Hi, i was interested in looking at this car...the dealer seemed reasonable, i have bought elsewhere now...seems to be that most of the comments regarding common problems you have had through...generally not all of these problems may occur but if the work had been done its peace of mind...as you know italian cars can be expensive!
On the manual version, check clutch replaced, genuine regular servicing every year not by mileage, any works completed by md or specialists, (the following i am forwarding to you from an owner who helped me when looking) good brake discs/pads. You should buy a car with a red key, and not accept bodywork rust (under the lights or on the rear arches) – there are plenty that have no rust. Servicing is every 12k miles or 12 months…whichever comes sooner, so don't be fobbed off with “full service history†if one has just been serviced every 12k miles (as sometimes this can mean several years between services). Cambelts are every 3y/36k miles – not massively expensive, but do need doing so should be factored in. Cam chains are meant to be at 68k miles and a cost of £1200-1500....very few people get them done though!
The throttlebody and the throttle potentiometer are probably the most common cause of problems – the former can be refurbished for about £450 (instead of replacement for £1800+) and the latter are replaced for about £700…though are less often a problem. Good if you can find a car that's had this done. Suspension wishbones can be expensive, so listen for any knocks. You may have read about crankshaft endfloat, which can affect some cars – it can be checked in about 5 mins by a specialist, and I would insist on this before purchase. Everyone recommends getting an inspection by a specialist to cover yourself as it may save you money. I've always at least had endfloat checked and phoned the garage that has been servicing the car. Phew, that's probably the main ones. I probably make it sound bad, but if you buy carefully they are fantastic, reliable cars. I had my previous car for two years and it never needed anything other than routine servicing and a clutch (which I knew when I bought it). Hope this helps.
