, and other unknown warning indicators. In addition, several warning messages were displayed, including “Service Engine Soon” and other unknown messages. When this occurs, the vehicle begins to overheat, the auto start/stop function becomes disabled, and the vehicle loses power and will not accelerate as expected. Component or System Failed / Malfunctioned: The exact component is unknown at this time. The failure appears to be related to the engine, powertrain, or electronic control systems. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The vehicle’s failure to accelerate and overheating while in motion creates a serious safety hazard. This puts the driver and passengers at risk, especially if the loss of acceleration occurs in high-speed traffic, intersections, or on highways. Reproduction of the Problem: The issue has recurred multiple times. It has not yet been officially reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Inspections: At this time, the vehicle has not been formally inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning Lamps, Messages, and Symptoms Prior to Failure: The problem is preceded by the illumination of the ESC light, the check engine light, and other unknown warning lights. The messages “Service Engine Soon” and others appear immediately prior to or during the failure. These warnings occur before the loss of acceleration and overheating. Additional Notes: The failures are ongoing and have occurred more than once, raising concerns about reliability and safety.

I had my radiator fail, lost all fluid and had to be towed. The car has 73,000 miles on it, is well maintained and garage kept. Alfa has sent the dealerships a Service Bulletin item about the issue, but never contacted the consumers about fixing it proactively. My son broke down on a highway, was able to limp the vehicle to a parking lot where the car had to be towed. The repair was done by Alfa and cost almost $3,000 No issues showed up prior. Once the fail happened the car was

The car never showed signs of an issue, I got on the car with my two children, when I attempted to start the car. The engine started smoking and smelled like burned plastic. We got out of the car, the smoke went on for about 15-30 seconds. After that the car did not start. The engine's wiring was charred. I was informed by the dealer a ground strap failed. This ground strap is exposed to the elements at the bottom of the engine and it's prone to corrode, rendering it useless and causing the electrical wiring to overheat and potentially start a fire.

My 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio was diagnosed by a certified Alfa Romeo dealer with a major engine defect involving coolant mixing with oil. The diagnosis revealed internal failure likely stemming from the oil cooler or head gasket, and the parts estimate alone was over $17,000 — not including labor. The dealer confirmed the issue but stated no recalls apply and denied warranty coverage. The car showed early signs like minor overheating and coolant loss, but no clear warning lamps or check engine lights until the issue escalated. This defect significantly increases the risk of engine failure, overheating, or loss of power while driving — posing a serious safety concern. I have since discovered multiple other owners reporting the exact same problem in Alfa Romeo forums and consumer complaint sites. The dealer has confirmed the issue but refused support. I believe this may reflect a broader design flaw affecting many vehicles and should be investigated for potential recall.

The engine has shut down in traffic on the following occasions: 1) July 2023 in The Woodlands, Texas. 2) Later that same day on [XXX] in Plantersville, Texas. 3) In August 2024, on [XXX] and 4) on [XXX] . My vehicle is available to the NHTSA upon request. On each occasion, except one, I was fortunate to be in the right hand lane and was able to pull over onto the shoulder before any could hit me. On [XXX] , near Richards, there was no shoulder and I was stopped within the single lane of westbound traffic. I was fortunate that traffic was light at that time and that it was daylight. After the first two incidents in 2023, I took it to Northside Imports in Spring, Texas (XXX) They were unable to duplicate the problem or determine what was the cause. On [XXX], I took the car back to Northside Imports and they determined that it needed a new fuel pump, seal and control module. (I was informed on Friday, [XXX] that the parts have been received and can be installed on [XXX].) Between the time that the fault was identified and the time the parts were available the car has failed on the highway twice, once on [XXX] and once on [XXX] . The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but Northside Imports in Spring, Texas. There were no warnings in advance of the shutdown. I was able to restart the vehicle after a short period of time after disconnecting the battery. Each time, it restarted in "limp" mode. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the accelerator pedal travelled down to the floorboard, and the vehicle stalled. The ESC warning light, the check engine warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the message “Service Engine Soon" and other unknown messages were displayed. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the contact drove to the residence. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V510000 (Air Bags, Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 120,000

