VAUXHALL consumer reviews

Dane, Essex on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I only got mine yesterday, but so far I love it! I’ve been fiddling with all the buttons and took it for a good old drive and wow, what a fantastic machine. The accelerator is super sensitive and it all changes with sport mode. The handling is great and it looks great.

John, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Astravan

On the plus side the Astra sportive is quick (too quick at times), but if you are tavelling long distances the seats are terrible. The seat consists of a thin moulded layer of foam rubber resting on a steel bar which runs across the seat under your thigh. There is no polite way of putting this. Your bum drops into the space behind this metal bar and the bar cuts into the underside of your thigh. Obviously some drivers sit in different positions and some may find this seat cofortable. However, as a fairly average sized driver (5 ft 11inch and 13 stone) I find it a real problem. My workmates driving this vehicle all complain of the same problem. It is a shame that an otherwise good vehicle is spoiled by such a poorly designed seat.

Mike, County Londonderry on the Vauxhall Antara

Ok, not as smooth a gear selection as I would like, but you can adjust your driving to get a smooth change, it just takes a while to get used to. On the whole I’m delighted with the quality of ride and very responsive steering, it feels fun to drive. I know there are better 4x4s on the road, but for less than 20,000 its brilliant. I have tried the Kia, Mitsubusi, Hyrudia i130 and none of these matched the ride quality and low cabin noise levels. None of these also give a lifetime warranty or 100,000 miles. Average mpg is 35 which is well below the government figures of 42.8, but I have checked with friends who own an Audio Q5 and they only get 37 mpg against the advertised 48 mpg. This seems to be the same story amongst most manufacturers and it’s about time we were told the truth!

Simon, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

What can I say? Outstanding car! It’s the 1.4 petrol 140 ps. I’ve had it for just over a month and have yet to find fault with it, apart from some idiot dented the door while opening his! (if only i was there.) At a 5 star safety rating you know your in a safe car, this car is made for comfort and room which is handy if you travel a lot! I can honestly say those who don’t like the electric hand-break must be doing it wrong or something, personally I think every car should be equipped with it which is probably why Vauxhall has made it standard across all new Vauxhall cars! So if you are thinking of getting one I recommend it! And @ people who are reviewing and they don’t own one - that’s just silly and outrageous, those reviews should be removed!

Tim, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

I bought mine from Evanshalshaw in January 2012 and the car is great. Full leather with heated seats. Automatic lights and washers. Satnav is a first for me and works great although I could do with a map update. So far the only issue has been with the climate control needing a software patch. All sorted now and very pleased with the ride, acceleration, brakes and general handling. Superb on the motorway where you get great fuel ecomomy; with mix or urban and motorway dirving I get 44mpg, much more on motorway driving and easily get over 500 mile out of a full tank.

Anna, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have owned a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 design for the last 5 years, which I bought on finance. I loved my car, it was nippy and drove well and suited me down to the ground. When the finance finished in March this year I decided to part-ex it for a new Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Excite. This has been the worst decision of my life. I went to the dealers and they had a deal on 0% finance and a loyalty amount off of the cost of the new car. I was told that there was not a car for me to test drive, but that the one I was going to buy performed exactly the same as the one I was bringing in for part-ex. Having said this though I do not think a test driving it would have made any difference because I wouldn’t have taken it on the motorway or up a hill as I had just test driven a car for my son and we were taken a very short distance on the flat. The cars on this deal were also going very quickly so as I didn’t want to lose the deal I decided to buy the new car. What a big mistake that was since owning the car I have experienced lack of power up hills and on motorways, even to the point of being in a dangerous situation with a lorry! When going up steep hills, and I live on one, the car loses speed and you barely get up the hill at more than 35 mph and my foot is flat to the floor! It is dangerous, to drive when this happens and I am petrified of going anywhere near a hill or on the motorway, which is a big problem. I have been driving for 30 years and have driven many cars in this time and have never felt scared of driving a car! In fact I never let anyone else in my family drive as I enjoy doing it myself. I have returned the car to the dealership for them to test it out and their response is that there is nothing wrong with it and they have taken it out and had no problems on hills or the motorway. Even to the point of the service manager taking it out and saying that she got 66mph out of it up a hill and her foot was not even flat to the floor! I know that they are lying and have seen many reviews on here and on the internet about loss of power up hills and the unresponsive speeds on motorways. I am still in the process of fighting Vauxhall to admit that the car is underperforming.

Brian, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Insignia

Mine is a new company car. I picked it up with 19 miles on the clock and no fuel! I though oh well, new car, ok win win. I went to put fuel in and found out you have to remove the ignition key to open the flap. It wouldn’t start until 4 attemps later. I rang the garage who said "Oh it’s bedding in"! The stupid, stupid, stupid electric handbrake - I either roll into the car in front or behind, and setting off is not smooth. What the hell is wrong with a lever? The turning circle is rubbish and it handles like I am driving on ice, which makes setting off quickly to exit a junction near impossible. The door mirrors whistle when moving, to which vauxhall have said "turn up your stereo"! The seats - argh! I have an aching back after driving it for more than an hour or two. The fuel economy is rubbish and the CO2 is higher than my last car, so its costing me more for less. It feels vague to drive, and considering how big the thing is there is not much room inside. I would not recommend it at all!

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

While this diesel version is not to bad on fuel I have found so far, owning it for only one year, that it is not as reliable as I hoped it would be. After taking this car on its maiden trip it broke down with only 203 mls on the clock. This meant the car had to be recovered to a dealership for repair. This was sorted, but it took about ten days. Afterwards, during the course of the year I experienced a few unexplained annoying problems. After the car had done only 4220 mls the oil change light came on. After this at about 4350 mls it broke down once again (blown fuse (fuel pump)) and had to be taken into the garage once again. The diagnostic test revealed nothing, so I await the next breakdown. I am not confident I can rely on this car. The most annoying problem I have is the braking can be very fierce at times.

