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Partic bristle

Family members are the victim of the diesel particle filter fiasco.
They have a '56 registered Vauxhall Zafira 1.9CDtI SRI150 with 40,000 miles on the clock. They drive regularly from Lancashire to Norfolk, on motorways, at the maximum legitimate speed. Two weeks ago the car broke down with the particle filter diagnosed as the problem. They are now informed by the main Vauxhall dealer that the part required is going to take another 6 weeks to deliver, the car having already been in the main dealer workshop for 2 weeks, and may cost £2,000 for the repair. This appears to be an astonishing amount of time to have a family vehicle out of action. It seems like a fiasco on the part of the manufacturers and is a shocking amount of money as repair bill.

Asked on 24 July 2010 by PR, Lancashire

Answered by Honest John
The list of disasters with this engine is recorded at;
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/vauxhall/zafira-b-20...d
These 1.9 diesels can be good to drive, but give a lot of problems: Failed inlet manifold swirl flaps (and the flaps can beak and be ingested by the engine). Failed EGRs (£350). Choked DPFs (£1,300). Failed timing belts, often because the waterpump seized. Belt, tensioner, pulleys and waterpump need replacing every 40,000 miles. Failed oil pumps. Failed alternators. Failed dual mass flywheels. Failed turbos.
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