MODELYEARINDEX

Which Alfa Romeo Stelvio years to avoid

Across 2 scored model years, the 2018 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Alfa Romeo Stelvio Full report
D
Grade 2018–2020
2018 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Brakes 10
Engine 10
Electrical 9
Avoid

2018

Best

2018 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2018
1.61× 58 D
2020
0.39× 11 B
2022 P
0.20× 10 A
2023 P
0.19× 11 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2018 D 58 reports · median 11,000 mi

  1. Brakes 10

    Depressed brake came to a stop then engine revved up and car took off while foot on brake had to engage car into park to get it into stop very dangerous this has happened several times reported to dealership again… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 10

    After fueling up the fuel tank, the vehicle was driven on the highway and smoke began to emit out from the vehicle's hood. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 9

    While I was driving 15 MPH on a private road, I suddenly lost power steering and power brakes. I managed to bring the car to a stop, but I couldn't engage the parking brake, shift out of drive, or turn the car off. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash · 3 fire · 1 injuries

2020 B 11 reports

  1. Engine 4

    The contact owns a 2020 alfa romeo stelvio. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sputtered, lost motive power, and stalled. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 2

    When leaving to go to work, I pressed the button on the gear shift to put the car into reverse and then drive. I heard something click into the cupholders as I drove. It was the gear shift button. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 2

    I was in an accident that was can be contributed to my lane keeping assistance. Once the car crashed into another vehicle my airbags failed to deploy. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash

The best year for the Stelvio

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2020 is the best-scoring Stelvio model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 75.2 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2020 0.39× 11 B
2018 1.61× 58 D

Recalls

17 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
24V510000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2018–2023 337,128
25V667000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2020–2023 62,910
25V586000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2018 53,849
18V636000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2018 34,357
19V551000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2018 21,914
19V148000 FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL 2018 19,114
18V205000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL 2018 12,595
18V203000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE 2018 12,595
21V878000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:PRESSURE SENSOR 2020 11,419
24V512000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2022, 2023 9,037
24V943000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2020 2,021
18V147000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR 2018 1,505

+ 5 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2018 were reported at a median of 11,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Alfa Romeo Stelvio years should you avoid?
2018 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Alfa Romeo Stelvio model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio?
2020 is the best-scoring Alfa Romeo Stelvio model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 75.2 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Alfa Romeo Stelvio have?
17 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Alfa Romeo Stelvio model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2018 Stelvio
Complaints in window
58
Severity-weighted
94
Model median (weighted)
58
vs model median
1.61×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
11
Open investigations
0
Score 44.8 D