Touqir, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I upgraded from a mk5 Astra sxi, which was also a 1.6 last May. Since new there was something wrong with the suspension as it was making a knocking noise over bumps.I took it back over 9 or 10 times in the next 6 months for this problem and the dealer Evans Hallshaw, kept stating they had fixed it, but it just got worse. Eventually the car started feeling unstable, the steering felt loose and the whole body would shudder when going over even a small dent in the road. The dashboard started rattling and the engine sounded like it was cold even though the temp showed ok, the tyres also started wearing unevenly which nearly always points to a problem with the suspension or alignment, but they just kept saying nothing was wrong and refused to book it in. I had enough of the dealer fobbing me off and demanded a replacement, but instead they got Vauxhall to take it to their workshop to check. Over a month later Vauxhall returned the car to the dealer stating they had replaced the shock absorbers and lower arms and that there was a rattle that was interrmittent and temperature related. I thought, what does that mean? I tested the car and it felt a bit better, but still not 100%, which I knew as I had tested other Astras of the same model and they were a world of difference. The dash still rattled and to top it off the windscreen wiper was broken at the base. The car’s still at the dealers and I’ve started legal proceedings to get my money back. I’ve had 8 months of headache, driving a car with faulty shocks and God knows what else got damaged by driving it 5000 miles in that state, over a month at Vauxhall and not even an apology from Evans Hallshaw. Either their techs couldn’t be bothered checking the car properly or they should be packing shelves in Tesco instead of working on 15k+ cars, you decide. The bottom line is the new Astra is a good car, but be wary of where you buy it as my experience shows that a small problem, which should have been sorted the the first time ends up ruining your car due to an incompetent dealership. Good luck with your cars everyone.

Brenda, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Ah, but it doesn’t return anything like a whopping 62.8, the combined actual is 45, 13% lower than the advertised urban! I know ’cos I’ve got one and been driving diesels for years, always got circa 55mpg, the drive is the same, the driver is the same it’s only the car that is different! No chance of Vauxhall putting it right, the chappie in the garage was getting 38-42 in the estate version and seemed to be quite happy with that. My advice, BUY THE FOCUS.

Bruce, Durham on the Vauxhall Combo

I have had this van two weeks now. I’ts the most uncomfortable van I have ever had, no leg room, pedals too close together. The seat is too small and is like sitting on a church bench all day. Awful for storage in the cab. I’ve had Astras, Berlingos and a Kangoo and they were miles better. Those with back problems, my advice is to stay away from this one.

Steve, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have given this "NEW" car just 3 stars so far. I bought this car brand new with just 6 miles on the clock. I am going to call it "TITANIC", if I keep it. On its maiden journey, only 1 day before we were due to go to the south coast for a week’s holiday, on a return journey from Morton in Marsh, the engine just stopped. This happened at 2:30PM, at 12:00 Friday midnight, we were finally towed into the dealers garage in Bristol from where we bought it. This happened about 10 days after buying it with only 203 miles on the clock. The dealer who suplied the car loaned me a replacement and then a second one and maybe there will be a third, but at this stage a week after they attempted to rectify the fault, it has still not returned it to me. They say its to do with the electrics, on the injection system, awaiting spares from the planet Mars considering the time it is taking.

Scott, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

This car should average 44 mpg, but this is proving difficult to achieve unless driven very lowly. Over the last 3000 miles, I have found 40 mpg is more like it. The manual gearbox is OK for a Vauxhall, but it’s not that slick and can baulk. Selecting reverse can be noisy and crunchy unless you really dip the clutch to the bulkhead and also give it time. The car is a good cruiser with a supple ride and reasonably quiet. Easily its best feature. I’m not keen on the non adjustable washers nor do I see the point of permanently lit warning lamps to tell me the passenger airbag is OK. The 1.6 engine is fine for most overtaking situations and one finds that you think you are doing 40mph but the speedo says 60mph, such is the quietness. To me the engine mounts allow too much rocking when starting and this is negative. The finish and detailing are not quite at VW levels; gearbox action nowhere near Honda slickness.

Anthony, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I’m disappointed that there is no jack brace or spare wheel supplied. Otherwise this car is quite good and quiet running.

Norman, Vale of Glamorgan on the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer

’Sports Tourer’ might sound like a silly name for an estate, but let Vauxhall call its estate model anything it wants; this is a brilliant car nonetheless. I considered an SUV but decided a estate model offered all the space I needed without compromising on the handling like some taller models do. Top marks.

William, Essex on the Vauxhall Meriva

This car has some very good points, plenty of space etc., but the electric handbreak, initially, was badly adjusted; safe hill starts were impossible, without ’heal and toe’ footwork. Vauxhall must have taken leave of their senses to fit a clutch which needs a 20kg (44Lbs) push, and operates at the top of its travel; a new one was fitted after 1300 miles, with a marginally lower bite point, but still very heavy. The engine, at 130ps, has plenty of power, and tows a light caravan without blinking. The dashboard is hopeless; the radio controls take preference over heating, AC etc.etc.; the controls aren’t tactile, and the tiny white on black lettering is ridiculous. The speedo is barely legal, to achieve 70mph needs 77-78 mph on the clock. If you complain to Vauxhall you’ll get nowhere, their customer service people work to their scripts and suggest all problems relate, not to the car, but to the driver. This is our 5th Vauxhall and it’s certainly the last. Vauxhall have tried to do something good, with loads of bells and whistles, especially traction and cruise control, but haven’t paid enough attention to the fine details; even the handbook has some glaring errors in it; perhaps I shouldn’t have read it.

Peter, Kent on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

The first thing I noticed was the road holding, after my old Vectra C it apeared to be on rails, great! The seats hold you well in place and the steering is light and presise. At present the fuel (petrol) consumption, according to the read out is 43.2 mpg with a mixed bag of driving but take into account that I live in the country with little traffic. The 1.6 vvt engine seems to have enough power (115) to suit the car, but then I am not a "boy racer". Gear box ratios are ok with top gear usable along most roads. The dash layout did take a little getting used to with the driver having to setup a few options on the two screens, but it was after all a new car. I found several of the options very useful enabling you to activate or deactivate across a whole range of settings. The inside was well laid out with all major controls within reach, at last I have rid myself of that awful indicator stalk on the Vectra. I am still getting used to the electronic handbrake so I’m reserving judgment for now; I cannot say that I like the so called "hill start" system, in particular when you are instructed to drive off with the hand brake still on, it does work but I do not like the noise that comes from it. I cannot say that the false floor in the boot is of any great advantage,I  took mine out! Would have rated five stars but the audio system reduced that to four along with the hand brake. But on the whole I am satisfied with my purchase, but only time will tell.