I was in the process of merging on the the express way when my vehicle threw a warning light, "service electronic throttle control" along with a "service engine" message and a check engine light. The vehicle went into a "limp" and had extremely poor acceleration, I was almost rear ended because the vehicle couldn't reach highways speeds fast enough. The vehicle has not yet been inspected my the manufacturer but I did some research on this issue and found it to be alarmingly common. There seems to be no clear answer to the reason for this and no sure repairs for the problem. This poses a safety risk to drivers as this problem seems to happen while accelerating. It can be dangerous if someone on the expressway is attempting to merge into 60mph traffic and hit "limp mode" at roughly 30. I believe an investigation need to be conducted regarding this followed by a recall of the affected part.

I have had a sudden loss of coolant causing the engine to overheat. I have never had a leaking issue. But after research I’ve learned this is a common problem with this vehicle. My vehicle began to lose power causing the car to lose acceleration in traffic causing other vehicles to suddenly avoid hitting me and others. The problem has been confirmed.

Control throttle light resulting vehicle to go into a limp mode and power reduction.

Service electronic throttle control keeps going off and car goes into Lino mode and cannot go over a certain speed causing me to not be able to drive it

I have had several incidents with my Alfa Romero Stelvio losing power while driving, This problem has been going on for quite some time, i have had several parts changed out with the same results a few weeks or months later. I took the vehicle to Jim Ellis Alfa Romero for repairs and told them the vehicle was losing power while driving and was told that this problem has occurred on several Stelvios. I left my car with Jim Ellis and a few days later I was told all was good. I didn’t even get a mile away before I loss power again. I brought it back to Jim Ellis and left it again and a few hours later they called and said that the Stelvio needed a new turbocharger that would be $4000 plus installation fees. How is this possible if you told me you had taken care of the issue, and the car didn't even make it a mile.

Please see the following reoccurring problems with the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Auto on/off failure has failed 3 times resulting in the check engine light coming on and the vehicle citing service engine. Additionally, the DNA selector doesn’t work when this occurs. The vehicle has been inspected by Southern Alfa Romeo of Norfolk. However, the system reset itself before they inspected. As such they found no evidence of failure. However, within a week the system is back in fault mode rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive. I’ve noticed on several blogs that others owners are having the same problems with no relief from their service provider. Request a NHTSA review of this problem with a solution for correction. Thank you!!!

While I was driving the car suddenly stopped sending gas when pressing the gas pedal and put the can a neutral mode. This was the second time this happened. Luckily the first time I was in my neighborhood going slow. The second time was in the middle of the night pitch black on a busy road. I was stranding the middle of the road and almost got hit. I was so fortunate a cop was driving by an helped. This has been extremely unsettling as I have a 1 year old. Luckily he was in the car but I can’t imagine if I was driving with him on a highway. The first time this happened I went to the gas station to fill a gas station to fill up a gas tank and added it my car. The car said I had a quarter tank when it stalled, but when I added the gas I was nearly empty. I was able to drive it to Alfa and they said I didn’t need a need a new fuel pump but don’t run it under 1/4 tank. I bought the car with 30k miles and apparently the fuel pump was already replaced under warranty. The second time this happened was in Dec 2023 and my car won’t get looked at until Jan 30th, 2024. I read up and there are other complaints of the same issue. This has to be corrected or someone will secretly injured. I’m scared to drive the car and will ultimately sell it because it is NOT safe.

