While modern automakers like to say that they’re mobility providers, not just engineers, it is still central to the automotive experience that a car be able to accelerate and decelerate. For the 2017-2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Giulia Quadrifoglio, the first half of that equation may not be a sure thing.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary evaluation to look into customer complaints that the fuel pumps on the sedans are failing, leaving them without the ability to drive forward.
NHTSA says that it has received 12 complaints from customers, and multiple field reports alleging that 2017-2018 Giulias have lost motive power or stalled while they were on the road. In one case, the sudden loss of power led to an injury. Fortunately, the crash was minor, but others say the incidents that they were involved in were frightening.
Read: Mercedes Recalls Dozens Of Cars And SUVs Over Fuel Pump Issue
“Was driving my 2017 Giulia on a busy interstate, and everything was perfectly fine until 3 error messages popped up: service engine, service electronic throttle control, start/stop unavailable,” one owner in Indiana wrote. “Then the engine cuts off and the car shifted into N gear. It was a very horrifying experience as the semi-truck behind me almost crashed into me since my car lost power.”
The person writes that after their engine died, they tried to start their car with little success. The engine would only run for a few seconds at a time before sputtering and giving up. They report that after plugging an OBD scanner into the vehicle, the fault was “low fuel pressure.”
NHTSA reports that the issue may affect Giulias equipped with both the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and the 2.9-liter turbocharged V6. In discussions with Alfa Romeo, the regulator discovered that the automaker had issued a technical service bulletin relating to the fuel pump module that advised technicians to replace the unit is some cases.
With this preliminary evaluation, NHTSA will investigate the extent, occurrence, and underlying cause of these issues. If it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk, it may lead to a recall affecting approximately 22,000 Giulia sedans.