Paula, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I’ve just rented this car and I must say I find it very bad usability wise. The electric break is bizarre and makes me feel unsafe, the dashborad is a mess, the gears don’t work too well and the great door system does not compensate for any of that. Plus I have to duck down to see the traffic lights. Glad I will only have to drive the thing for a week. I hope to be able to return it in one piece and never to see another one of these again.

Mitch, England on the Vauxhall Astravan

Had my van re-mapped to 180 bhp and it now goes like the clappers. It is a bit loud inside, but has a nice interior with DVD and sat nav included. It’s done 14000 miles, driven hard no faults!! You don’t buy the 1.9 16v to save fuel matey! It handles well with sport button on and is a good all rounder!

Darren, England on the Vauxhall Antara

Vauxhall customer services have not responded after 4 weeks of collecting the car. The faults are: No day running lights, front door lights and radio fuse incorrectly fitted. The car drives very well, but I would not buy another one due to Vauxhall customer service and its dealership not being capable of carrying out a PDI correctly.

Daryl, London on the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer

I agree with Norman, not sure why the ad men at Vauxhall have decided on the dreadful "Sports Tourer" name. It’s an estate. End of. We all know it’s an estate. It looks and behaves like an estate. I’m with the people who are looking to drive an estate and don’t need to pretend that they’re buying a "Sports Tourer".

William, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I read the reports, read the reviews, stuck with my gut feelings and placed my order. Sixteen weeks later I got my car. I got the dealer to fit mud flaps and colour coded side door protectors; they make the difference. I have had the car two months. The biggest puzzle? What planet are the professional motor critics sitting on? If I had taken any notice of those people I would never have bought this lovely car. Its comfort, build quality and especially its performance surpass all my expectations. Somehow, I get the feeling those critics have never heard of using third gear to reach the higher plateau (probably stuck in Fifth or even Top Gear for that matter). What choice petrol or diesel? For urban miles and occasional motorway work - petrol. For high mile motorway work - diesel. My previous 4 cars; lovely Zafiras. My Meriva B? Icing on the Vauxhall Cake.

Gerald, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I had a Meriva before and the latest model is a vast improvement on the last one. I am extremely happy with the SE and found it very comfortable compared to the previous model. It takes a few minutes to get to know the various switches etc, but it is very stylish and a joy to drive. I am particulary impressed with the parking warning signs, it is a little larger than the older model and it is a lot better for it. Overall I cannot find any faults whatsover and I am very happy with it.

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

The Insignia seems very good on handling, especially on high speed motorway cruising and takes corners very well when pushed. The engine is no more noisy than other engines. The driver’s side tweeter cover in the door keeps falling off and the left side wing mirror casing is not aligned and looks badly fitted, but the car has a solid feel to it and feels safe. I cannot say many bad things about it, apart from the fact that I am 6’ 2" tall and do get back pain when driving, which is why I am considering getting an Avensis; whilst not being the most sexy looking car it is soooo comfortable. I have just driven a loan 1.8 petrol Insignia and it is horribly underpowered and has no acceleration, so forget that one. One last thing, cars fitted with DPF’s now have appalling MPG, shame on you EU, which is contradictory because whilst filtering out diesel particles, they actually cause cars to use more fuel.

Glenn, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

In March 2011 we decided to trade our Astra 1.4 SXI three door model which we had as new from Pentagon, Ecclesall Road. I have always been happy with what the advert says " Thrill to drive" and I always said to people that the 1.4 model always seemed to perform like a 1.6. My reason for writing this letter is that I feel that the vehicle we bought to replace this one from Pentagon, Ecclesall Road, which is the new Astra 1.4 exclusive with alloy wheels and DAB radio as extras, was mis-sold to me. The salesman in question, who left the company about a month after we made the deal, took us out in a Astra 1.6 which we wasn’t aware of!!!, bearing in mind that we was looking at the 1.4 model having had the 1.4 SXI. Due to the performance of the 1.4SXI I thought that there would not have been a problem with the new cars performance, but in the last six months we have had this car back twice to Vauxhall’s Technical Department at Pentagon Sheffield. The reason being is that this vehicle has a flat spot only to be informed that it is due to power to the weight ratio. The Astra we traded in was a 90 break horse power and the new one is 100 break horse power so I would have thought this would have compensated for the different weight if any, if we had known this we would have gone for the 1.6. I cannot believe that Vauxhall have made a car with a 1.4 engine which is underpowered, after the success of its predecessor. I have also been informed that other customers have complained about the same problem and I believe that the power performance is not only dangerous on motorways it is also embarrassing to have Heavy Goods Vehicles and smaller cars leaving you on hills and sometimes being left in the middle lane on motorways at about 60 mile an hour. Upon putting your foot down the car does not respond than faster vehicles which are coming up at 70 and 80 mph and the more you get up the gradient you can see the Speedo reducing quite quickly, we have been back to Pentagon and they seem to be aware of it, we have been back to the sales team at Pentagon Sheffield, Saville St who can only offer maybe a 60 plate 1.6 Astra with 7 to 8000 miles on it and for us to put down another thousand pound.

Saj, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

My car was delivered with 98 mileson it, brand new. Day 1 the service light came on so I went to the VX garage and was advised 2 sensors needed changing, but I had to wait for parts to come in stock. While waiting for a date to go back in the car went into limp mode and was basically un-drivable. The Car went into the garage and everything was fixed after 2 days, with an additional over boost valve changed also. The same day I collected it from the garage the service light came back on and so I took it straight back. After approx. 7 days I was told they couldn’t find the fault and the car is ok. They advised me to take the car back and continue driving with the service light on!!! The Vauxhall mechanic, however, argued with the service staff that the fault relates to a mechanical problem and that there must be something wrong, but it just hasn’t been found yet. My god what kind of customer service is this? How am I to tell the difference from the service light to a genuine fault on the car? No answer. I refused to drive the car even though I was told by Vauxhall that they wanted it removed from their premises. After almost a month I have been offered a demo car until they fix the issue, which they say is a software fault, but they have no idea when a fix will be available. On another email I’ve had they have contradicted themselves saying it’s an easy fix. If so why have the garage had it longer than I have had it, almost a month? Poor MPG, 39-41mpg on the eco flex stop start model, which I was advised was because it’s a new car. The oil seems to be burning at a rate of 1-2% per day, as the computer tells me it’s dropping. I noticed in 1st gear I sometimes get an extra boost of power even when my foot is off the gas causing the car to jump forward. The last Vauxhall I will ever own!

