Having experienced GM's unacceptable 1.6 petrol engine as at 1996 but having had no trouble with their current (if hardly leading edge) 2.0 DTi unit I am wondering if Vauxhall's current engines (petrol and diesel) and their engine management systems can now be relied upon to stay the course and keep out of the shop, and if the petrol engines, like those of other makes, can run satisfactorily on any BS standard fuel.
Frankly, if I can't resolve this situation, my hard earned money will go to another maker next time - I can't afford to indulge pretentious cars that don't cut it even if I do have GM points.
|
|
My 2.0l 16v petrol (XE20XEV) engine has covered 45k miles and still going string with *no* problems at all.
|
|
|
Ignoring all other issues, my 2.2 147PS engine in the Vectra failed due to engine management (specifically coil) failure - left me stranded...
No problems with different petrols though.
|
Vectra 2.5 V6 GSi - Mine - Three years - 55K miles - No problems
Vectra 2.5 V6 SRi - Mine - Three years - 62K miles - Coil pack failed once when brand new. Otherwise totally reliable.
Vectra 1.8 LS - Brother - Three years - 50K miles - Cooling problem once when brand new. Otherwise totally reliable
Vectra 1.8 LS - Brother - One year - 20K miles - No problems
Astra 1.6 GLS - Brother - Three years - 80k miles - No problems
Astra 1.4 L - Brother - Three years - 60k miles - No problems
So in many years and over a third of a million miles of Vx motoring, my brother and I have had one failed coil pack and one overheating issue, both with new cars that then went on to give faultless service.
|
|
|
|
Having experienced GM's unacceptable 1.6 petrol engine as at 1996 but .... >>
I guess you were unlucky with the 1.6 petrol engine OR my friend was lucky with his. He has been running a 1.6 Cavalier for 12 years with only 1 minor problem during the time.
|
|
|
Interesting - calling Vauxhalls "pretentious cars".
"if the petrol engines, like those of other makes, can run satisfactorily on any BS standard fuel."
So you, having a diesel, have this altruistic complaint?
|
Sorry, dont mean to be rude, but what has the word altruistic got to do with the comment? Meaning unselfish doesnt seem to have any context with regards to this.
|
|
To add to this thread, my Cavalier is approaching 15 years with me and 170K miles with only a failed water pump and normal service items. My wife's 2002 Corsa and my Father's 2001 Astra have both been perfect from Day 1. Whilst there will always be a rogue car or two, fleet managers in particular, don't consistently plump for a range of vehicles that are duffers.
|
|
At last! It's great to see people who actually *own* Vauxhalls and *drive* Vauxhalls speaking out in their defence. For far too long, Vauxhalls (particularly the Vectra) have had a bad reputation and been slagged off at every opportunity. Yes, there will be the odd rogue car or two, but you'll get that with all manufacturers.
|
At last! It's great to see people who actually *own* Vauxhalls and *drive* Vauxhalls speaking out in their defence.....
I couldn't agree more Rob.
I've been a Vauxhall owner of various trusty vehicles for some 17 years now, and touch wood, the only serious faults I ever had in all that time was a blown head gasket on a Mk3 Cavalier 2.0 litre, and a tempremental auto gearbox on the same car.
Touch wood, the Vectra I currently own is 32 months old and the only thing to go wrong with it so far is a blown tail light bulb recently.
|
|
|
|
Absolutely! We've had 5 without any problems and have just ordered our 6th. Contrast this with the rubbish I've had to contend with over my last 3 VW Golfs. (see also my comments on "why are all VW dealers awful?")
|
The last Vectra I had ('96 2.016V GLS) cost me about £1000 during the six and a half years it was with me (excluding usual costs such as servicing,2 set of tyres& 1exhaust) and never let me down once over 70,000miles.
My latest Vectra ('01 Y 2.2 CDX) has so far had six months with no trouble (except an idling problem cured by a re-program of the ECU F.O.C.). I'll certainly be choosing another one when this one is up for replacement.
|
A good friend of mine has had a Vectra V6 Estate "R" plate for about 8 months which had FSH and 60k on the clock.
He has been unfortunate to have a long list of problems in that time including rear wash wipe failing, power steering failure, electric window failure, trim panels falling away, suspension trouble and tracking problems, along with a few others. He is lucky that he paid for an extended warranty (due to the poor reputation built up by certain members of the press) and has had most items sorted by the garage under this warranty.
He bought it because he wanted a V6 Estate and couldn't find/ afford a similar mondeo. I suggest he has been unlucky, but he's looking to move on as soon as his warranty expires to another car.
He still sees around the K reg Sierra Estate 2.0i Ghia (self levelling suspension model)he sold to get the vectra, and wishes he had the car back. Judging by the comments above mine, however you obviously find good as well as bad experiences.
Paul.
|
|
|
|
tgw
Apart from regular services, bulbs and tyres, this has been my Vauxhall experience:
Cavalier 1.8 30k miles - trouble free
Vectra 2.0 Sri, 80 k miles - Small blow on exhaust manifold gasket, centre silencer box with loose baffle, new ISCV, new camshaft sensor, leaking oil pressure switch, but nothing that ever stopped it running.
