NHTSA Evaluates Certain Alfa Romeo Giulias Over Fuel Pump Failures

In a concerning turn of events, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a preliminary evaluation into the 2017 to 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Giulia Quadrifoglio models following a series of customer complaints about fuel pump failures. The Italian-built sedans have left drivers stranded, raising serious safety concerns.

According to NHTSA, they have received a total of 12 complaints from customers, along with multiple field reports detailing incidents where these vehicles lost motive power or stalled unexpectedly while on the road. The severity of the issue is underscored by one incident where the sudden loss of power resulted in a minor injury. While the crash was fortunately not severe, other owners describe their experiences as frightening.

One Alfa Romeo owner from Indiana shared a harrowing experience, stating, “Was driving my 2017 Giulia on a busy interstate, and everything was perfectly fine until three error messages popped up: service engine, service electronic throttle control, start/stop unavailable.” The owner continued, “Then the engine cuts off, and the car shifted into ‘N’ gear. It was a very horrifying experience as the semi-truck behind me almost crashed into me since my car lost power.”

The complaints consistently highlight incidents where the engine unexpectedly dies, leading to challenges in restarting the vehicle. Some owners reported that after plugging an OBD scanner into the car, the fault was identified as “low fuel pressure.”

NHTSA suggests that the issue may impact Giulias equipped with both the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (also found in certain Jeep® products) and the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 featured in the high-performance Quadrifoglio. In discussions with Alfa Romeo, NHTSA uncovered that the automaker had issued a technical service bulletin related to the fuel pump module, advising technicians to replace the unit in certain cases.

With this preliminary evaluation, NHTSA aims to delve into the extent, occurrence, and underlying causes of these alarming fuel pump failures. If there is an unacceptable safety risk, it may prompt a recall. That would affect approximate 22,000 Giulias. 

We will continue to monitor the situation, so stay tuned.