Scott, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Previously had a 2002 Berlingo, which did the same mpg. I missed the height for a while, but not any more. This van is fast and the 2011 model has a sound liner in the back so it’s pretty quiet. All the kit works really well and it handles too. No mods needed on this van, but may go for a bit of dynomat at some point for a bit more peace and quiet. A leather gearknob would be nice too. I bought the load liner which is ok if you tie everthing down, otherwise the load slides around on it. It’s also really tricky to get out as its a tight fit. Over all the best small van out there and I looked around at them all. 

Naeem, Stirlingshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’m now on my 4th Zafira! They’ve all been 1.6 Life models. I’ve had one ’A’ (2004) and three ’Bs’ (2006, 2008, 2011). The difference from the ’A’ to ’B’ was day and night. So much so, that I’d recommend to anyone thinking of buying the earlier model to save a bit more and go for the new shape. They’ve all been very reliable and are ideal as a family car, which is why you see so many on the road. The ’Life’ is an entry level model has the basics so it’s not very plush. Only the 2011 model has the piano black treatment on the centre console, steering wheel mounted controls and a leather type steering wheel, which does wonders to lift the interior ambience compared to the 2008 model. The performance is what you’d expect of a 1.6 petrol. It’s fine for motorway cruising, but on city streets/dual carriageways you do need to use the gears and rev the engine to make quick progress. The diesel would be better in this respect, but they tend to suffer expensive problems. The handling is good for the type of vehicle and it can be hustled down country roads surprislingly quickly. It won’t have you grinning from ear to ear, but it won’t throw you into a ditch either. The ride is fine, a little firm, but no worse than most cars. I did have an Astra SRi a courtesy car and it was noticably harsher. No doubt due to 18" wheels and sports suspension. Overall, I’d highly recommend a Zafira if you’re looking to carry loads or need a car which can handle family life, just avoid the diesel and you won’t have any unexpected bills!

Steve, Carmarthenshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I’ve had the car 5 months now and have had nearly 9,000 miles of untroubled driving. Having previously owned numerous Fords, my last car being a Mondeo Estate I was looking to downsize, but not compromise on looks and quality. I just love my Astra, great car inside and out, great handling, good build quality, very quiet around town and on the motorway. There are only two negative points: When driving up a long, but not necessarily steep incline in 6th gear and it wont make it (unlike my Mondeo). Also the fuel economy, manufacturer claims close to 48mpg, but the best I have managed driving at or around 56mph on a long run (200 miles+) is 44mpg. Normal daily commutes of 32 miles to work average around 40-41mpg. I would definitely recommend though.

Chris, Sussex on the Vauxhall Antara

I had alarm problems from day one. A brand new vehicle (July 2011), but as soon as I parked it on the drive at home the alarm went off. After it going off another 3 times within the hour I called the Crawley branch and I was advised to leave the vehicle unalarmed or unlocked!! Yes seriously. Needless to say it went back to the Crawley branch and I said they could have the alarm going off on their forecourt until it is fixed. I picked it up on the Monday allegedly fixed. Wrong. I took it back again and they found a fault with the interior sensor and the siren so replaced them both. I have had no alarm problems since. The fuel consumption is certainly not as advertised as I’m averaging about 33mpg driving very carefully. I am now having reoccurring problems with the ECG; every so often (I think I am pinpointing this down to when the car has been in a heavy downpour) whilst driving, the fuel consumption goes through the floor, to an average of 11 but absolute maximum of 20mpg. Once the ignition is turned off, the engine fan comes on quite aggressively and the car is hot and smells of burning. The vehicle has been back 4 times to be looked at (no problem found) and it was only on the 4th occasion that they said they had looked at the ECG log, which could explain all the symptoms. Apparantly the ECG is meant to do that and routinely does a emmissions system clean. It will use more fuel and cause the fan to go etc. So, yesterday my car did this 8 times!!! Has anyone else had anything similar? This surely cannot be whats meant to happen?!

Gerald, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

A nice little car, but with no spare wheel it can be a pain in the neck.

Sean, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

A nice looking car, but there is a problem with engine noise as it sounds like a tractor. Mine also has noisy brakes at slow speed. I’ve taken it back Vauxhall, but they say everything is ok. I don’t agree and I wouldn’t buy one of these again.

Matt, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

A Good looking car, but with quite a few faults. I have the excite model 3 door 1.2 I have had to have 4 trips back to the dealer for the following : Gear Linkage - jumping out of gear; Grinding brakes (no fault); New light switch - lights turning on and off on own; Brake pads - finally replaced and found to be faulty, which was causing the grinding noise. Now for the big one. The engine, which used to be quiet has over the past three weeks got louder until it now sounds like a tractor!! The Vauxhall dealer said it is normal, but the noise is still continuing to get louder. Vauxhall customer assistance have contacted me and they have demanded for the vehicle to be checked asap; when booking the vehicle in reception were very rude. So, if you’re thinking about buying one of these cars bear these things in mind. I wouldn’t mind but it’s a "61 plate", new from September.

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Never, ever again! My first and last Vauxhall. They should hang their heads in shame. All the usual faults as mentioned elsewhere here. Incredible in this day and age that they can get away with it.

Andrea, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this car only a couple of weeks ago and it’s been a total nightmare! So far it’s needed new timing chain kit refit as I was told by the garage where I bought it that it was because it was "cold". I’d had it back for a day and then took it back as I was concerned about the noise it made as the engine got hotter. It took nearly 2 weeks to fix, thankfully still under warranty. It’s been one thing after another! I love the styling of the car and I thought would be an ideal run around car after owning a Subaru Impreza STi. I always liked the idea of the Corsa as it looked nice and seemed cheap to run, unfortunately hasn’t lived up to expectations and I would never buy a Vauxhall again.

