[maseratiguy]

Hi,
I’ve been watching the forum and was wondering what the 4C’s reliability is like?
What are it’s common issues?
What should one look out for if one was looking for a used one.
Also what’s everyone’s opinion on its future classic status. (Though that’s not really important to me as I’d drive it a lot).
Thanks

 

[paulsle]

There have been a few 4C's on the Bring a Trailer auction site within recent months. Punch Alfa 4C into the site's search box and read the comments from actual owners.
All of your answers are there. Very few complaints about reliability or anything else!

 

[Alfissimo Int.]

Not many issues. Very reliable just like the rest of the Alfa range here.

 

[4Canada]

If you check out 4C-Forums.com you will find a larger sample size.

But in summary, early NAFTA cars had some transmission issues which were largely solved by a re-flash (but not before Alfa tried a myriad of things including shift motor replacement, transmission replacement, and adding a water shield over a wiring harness connection). A few cars (out of a population of 8,000) have had shifter forks replaced more recently.

The other big problem (a couple dozen reports) is dashboard and door card leather bubbling. It's a pain in the backside replacement.

Paint is soft (as it is with most cars these days), so PPF is recommended.

Low battery has resulted in various failures, but I don't think that you can blame Alfa or the car for this.

And drivers have to remember that you cannot treat the DDC transmission like a torque converter automatic - creeping along at idle is likely to cause clutch overheating. Again, not a problem with the car, but something to be aware of.

That said, the biggest problem that I've had in 4 years of ownership is the inability to reset the oil change indicator light without dealer assistance (shortly after the last of 4 annual dealership oil changes, my car crossed the mileage for its first service and the light came on. No variation of the official pedal dance seemed to extinguish it, but the dealer did). If I could say that was the worst fault experienced for ANY other vehicle I've owned in too many decades to mention, I'd be thrilled.

How's that for info?

 

[maseratiguy]

Thank you.
How is the clutch life? I know early Maseratis with the F1 transmission had very short lived clutches. (If this car was a standard it would be a no brainer)

 

[4Canada]

Thank you.
How is the clutch life? I know early Maseratis with the F1 transmission had very short lived clutches. (If this car was a standard it would be a no brainer)

So far, I think we've seen two or three members of the other forum replace clutches. I cannot recall for sure, but it's a very small number.
That said, if you drive a DCT like a torque converter automatic (i.e. let your foot off the brake an let it creep in 1st), you are going to need to replace the clutch way sooner than if you drive it like a 3-pedal car. 1st gear slips the clutch just like your manual, and if you don't get up to some speed (analogous to fully releasing the clutch on your manual transmission) then you're doing the same thing in both cars - shaving life off the contact surface of the clutch. I don't think that was the case with any of the replacements done, but it is a consideration if you drive in stop-go traffic a lot. Fortunately, the car is very light (compared to dragging the clutch on a Testarossa!)

Consider that there are a number of higher mileage cars out there, and a number with tons of track miles. And quite a few who have done more than one or two launches (which has to be hard on the clutch)

Alfa Workshop offers a Carbon Kevlar clutch upgrade, meant for those who seek substantial power / torque upgrades from tuned ECU's (including his own). The transmission in stock form has been in a couple of different models (on of the Dodge Darts and a Giulietta variant, I believe) but never with as much going through it as in the 4C. Hence, Alfa has "rated" the transmission at 4C output of 237HP / 258 lb-ft torque. That doesn't seem to be it's true limit, however, as there are a number of tuned cars out there still on the OEM clutch. In the end, those will inevitably wear sooner, but they are the test mules and so far haven't caused an epidemic of failures. Truthfully, the weakest point seems to be some intake piping, which tuned 4C's have a habit of splitting or blowing off.

One advantage of being a "parts bin" car is that many of the systems in the 4C have been tried and tested in previous models, save for its party-trick carbon fibre tub.