'Other Way Around:' Mechanic Works on Alfa Romeo. Then Takes a Closer Look and Realizes It's a Dodge

A car service tech claims Alfa Romeo and Dodge vehicles are one and the same after noticing a detail about a replacement part.

Alan Valero (@mexicandadbod1) uploaded a 15-second video of an Alfa Romeo he’s working on in the shop.

At the top of the clip, he shows off what appears to be a black Alfa Romeo sedan, complete with the iconic Italian carmaker’s insignia emblazoned on its grill. However, a text overlay reveals that the vehicle isn’t an Alfa at all.

“When you think you drive an Alfa Romeo but it’s actually a Dodge disguised,” he writes.

“What’s up guys. So I’m over here, thinking I’m gonna work on an Alfa Romeo,” he says, before panning over to cardboard boxes with a car part resting on it. “But…” Valero continues, before showing off the tag attached to it, which contains the distinct blue “M” Mopar logo.

While the American car parts, service, and customer car division is often associated with Dodge vehicles, it is owned by Stellantis. Thus, many Mopar components are utilized in the builds of the various auto brands the Netherlands-based company manufactures.

Brands Under the Stellantis Umbrella

While you’re probably aware that Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Fiat are often all sold at the same dealerships, Stellantis has also acquired several other auto brands. Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks, and Vauxhalls are all operated by Stellantis.

With so many different vehicle types, it’s not surprising that they often share the same parts. This can help streamline engineering processes, but it could also mean that any defective components will affect more vehicles. People in a Challenger SRT forum pointed to a 2023 Consumer Reports study that named four separate Stellantis vehicles in a top 10 list of least reliable rides.

Are Alfa Romeos Expensive Dodges?

Valero’s post indicates that Alfa Romeos are just re-branded Dodges with a higher sticker price.

But using some of the same parts doesn’t necessarily mean that an Alfa Romeo is basically just a Dodge. The vehicles are engineered separately and designed for different markets, after all.

However, they do have similarities, as others have pointed out.

As Cars.com notes, the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale “share a lot of the same equipment, components and body panels.”

One person who commented on Valero’s post described the Hornet as a “rebadge Tonale.” Another joked that the Alfa in the video is really a "Dodge Dart."

A user named Spencer got more specific.

“The Alfa is actually made in Italy (you can check the VIN), but because Stellantis is the parent company, Mopar is the North American parts arm of Alfa," he explained. "Some Dodge models share parts or platform, but the Giulia is uniquely Alfa Romeo. Underneath, you'll see a lot of aluminum chassis components complete with shoddy Italian welding lmao.”

Motor1 has reached out to Alfa Romeo and Mopar via email, along with Valero via TikTok comment for further information. We’ll update this if they respond.