Mike, England on the Vauxhall Insignia

This is the worst car I have ever driven. Do not waste your money on this car!!! Mine, fortunately, is a company car. The mpg is poor, mine averages 40mpg with a mixture of motorway/town driving. I have had four oil leaks, new hydraulic pump, new speakers, new drive shafts, two new gearboxes, two new clutches, a new fly wheel and new gear selector rods. Despite the new gearboxes and clutch I still have problems selecting 2nd and 3rd gears when the engine is cold. The car has been rejected to Vauxhall and an engineer is test driving it next week so fingers crossed I can get a Mondeo, Passat or push bike.

James, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

The body panel is out of line. The petrol consumption is appalling at 30% less than advertised; I bought this car for its advertised economy, but it is worse than my old 1.6 zafira. Having decided to change the car I find in eight months it has dropped £8,000. I will never consider another vauxhall.

Tony, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

The car is comfortable, but the visability is not great and fuel consumption is abysmal. My biggest gripe is the parking brake. I have found that if the car is in neutral and you rev the car over 1100 RPM when depressing the clutch then the handbake releases. This is not safe, but the dealers say it is normal. This parking brake is not fit for purpose! 

Martin, Surrey on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought the auto 1800 astra club around a month ago. It only had 4500 miles on the clock so was virtually new. My overall impression is it’s over priced and pretty unspectacular. That said it has had no major faults, but loads of stupid things that really annoy me and a few that could be dangerous in my opinion. I will definitely ditch it for one fault though and that is the ride quality. If you’re only 20 ignore this as you can sit on the ground for 12 hours at a festival and be comfortable. Over 30 however, and you’ll struggle with the rock hard foam moulded springless seat, the rock hard suspension that basically uses your spine instead, and the stupid auto gear changes that leave you having to permanently have your foot on the brake in traffic as it has selected 3rd gear at 10 mph! Drive a lot in traffic and you’ll soon curse this car. Add to this the ridiculous indicators that re-write the rule that you signal left to turn left and if you want to cancel you push it back to the middle. No, on this it goes back to the middle anyway, but then continues signalling, then if you go to manually cancel the signal it then signals right instead. Thus explaining why I’ve seen so many Vauxhall motorists do exactly this on our motorways. You cannot hear the indicators on the motorway, over the noise of even a moderately pushed engine, and if you’ve adjusted both the seat and the steering wheel to the optimum driving position you then can’t see the indicators internal lights going either as the steering wheel obscures your view of them! Bad designing or what? It’s plain stupid! Obviously someone trying to justify his job by trying to ruin something that has previously worker perfectly well on every car since the Ford Anglia came out in around 1962! The paint comes off if you brush passed it in a light jacket, the radio is Marconi’s original I think, and it’s by a mile the most uncomfortable car I’ve ever driven and I’ve owned loads (20+). This car was to replace a 90,000 miles plus, old, much critcised by the press Hyundai Elantra, but this doesn’t come close to that car in terms of driving enjoyment. I think this car couldn’t be more painful if it had a park bench in it! If you get one and you’re over 30 find a good back specialist as you may soon need one! The manual gearbox will doubtless be better, but there must be a lot more cars better out there now. There seems a joint thing going on with Chevy as you’ll see both in the same showroom with the Americans dropping the name ’Astra’ from their range. I think I can see why. I would have been very disappointed to have paid the kind of money their asking for these new.

A, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Too many faults to list, absolute worst 12 months of ownership.

Andrew, Surrey on the Vauxhall Meriva

I guess you get what you pay for. Got this car in December 2012 for £8,250, so 15 months old, 10k lower than a new one. Since then I have had the horn replaced because that broke, and now it’s gone back to have the fuse board replaced because, I quote the dealer "you seem quite lucky, the worst that could of happened is that it caught fire". Thank got for the AA. Other than the problems I’m happy. I get on average 40mpg, not bad for a large car with a small engine. It’s comfortable, seems quite well built for the money and it looks great. Plus the whole family fits (2 adults one baby and a pug). So in summary: Good car, I just hope the few electrical problems I have are just that and no more. You can’t get much better for the money.

Paul, Kent on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have now owned this car, a Meriva B for just 7 weeks. When purchased it was just under one year old and had covered only 11400 miles. Pros: The doors are great and open to 90 degrees. They auto lock once you are traveling above 2mph. The six speed auto box is very smooth and being able to change manually is handy. The cabin area and instruments are well laid out and it feels a nice place to be. The moonroof makes the interior feel even bigger. The engine pulls smoothly and has plenty of torque. There is much more legroom for two rear passengers than previous models. Cons: The speedo seems to be more than the legal 10% above your actual speed. We have to travel at an indicated 79mph to be doing 70mph.(If the speed is miles out then surely the trip meter is wrong as well?) The computer states we are averaging over 40mpg but when refuelling I calculated 33.8mpg. The center console is a bit of a pain as it restricts the feet of any center rear passenger. No spare wheel; I bought a spare wheel, but cannot get a tyre as the manufacturers do not have any. My main gripe is fuel consumption and yes I know it’s an auto but 34mpg from a modern diesel engine is abysmal. Most of our driving is urban I would not even like to think how low the mpg would drop driving in town.

