Alpine A110: an owner’s experience
Discussion
Just want to apologise to all members of the Alpine fan club in advance. My experience of the brand was - by far - the worst automotive experience I’ve ever had.
I have been lucky to have owned a number of interesting cars over the years, including a couple of cars from Lotus, which have been faultless. Just wanted to share my experience in case helpful for prospective owners.
I will also apologise for the long post, have tried to keep it relatively concise, but needed to provide some context.
Having heard many brilliant reviews of the A110, I bought a A110 GT to join some friends on a road trip to Spain. Having worked hard for 25+ years, this was a special trip for me: my first ever euro road trip. Ironically, I was the only member of the ‘convoy’ that wasn’t in a Porsche. For context, my A110 GT was a 2022/22 car which I bought when it was a year old and with less than 5.2k miles. I even extended the warranty at a cost of £1,500.
The fuel pump failed on the first day of the trip, leaving me stranded on a mountain road which I blocked for 4 hours. Alpine Assist were useless but thankfully I was ‘rescued’ by a friend in his 993 who managed to obtain a tow rope from a nearby hotel and move the car out of harm’s way.
I fully appreciate that sometimes “things happen”, but:
1) I’m convinced Alpine were fully aware of the fuel pump issue, given the growing number of documented failures (and their subsequent acknowledgement); and
2) Alpine were woeful in terms of non-existent customer service: initially, pure incompetence in terms of coordination between manufacturer and their subcontracted roadside assistance on the continent, requiring constant chasing and involvement from my side to get things resolved. Lack of replacement car provision, etc.
I must admit that Alpine Santander were very helpful and responsive. However, delays caused by Alpine UK and Alpine France meant that the car was only returned to me 8 days later (just in time for the return ferry to the UK), after a new fuel pump had been fitted.
On my first drive after the car was delivered, I experienced an issue whereby the engine would stall every time it came to a stop (eg at traffic lights, roundabouts, etc). For clarity, this was not the stop-start system.
I decided to get back home to the UK and the car was recovered to my nearest Alpine centre upon my return. After investigating the car for two weeks, the dealership gave the car a clean bill of health, and returned to me (albeit the dealership was very vague on detail). The stalling issue occurred immediately on my first drive and so it was recovered back to the dealership who kept the car for another two weeks for further investigation.
The dealership claimed that they couldn’t find any faults, and somehow were unable to replicate the fault. Consequently, I collected it from the dealership and… the stalling issue presented itself on my first drive.
I took videos of the stalling issue as evidence, on each occasion, as I had begin to feel very weary of Alpine. Being candid, I am convinced that the dealership lied to me (eg about not being able to replicate the fault), which I suspect was under instruction from, or in collusion with, the manufacturer.
Alpine customer service made me a ‘generous’ offer of compensation: a £150 voucher to be used at an Alpine dealership. I politely declined but hoped they would shove this £150 voucher where the sun doesn’t shine.
At this stage I simply gave up on Alpine, and felt I had no choice but to sell the car. Given that the Alpine dealership insisted the car was not faulty, I called 3 Alpine dealers to bid on the car.
Bids received:
- £43k my local Alpine dealership (who knew the car well)
- £46k We-buy-any-car
- £48k Alpine centre #2
- £50k Apine centre #3
My local dealership offered £3,000 less than the WBAC offer, which says it all. I’m not a difficult person but cannot help but feel very bitter about the whole experience.
In the end, I was able to reduce my overall loss to c.£5,000, but the episode has left me hating the Alpine brand with a passion.
For additional context, I was in contact with some very senior people (including new head of Alpine UK) in an attempt to find a constructive solution. Sadly, I did not feel that anyone cared and their only response was to insist I take the car back for more investigations.
Most rational individuals would forgive me for losing all confidence in any further investigations. One of Alpine’s customer care representatives confirmed my suggestion that I was essentially stuck in an indefinite loop: ie. keep returning the car for investigation —> no diagnosis —> car returned —> fault still present —> back to square #1…
For me, the Alpine A110 was an expensive ornament. If I was more wealthy, I may have considered just setting fire to it, as this may have given me some mental solace/closure!
Sorry for the rant, and apologies again to the Alpine aficionados.
Nice to see that Alpine have finally acknowledged the issue. I will be taking them to court to try and recover some of my losses, but will NEVER consider any product from Alpine again, based on how I was treated as a customer.
Potential buyers be warned!
