Alfa Romeo 166 vs Rover 75: which is more reliable?
According to the MotorFiable Score, the Alfa Romeo 166 (7.2/10) has fewer serious documented faults than the Rover 75 (6.1/10), mainly because of the faults in the rest of the car (suspension, brakes, electronics…).
| Item | Alfa Romeo 166 | Rover 75 |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | Saloon | Saloon |
| Years | 1998–2007 | 1998–2005 |
| MotorFiable Score | 7.2 out of 10 | 6.1 out of 10 |
| Engine score | 7.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Most recommended engine | 2.4 JTD / JTDm Multijet · Buy | BMW M47 · With caution |
| Score for the rest of the car | 6.9/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Suspension | 7.9 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 7.3 out of 102 faultsHigh severity |
| Brakes | 7.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 7.9 out of 100 faults |
| Steering | 8.1 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 8.2 out of 100 faults |
| Electrical system | 9.6 out of 101 faultLow severity | No documented faults |
| Bodywork and interior | 8.8 out of 101 faultLow severity | 4.9 out of 100 faults |
| Airbags and safety | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 5.7 out of 101 faultCritical severity |
Scores out of 10: the higher, the fewer serious documented faults. How we calculate them
Main faults of the Alfa Romeo 166
Outside the engine
- Medium severityFrequency: CommonSteeringWorn steering and hub ball joints on the Alfa Romeo 166On the 166, the steering and hub ball joints wear out frequently: this is the most repeated reason for failure in Dutch roadworthiness tests of 166s from 1999 to 2007, and the Hungarian press points to the suspension as a weak spot.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalSuspensionUneven tyre wear and misaligned suspension on the Alfa Romeo 166A Hungarian buyers' guide notes that many Alfa Romeo 166s reach the used market with misaligned geometry, which shows up as unevenly worn tyres, and rates the running gear as one of the design's weak points.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalBrakesDamaged or corroded brake hoses and pipes on the Alfa Romeo 166The Dutch roadworthiness test fairly often fails 166s for brake hoses with the reinforcing layer showing (3% to 8% of failures depending on the year) and for corroded brake pipes (3% to 4%).
In their engines
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional2.4 JTD / JTDm MultijetClogged or faulty EGR valve on the 2.4 JTD and JTDmThe EGR valve is the most-cited fault in the testimonies for the 200 hp 2.4 JTD of the Alfa 159: 24 mentions in 63, plus 8 in 36 for the 210 hp and 12 in 64 for the 156. It gets dirty or fails; RACE puts the cost of replacing an EGR between €130 and €800 on cars in general (not a price specific to this engine).Repair (garage): €130–€800
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional2.4 JTD / JTDm MultijetInjector failure and diesel leaks on the 2.4 JTDmThere are injector failures on the 2.4 JTDm: 9 mentions in 163 testimonies for the Alfa 156 and 159. A 2008 210 hp lost five injectors one after another at 93,000 km, with diesel leaks, and Fiat's 2007 action on the 200 hp replaced all the injectors.
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional2.4 JTD / JTDm MultijetDual-mass flywheel and clutch wear on the 2.4 JTDThe flywheel of the 2.4 JTD appears in 11 mentions out of 163 testimonies (6 on the Alfa 159, 5 on the 156), often together with the clutch and between about 113,000 and 200,000 km. Auto Świat warns that on the 10V replacing the dual-mass flywheel can be expensive and that not all parts are easy to find.
Main faults of the Rover 75
Outside the engine
- Critical severityFrequency: CommonAirbags and safetySeat SRS connector fault with airbag and seatbelt warning light onAuto Express warns that the Rover 75's seat SRS connector can cause the airbags to fail, and dealers were fixing it with revised connectors. The Dutch APK inspection puts the airbag or seatbelt fault warning among the most frequent defects across almost all series.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalSuspensionFront suspension coil springs breaking due to corrosionThe Rover 75 had two British recalls for broken front springs: in 2002 for corrosion, and in 2004 in case a broken spring damaged the tyre. Auto Express confirms that the front springs are prone to breaking, and the Dutch APK inspection records them.
- Low severityFrequency: RareSuspensionFactory-misaligned suspension geometry causing uneven tyre wear, mainly on the rear tyresAccording to Auto Express, some Rover 75s left the factory with misaligned suspension, and the tyres, mainly the rear ones, wear unevenly. The magazine recommends correcting it with a four-wheel alignment.
In their engines
- High severityFrequency: CommonRover K-SeriesHead gasket failureThe K-Series' big problem is the head gasket, which can fail even below 100,000 km because of a mix of gasket design, cooling and overheating. The usual repair uses the multi-layer steel (MLS) gasket that was developed for the Freelander.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalRover K-SeriesSunken cylinder liners and warped head after overheatingAfter overheating, the K-Series liners can end up below the surface of the block and the aluminium head can be marked or warped; then no gasket seals properly and the liner height has to be measured and restored.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalRover K-SeriesCoolant leaks: expansion tank cap, rear block rail and hosesThe K-Series circuit holds about 5.5 litres, so a slow leak empties the expansion tank and causes localised overheating. The points cited are the tank cap, the metal rail at the rear of the block (corrosion), the hoses and the coolant passages of the inlet manifold gasket.