Mark, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

First of all I have had many many cars over the years and touch wood have had very few times when I have needed to take a car back to the dealers for warranty work. Previous sum total after owning 8 new cars is just one rear hatch lock. So reading reviews on here am I to be visiting the dealer more now I have a Corsa? I hope not but ownership so far has been fault free. I bought my Corsa used just over a year old with 8k miles on the clock as an ex lease car. It still looks and feels brand new despite me piling 7k miles on in only 3 months. Perhaps the first owner did the toing and froing with the dealer to get the car sorted, but as mentioned in a busy three months I have not had a single issue. Now lets mention I am no Miss Daisy when it comes to driving and have raced cars and go karts for many years so I was not looking forward to the 1.2 engine I had picked purely for its fuel economy because I have to finance my own fuel on my commute to work. This car is actually totally schitzophrenic. Underpowered and lethargic when aiming to get good mpg and using little throttle the bonus being the 45mpg I get on my daily 100 mile round trip to work. Sometimes you wonder if there is even an engine in the front. What I did really appreciate though was the fact that this mpg is just as easily reached whether driving on a motorway or using a mixture of A and B roads in fact ironcally motorway consumption can be marginally worse than an undulating B road, which did surprise me. Oh yes I said schitzophrenic didn’t I? - well take the car by the scruff of its neck and keep the throttle down until you have 5000 rpm on the rev counter and no you don’t have a Ferrari, but you do suddenly have a car whose engine sounds as if it enjoys revving and is smooth and not gruff, a muted but roty engine note and a chassis that will not let you down. In fact this is the only car I have ever had where grip on the road is not an issue at all. It has stacks of grip and with the modest engine power little likelihood of upsetting things with clumsy pedalling. Unless the road is very uneven and bumpy you have a very faithful and willing car, which will propel you to speeds that offer driving enjoyment with ironically a lot of safety and your licence still intact. So what am I saying here is how does that make sense? I have had many fast cars over the years and still own one now in the shape of an A3 tfsi sportback with 200bhp and yet I really enjoy pushing the Corsa with its benign handling, masses of grip and roty engine because I am getting the experience of pushing a car to extract its performance, but without reaching speeds that would lose me my licence. Of course when driven this way the fuel consumption plummets to 33mpg instead of 45mpg, however, the irony is that to get 33pmg out of my 2.0 litre turbo Audi I have to drive it on egshells and freewheel down all the hills. So here is someone who has masses of racing experience actually finding fun in driving an underpowered ecomomy based shopper who is also getting to work and back economically. So what of the car itself. Other than liking its appearance from all angles with the exception of the view from directly behind I have been extremely impressed with the quality and finish of the car. The panel gaps in the metalwork are appalling and all over the place, but the paintwork is good and the panel gaps are simply not an issue to me who expects to run this car up to 100k miles. What matters to me is a comfortable interior and a workable driving environment and the Corsa in SXI form provides far more than I expected of it in that department. The interior design and layout is simple and straightforward, but that is exactly what I like in a car. Far too many car interiors these days look like they have been designed by someone who used to design Ghetto Blasters in the mid eighties. Masses of silver painted plastic and hotch potches of 3d geometric shapes with no functional reasoning just don’t float my boat. The seats and the adjustments for both the seats and the steering wheel are first rate, making finding your perfect driving position easy. As someone who has suffered from back problems all my life I am happy to report that the seats have proven to be one of the best I have encountered regardless of car cost or specification. I have all the toys I could possibly need. Leather wheel and gear shift, cruise control, air conditioning, mp3 input, sports seats, split fold rear seats etc., etc. There is not actually one thing where I am finding myself saying if only it had one of those. Well there is one actually a water temp gauge, but hey ho I presume there would be a warning light should the temps get too high. There is also a little ’and’ and it is those infuriating indicators. Attempting to manually cancel them results in the traffic following you wondering if you have totally lost your marbles as you alternate between signalling to turn right then left then right again. It’s even an issue when switching main beam on and off where a slight touch here has your overactive indicators going off on their own merry way again. So to tick all the boxes of a car review I will just mention that the ride and refinement are perfectly acceptable for a supermini, not in limousine standards, but never wearing or intrusive. I am a happy chappy and the acid test is this. If someone told me today that the Corsa I am driving now would be the only car I would have for the rest of my life would I be depressed and the answer is no. I still have lots more driving enjoyment to come with this little but eminently practical car.

Keith, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Corsa

No problems to date. I’m very satisfied with the performance and the petrol consumption is good. It does need wise use of the gearbox but cruises at motorway speeds smoothly and quietly, with very little road noise from the Firestone tyres. Steering and roadholding is excellent. An attractive car that’s well finished and has all the neccessary accessories. I do have one complaint; why do they put in a cd30 radio that won’t play MP3 discs?

Mike, Newport on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought my 1.4t sri Astra 10 months ago after being told by the dealer, from whom I have bought several cars over the years, that this was a very good model; 6 speed gear box and very good on fuel. Well lets just say I will not be bying another car from them! The car I bought drinks petrol even though its a 1.4, the noise inside whilst driving is terrible and the turbo went after 7 months. I get 350 miles on a full tank, which is terrible. I am also fluffed off with the service you get from the after sales staff, which is not helpfull at all. I will never buy a car from Cwmbran Motors again. The Astra turbos are complete rubbish.

Darren, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought the car at 6 months (6000mls) old. So far it has needed 3 egr valves, 1 alternater and 1 clutch with trimmings. As for dpf filter I had a quote for £1300. I got a friend of mine to cut it off, soak it in caustic soda and weld it back on again; it seems to be working fine now. As for the Zafira I’m never ever going to buy another.

Alex, Merthyr Tydfil on the Vauxhall Corsa

Being the 2010 model it’s had the tweaks to improve its handling and ride comfort. Has it worked? Most definitely!  It corners very well and inspires confidence, though a Fiesta has slightly better handling there isnt much in it and the ride of the Corsa makes up for this. The new 1.4 100bhp engine is pretty fizzy. Loads of grunt and brisk performance are available while the fuel economy is good at 49mpg and tax is only £90. The SE version has replaced the Design, but it comes with a heap of equipment and it’s forever being complemented as a very posh car. I’ve had some fun with the heated seats on unsuspecting passengers :-) A great car that can easily cruise on motorways whilst feeling nimble around town!

Luke, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just bought this car and drove it home 70 miles with no problems. It cruised on the motorway at 65/70 mph; on tick-over it’s a bit funny because it’s a 3 cylinder and sounds quite throaty at low speeds, but saying that it is very economical. The spec on the life is good, for example it has electric windows, air con, pas, and a nice factory fitted Cd player and feels to have good build quality.