I have been lucky to have owned a number of interesting cars over the years, including a couple of cars from Lotus, which have been faultless. Just wanted to share my experience in case helpful for prospective owners.
I will also apologise for the long post, have tried to keep it relatively concise, but needed to provide some context.
Having heard many brilliant reviews of the A110, I bought a A110 GT to join some friends on a road trip to Spain. Having worked hard for 25+ years, this was a special trip for me: my first ever euro road trip. Ironically, I was the only member of the ‘convoy’ that wasn’t in a Porsche. For context, my A110 GT was a 2022/22 car which I bought when it was a year old and with less than 5.2k miles. I even extended the warranty at a cost of £1,500.
The fuel pump failed on the first day of the trip, leaving me stranded on a mountain road which I blocked for 4 hours. Alpine Assist were useless but thankfully I was ‘rescued’ by a friend in his 993 who managed to obtain a tow rope from a nearby hotel and move the car out of harm’s way.
I fully appreciate that sometimes “things happen”, but:
1) I’m convinced Alpine were fully aware of the fuel pump issue, given the growing number of documented failures (and their subsequent acknowledgement); and
2) Alpine were woeful in terms of non-existent customer service: initially, pure incompetence in terms of coordination between manufacturer and their subcontracted roadside assistance on the continent, requiring constant chasing and involvement from my side to get things resolved. Lack of replacement car provision, etc.
I must admit that Alpine Santander were very helpful and responsive. However, delays caused by Alpine UK and Alpine France meant that the car was only returned to me 8 days later (just in time for the return ferry to the UK), after a new fuel pump had been fitted.
On my first drive after the car was delivered, I experienced an issue whereby the engine would stall every time it came to a stop (eg at traffic lights, roundabouts, etc). For clarity, this was not the stop-start system.
I decided to get back home to the UK and the car was recovered to my nearest Alpine centre upon my return. After investigating the car for two weeks, the dealership gave the car a clean bill of health, and returned to me (albeit the dealership was very vague on detail). The stalling issue occurred immediately on my first drive and so it was recovered back to the dealership who kept the car for another two weeks for further investigation.
The dealership claimed that they couldn’t find any faults, and somehow were unable to replicate the fault. Consequently, I collected it from the dealership and… the stalling issue presented itself on my first drive.
I took videos of the stalling issue as evidence, on each occasion, as I had begin to feel very weary of Alpine. Being candid, I am convinced that the dealership lied to me (eg about not being able to replicate the fault), which I suspect was under instruction from, or in collusion with, the manufacturer.
Alpine customer service made me a ‘generous’ offer of compensation: a £150 voucher to be used at an Alpine dealership. I politely declined but hoped they would shove this £150 voucher where the sun doesn’t shine.
At this stage I simply gave up on Alpine, and felt I had no choice but to sell the car. Given that the Alpine dealership insisted the car was not faulty, I called 3 Alpine dealers to bid on the car.
Bids received:
- £43k my local Alpine dealership (who knew the car well)
- £46k We-buy-any-car
- £48k Alpine centre #2
- £50k Apine centre #3
My local dealership offered £3,000 less than the WBAC offer, which says it all. I’m not a difficult person but cannot help but feel very bitter about the whole experience.
In the end, I was able to reduce my overall loss to c.£5,000, but the episode has left me hating the Alpine brand with a passion.
For additional context, I was in contact with some very senior people (including new head of Alpine UK) in an attempt to find a constructive solution. Sadly, I did not feel that anyone cared and their only response was to insist I take the car back for more investigations.
Most rational individuals would forgive me for losing all confidence in any further investigations. One of Alpine’s customer care representatives confirmed my suggestion that I was essentially stuck in an indefinite loop: ie. keep returning the car for investigation —> no diagnosis —> car returned —> fault still present —> back to square #1…
For me, the Alpine A110 was an expensive ornament. If I was more wealthy, I may have considered just setting fire to it, as this may have given me some mental solace/closure!
Sorry for the rant, and apologies again to the Alpine aficionados.
Nice to see that Alpine have finally acknowledged the issue. I will be taking them to court to try and recover some of my losses, but will NEVER consider any product from Alpine again, based on how I was treated as a customer.
Potential buyers be warned!
Yes. Poor service I can deal with.
But my experience left me feeling that they don’t care at all about their customers and are unwilling to stand behind the product.
Desperately wanted to like/love the car but in the end, just gave up.
I believe these difficult situations allow the brands to demonstrate their values. Was very clear to me that Alpine don’t have any.
