I've been researching just about every modification that can be done to my 07 MCS, and I've come to a scary conclusion, albeit from posts on this site, that ALTA's quality control is just not very good. I have plans for many of these mods, should I be worried if I buy from ALTA? What's going on? Not trying to flame ALTA here as I love alot of what they sell, but these issues make me leary...

These are issues I've read about so far:

-Intercooler hot and cold side pipes too short
-Boost tubes too short
-fractures in exhaust welds
-downpipes with holes in them
-ruptured silicone tubes
-boost gauge issues
-intake issues
-not easy to return items if defective

On the plus, it appears their customer service is decent, minus the return issues...

 

Add broken end links, tune issues with their first try at r56 tuning using the uni-chip, collapsing intake turbo tube, PSRS that have to be welded as they come loose, ic deflectors that do not work, cone filter for the JCW intake that falls off ...

Just draw your own conclusions...

 

I don't own any Alta parts but if you're worried about using their products there are many other companies that make all of the things you're looking for.

 

Just don't forget how good the Access Port is.....that in itself would make up for all

 

well i dont know about anyone else but almost all my mods are alta made, and i havent had any problems with anything .

I have a FMIC, CAI, AccessPort(amazing btw),19mm Rear Sway Bars.

 

My RSB is great, good service and fast shipping. Can't speak to more complex mods :shrug:

 

my FMIC is awesome!

 

i cant use access port in EU thats my only complain.

 

Alta sort of left a bad taste in my mouth from an incident I had with them in the past, but I have to admit they seem to be stepping up to the plate more nowadays. I will say their customer service has always been top notch and Adam & Jeff generally do want to help you out and make you a very happy customer.

 

I had one little hiccup with their intake recently that was never really taken care of so I just ended up taking care of the problem myself. But overall I'm happy with everything I have/had from ALTA, and I'm sure I'll still buy from them in the future.

 

After the whole unicrap situation they disappeared from the forum for a while. probably to dodge the flaming

I think its a mix of bad R&D as well as bad quality control. Seriously how can you manufacture silicone parts that rub on plastic pieces of the motor

Also being around the subaru community for quite some time, I can note that Perrin and Alta have both went down hill....as far as im concerned they get no more money of mine.

 

As good as that sounds i don't want people to think that one part makes up for other issues we have had over the years!

By far we are not perfect! We have a few bad things here and there happen over the years and because of how the internet works, the negative things really stand out. At the same time we have had many many sucessful parts and many happy customers. We have spent lots of time over the last couple years fixing internal operations and procedures, hiring quality people and getting rid of crappy fly-by-night vendors. Even down to the way we bring a new part to market has been improved. We could go through and answer all the comments about what we did wrong, but there is no reason to stir up old news.

So are we perfect now? No, but i can say for sure that if we screw something up, we are there to take care of it. We strive to make sure people are happy, and while you may see a few customers here and there that have had issues (warranted or not), they are far and few between. I think you will see evidence of that as you surf through NAM and ignore old posts.

I love to see the positive feedback from customers! I even do like seeing the negative stuff as it helps us figure out where things have gone wrong. But keep in mind that some of the problems people mention are ancient history, or random incidences. Also keep i mind there are just those we can't please.....

We hope customers feel good about having an ALTA part on your car, knowing that it was most likely made in the USA, knowing that you can call us for support and knowing that you got all that for a fair price! Plus we have a couple really cool things for you R56 guys coming out soon!

 

I'd buy more ALTA parts (Hey, I even sport your sticker on my windows!) if you'd carry more stuff for us much-ignored R50 owners. :/

 

People forget, or don't know, that quality control doesn't have you inspecting EVERY SINGLE item that foes out the door. A certain amount gets checked, and if they are good, then "everything else is good too." I mean, there are people out there who hate their MINI's, or hated the one they had, and only because they got one that slipped through the cracks and has lots of issues. I for one had all of my boost tubes, no matter how hard I tried, rub against parts of my engine and all of them started to get holes in them, I called ALTA and didn't get the answer I wanted. Granted, it was the right answer; send us pictures, tell us where it's rubbing, try moving it this way...", it's not what I wanted, so I replaced all the boost tubes with another companies. But have I swayed away form ALTA, no, they have good customer service, and, after they discover a certain part has/had unforeseen problems, it got pulled (i.e. the cold side boost tube that was a #@!$& to get in and rubbed against everything)...

...I'm done...

 

Nice post Jeff.

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

Nothing but praise for their customer service. During a dyno tune, Jeff (and Tim at Cobb) found two problems - a leaky tee coupling from Turbo Hoses, and an intermittent Alta boost controller. Jeff replaced the boost controller free of charge. Don't ask about the other charges.

My original complaint about FMIC short connecting pipes could have been easily resolved if I wasn't in such a hurry to get it installed. A couple of short silicone and metal couplings is all that was needed to simplify the installation.

I'm a retired quality professional, and have no complaints with the way Alta does business, or the quality of their parts. Also, Jeff is going out of his way to work with me and my AP map requirements. Dyno results are on Cobb's www.accessecu.com, the only Mini in the database.

 

Just saw your Dyno..... those are crazy #'s. The HP line just flows onward and upwards. Nice!!!

 

Thanx Leo. Credit goes to Jeff and Tim. A chart showing 17 - 20 PSI boost, 282HP, and corresponding torque isn't posted, but it has a similar shape. I'm told these guys are working on getting around the 20PSI boost limit inherent in the non-JCW version. Let's wish them luck! I want to be one of their first customers for that upgrade.

 

I for one, will never buy or install another Alta product on my car. Their customer service I experienced was crap.

 

everyone has off days , give em another chance :D

 

Didn't mean to start a post where ALTA was bashed on. Just looking for honest opinions about their quality. From what I can tell, their customer service has gotten much better, still a few issues here and there with fitment, but the AccessPort kicks ***. That's what I'm after anyways, and they don't make that, they just tune with it and it looks like they do a great job from past posts.

 

+1

 

mini4tide,

I just got the AP for a stock 2008 Clubman S. My experience was exceptional. After placing the order and receiving e-mails about the order being processed and then shipped, I received a personal phone call from Chris at Alta. He spent time with me on the phone going over my car, the grade of fuel I use and the appropriate maps with or without the linear throttle option.

When I received it I had it installed in less than 5 minutes, very easy. I've only had it for a few days, but my overall impressions are that this is the easiest most bang for buck mod you can do. It is a totally different car. First whether driving around normally or hammering it, power delivery is so much smoother. Even my wife says the car runs much smoother. When hammering on it the shift point entering second and third are about 500 rpm higher and there is no lag as you are solidly in the power band. The trip from the start of the power band in 1st through to second and third is one smooth continuous and quick delivery of seat planting power and torque. If you have the manual get ready cause you will be shifting much quicker.

Now I am thinking FMIC upgrade.

 

just wondering what were people's solutions from alta for the ones with poor fitments on the boost tubes? esp the cold side ones and the inlet tube rubbing issues? are they stuck with a bad part?

 

I've been working with Alta for many months now and have to say the customer service is second to none! I haven't had any problems with their products either. They're exactly as advertised. They go above and beyond the call of duty.


Ray