2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

HELLO, I BOUGHT AN ALFA ROMEO STELVIO 2018 ON DECEMBER 31ST 2018, PRE-OWNED WITH 4800 MILES. AT 7900 MILES THE BRAKES WARNING CAME UP, I TOOK THE CAR AT THE ALFA ROMEO DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, THEY ALSO MADE ME PAY FOR IT SAYING IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE ALFA ROMEO WARRANTY FOR THE BRAKES SERVICE IS UP TO 12,000 MILES OR 1 YEAR ( THE CAR NOW HAS 8100 MILES). WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY ALSO DID EARLIER THE 12 MONTHS SERVICE. AFTER SCANNING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. I PICKED UP THE CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AND I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME, AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 60 MILES, THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC STARTED TO ACT REALLY WEIRD, I WAS GETTING COUNTLESS WARNINGS ON THE DASHBOARD, THE TURN LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING, ALL LIGHTS AROUND THE CAR STARTED RANDOMLY FLASHING, THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING, AC SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING THE WINDOWS GOT FOGGY I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING, I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY RUNNING 60/70 MILES/HOUR, ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO PULL THE CAR OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY/RELIABILITY CONCERN OF MINE, THE CAR TOTALLY STALLED WHILE RUNNING AT 60/70 MILES/HOUR ON A HIGHWAY, PUTTING MY SAFETY/LIFE AT BIG RISK. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. I'M SERIOUSLY THINKING TO HAVE THE CAR REPLACED OR REIMBURSED. IS THERE ANY KIND OF ACTION I CAN TAKE WITH ALFA ROMEO USA TO HAVE THE CAR REPLACED/REIMBURSED? BEST REGARDS, *TR

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.

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

I GOT MY ALFA ROMEO STELVIO IN NOVEMBER 2017 AND LESS THAN A YEAR, IT GOT TOO MANY PROBLEMS, SOME OF WHICH ARE SERIOUS N GOOD HELP FROM DEALERS. PROBLEMS: 1.FROM MONTHS, I WAS GETTING ALL LIGHTS OUT INDICATIONS WHERE ALL LIGHTS WORK, WHEN I PUT INDICATOR ON IT GIVES ANNOYING SOUND IN CAR. (THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION & STATIONARY) 2.WHEN IT RAINS OUTSIDE, WATER LEAKAGE IN CAR NEAR FRONT SIDE PASSENGER LEGS ' (THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION & STATIONARY) 3.VOLUME IN CAR RAISES AND HIT MAX AUTOMATICALLY. (THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION) 4.IF I TURN OFF CAR AND GET DOWN WHILE I WAS ON CALL, STILL MEDIA DOES NOT GO OFF UNLESS I MANUALLY DISCONNECT MY PHONE FROM CAR BLUETOOTH. 5.PARKING BREAK GETS AUTO RELEASE WHEN I PRESS ON ACCELERATOR. 6.ONE MORE HUGE STUPID ISSUE FROM ALFA ROMEO. WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I GOT INDICATOR SAYING ENGINE ON/OFF BUTTON NOT AVAILABLE AND WAS HONKING BY ITSELF AND THAT TOO WHEN I WAS DRIVING. WHEN I PULLED OVER FROM TRAFFIC & TURN OFF VEHICLE THEN IT GOES INTO PANIC MODE. THIS IS SO STUPID N SERIOUS. (THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION & STATIONARY) IMPORTANT NOTE: I UNDERSTAND MOST OF THE ABOVE STATED ISSUES WERE PART OF RECALLS (U34 & U36). STRANGE THING IS WHEN I CHECKED WITH DEALER & ALFA ROMEO PREMIUM CARE, AS PER DOCUMENTATION THE RECALL FIXES WERE DONE ON MY CAR. WHICH MEANS THE RECALL FIXES WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO FIX THE ISSUES, WHICH CAUSED FOR RECALL AND AS STATED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) THESE ISSUES WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT WITH MOST RATED MOTOR TREND OF THE YEAR ALFA ROMEO. AM JUST GIVING RECENT DATE WHEN HAPPENED, BUT THIS IS HAPPENING FROM LONG AND NOT PROPER SUPPORT FROM DEALER TO FIX IT. WHEN LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I WENT TO DEALER AND LEFT CAR WITH THEM. VISIBILTY WIPER/OTHER PARTS AFFECTED TOO.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING 15 MPH ON A PRIVATE ROAD, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I MANAGED TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, BUT I COULDN'T ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE, OR TURN THE CAR OFF. THE ELECTRONIC SHIFTER, ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE, AND ELECTRONIC STARTER WERE ALL UNRESPONSIVE. I SAW NUMEROUS WARNING MESSAGES ON THE DASHBOARD. ONE OF THEM SAID "SERVICE SHIFTER. CONTINUE IN D. DO NOT SHIFT OR TURN ENGINE OFF", BUT IT DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT I COULD DO TO RETURN THE CAR TO A SAFE STATE. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I ASKED THEM WHAT MY OPTIONS WERE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I COULD WAIT UNTIL THE CAR RUNS OUT OF GAS. I'M NOT SURE WHAT I DID, BUT I EVENTUALLY GOT THE CARE TO SHUT OFF, BUT IT STAYED IN NEUTRAL, SO I STILL COULDN'T TAKE MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE. EVENTUALLY A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND GOT THE CAR IN TO PARK BY ENTERING THE CARGO AREA BY CLIMBING THROUGH THE BACK SEAT,DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY, AND RECONNECTING IT.