Incidentally, the service manager at the dealership told me that the ECU on the engines is quite basic which limits their ability to diagnose issues.
But my experience left me feeling that they don’t care at all about their customers and are unwilling to stand behind the product.
Desperately wanted to like/love the car but in the end, just gave up.
I believe these difficult situations allow the brands to demonstrate their values. Was very clear to me that Alpine don’t have any.
Incidentally, the service manager at the dealership told me that the ECU on the engines is quite basic which limits their ability to diagnose issues.
Thanks. Agree the stalling issue seems to be quite unique.
The issue for me relates to:
- their inability to diagnose the fault
- lack of willingness to propose any other solutions: ie I was just meant to keep going back for more diagnosis
- in my view, the absolute lies about not being able to replicate the fault (given I was able to experience it immediately).
The issue for me relates to:
- their inability to diagnose the fault
- lack of willingness to propose any other solutions: ie I was just meant to keep going back for more diagnosis
- in my view, the absolute lies about not being able to replicate the fault (given I was able to experience it immediately).
rix said:
Curious - did you invite a dealership to join you in a test drive so that they could see the fault first hand? Maybe a dash cam in the car whilst they are attempting to replicate would have provided some validation?
I had been looking for an a110 for a few weeks (now excluded on daily driver limitation grounds) but I found the centres and the sales staff to be great - obviously not reflective of your after sales experience!
Is it worth noting the registration In case prospective buyers are doing some research?
Edit - at least one other with the stalling issue: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I shared the videos with the dealership and with Alpine UK, and they didn’t seem interested in coming to experience it in person. I’m sure the sales staff are great in most dealerships. And to be fair, the service staff were very polite (to be clear, I never got angry and always treated them with courtesy and respect). I know that Alpine UK were in close contact with the dealership, hence I’m convinced that I was deliberately misled as it seems too convenient that the fault was only present when I drove the car. I refuse to believe that the fault didn’t occur when the car was road tested by the dealership. I had been looking for an a110 for a few weeks (now excluded on daily driver limitation grounds) but I found the centres and the sales staff to be great - obviously not reflective of your after sales experience!
Is it worth noting the registration In case prospective buyers are doing some research?
Edit - at least one other with the stalling issue: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by rix on Friday 29th March 06:43
I know how this sounds, but I equally don’t understand how it took Alpine so long to admit there was a fault with the fuel pump. I’ve read countless stories of failures including some very dangerous situations where the pumps failed whilst drivers were at speed on motorways.
Yes I contacted the owner in the other thread but they didn’t want to speak by phone. I did try to help. Shame as it’s exactly the same issue and sounds like it remains unresolved.
jont- said:
I had a similar experience a number of years ago with a Skoda Octy than means I'll never buy another VAG product. Unfortunately cars are complex and some will have problems, but the way you are treated when they occur says a huge amount. I'm amazed in this day and age where reputations are so much easier to damage still how skinflint some manufacturers are when it comes to putting things right.- particularly when you look at their marketing budgets and think about how a positive experience might give much more good PR than advertising could buy.
I agree with you entirely. Spot on. Thanks. It went back to the closest dealer each time, which I thought was a good thing (ie knowledge of the history and consistency).
I was in contact with another tech outside the London area who was very helpful. However, apparently the dealership was in contexts with the special Alpine SWAT team who deal with complex technical issues, but still no joy. It seemed as if they had the best brains involved, but still no joy.
As mentioned above, I was told unofficially that the ECU is quite basic and apparently limited in terms of diagnostic info.
In terms of the stalling issue, occurred in normal mode when the idle revs are lower (vs sport mode). Also interesting that this issue only began after the pump was replaced.
I was in contact with another tech outside the London area who was very helpful. However, apparently the dealership was in contexts with the special Alpine SWAT team who deal with complex technical issues, but still no joy. It seemed as if they had the best brains involved, but still no joy.
As mentioned above, I was told unofficially that the ECU is quite basic and apparently limited in terms of diagnostic info.
In terms of the stalling issue, occurred in normal mode when the idle revs are lower (vs sport mode). Also interesting that this issue only began after the pump was replaced.
Meonstoke said:
What a sad but also incredible story - I have never heard of such poor service. I find it hard to believe that any dealer would deliberately sit on a car which is faulty and do absolutely nothing! My instinct tells me there's more behind this - I have no idea what, but something doesn't add up. And we need to be fair here, the dealer is not in a position to defend themselves. Perhaps best we stop this thread - there are always 2 sides to a coin.