Princy, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought a brand new car last June. I have had ridiculous amounts of problems with this so called energy saver vehicle: It does not accelarate properly; The engine management lights keeps coming on and I have to take it in everytime. I get told by Vauxall that this is why they give a warranty because the car can have problems. Ridiculous excuse again! If anyone is looking to buy a Corsa please don’t, its c**p and it will cause you more grief than anything else. Also since its first service last month there has been a beeping noise from the brake and I have been told it is the "characteristics of the Corsa". What on earth???

Ray, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

I am very pleased with the van, it does everything it says on the tin!!

Stephen, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Combo

Possibly the worst vehicle I have ever had the pleasure of owning! Bought it with only 2500 miles on the clock and it’s been nothing but trouble starting with jerky throttle response, which no dealer’s garage has been able to rectify, there is not enough leg room for the driver, the turbo was leaking oil so the seals had to be replaced, the seat gives me back ache. Bad enough that someone else has to take over the driving, and now with only 19k on the clock the steering rack knocks whilst working and rattles over bumps. My conclusion is I’ll never buy/touch a Vauxhall again!!!!!

Stewart, Scotland on the Vauxhall Insignia

I bought my brand new 60 plate from Evenshalshaw. After 430 miles my rev count shot up and the car shot away from me. After performing an emergency stop the car started jumping like a kangaroo and the fault light came on the dash. The car was recovered to Evenshalshaw where they had the car for 7 days to call me and say not faults were found on my car!! 24 hours later I was driving my car with my 3 year old son in the car and the same thing happened, I manged to prevent myself from crashing by performing an emergency stop. This time the car was recovered to Arnold Clark for repair. They established several fault codes and were instructed by Vauxhall to wipe the computer clean and up date the software. After 14 days I was given my car back. Last week with only 1100 miles on the clock the fault has reoccured this time I almost crashed at a set of traffic lights! Vauxhall, Evenshalshaw and the finance company are all refusing to replace the car as they cannot fix the fault. This is now heading to court in the next few weeks, if anyone else has experienced the same faults please put your complaints on.

Gerry, Bridgend on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

Mine is a 2010 model, completely satisfied with build quality and every aspect except the ride is sometimes a little firm. Handling is very precise. The automatic tailgate opening is fantastic, and the cabin layout is smooth, clever and prestigious. Auto box is faultless and smooth. There are more features than I can describe or use, and most importantly my wife likes it. There’s seems to be a big difference between the 2009 and 2010 cars from the reviews I’ve read.

Peter, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought this car in October 2010 for the very good advertised fuel performance, comfort for driver and passenger and slightly longer wheelbase means there is more leg room for the back seat passengers than in the Renault Megane for instance. The car provides a comfortable ride, good gearbox and controls layout. Driver forward visability slightly compromised by roof piler shape and thickness. However, almost immediately aware of fuel performance well below the expected 62.8 mpg combined. First fuel check was 52 mpg and after 6,000miles is averaging 48 mpg. The garage has examined it twice, saying that there is no problem with the engine. This fuel economy is less than the Urban figure of 55 mpg and overall is less than the previous Astra models combined figure of 55 mpg. As a result I am returning the car for a full refund and going to buy another make of car.

Geoff, Kent on the Vauxhall Insignia

I bought this car new, and paid significantly extra for the Ecoflex version, which allegedly gives an average 7mpg more than the standard version. I was assured by the dealers that I could expect at least 48mpg - slightly more than the 46 mpg I had averaged with the three year old Vectra 1.9 CDTi I traded in. The Vauxhall brochure itself claims 41.5mpg (extra urban), 67.3 mpg (Urban) and 54.3mpg (Average). What absolute rubbish! In practice, and with almost 2/3 of my driving done on motorways, my average to date is just 38mpg - and that’s driving as efficiently as I can. The dealer doesn’t want to know, and Vauxhall themselves don’t give a damn (their response was that anything between 41.5 and 67.3 is acceptable to them, but they won’t accept the fact that I am actually getting less suggest something is not right). That apart, the car is great in most respects, but with an attitude like Vauxhall’s, never again!

Derek, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Exclusive 1.9 CDTi Auto 2010 bought it in August with 900 miles on the clock, first reg’d May 2010. Comfortable drive, bit sluggish on exeleration, brakes very sharp, Diesel consumption very poor. Like the car overall, but the poor fuel consumption would deter me from buying another one.

Wallace, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

Rented one of these and felt strongly about it, keen to share with others who might look to be buying. Used this fairly heavily for a week. Plus points: Spacious and light with good rear visibility, good smooth gearbox and easy displays. Loads of space inside. Nice skylight roof. Minus points: Annoying, fiddly unlock mechanism for keyfob and tailgate drove me mad. Pointless electric handbrake a step back from manual in every way. Flashy light on dash every time electrics think I need to change gear. Gutless engine, cant see how it would cope on an incline with fitted cruise control. This would have to be a cheap buy to make it worthwhile. Gimmick rear doors don’t amend for gaping weaknesses.

John, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

The car itself is very good, I have the 2.0ltr diesel. The fuel consumption claimed by Vauxhall are very much inflated, I only get between 29 and 31 mpg.

Robert, Bridgend on the Vauxhall Zafira

Good car lots of room but boy are they thirsty! getting about 340miles to a full tank when I was getting 500 plus from my 307 hdi, so maybe not such a good choice for me! Lucky me and the misses gave up smoking, spending on petrol now. :(((((

Jan, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Got this disgraceful heap on the Motability scheme as my daughter is disabled. I should have felt alarmed when we picked it up and the sales man handed me what looked like a cranking handle from an Austin 7. "Just in case" he said. After ten days, it had to go back as the roof got stuck half way down. Seven days later it was back in the workshop for the same reason. Over the next few months it was in and out of the workshop on every week to 10 days. On one occasion we finally got the roof to work and parked up locked the car went to the vets came back and tried to unlock the car and it would not respond but the roof took on a life of its own going up and down several times we began to think the car was haunted until we heard other people’s troubles. I’m often tempted to leave with the keys in the ignition but I would probably have pay someone to take it. I want my golf back. I HATE this car it wallows round corners, drinks petrol like water, it rattles, leaks and is heavy. The back windows now have a life of their own, when you start it up they go up and down for at least five minutes and finally stop and stay open. I’m sick of taking it back to the garage. When the roof is down the fumes from the back of the car are drawn in as you go along.

