2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a recurring theme of the engine shutting off or losing power while driving, often accompanied by electronic throttle control warnings, which many link to the fuel pump and low-pressure fuel delivery. Electrical glitches (start/stop behavior, warnings, accessories) and, on some cars, brake pedal feel and broken sunroof glass also appear in the sample. Reports span from very low mileage to well over 100,000 miles, with power-loss complaints often following a hot-weather drive or highway use.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Engine shuts off / loses power while driving

   • 54 complaints (52%)
   • median 15,560 mi at 2.5 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,207 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe the engine cutting out suddenly, sometimes with no warning, and the car going into limp mode or shutting down entirely; several mention the electronic throttle control, check engine and start/stop warnings appearing at the same moment. Restart attempts often fail for several minutes, and some drivers report loss of power steering or being unable to move off the road safely. Complaints frequently tie the symptom to fuel pump or fuel delivery, with P008A low fuel pressure codes cited, and many reference the fuel pump recall; owners also report the recall part was not yet available at the dealer. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 150,000, with several owners noting it after long or hot-weather drives.

   Recall 25V5860002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the low-pressure fuel pump recall 25V586000 has been completed and whether the pump or relay has been replaced. A pre-purchase scan for stored low-fuel-pressure codes and a test drive that includes a highway run can reveal the symptom.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car stop by itself in the middle of the road and I just could make it to pull it over and lights appear on the car dashboard the check engine, the electronic throttle control, and other light that I dont know what it is but it was an a! . I turn off the car and I waited for 10 min an I turn it on again and it works but the lights still were there, so I took it to the dealer ship because I have only 4 month with the car and it is an used car, but it has only 19000 miles to have that kind of problems. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11352684, filed 2020-09, 19,163 miles

   “I was on the highway ramp picking up speed, and the car suddenly started to loose thottle. I pulled over to the side and the car went limp. The car shut off. I attempted to turn on the vehicle and it would not. The car was taken to an Alfa Romeo dealership and they confirmed that the fuel pump and fuel pump relay are both the cause for the vehicle not gaining any power and not remaining on. The car is still with the mechanics.”

   NHTSA complaint #11578165, filed 2024-03
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults, start/stop and warning lights

   • 40 complaints (39%)
   • median 19,163 mi at 3.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe batteries draining, start/stop systems acting up, and clusters of warning lights (check engine, start/stop unavailable, service electronic throttle) appearing at random. Some report the vehicle starting on its own while parked in a garage, the instrument cluster going dark while driving, or the car refusing to start until a cable is disconnected. Dealers reportedly inspected and sometimes reprogrammed modules or replaced relays without a lasting fix. Appears from a few hundred miles up to around 30,000, often early in ownership.

   Recall 18V6360008 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for a battery charging or start/stop warning and ask whether the intelligent battery sensor updates described in the service bulletins were applied. Scan for stored body and powertrain codes, and confirm there are no signs of water intrusion or a melted relay in the trunk fuse box.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased this vehicle at the end of may 2017, after putting on about 500 mi within 4 weeks, a check engine light came on, I took it to the dealership, they kept it overnight,looked at it, and called the following day & said there was something loose that needed to be tightened and that the car was ready for pick up. I drove the car and parked it in my garage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11023575, filed 2017-09, 500 miles

   “The auto start/stop feature interferes without warning with the driver's attempt to turn the ignition off, and can make the driver believe the car is off when it is not. This can cause the vehicle to restart and move forward unexpectedly when the driver begins to exit the vehicle. Experience: I entered the driveway and came to a stop. I pushed the ignition stop button and the car appeared to turn off as expected. In fact, the auto start/stop system had stopped the engine temporarily at almost the exact same moment I pressed the stop button. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11103732, filed 2018-06, 3,500 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Throttle control / limp mode loss of power

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   A separate group describes the car dropping into limp mode with a Service Electronic Throttle Control message, where the accelerator stops responding and speed falls away even with the pedal pressed. Complaints describe this on highways and while merging, with owners reporting the dealer could not always reproduce it; some dealers suggested a fuel pump or related component as the cause. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 65,000, often during acceleration or highway driving.

   Recall 19V1480003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body and engine wiring have been inspected, and scan for throttle and misfire codes. Note that the adaptive cruise control recall 19V148000 concerns related software may be relevant.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I'm driving on the highway, the vehicle suddenly have a notification stating 'Service Electronic Throttle Control' and started to lose power, no matter howbjard the pedal was being depressed, it's notbgiving enough power out and start dropping speed. That drop me almost hit the vehicle behind me and inposing a serious risk because I'm on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the dealer mentioend it might be a fuel pump problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11599341, filed 2024-07

   “Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a concern regarding the handling of reimbursement under Safety Recall 93C (NHTSA 25V-586) for my 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11693173, filed 2025-10
4. 4
   Brakes

   Low or inconsistent brake pedal response

   • 12 complaints (12%)
   • median 3,000 mi at 1.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2025

   Owners describe brake pedal feel that seemed inconsistent or a pedal that did not engage as expected, in some cases at low speed and during stop-and-go traffic. Some reports mention the car creeping forward or the brakes locking and the engine surging at very low speed, and one owner said the dealer reprogrammed the computer without finding a specific fault. Some reports at very low mileage (under 4,000 miles), others later on; often at low speed.

   Recall 23V382000

   What to check: Ask whether the car has carbon ceramic brakes and whether recall 23V382000 applies; if so, confirm it was completed. Test pedal feel at low speed and check for any brake-related service history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is a 3rd incident of the same mishap. On 3 occasions I have been driving at very slow speeds , maybe 5 to 10 MPH , I have applied the brakes , the brakes have locked in place and the engine has suddenly accelerated. The first time I continued to apply the brakes and after a while the acceleration ended. I was very scare and took car to dealer. They checked it and reprogramed the cars computer, but found nothing afoul or abnormal. The second time it happened , I put car in park and turned it off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11089152, filed 2018-04, 3,000 miles

   “While on the highway stuck in traffic, it was a stop and go at very slow speeds. When resuming the acceleration (while in normal from the dna ). I slowly began to accelerate, when I pressed the breaks the feeling on the pedal was abnormal and the car did not stop causing me to hit the vehicle in front of me. It felt as if the breaks did not fully engage, the car just kept going while only pressing the breaks which I repeat again felt as if they did not fully engage. All this happened while going at a very low speed no more than 20mph. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11206516, filed 2019-05, 13,000 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Sunroof glass shattering

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Several owners report the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly breaking or shattering outward while driving at highway speed, with no visible object or impact that could explain it. Complaints describe glass fragments entering the cabin and the event occurring without any prior warning or noise from the roof. Reported from roughly 900 to around 13,000 miles, typically at highway speeds.

   What to check: Inspect the sunroof glass for chips, cracks or stress marks, and ask whether the roof panel has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving approx. 55 MPH on sunrise hwy in long island, exit 50 east bound and my sunroof just exploded/shattered. I could not find any evidence of a rock or anything that may have hit it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11122413, filed 2018-08, 13,000 miles

   “While driving on highway at approximately 65mph, the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded causing shards of glass to be propelled through the cabin of the vehicle. All windows including the sunroof had been completely closed. My air conditioner was running, there were no vehicles directly in front of me or near me actually. There was no debris that struck the car nor where there any over pass streets or overhead structures in the vicinity. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11443547, filed 2021-12

Buying note. This model year has a notable number of reports about sudden loss of drive power, so confirm that recall 25V586000 was completed and scan for stored fuel-pressure and throttle codes before buying. A full electrical and brake inspection, plus a look at the sunroof glass, is also worthwhile given the recurring reports in these areas.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.