I’ve been entirely factual and have the history documented. My issue is more with Alpine UK and the brand.
I think the dealer was trying to do their best but was unable to diagnose/remedy the issue. Sounds like the next owner is having the same issues.
No concerns if you prefer me to stop posting about these issues, but just think good for prospective buyers to go into Alpine ownership with eyes open.
I bought it from a non-Alpine dealer when it was c.1 year old.
However, it wasn’t stalling when I bought it. The stalling started after the fuel pump was replaced.
Alpine insisted the car was fine, and also that they couldn’t replicate the fault. On this basis I sold it back to an Alpine dealer, given they were so confident the car was not faulty.
Curious that the dealership investigating the fault offered £3k less than WBAC, and I have all of this in writing.
I’ve tried to ensure I have worded everything carefully so as not to misrepresent anything in this thread. I strongly suspect (but have not confirmed) that I was deliberately misled. That said, the dealership’s insistence that the car was fine gave me enough comfort to sell it back into the Alpine network. I specifically opted not to sell it privately.
However, it wasn’t stalling when I bought it. The stalling started after the fuel pump was replaced.
Alpine insisted the car was fine, and also that they couldn’t replicate the fault. On this basis I sold it back to an Alpine dealer, given they were so confident the car was not faulty.
Curious that the dealership investigating the fault offered £3k less than WBAC, and I have all of this in writing.
I’ve tried to ensure I have worded everything carefully so as not to misrepresent anything in this thread. I strongly suspect (but have not confirmed) that I was deliberately misled. That said, the dealership’s insistence that the car was fine gave me enough comfort to sell it back into the Alpine network. I specifically opted not to sell it privately.
Edited by Kananga on Friday 29th March 17:55
Meonstoke said:
There you go, and like I said, there are always nuances / unknowns...
You bought the car from a non-Alpine dealer who may well have known there were issues with the fuel pump, and possibly even knew about stalling issues - who knows? And where were they in all of this?
Given the trials and tribulations, and that it was not a car you bought from them, it is certainly not surprising that the local Alpine dealer you were dealing with did not offer the best offer to buy the car! And clearly the Alpine Dealer you sold it too were unaware of the stalling issues...
I see your reasoning - "it's a damn Alpine issue, so let them sort it out!". Not so sure everyone would have taken the same tack TBH. Now some poor sod is stuck with a lemon...
I don’t think there is any issue with buying from a non-Alpine dealer. Before purchase, I was actually able to track down the original owner (and spoke to them in detail). The first owner decided they wanted a change, and bought a Supra, the Alpine was traded in as a p/x. I genuinely don’t think they were aware of the broader fuel pump issues at the time, and (as I’ve mentioned), the stalling issue only began after the pump change. You bought the car from a non-Alpine dealer who may well have known there were issues with the fuel pump, and possibly even knew about stalling issues - who knows? And where were they in all of this?
Given the trials and tribulations, and that it was not a car you bought from them, it is certainly not surprising that the local Alpine dealer you were dealing with did not offer the best offer to buy the car! And clearly the Alpine Dealer you sold it too were unaware of the stalling issues...
I see your reasoning - "it's a damn Alpine issue, so let them sort it out!". Not so sure everyone would have taken the same tack TBH. Now some poor sod is stuck with a lemon...
Yes, I did contact the Toyota dealer too and they were of no help whatsoever; basically just kept insisting that it was an issue that Alpine needed to fix as a warranty repair.
As for selling the car, i basically had two choices:
- sell the car
- keep sending it back to Alpine who seemed unable to fix it
Based on your comments, I guess you’d have taken the latter option but after ~5 months owning a car that i couldn’t really use, i gave up.
I didn’t think it was relevant where the car was purchased from, but wasn’t trying to hide anything.
The issues here are:
A) the fuel pump issue should have been acknowledged by Alpine earlier (as a general point, not just for my car); and
B) that the manufacturer was unable to diagnose and fix a fault with my car
I wouldn’t mind suffering depreciation for any car that I’ve purchased and used. The fact is that this all occurred within a 6m period where I didn’t have much usage of the car at all. And I wasn’t looking to recover depreciation from Alpine.
I only mentioned the trade-in prices to illustrate the huge variation within the network. Will go back through my emails but I believe the supplying dealership was at £46k
The issues here are:
A) the fuel pump issue should have been acknowledged by Alpine earlier (as a general point, not just for my car); and
B) that the manufacturer was unable to diagnose and fix a fault with my car
I wouldn’t mind suffering depreciation for any car that I’ve purchased and used. The fact is that this all occurred within a 6m period where I didn’t have much usage of the car at all. And I wasn’t looking to recover depreciation from Alpine.