Was driving home with my fourteen year old daughter and started to smell a burning smell and began to lose power in the vehicle. Warning light came on that oil level was low. Pulled over as safely as I could on a busy four lane road and opened the hood and saw engine oil and coolant mixed and sprayed all over the engine. Car had never leaked any type of fluids prior to this incident. Had the car towed to one repair shop and was told it would need a new engine. Had it towed to an Alfa Romeo dealer two hours away and was told it needed a new engine too. Initial quote from dealer for a new engine and labor was $22,000. This car is barely worth $20,000. Third party warranty (I bought car used from a dealer) will only pay for gaskets. After weeks of warranty company asking for tear downs of engine and other things, price has risen to $35,000! While reasearching engine malfunctions on Alfa Romeo Stelvios, I have come across many people with similar sitations as mine. Engine replacements at 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 miles. My car has 39,000 miles. This should never happen to car with such low mileage. Called Alfa Romeo customer care and was told that previous owner was not compliant with maintenance and warranty was voided. How do they know that for sure? Just because you don't get your vehicle serviced at the dealership, your noncompliant? I believe that this needs to be looked at from a safety perspective that Alfa Romeo is not doing. During loss of power on busy road and only being able to go 10 mph, we could have easily been rear ended. This total abuse of negligence from Alfa Romeo to recall these engines and fix them, to the warranty company not paying for the engine replacement/repairs, and to the dealer that is charging this extreme amount of money for this. Car insurance will not pay for this as this is mechanical and was not involved in a collision.

Driving on highway lost full power of engine. Throttle body control message came on . Then steering wheel started to stiffen up . Terrible experience and scary lucky was able to gain control on vehicle and pullover . Reading reviews after getting this vehicle 2 years later that it’s common in most car of this make and very unsafe . Dealer doesn’t help and warranty is crap leaving you going to the dealer several times spending dollars on the same safety issue .

Engine blew at a bit over 40000 miles. There were regular oil changes and service done. The car of this quality and price should never have the engine blown at this amount of miles. It happened right after oil change and inspection, which confirmed everything was fine with the vehicle.

Vehicle stalled loss power on highway while driving 70mph almost got rear ended. Was able to exit highway and park vehicle. Shut it off for 10 minutes started back up put in reverse car would move at all put it in drive still wouldn’t move. This is very dangerous I couldn’t have been killed. Check engine light came on and stayed on. Stop/Start stated unavailable and service engine soon

The car will shut off in traffic out of no where. While driving the cars speed randomly will decrease to 15 miles and hour on the interstate almost causing a crash. When the cars speeds decreases randomly it does not all you to accelerate. Therefore the car is just going 15 miles an hour on a highway of no less than 65 miles. This has happened multiple times in the last 2 months. I see there was a recall of the same vehicles for the same issue a few years ago but this vehicle wasn’t listed yet it is experiencing the same issues. Have spent countless dollars and the problem is still not fixed

I orchard my car used, but still under warranty. Within a week it has shut down with a service engine error. I was told it was the power control module (PCM) both times. There's no logical reason, I know of for a car with only 40K miles on it to have an engine failure such as the PCM. Both times both dealerships stated that the game was coming from the solenoids and having a misfire caused by the PCM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OCCASIONALLY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE MOSTLY OCCURRED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE LEARNED OF A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE DIRECT INJECTION WITHIN THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT CONTACTED FULLERTON ALFA ROMEO (1034 US-22, SOMERVILLE, NJ 08876, (877)463-1821) WHO STATED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND CLEARED SOME UNKNOWN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND OPENED A CASE. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED THAT A COMPLAINT BE FILED WITH NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

Mileage: 20,000

ALFA ROMEO USA IS IN MY OPINION HIDING A CONSTANT PROBLEM THEY HAVE WITH STELVIOS. THE OIL TURBO LINE HAS A FAULTY ORING AND LEAKS OIL ONTO ENGINE WHICH CAUSES SMOKE THAT CAN NOT BE HEALTHY TO BREATHE IN. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERA ALFA DEALERS IN SERVICE DEPTS AND THEY CONFIRM TO ME THAT THEY HAVE FIXED NUMEROUS STELVIOS WITH THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD BE A NATIONAL RECALL FOR REPAIR AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. I TUSUALLY HAPPENS CLOSE TO WARRANTIES EXPIRATION NEAR 50K MILES OR SHORTLY AFTER.

