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Model file · Alfa RomeoUpdated · 6 sources

Selling an Alfa Romeo Spider that doesn't run

Owners have filed just four complaints with NHTSA on the Alfa Romeo Spider, and the newest is on a 1989. The bigger safety item is a recall: some 1991 Spiders may have a casting flaw in the steering box pitman or idler arms that can lead to metal fatigue.

A white Alfa Romeo Spider convertible with its top down, chrome bumpers and round headlights, parked by a low brick wall
Photo: Aethonatic · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Original Spider production
1966-1993
Built, 1966-1993
124,104 cars
Model years in EPA data
1984-2009
Complaints to NHTSA
4
Recall campaigns
2
Layout
Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Built at
Grugliasco, Turin

If your Spider has been under a cover for years and the project isn't going to happen, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Four generations, one body idea

Wikipedia gives the original Spider a run from 1966 to 1993, built in Grugliasco, Turin, to a Pininfarina design. Production totaled 124,104 cars. The generations most US sellers will have:

  • Second generation (1970-1982): 1.3 to 2.0-liter twin cam fours. In 1971 the Spider Veloce got a 1,962 cc engine and the name 2000 Spider Veloce, a name EPA still lists. Between 1974 and 1976, black rubber-clad bumpers replaced the stainless-steel ones to meet North American crash rules.
  • Third generation (1983-1989): 1.6 and 2.0-liter twin cam fours. All four NHTSA complaints are on these years.
  • Fourth generation (1990-1993): the last of the original Spider, and the years both recalls cover.

The two recalls

  • 91V007 (1991): possible casting flaw in the steering box pitman or idler arms. The fix was to replace the affected parts. 500 vehicles in the campaign.
  • 92V076 (1991-1992): the glove compartment map light can develop a short circuit. Dealers replaced the light and its bracket. 1,800 vehicles.

Both totals are campaign-wide and might cover more than Spiders.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Pulled from NHTSA's October 10, 2026 complaint download. Spider years missing from this table have nothing on file either way, and no deaths appear.

Model yearOwner complaintsWhat they nameCrash, fire or injuryRecall campaigns
19841WheelsNone0
19872Seat belts, tires1 crash, 1 injured0
19891Engine and engine cooling1 fire0
19910--2
19920--1

Keep restoring, or sell?

A Spider is rarely a daily driver, so the question is usually time and rust. If it failed inspection or the floors have gone soft, see failed inspection or rust. If it's a half-finished restoration, our old project car guide walks through selling one. On a 1991 or 1992, run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before you put it back on the road.

Selling a Spider whole

  1. Gather the VIN, the year and its condition: top, interior, rust and whether the engine turns.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where it lives: barn, garage or trailer. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Sell the whole car as it sits. Keep the bumpers, wheels and engine in place, and list any parts in boxes.
  5. Sign over the Spider's title and show ID. See after you sell for plates.

Questions people ask

What were the Alfa Romeo Spider recalls?
Two, both on the last generation. 91V007 covers 1991 Spiders whose steering box pitman or idler arms may have a casting flaw that can lead to metal fatigue. 92V076 covers 1991-1992 Spiders whose glove compartment map light can short-circuit.
Why does EPA list the Spider through 2009?
EPA's file lists several versions under the Spider name, including an entry called 8 C Spider. Wikipedia says production of the original Spider ended in 1993, and an all-new Alfa Spider was presented a year later.
Will you buy a Spider with a torn top that's been sitting?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us about the top, the rust and whether it rolls.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Alfa Romeo Spider, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 91V007: steering pitman and idler arms, 1991 Spider nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 92V076: glove compartment map light, 1991-1992 Spider nhtsa.gov
  5. EPA fuel economy data (model years and versions) fueleconomy.gov
  6. Wikipedia: Alfa Romeo Spider en.wikipedia.org