Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the horn was inoperable and there was no audible sound while depressed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the horn failure was caused by an air bag clock spring failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Alfa Romeo Giulia (and Stelvio) models have an exposed powertrain ground strap under the vehicle body. Because of the exposed position of the ground strap it is prone to corrosion which causes the fine wire braid of the ground strap to become brittle and break. Breaking of the strands of wire is further accelerated due to the acute 90 degree bend in the ground strap routing resulting in wire fatigue. When the ground strap fails it is typical the vehicle may not start. With continued attempts to start, alternate grounding paths may be sought by the current from the starting circuit. This results in substantial and expensive damage to other wiring and electrical components within the engine bay. Alfa Romeo is aware of design flaw of exposed ground strap and the resulting damage from their choice of placement (and lack of protection of the ground strap). …
The contact owns a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that upon pressing the Start button, the instrument panel lights illuminated, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact then pressed the Off button to turn off the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to turn off until the battery was completely drained. The vehicle was jumpstarted and taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The battery was recharged. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start the following day. …
I was driving on a very busy tollhighway and my gas gauge showed 3/4 of a tank left.all of a sudden while driving at 70 mph ,the car began to stall rapidly and the engine shut down.i was stuck in the far right lane of the highway which was I think 5 lanes.i couldn't roll or budge the car and had to pay for a flatbed haul to my apartment where a mechanic confirmed it was out of fuel.its happened again 3 weeks later at a 5 way intersection heavy congested on a Saturday which again caused me to pay a flatbed haul home.this is the same problem described in the recall that apparently my car isn't a part of.it cost me over 550.00 dollars and alot of stress to have it towed and it has less than 45,000 miles.also my sunroof is stuck half open half closed.it worked 2 times and then it stopped working leaving me to have a bad glare at certain times of the day from the direct sunlight.ive tried …
Components that failed were both the rear brake warning sensor, rear brake rotors and on further inspection by Benson Alfa Romeo dealership, the front brake rotors had failed even though the front sensors triggered the visit to the dealer for routine service. The full failure of the rear brake rotors that is occurring (as I live in the mountains) would have been catastrophic. The dealership diagnosed the problem and replaced all four rotors, pads and sensors. The event was reported to Chrysler and filed as a warranty issue but ask that I pay as Chrysler declines to cover these items. The system alerted and I called the dealer Benson Alfa and took the first available appointment as it appeared as a routine warning, not a catastrophic failure. …
I have now learned the hard way that there is a design defect with this car. It appears that water runs down the front cowl into an area near the fresh air intake. Particularly bad if you have the car running as it goes through a car wash, or if snow accumulates on the windshield and melts. Water is then sucked into the air intake and leaks into the passenger side footwell and gets into the electronics (including the area where the body control module is kept). Many owners have reported this issue on forums. Alfa Romeo needs to correct their design and should fix every Giulia that they have produced. Loss of electrical power or control of car can cause an accident or impact safety features.
The implementation of Intelligent Battery System (IBS) in the vehicle causes a constant state of undercharged battery even when the vehicle is driven daily. Due to undercharged battery, several safety components, such as heated exterior mirrors and rear window defroster do not work, which creates a safety issue. This is a widely reported problem by owners on Alfa Romeo forums. No warning lamps or messages illuminate to alert that the battery charge status is not adequate. I have recently experienced this issue, my rear window defroster stopped working and I wasn't able to see through the rear window. Recharging the battery will make the window defroster work for a while again.
Fuel pump seems to go out intermittently. I get the electronic throttle control warning light and auto start not available warning light and then the car cannot be turned back on. After towing it home and letting it sit for a couple of days it will start again. It shut down once on a highway entrance ramp and I had to quickly pull over to avoid getting hit. Has occured 3 times since I bought it three years ago. A dealer did read the code for fuel pump. Could not reproduce at the service center. Car has not been inspected by manufacturer or police. Warning lights and messages do appear and the car does not accelerate properly and sometimes turns off.
My BCM was shorted out from water damage from outside the car. The dealer says he can't repair it under warranty because Alfa Romeo will not authorize him to. I have to pay 1200 out of pocket for something that should be covered by warranty. The car will start, but the front headlights won't go out, the turn signals won't work, brake lights don't work right. Check engine light comes off and several functions are disabled. I'm not sure the backup camera, blindspot monitoring are working correctly.
When driving on a road, with speeds around 30mph, the car was failing to accelerate. The car had a warning "service electric throttle control". The car proceeded to have engine failure and stall at lower speeds when coming to a stop sign & when coming to a red light. This was a safety hazard, car turned off and was put in neutral when it should have stayed in drive. Other cars present on the road around, car could not accelerate in a busy intersection and was stalling in traffic.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Alfa Romeo (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Giulia and Stelvio vehicles. The Body Control Module (BCM) may indicate an inaccurate fuel level that displays higher than the actual amount.
Remedy: Alfa Romeo will notify owners, and dealers will update the BCM software, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Alfa Romeo customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical system › Wiring
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia and 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio vehicles, equipped with 2.0L engines. These engines may misfire causing the catalytic converter to overheat, possibly resulting in damage to the nearby wiring and engine components.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles for diagnostic codes, and update the engine control module software, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2018.
Electrical complaints in other Giulia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia, 22% of the model year's 89 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-551 (instrument cluster/panel, Jul 25, 2019); NHTSA recall 18V-636 (wiring, Sep 14, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 67% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.