I only mentioned the trade-in prices to illustrate the huge variation within the network. Will go back through my emails but I believe the supplying dealership was at £46k
Edited by Kananga on Saturday 30th March 08:11
Pistom said:
I feel for the OP and it's good that he shares this but it seems he's had bad luck on several counts.
I'm not sure if OP mentioned what if anything has replaced it.
My take on it is that most of us have had similar experiences with other brands.
I wouldn't expect premium brand levels of service or support from Alpine and I wouldn't have been so ready to throw the towel in so soon but I'm a car enthusiast who loves a challenge.
I'd be disappointed if I went on a road trip and didn't have issues. That's part of the fun.
As for Alpine ownership - I wouldn't be buying one in the expectation of Porsche levels of build quality or reliability.
Thanks Pistom. I'm not sure if OP mentioned what if anything has replaced it.
My take on it is that most of us have had similar experiences with other brands.
I wouldn't expect premium brand levels of service or support from Alpine and I wouldn't have been so ready to throw the towel in so soon but I'm a car enthusiast who loves a challenge.
I'd be disappointed if I went on a road trip and didn't have issues. That's part of the fun.
As for Alpine ownership - I wouldn't be buying one in the expectation of Porsche levels of build quality or reliability.
Yes definitely upset about the road trip but mainly due to my rotten luck and also the bungling delays from Alpine: eg. the recovery to the alpine dealership was delayed by 1.5 days due to the contractor not being given the approval from Alpine. Had I not been constantly chasing, I likely wouldnt have had the car back before leaving.
Can laugh about it now but just wish I’d taken another car on the trip, as I missed out on all the driving and had been really looking forward to it.
Think you’ve nailed it, I expected a more premium level of service, which was my own mistake. And yes, I threw the towel in because I’m a little time poor and life is too short !
The replacements are a 981S + GR86.
Whaleblue said:
Whilst I feel for the OP who lost a road trip and £5k, in exchange for hassle, I do feel this is an example of how just one experience can only paint a distorted picture.
It’s the classic 99 4/5 star reviews and one 1 star review. Is the product good, or do you shy away because of the 1% experience? Similarly, look at the Which? point-in-time review - is that an accurate reflection of the new cars folk are buying now? I rather doubt it.
I’m happy to qualify that I believe Alpine handled the fuel pump issue extremely badly - and that does leave a stain they were very foolish to allow.
Yup. I wanted to love the car as a refreshing alternative to Porsche and other makes. Absolutely adored the interior, ride quality, size, etc. It’s the classic 99 4/5 star reviews and one 1 star review. Is the product good, or do you shy away because of the 1% experience? Similarly, look at the Which? point-in-time review - is that an accurate reflection of the new cars folk are buying now? I rather doubt it.
I’m happy to qualify that I believe Alpine handled the fuel pump issue extremely badly - and that does leave a stain they were very foolish to allow.
Edited by Whaleblue on Saturday 30th March 09:23
Someone should have been fired over the handling of the fuel pump issue, and i think they are lucky that there have been no fatalities.
The stalling is not a common problem but I just despise the way Alpine handled the situation. I had to refrain from speaking my mind when they offered me the £150 voucher.
As mentioned above, would have been happy if they had just refunded the £1,500 warranty cost as a gesture. Wouldn’t have cost them anything on a net basis, as it was money I’d paid them anyway.
Andy665 said:
Yet you are taking time to take legal action
The fuel pump issue seemed to be handled OK by the Spanish dealer
The stalling issue was handled badly by Alpine UK but would be surprised if there is a case / need for legal action
The financial loss - no way is there a legal claim - you bought a car and sold it 6 months later for less than you paid - thats sadly a fact of life
Hope you enjoy the Porsche and GR86 - both great cars but I'm happy with my A110
Took 5m to file the claim and didn’t cost much. The fuel pump issue seemed to be handled OK by the Spanish dealer
The stalling issue was handled badly by Alpine UK but would be surprised if there is a case / need for legal action
The financial loss - no way is there a legal claim - you bought a car and sold it 6 months later for less than you paid - thats sadly a fact of life
Hope you enjoy the Porsche and GR86 - both great cars but I'm happy with my A110
@moto63: I’m happy to get them to send me the £150 voucher which was offered, and give to you if you want it.
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