Corsa 1.2 bought at an indicated 30k from the classifieds, run for 10 k miles while my daughter learned to drive in it - replaced a set of front brakes
Astra 1.8 9k miles - ECU repregammed under warranty
So, 130k miles and none of them ever seriously let me down. I never worry about buying fuel in a supermarket. The local dealer has always sorted things efficiently.
I've also owned a string of Fords, as my father used to work for them. I went to Vauxhall when I got the Cavalier as a company car. By comparison the Fords were nothing but trouble from day one, being regularly back to the dealers, who were not very effective at all. I gave up on them 5 years ago.
Regards
John S
|
Over the years I had a Chevette(!), Astra Mk1 and Nova SR, all of which gave me no significant problems at all (over a total mileage of about 100K.
Then I bought a Corsa SRi, and it was horrendous. When it went, fine; noisy, but a sporty sort of noise. It suffered from an intermittent problem over 3 years - once started I had to run it to get everything hot, or it wouldn't start again the same day!
Three different dealers investigated, and cleaned the injection system, etc, etc, but because no faults were stored in the Management System, they couldn't do anything.
It turned out to be a dodgy oxygen sensor, which when replaced, made all the difference!
So really, it shows that a car with a simple, but seemingly difficult fault to detect, can blight a car's reputation as far as I was concerned. It doesn't say much for the dealers power of investigation!
|
Here's my scoresheet for Vauxhalls : I suppose I should add I was born & bred in Luton; so I am genetically pre-disposed to buying them.
'86 cav mk2 1600 10 years / 130 k miles no serious problems
'85 astra mk1 1600 14 years / 150 k miles no serious problems
'90 cav mk3 1800 13 years / 190 k miles (and rising by 750 per week) head gasket went a couple of weeks back.
'89 carlton 3000 11 years / 190 k miles had new back axle at 6k miles; otherwise fine.
'96 omega 2500 7 years / 130 k miles cam cover gasket leak recently.
None of these cars have been pampered; they get / got regular oil & filter changes; plus other bits when necessary.
I think like all volume manufacturers they make many good/OK cars & a few lemons; trouble is with the complexity of a modern car sorting out the lemons is getting more difficult / expensive.
|
|
Just an update on my vx 'fleet'...Omega failed MOT yesterday due to indicators not being amber enough...that's a new failure tor me!
|
|
|
|
To summarise my experience has been...
Car - Dreadful build quality and reliability. Sorry Dave et al but this is my second (replacement) Vectra and that's horrific. A good friend of mine has had three company Vectras. 2.0 P plate spent more time in dealers than he had it. 2.5V6 T plate coil pack failed twice, second time cat knackered. 2.6V6 Y has been to dealer *twenty eight* times - he's beaten my record. His car scheme is Vauxhall only so he's leaving his car scheme simply to prevent some nervous disorder developing.
Dealers - A waste of space. High turnover of mechanical staff and those that are there are incapable of doing anything other than replacing large and expensive components in the hope it will resolve something. If you stuck their heads of their ****s they'd be walking round on all fours looking for the light switch. Of three experienced - 2 Cheshire, 1 London they are rude, unhelpful, ill-equipped, uncaring with your car and perhaps worst of all dishonest (2 of the 3). I know one is being investigated by Vauxhall themselves due to massive levels of complaints against them.
The Company (Vauxhall/GM) - Credit it to them, the cars may have been appalling and the dealers may make you want to take up gun lessons but all experience from Vauxhall themselves was extremely positive. They weren't too hot at returning calls but when you spoke to someone you spoke to someone with authority who came across as genuinely wanting to resolve your problems. I think their customer care centre is one of the best of the manufacturers.
All in all I will be steering more than well clear in future. I know I'm not the only one as well...
|
Of all the posts i've read on here it is clear time and time again that nearly every singly car manufacturer and its dealer has had some good responses, and some bad. Some have more than others, but due to market volume that may well be inevitable. I have heard nothing but bad things about alfa dealers, and vauxhall in my experience have been a lot better. however, due to the number owners the number of complaints seem a lot higher. I used to sell Vauxhalls for a main dealer and i still think they;re ok cars!
The only dealer/manufacturer that i havent heard anything bad about is Lexus.....
|
|
|
|
I am nearing 3 yrs of owning a 97 (P) Vectra 2.0 Di. Being a licensed taxi driver, i do cover quite a few miles. I am currently on 215,000 miles & it still drives as good as when i bought it. It has never let me down since i've had it. The only things i have done to this car is a new alternator about 6-7 months back. A new battery about 2 years ago & a set of brakes on the front. The 2nd MOT required me to get a new handbrake cable. I do change the oil n filters normally around the 10,000 mark. I bought the car with 90,000 miles with full service history.
I would personally definately buy another Vauxhall, but not from the main dealers after seeing prices on some of the wesites that this very site offers?
Paul...
|
|
|
