2011 Alfa Romeo 159 2.0L Diesel · PY11 BFV

The 2011 Alfa Romeo 159 presents a mixed maintenance picture with a worsening trend in structural and braking components, despite a pass at its most recent test on 17 December 2025 at 108,763 miles. That latest pass is only six months old, so the certificate is current, but the tester still flagged an offside rear tyre showing damage or perishing, corroded rear brake backplates, and a brake pipe noted as corroded and covered in grease or other material. These are not fresh defects; they are recurring. The vehicle failed its prior test on 11 December 2025 at 108,612 miles on several serious items, including a nearside front lower suspension arm attachment bracket at risk of failure and an offside rear suspension arm corroded and seriously weakened. The fact that those items do not appear as failures in the December 2025 pass suggests repairs were carried out, but the underlying corrosion theme across brake pipes, backplates, and suspension arms points to a car that has spent significant time exposed to moisture or salt without adequate underbody protection. Mileage accumulation tells a coherent story. Between 16 December 2023 at 92,741 miles and 2 December 2024 at 100,850 miles, the car covered roughly 8,100 miles in under a year, then added a further 7,913 miles by the December 2025 failure test. That is consistent with the vehicle's lifetime average of approximately 7,251 miles per year and suggests regular, steady use rather than long periods of dormancy. The tight 151-mile gap between the 11 December 2025 failure and the 17 December 2025 retest confirms the owner addressed the immediate failures promptly, which is a positive indicator of responsive maintenance. The recurring corrosion across rear brake backplates, a corroded brake pipe, and a seriously weakened suspension arm is the dominant concern. Buyers should inspect the underside thoroughly, paying close attention to the condition of all brake lines for active weeping or flaking, the integrity of rear backplates, and the mounting points of both front and rear suspension arms. Surface rust on a fifteen-year-old car is expected, but a tester noting a suspension arm as seriously weakened is not routine wear; it suggests prolonged neglect of structural underbody condition. The fractured offside rear coil spring flagged in the November 2024 failure at 100,682 miles was replaced before the December 2024 pass, so the remaining springs should be checked for sag, cracking, or corrosion at their seats. Tyre wear patterns also warrant attention. The offside front tyre worn to the limit on its inner edge in November 2024 indicates possible tracking or suspension geometry issues, and the recurring offside rear tyre advisories in December 2025 suggest slow damage or age-related perishing rather than simple wear. A fresh four-wheel alignment check and close inspection of all four tyres for sidewall cracking are advisable before purchase. Overall, the record shows a car that runs consistently and receives attention when it fails, but the repeated corrosion-related advisories and structural warnings mean a physical underbody inspection is essential before committing.