NHTSA Complaint #11490958 — 2017 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA

Engine recently began making a loud ticking sound, that everyone who heard it asked, "What's wrong with your car?" I purchased the vehicle new 5.5 years ago and it presently has 38,475 miles on it. The dealer determined the noise was due to a loose oil pump bolt under the timing cover. It was a 10.5 hour repair to remove a bolt and reapply lock-tite to it and then reinstall. Had the repair not been performed the bolt could have vibrated all the way out and caused internal damage to the engine, which I believe is a safety issue. The repair cost was $1,813.68. Per the dealer this was the first Giulia model that they had to service for this issue, but they had serviced several Stelvio models that were newer but shared the same engine. In today's automotive market such repairs should not be necessary on a vehicle with low mileage. The brand offers a 4 year / 50,000 mile warranty, but not a separate powertrain warranty. In hindsight, it appears the brand does not have a great deal of confidence in the durability of the powertrains it builds.