Selling a non-running or junk Alfa Romeo Milano
Owners have filed exactly one complaint about the Alfa Romeo Milano with NHTSA, and it is listed under exterior lighting. The car's only recall concerns the headlight switch. If your Milano hasn't moved in years and the battery or engine is dead, you can sell it whole. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
- Model years in EPA data
- 1987-1989
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 1 (1987, exterior lighting)
- Recall campaigns
- 1 (88V070, headlight switch)
- Layout
- Front engine, rear-wheel drive
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual
- Built at
- Arese plant, Lombardy, Italy
- Successor
- Alfa Romeo 155
The Milano in a few lines
Wikipedia lists production from 1985 to 1992 at Alfa Romeo's Arese plant in Lombardy, with styling by Ermanno Cressoni at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo. It replaced the Giulietta (116) and was followed by the 155. The layout is front engine and rear-wheel drive with a 5-speed manual, on a 98.8-inch wheelbase. The infobox engines are 1.6 and 1.8 Twin Cam four-cylinders, plus a 1.8 Twin Cam turbo. Its relatives in the same article are the Alfetta, the GTV6 and the SZ.
EPA fuel economy data has the Milano for the 1987 through 1989 model years only, filed as a gasoline subcompact.
Known problems: exterior lighting and the headlight recall
The Milano's EPA years run only from 1987 to 1989, so the whole record fits in one place.
1987-1989. The single owner complaint is on a 1987 car, under exterior lighting. Recall 88V070, reported April 26, 1988, covers 1987 and 1988 models. Its notice describes "an intermittent headlights stalk switch malfunction" that "may" occur. The fix: replace the switch if needed and modify the switch's wiring harness. NHTSA lists 6,000 vehicles in the campaign. That is a whole-campaign count and may include other models, so don't read it as the number of Milanos.
On a car this old, put the VIN into NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the work was ever recorded. Our open recall guide covers what to do if it wasn't.
Complaints and recalls by model year
Each Milano figure on this page comes from the complaints NHTSA had on file October 10, 2026. The recall column marks the years named in the single Milano campaign.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 1 (exterior lighting) | 88V070 |
| 1988 | 0 | 88V070 |
| 1989 | 0 | none |
No crashes, fires, injuries or deaths appear in the complaint file for any Milano year. A year with zero complaints isn't proof of a sound car. It only means no owner filed one with NHTSA.
Fix it or sell it?
A long-parked Milano rarely comes back with one repair. Get a written list of everything it needs before you weigh any single quote. Then be honest about whether you will finish the job. A stalled project car costs storage and insurance every month it waits. If the total tops the car's value in your eyes, see repairs cost more than it is worth. For what changes the price on a non-running Milano, read what a junk car is worth.
Selling your Milano whole
- Gather the details: VIN, mileage, whether it starts, and whether it rolls.
- Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
- Describe the spot: garage, carport, back lot or driveway, and whether a truck can reach it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
- Leave the parts on. Sell the whole car as it sits. If trim, wheels or engine parts are missing, say so up front. Our missing parts guide explains why.
- Have the title and ID ready. If the title went missing decades ago, start with selling with no title. For plates and insurance afterward, see after you sell.
Other Alfas we cover: the Spider, the Giulia and the Stelvio, or every Alfa Romeo model.
Questions people ask
- How many Milano complaints are on file at NHTSA?
- One. It was filed on a 1987 Milano and concerns exterior lighting, counted as of October 10, 2026. The 1988 and 1989 model years have none. A year with no complaints only means no owner filed one with NHTSA, so it isn't proof of a sound car.
- What was the Milano recall about?
- Campaign 88V070, reported April 26, 1988, covers 1987-1988 models whose headlight stalk switch may malfunction intermittently. The listed fix was to replace the switch if needed and modify its wiring harness. NHTSA counts 6,000 vehicles in the campaign, and that figure may include other models.
- Will you take a Milano parked so long it no longer starts?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. Mention whether the Milano still rolls and where it's stored.
- Do I need to strip the Milano before selling?
- No. You sell the whole car as it sits. If parts are already gone, list them when you ask for an offer.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- EPA fuel economy data: Alfa Romeo Milano, 1987-1989, subcompact fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 88V070: headlight stalk switch, 1987-1988 nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Alfa Romeo Milano (production, plant, designer, engines, layout) en.wikipedia.org