I BOUGHT MY 2018 STELVIO IN DEC 2017. I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THE CAR NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ONLY ABOUT THREE DAYS AFTER HAVING IT - NOW AFTER RESEARCHING I'VE LEARNED MANY PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT THEIR NEW ALFA ROMEOS IN FOR "SOFTWARE UPDATES" RELATED TO ALL THE SENSORS AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 5K MILES ON IT AND IN THOSE MILES I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON ABOUT 3 OR 4 OCCASIONS A WARNING MESSAGE ON MY DISPLAY THAT READS "GEAR SELECTOR MALFUNCTION" OR "AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE". THE MESSAGE ALSO TELLS ME FOR BOTH ISSUES NOT TO SHIFT OUT OF "DRIVE". AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE ERROR WENT AWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE BECAUSE DURING THAT MOMENT I NEVER FELT ANY DIFFERENCE OR EXPERIENCED ANYTHING STRANGE. HOWEVER, I WAS IN A COLLISION WITH A STATIONARY OBJECT (A METAL BARRIER POLE IN A PARKING LOT). I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE INDICATED IT WAS IN REVERSE AND THE REAR CAMERA DISPLAYED ALONG WITH THE OVERHEAD PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE SENSOR LAYOUT. I PROCEEDED TO BACK UP BY PUSHING THE THROTTLE AND THE VEHICLE LAUNCHED FORWARD WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF FORCE. I STRUCK THE POLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO MY VEHICLE. INITIAL ASSESSMENT IS METAL BUMPER REPLACEMENT, RADIATOR AND COOLING. BUT AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. HOWEVER THE SENSORS NEVER INDICATED I WAS NEAR AN OBJECT EITHER WHILE I WAS CLEARLY IN REVERSE. AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND THERE HAVE BEEN A SLEW OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES AS ALFAS ARE DRIVE BY WIRE AND USE SENSORS AND SOFTWARE TO RUN THE VEHICLE AND PEOPLE ARE REPORTING BAD BATTERIES WHICH ARE CAUSING FAULTS. I BELIEVE MY FAULT HAS TO DO WITH A BAD BATTERY WITH LOW VOLTAGE AND MY SENSORS AND SOFTWARE ARE NOT UP TO DATE WHICH I SHOULD BE NOTIFIED ABOUT. I'VE FILED AN INSURANCE CLAIM HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE ESCALATE THIS INCIDENT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS AND TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES.