Alpine reliability

Surely these cars are quite reliable really?
Honestly, how many times have you broken down and been stranded and had to get help to get home?

Truthfully, hardly ever.

Only real incidents have been running out of fuel , and dodgy starter motor wires, which just need a wiggle and off you go....

[Alpineandy]

Never, less electrics on an A310

(doesn't mean the electrics aren't a problem, but always managed to get home todate, Touch wood).

I've used my Turbo as an everyday commuter until last week when I got a Megane 225 Cup. The GTA is a wonderful car and I'm pleased to get the great feelings from it - and different ones from my Cup.

I'll share the day to day between GTA and 225 Cup, and try to share club events too.
When we picked up our Cups, a spare salesman pointed out the sporting nature of the cars to our wives. He pushed horizontilly across the roof of a Cup and showed there is no wobble. Then he did the same to a standard Megane and showed how much softer it is.

Makes em turn in fantastically!
Last night I did the same wobble test to my GTA and 225 Cup and guess what - the GTA is more roll stiff by miles. Yet mine has an acceptable ride as well.

hi

when i first aquired my car it broke down after 14 days
i had to constantly fill with water due to overheating does that count if so 100,s of times

alpinerob

[pgoldsmith]

Similary when I first aquired my GTA it was suffering badly from engine stalling - dodgy TDC sensor. Called AA out twice in 4 weeks until I eventually got it fixed.
Also rad split just as I pulled up on the drive - how fortunate
Needed the services of a low loader to take to a garage.

It only counts if you could not get home in yout GTA.

Its never let me down so that I couldnt get home....but then it did split a main water pipe while I loaded it onto the trailer to go racing....if I hadnt been outside my house I'd have been f!*ked..but thats the luck of the draw!

Yes I have been stranded with my GTA just outside Birmingham - trouble is , I live in Dublin and was on route to London, rear belt pulley passed me out on the motorway, but luckily I was travelling fast enough to coast approx 1 mile to service area. hmmmmm quite expensive, considering I had to get a truck to lift me to Paul Sage at 3am and then had to catch a flight home.

But after Paul Sage worked his magic I only blew one other engine (due to keeping up with BMW M5 driver on long journey, he was well impressed) - got that replaced by Paul also

But I wouldnt change my car, has not let me down in well over 2 years and now I can overtake M5's

I've only ever broken down once that's prevented me from driving home. That was when the alternator packed in. Luckily I was just pulling up outside my sisters at the time and was able to leave it there to be collected by a local garage the next day.

I've limped home with problems loads of times though! But always managed to get home. I've called out the AA a couple of times. Both times due to overheating on my way to work. And both times all the AA did was top up the water to get me on my way again. The first call out the AA man went to walk to the front of the car to pop the bonnet! I had to tell him, 'er, no, the engine's in the back...!' That was a promising start - Not! That turned out to be a split hose which I fixed in work so I could drive home. The second time I blew the head gaskets! I drove home that day billowing white clouds! Sorting that turned into a bit of a saga!

On other occasions i went through a spell of it cutting out on me. But always managed to get home and new fuel filters and plug leads seemed to cure that.

And one day the clutch fork pin snapped and I drove home without a clutch.

All adventures I don't want to repeat! Anyone who knows the Runcorn/Widnes bridge, try driving over it in rush hour traffic without a clutch, or a leaking water pump, or it intermittently cutting out!

All these problems were after I'd first bought it though and started using it regulary. All the old components and hoses started to fail. Now most things have been replaced and it's regularly maintained it's much more reliable. (Fingers crossed!)

I haven't broken down - yet.
I must point out that I've only had the car since June and don't do many miles.
Do I need to mention the wonky electrics? Didn't think so.

Most of you already know about my experiences in London when we came over. I had a broken clutch fork too, but I didn't realise till I'd driven from Wales to London with no clutch. I thought it was the clutch fluid boiling. Paul Sage was expecting to just change the fluid and bleed the system properly but it ended up costing me three fortunes to get it home!!!!

That was the only time though!

I don't want to scare anyone (alright I do! ) but anyone with an early GTA and still on the original clutch fork has a ticking time bomb apparantley! The early ones are prone to snapping, as happened to me, and Liam by the sound of it! Mine was replaced with a thicker one. Probably all have been changed by now though I suspect?

[stephendell]

Ones that I can remember:

Pearl Turbo 1 : Never
Pearl Turbo 2: Never
Yellow Turbo: Overheated once, stranded
White Turbo: Overheated once, not stranded
Burgundy Pahnhenrich*: Not Yet! (Clutch borderline)
Red Atmo: Never until Phildini bought it!
Red Turbo: Never
Tungsten Turbo: Never
White Atmo*: Too many times to remember!!

*Current GTA's: Both best left in the garage at the moment!

I don't want to scare anyone (alright I do! ) but anyone with an early GTA and still on the original clutch fork has a ticking time bomb apparantley! The early ones are prone to snapping, as happened to me, and Liam by the sound of it! Mine was replaced with a thicker one. Probably all have been changed by now though I suspect?

Got mine replaced with A610 one by Paul Sage. Defo the way to go!!