Mileage: 50,000

THERE WAS A ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE TURNING ON FINE THEN ONCE I GOT DOWN THE ROAD IT STARTED TO NOT GO IT COMPLETELY STOPPED IN MID DRIVE ON ME AND THE ENGINE LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT GOING CRAZY. IT STARTED SOUNDING BAD THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING ON A 2018 THAT'S BEEN UP TO DATE ON MAINTENANCE. I TAKE THE CARE HOME PARK IT FOR A DAY THEN NEVER DAY CRANK IT UP IT CRANKS RIGHT UP AS IF IT DID NOTHING THE DAY BEFORE SOUNDS NORMAL RUNS FINE NO LIGHTS ON AT ALL BUT IT DID THIS 3 TIMES IN 3 MONTHS. SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY MALFUNCTIONING. I ALSO GOT IN A ALFA ROMEO GROUP AND 75 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLE RATHER IT BE THE CAR OR SUV OR YEAR THEY ALL HAD THE SAME ENGINE TYPE.

Mileage: 65,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH AND FREQUENTLY WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FULLERTON ALFA ROMEO DEALER LOCATED AT 1034 US-22, SOMERVILLE, NJ 08876, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO CHARGER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT SATISFIED AND REQUESTED A TRADE, WHICH THE MANUFACTURER REJECTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,500.

Mileage: 30,500

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MORE THAN 8 TIMES WITH CRACKED RADIATOR, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND RECALLS. IT HAS COME TO A DEAD STOP ON MAJOR HIGHWAY AND ALMOST KILLED US

Mileage: 28,957

THERE'S A PROBLEM CALLED ETC ERROR. IT HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES SINCE 9500 MILEAGE. AND NOW CAR HAS 15900 MILEAGE. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ON HIGHWAY TRYING TO ACCELARATE. WHEN THAT PROBLEM OCCURED, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND HAD TO PULL OVER IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THEN I NEEDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED, AFTER THIS ACTION POWER WAS BACK ON WITH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, TOO. AND CAR WAS DRIVEABLE WITH AUTO START/STOP AND REMOTE START UNAVAILABLE. I WENT TO DEALSHIPS 3 TIMES. FIRST DEALSHIP CAN'T NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM AND JUST RESET COMPUTER. SECOND DEALSHIP FOUND ONE PROBLEM AND REPLACED A PART. BUT AFTER A COUPLE THOUSANDS OF MILES, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. I HAVE TWO VIDEOS, BUT THEY ARE TOO BIG TO UPLOAD.

Mileage: 9,500

11/10/18 PICKED UP NEW CAR FROM THE DEALER 11/12, 11/13,11/14, 11/15, 11/19 CAR STARTED & HAD NO ISSUES. 11/20/18 CAR DID NOT START, ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR IS ON. HAD ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE BOOST BATTERY. UNSUCCESSFUL. CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER 0N 11/21/18 11/23 CAR RETURNED, DROVE CAR 11/26/18 WITHOUT ISSUES. 11/27/18 CAR DID NOT START, ENGINE LIGHT & OIL LIGHT INDICATOR ON, CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER. 12/4/18 CAR RETURNED TO ME AND WORKING. DROVE CAR ABOUT 10-15 MILES, WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED THE ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR WAS ON WHILE DRIVING. CALLED DEALER WHILE IN CAR, AND DEALER INSTRUCTED TO RETURN CAR SAME DAY. I DID NOT STOP OR TURN OFF THE CAR UNTIL I ARRIVED AT THE DEALER ( SAME DAY) I DROVE UP TO SERVICE DEALER PARKING LOT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHILE WAITING,AT DEALER THE STAFF INFORMED THAT THE CAR DID NOT START, AND THEY HAD TO PUSH THE CAR INSIDE OF THE SERVICE AREA. AS OF THIS REPORT, I DO NOT HAVE A WORKING CAR.

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 WHOLE COOLER ENGINE FLUID WAS FLUSHED INSIDE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE CAR. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON 09-19-2018. THE RECALL HAD BEEN SEEN SINCE 09-14-2018. THE CAR WAS SOLD TO US WITH A SAFETY RECALL WITH SAME VIN NUMBER

AFTER FUELING UP THE FUEL TANK, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND SMOKE BEGAN TO EMIT OUT FROM THE VEHICLE'S HOOD. THE DRIVER WAS NOT ALERTED THERE WAS ANY ISSUE FROM THE VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD INDICATOR/WARNING LIGHTS. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER AND THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE UNTIL THE FIRE/POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE. *DT UPDATED 10/22/18*JB

Mileage: 150