Alfa Romeo 156 932
Weaknesses, engine ratings and buying advice
250 PS
3.2L V6 Busso Benzin
Busso GTA as Saloon — Elegant, Fast, Without ESP
Legendary!Body Variants
The Alfa Romeo 156 932 is available as Limousine and Kombi — choose your body type for specific insurance data:
Engine Overview
The Alfa Romeo 156 932 is available with 11 engine variants — from 105 to 250 hp. 3 variants had engine changes — the model year is crucial.
The Alfa Romeo 1.9 JTD (Diesel, 110–116 PS) has the 937A2.000 (1.9L JTD) — rated: "Be Careful", 6 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 1.9 JTD 16V (Diesel, 136–140 PS) has the 192A5.000 (1.9L JTD 16V) — rated: "Be Careful", 5 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTD (Diesel, 136–150 PS) comes with 2 different engines: AR32501 (1997–2002, Be Careful) und 841C000 (2002–2006, Be Careful). Pay attention to the model year for the 2.4 JTD!
The Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTDM (Diesel, 175 PS) has the 841G.000 (2.4L JTDM) — rated: "Be Careful", 6 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 1.6 TS (Benziner, 110–120 PS) comes with 2 different engines: AR37203 (1997–2006, Be Careful) und AR32104 (1997–2006, Be Careful). Pay attention to the model year for the 1.6 TS!
The Alfa Romeo 1.8 TS (Benziner, 140–144 PS) has the AR32201 (1.8L Twin Spark) — rated: "Be Careful", 8 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 2.0 JTS (Benziner, 162–166 PS) has the 937A1.000 (2.0L JTS) — rated: "Be Careful", 7 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 2.0 TS (Benziner, 150–162 PS) comes with 2 different engines: AR32310 (1997–2006, Be Careful) und AR32301 (1997–2006, Be Careful). Pay attention to the model year for the 2.0 TS!
The Alfa Romeo 2.0 TS Selespeed (Benziner, 150–155 PS) has the AR32310 (2.0L Twin Spark) — rated: "Be Careful", 8 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 2.5 V6 (Benziner, 190–192 PS) has the AR32401 (2.5L V6) — rated: "Be Careful", 6 known weaknesses.
The Alfa Romeo 3.2 V6 GTA (Benziner, 250 PS) has the 932A.000 (3.2L V6 Busso) — rated: "Be Careful", 10 known weaknesses.
Vehicle Weaknesses
| Weakness | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Rear spring perch rusts through The rear spring perch rusts through at the weld seams, which can lead to complete failure of the spring seat. The spring perch can drop onto the tyre and destroy it. Safety-critical — regular visual inspection in the wheel arch is necessary. Symptoms: Creaking rear axle, vehicle sinking on one side, in extreme cases spring perch visible on tyre from 180,000 km | Medium | |
| Footwell rust and concealed sill corrosion Footwell floor and sills rust from the inside outwards. Rust is often concealed by carpet or sill trim covers. Jacking points on the underbody are also heavily affected. Lift the carpet on purchase inspection. Symptoms: Rust visible under carpet, bubbles on sill lower edges, jacking points crumbling from 100,000 km | High | |
| Sill and underbody rust Sill edges, wheel arch transitions, jacking points and underbody rust heavily. Underbody protection peels off early. Internal rust inspection through the ventilation duct in the rear area is recommended. Symptoms: Visible rust on sill edges and bumper transitions, paint bubbling, sill deformation. from 100,000 km | High |
Test Reports
Used Car Test 2015
The 156 prioritises design and driving dynamics at the expense of long-term durability. Rust sets in noticeably earlier than the class average, and in its eleventh year of operation the corrosion level is considerably above the mean. Diesel engines are prone to turbocharger damage, petrol engines to timing belt failures.
2015-01Alternatives
Audi A4 B7
Mittelklasse (2004–2008)
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Audi S4 B6
Mittelklasse (2003–2006)
Toyota Avensis T250
Mittelklasse (2003–2008)
Known Problems and Issues
A total of 105 weaknesses have been documented for the Alfa Romeo 156 932 (1997–2006) — 93 engine-related and 12 vehicle-related. Typical issues affect Rust, Gearbox, Suspension, Electronics.
156 (937A2.000, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Oil pump seal loses elasticity, High-pressure fuel pump failed (code P1191), VTG mechanism coked and jammed. Power: 110–116 PS.
156 (192A5.000, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Oil pump O-ring pressure loss, VTG mechanism coked up and jammed, Vacuum pump gasket oil leak. Power: 136–140 PS.
156 (AR32501, 1997–2002) — Be Careful: Timing belt breaks — catastrophic engine damage, Dual mass flywheel wears out, Intake manifold coked up by EGR. Power: 136–140 PS.
156 (841C000, 2002–2006) — Be Careful: Dual-mass flywheel wearing out, Intake manifold coked up by EGR, Glow plugs seized — difficult removal. Power: 150 PS.
156 (841G.000, 2003–2006) — Be Careful: High-pressure pump defective, Dual-mass flywheel wearing out, DPF clogging on short trips. Power: 175 PS.
156 (AR37203, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Short timing belt intervals, Head gasket leaking (cylinder 4), Con-rod bearing damage from oil starvation. Power: 110–111 PS.
156 (AR32104, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Short timing belt intervals, Head gasket leaking (cylinder 4), Con-rod bearing damage from oil starvation. Power: 120 PS.
156 (AR32310, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Short timing belt intervals, Head gasket leaking (cylinder 4), Con-rod bearing damage from oil starvation. Power: 150–155 PS.
156 (AR32201, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Short timing belt intervals, Head gasket leaking (cylinder 4), Con-rod bearing damage from oil starvation. Power: 140–144 PS.
156 (AR32301, 1997–2006) — Be Careful: Short timing belt intervals, Head gasket leaking (cylinder 4), Con-rod bearing damage from oil starvation. Power: 150–162 PS.
156 (AR32401, 1997–2003) — Be Careful: Strict timing belt interval required, Low oil pressure at hot idle, Water pump and thermostat wear. Power: 190–192 PS.
156 (937A1.000, 2001–2006) — Be Careful: Timing belt also drives the high-pressure pump, High-pressure fuel pump failed (code P1191), Carbon deposits on intake valves. Power: 162–166 PS.
156 (932A.000, 2002–2006) — Be Careful: Timing chain rattles when cold, Catastrophic belt failure on missed service, Intake manifold air leak from cracked gasket. Power: 250 PS.
What to watch out for with the Alfa Romeo 156? See the detailed listing of all engine and vehicle weaknesses in the sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: February 2026 · All information without guarantee