Man Buys The Highest Mileage Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio In The UK For £21,000, Then It Breaks Down 3 Times In 2 Months And Costs Close To £4,000

Is he Einstein or Zoolander? That is the question Jack, the host of the @Number27 channel, asked himself after buying a high mileage Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio for £21,000. After two months, he says, the score is leaning heavily toward Zoolander.

The car has 124,000 miles on the clock, which he says makes it the highest mileage Quadrifoglio in the UK. In its first two months with him it broke down three times and cost close to £4,000 in repairs.

And yet, he says, he still loves it.

A Service Book With No Receipts, Until The Dealer Confirmed £13,000 Of Work

First, some good news. The car came with a service book stamped by an Alfa main dealer from new in 2018 through 2024, though there were no receipts to back it up.

Jack called Alfa Romeo, and the company confirmed the servicing had happened and gave him a breakdown of the work. He found it both reassuring and worrying, because £13,000 had been spent on the car in its first six years.

It Died Right After Filming, Because “The Reserve Light Isn’t Just A Warning, It’s An Ultimatum”

The first breakdown came just after he finished filming his first video. The engine light came on, the car started misfiring badly and it stopped within a few yards, as if it had run out of fuel, even though it had only just hit reserve.

The previous owner told him the same thing had happened to him. Jack says early Giulias do not like running low on fuel on hot summer days because the pump can overheat and stop drawing fuel.

Fifteen liters later it started up as normal. “In an early Giulia, the reserve light isn’t just a warning, it’s an ultimatum,” he says.

Two Weeks Later It Quit Again With The Tank Half Full

Just as he was congratulating himself on what a canny purchase he had made, the car broke down again. Same symptoms, but this time the tank was half full, so the pump was clearly finished.

It stopped right across the middle of the road. Then he learned something new: with some modern gearboxes, when the engine stops, you cannot get it into neutral no matter what you do, unless you go under the car and take off the undertrays.

He says it is not just an Alfa thing, and that BMWs with the same gearbox and other cars are affected too. He called the AA and got the car to NJS Alfa Specialists in Pershore.

The Fuel Pump Alone Was £300, Then A £180 Module, Then A Bill For £1,428

The specialist confirmed the fuel pump. Jack says on his older cars a pump is typically £200 or £300 all in, but here the part alone is £300 and a separate electronic module under the tank costs £180, so £500 in parts.

He also asked for a thorough check. The good news was that the garage thought it was a good car that had been looked after. The bad news was a knocking noise from the back that turned out to be both top links and the ball joints in both uprights.

The car had also missed ten electronic updates from Alfa since it was new. One of them covers the fuel gauge, which in early cars over-reads, and Jack thinks that explains why the car may have run dry before.

The updates, the checkup, the pump and the module came to £1,428 including 20% VAT. The uprights cost £430 each plus VAT because Alfa does not sell the ball joints separately.

The Third Breakdown Had Fuel Pouring Out Of The Car

He picked up the car, stopped to refuel and found fuel backing up the pipe as if the tank was full. He turned around to head back, but it broke down again, this time with fuel pouring out.

The new pump was slightly different from the one in his 2018 car, and one of the breathers had not seated properly. That caused back pressure and the leak.

Jack says mistakes like this happen and that it is how you deal with them that counts. He was pleased with how the garage looked after him, including a courtesy car.

With the car back at the shop, he decided to do everything at once. The shop changed the uprights and top links, plus a rear shock free of charge after a warning light, and by then the bill was close to £2,000, even though he says they spent many more hours chasing the noise than they charged for.

Lowering Springs Versus Standard: He Went Back To Stock

Jack also took off the lowering springs and went back to standard ones. On comfort, the change was smaller than he expected, because the lowering springs already rode well.

Steering felt a little more focused on the lowered setup, and he admits the car looked “loads” better. He says Alfa never seems able to avoid a big gap in the wheel arches, while BMW M cars look right as they are.

But there is more to life than looking good, he says. He was afraid to drive the lowered car anywhere because it kept touching down, and the adaptive front splitter costs £2,000 or £3,000 to replace.

With potholes where he lives, he says standard is the way to go. He is selling the springs for £100.

What To Take Away Before You Buy A High Mileage Performance Car

Never run an early Giulia low on fuel, especially in summer.
Ask the manufacturer to confirm service history if you only have a stamped book.
Check that all electronic updates have been done.
Get a full inspection, and budget for suspension parts if you hear a knock.
Think about your roads before lowering a car.

Even after a bill of close to £4,000, Jack says it is a nice machine, and he does not regret buying it.

Steel Horse Rides