The Alfa Romeo Stelvio was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered significant issues in how lenders operated
discretionary commission arrangements, affecting an estimated 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) worth £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) across the UK (FCA estimate).
How the Alfa Romeo Stelvio was Typically Financed
Alfa Romeo Stelvios were often financed through PCP and HP agreements ranging from £15,000 to £30,000 over a period of 36 to 48 months. Common lenders for these finance deals include
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
In PCP agreements, a balloon payment is typically due at the end of the term if you choose to buy or lease another vehicle. This final payment can be substantial, particularly given the higher average finance amounts typical for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Balloon payments are designed to reduce monthly payments during the term but may leave customers with significant financial obligations when the agreement concludes.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA’s investigation into motor finance practices uncovered a complex network of discretionary commission arrangements that lenders used to incentivise dealers and brokers. These arrangements were found to be opaque, leading to overcharging for many consumers who financed their Alfa Romeo Stelvios during the specified period. According to the FCA, this mis-selling affected 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) worth £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) across the UK (FCA estimate) (FCA, March 2026).
The investigation timeline started in April 2007 and concluded on 1 November 2024, covering a significant period during which many consumers financed their vehicles through potentially unfair means.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for terms like "discretionary commission," "DCA" (Discretionary Commission Arrangement), or any references to payments made between lenders and dealers that were not fully transparent.
If you financed your vehicle through a common lender such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Santander Consumer Finance, it is particularly important to check your agreement. These arrangements may have been in place during the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024.
If you suspect that your Alfa Romeo Stelvio finance agreement was affected by unfair discretionary commission practices, you can complain directly to your lender without needing a
claims management company. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance have established processes for handling complaints.
To start the complaint process:
1.
Gather Documentation: Collect all relevant documents including your finance agreement, payment receipts, and any correspondence with your lender.
2.
Contact Your Lender: Reach out to your lender’s customer service department via phone or email. Provide them with your concerns regarding discretionary commission arrangements and request a review of your finance agreement.
3.
Follow Up: If you do not receive a satisfactory response within the initial timeframe, escalate your complaint through your lender's internal complaints procedure.
You can complain directly to your lender for free without incurring any additional costs or fees. you do not need a claims management company to handle this process on your behalf.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates: 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026), £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) total, £829 average per eligible agreement.
- ONS Census data for population statistics related to vehicle ownership trends.
- FCA regulatory timeline documents for the investigation period from April 2007 to November 2024.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) guidelines on handling motor finance complaints.
Based on 2,843 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Alfa Romeo Stelvio has a pass rate of 90.2%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Stelvio performs well in MOT testing.
The Stelvio pass rate is better than the overall Alfa Romeo average of 76.9%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 46,045 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 90.2%
- MOT failure rate: 9.8%
- Tests analysed: 2,843 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 46,045 miles
- Alfa Romeo average pass rate: 76.9%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.