Crashes due to Alfa Romeo 156 bonnet catch problem?

My own crash – reported on usedcarmart.co.uk

On the 27th of December my Alfa 156 Bonnet Safety catch failed whilst driving at 70mph on a busy A23.

Dave K – reported on alfa156.net

No comments but photos

Roger D – reported on usedcarmart.co.uk

On Wednesday (22/11/06) I had gone down the M42 at rush hour, observing the 50mph restrictions. Then I returned at 11pm, in the dark, in driving rain. Foolishly, I was driving at the speed limit (70mph). the motorway wasn't rammed, but it wasn't empty either.

I came around a group of lorries in lanes 1&2 (I was in the fast lane) and noticed all the spray - and my speed. So I decided to slow down. Before I had a chance the bonnet was up. It smashed the windscreen and sunroof but luckily they stayed in one piece.

James T – reported on usedcarmart.co.uk

I was driving back from work on Friday night (17 Feb 2006), probably doing about 50mph at the time, when the bonnet catch on my Alfa 156 (1999) released and smashed my windscreen, destroyed the bonnet and some damage to the roof. I am not sure if its classified as a write-off though, probably as a result of my speed at the time.

This happened about 5 miles before I got to the motorway. Had it happened on the motorway, I doubt I would be writing this thread.

Djtw reported on alfaowner.com

Dont make the same mistake as me!

David Oliver – reported on usedcarmart.co.uk

the very same thing happened to me yesterday morning (29/10/2006) with a 2001 156, the bonnet flew up while I was on the dual carriagway out of Cork doing 100kph, it broke the windscreen, damaged the roof and bent the bonnet, luckily it was 1/2 seven in the morning so there was not too much traffic, As I was on the main road in the middle of a flyover I needed to pull off and even though I shut it down again it flew up twice more causing more damage and my wife and son a few frights!

Danko in Italy reported on omniauto.it

Translation - at 130 kmph the bonnet opened and I had lean out of the car because the windshield was covered with the bonnet and risked my life. Contacted supplied to make a claim, result? Customer guilty! The fact I had to always verify the bonnet was closed.

VO2Max - reported on alfaowner.com

I had a lucky escape when my bonnet popped up to the semi-open position while doing an unmentionable speed on the motorway! Luckily I noticed and retired to the hard shoulder to slam it shut and change my underwear.

Greg Black, Bournemouth reported on driving.timesonline.co.uk
Crashes due to Alfa Romeo 156 bonnet catch problem?

I have an Alfa Romeo 156 on a 51 '01 plate. Whilst driving at 70mph the bonnet shot open smashing the windscreen, denting the roof, bending the supports, and crippling the bonnet. I had driven more than 300 miles since the bonnet was last opened so this would appear to be a bonnet release failure, not that I forgot to close it. I am reluctant to claim on my insurance as I feel this has been caused by a defect to the car. I have contacted my local Alfa dealer who have told me there was a recall for the Alfa bonnet catch and my car has been 'done'. Do I have a leg to stand on with Alfa or will I have to claim through my insurance?

Selespeed - reported on alfaowner.com

I have seen the damage that can be caused by an opening hood at 130 km/h and it is not a nice sight (and in this particular case it was the dealership who had last closed the bonnet).

Alfa Jock - reported on groups.google.co.uk

Saw a thread on one of the forums a while ago about a 147 written off when the bonnet catch failed at high speed, opening the bonnet and trashing the screen and roof - not a pretty site.

This weekend I heard about a friend of a friend's 1999 156 written off in exactly the same way recently , and worryingly, the Police apparently said this was the fourth 156 they had seen this on. Anyone else heard of this?

Chris - reported on alfaowner.com

A colleagues 156 2.4 oiler had a stuck bonnet recently. The next day saw a 156 on the hard shoulder of the M62 Hull end with a bonnet that had flipped back!

Wagon156 - reported on alfaowner.com

had this problem and the bonnet did actually lift right up. This was after a visit to Arnold Clark in edinburgh and happened on the M8

Lee S - accident date 08/01/2007

had an incident involving the bonnet flying up on my alfa 147 which i had purchased second hand yesterday, I hadn't even made it home from buying the car!! My insurers (Privilege) are saying that I may not be covered if the damage was due to a mechanical failure.

andyroo75 - reported 02/01/2007

I was driving (a Alfa 3.0L V6 GTV) down a dual carriageway one morning (it was quiet luckily) at between 70/80 miles an hour, when suddenly the bonnet flew up smashing the windscreen and bending the roof and windscreen pillars. The bonnet stayed for a couple of seconds before ripping off the car completely.

The Financial Times - published on 01/01/2007

Reports how Alfa have employed a consumer rating group to help find out what is going wrong with Alfa's brand loyalty. Quote from article:

The changes are therefore designed to tackle what Mr Hudson calls the “little things”, such as not getting his car back cleaned after repairs, as well as the big things, such as the incident in 2005 when the bonnet of his 156 Sportwagon flew open on the motorway and he subsequently found out that his dealer had failed to inform him that the car was subject to a recall notice.

Link to article on FT
Link to article on Xinkaishi Blog

What Alfa Romeo must do about the Bonnet Catch Problem?

Alfa Romeo have known about this problem for several years now and are not admitting that accidents caused by the faulty catch is their liablity, but instead telling owners that it is their fault for not checking the bonnet has been closed properly. Even though it is a well documented manufacturing fault with them trying to recalling all Alfa Romeo 156 cars in 2005.

I've been a Alfa Romeo 156 owner since 2002 and never received a recall letter or any notification from Alfa Romeo.

In my case the bonnet seemed to close properly, but the safety catch had only half closed and driving at 70mphs it opened causing a near death crash - even the safety catch failed.

Alfa UK sold a total of 18,379 cars in 2003 and 2004 (http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/statistics/), I’m not sure of the amount of 147 and 156’s sold but I’d guess it is quite a large percentage.

Most of those cars are now on the secondhand market and their new owners will not have a clue they are driving around in potential death traps (and like me wouldn't know of the problem until it was too late). My guess is most of these Alfa’s will not be serviced by main dealers either so the problem will go unnoticed.

So what should Alfa Romeo do? They need to send letters out today via their dealers to all known Alfa Romeo 156 drivers. They should put together a national media campaign, TV and Press Ads. Tell the likes of Watch Dog, Top Gear, Vosa to warn people of the problem and get them to service the bonnet catch.

If they keep up the attitude they have today we are going to see more and more crashes and certainly some deaths on the road.

Alfa Romeo you have a duty to your drivers and other road uses to fix this problem before it is too late.

What Alfa Romeos 156’s & 147 are involved?

Apparently these are the chassis numbers for the Alfa Romeos that have the problem however my car was built in 1998:

147 - produced between September 2000 and October 2003 - chassis numbers between 3001296 and 3199283 and between 5001188 and 5115697

156 - produced between September 2000 and October 2003 - chassis numbers between 150357 and 247973

If you own one of these cars go to your nearest dealer straight away – but check you bonnet is closed first!!!!

Even if it seems shut the catch might be half open……