Stuart, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have been getting a power steering intermittent failure. I took it to my local dealership and was told the power steering pump was faulty, they told me they would stump up 50% of the final cost. Which I thought was good, but when I was told this may not fix the problem as they weren’t really sure if this was the fault. I think Vauxhall should fit the pump FOC, as I am not being used as a ginea pig to find out what the fault is. When I asked if they would refund my money if this didn’t cure the fault I was told, NO. This is disgusting and shouldn’t use peoples hard earned money to guess at fixes for problems. The steering wheel buttons keep failing, so the buttons will do whatever they like, eg volume rocker switch, press it up, volume goes down (sometimes), does nothing, or may even turn the volume up (very rare). I don’t think I will be getting another Vauxhall, but they really need to deal with the common faults that they have and keep their customers happy.

Darren, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Hi! I’ve just bought my first Vectra SRi 2.0 140bhp. I find it to be a fast car and a solid family sporty car. I’m not sure what the 0 to 60 is but it flies at 70mph with out a fault.

Graham, France on the Vauxhall Meriva

Sluggish performer in larger diesel - god knows what the smaller one is like. Pull? Skin & rice pudding come to mind! I can’t believe anyone would design a car with suicide doors. They went out with the ark! Dashboard needs sorting. Driving position OK & roadholding quite good. But, oh, those rear doors ! I’ll never buy another!

Natasha, Essex on the Vauxhall Corsa

I love my car!! It’s fab in every way, only thing I would complain about are the pillars obstruct view sometimes and the car runs out of screenwash so fast! I hardly ever use it! Other than that wouldn’t swap it for anything :)

John, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

This is my 3rd Meriva and I have been very happy with all of them. All cars were brand new, I only kept them about 2 Years.

Chris, Durham on the Vauxhall Zafira

I got a Vauxhall Zafira 1.9 tdi auto about 6 months ago and have had nothing but problems with it. First off the parking sensers were not working right as would only work when you first started the car. Next was an intermittent fault with the gear box not engaging right if at all; starts off driving ok then the revs get a little high and then complete loss of power. The first time the dealer had the car for one day and said that they could not find the fault. The car bust again yesterday with the same fault!

Michal, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Bought the car at the end of November and very pleased with the car with one exception. The fuel economy. For a car that is rated to do 70MPG extra urban and 61 combined with 51 urban to only be getting 43MPG when driving like a Sunday school teacher is a bit of a killer. Now done 2000 miles in the car but the economy, if you can call it economy, is abyssmal. Awaiting a check at the local vauxhaul garage to find out why it is so bad. However I was told that if nothing was found during the check the customer would normally foot the bill as Vauxhaul would not pay. Might have to think about getting Trading Standards involved if that is the attitude of a Car Comapny that advertises it’s cars on fuel economy.

Brian, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

My second Vivaro and yes, I would buy a third, it’s so so improved from the previous; CD, blue tooth, air con., love it! A little work horse.

George, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I purchased this car in March 2010, previously owning a 1999 Corsa for which I got the £2000 scrap part exchange allowance. I find my new car, which has just done 6500 miles, rather less than inspiring due primarily to the sluggish acceleration. Additionally I find that it is too easy to over correct the indicators when manually cancelling their operation and inadvertently indicate in the opposite direction! The front windows took to lowering themselves when parked and the software had to be investigated twice, and the remote door locking system decided to become confused for a few days. On delivery I noticed that there were small gaps under the front wing which would let road residue inside the wings which may result in long term corrosion - the response to this was to point out that it was a mass produced car and what else could I expect? One person in the dealership suggested that I seal it with bathroom sealant, another pointed out that such action would invalidate the warranty. All in all I consider that my previous Corsa was better - the performance was better and it was more economical. The new car is averaging about 45 mpg urban motoring and about 55 mpg on longer runs. I am glad that I didn’t pay the full purchase price for it - I enjoyed the 2k scrap allowance and the dealership was offering a further £1700 off the new price. Buy another? Probably not.

Frank, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Insignia

Hi, I have a August 2010 INSIGNIA 2.0 CDTi 130 SE and it has undoubtedly been the WORST car I have had to drive! It is a company car and I’ve had so much trouble with it, it’s got to the point where a member from Vauxhall UK ended up coming to the local dealer in Belfast to look at the cars (Yes, CARS!, all 6 of the Insignias in our fleet are giving trouble!) I used to drive a 2006 VW Passat 2.0 TDi 140 S, which was also another bad car (The handbrake kept failing and the car rolled away lol) and the electrics were a bit unreliable. The Insignias are such a bad car our Company Director is implementing getting rid of the Insignias very soon due to the awful reliability and the MPG the cars are achieveing, nobody can crack 45 MPG and that’s driving her easily. Overall, this car is such a huge, huge, huge disappointment! Never buy an Insignia, save yourself the stress and bother!

Mike, Angus (Forfarshire) on the Vauxhall Meriva

Just got the car as a replacement for a crashed Fiat. I am 6’5" and space is often a problem for me - but not in the Meriva. Both my wife and I (and our four kids) are surprised how Vauxhall have managed to squeeze so much space out of what is a small car. Our other car is a Grand Espace so we are used to BIG, but the Meriva can hold its own without any problem. If I had to think of negatives, then the 1.4 engine is a bit weak and it really needs a 6th gear.... Good range of vision, nice driving position, ok fuel economy, good build quality, and the kids love the almost black tinted windows.

Ian, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought mine in April 2011 with 8.5k on the clock from a Vauxhall dealer. I have had no problems whatsoever, much the same as my last 2006 SXi bought from the same dealer, which I had for 5 years. A great looking car in sapphire black, it is also very comfortable and economical. I would not change it for anything.

A, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Too many faults to list, absolute worst 12 months of ownership.

John, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I’m pleased with my 1.4 Turbo Elite, with only a slight niggle trim caused by the rattle from front at 65 mph, which I can’t get rid of. Today its service cost £210 and mentioned a new whiring noise from engine, which I was advised means a new grear box is required at only 20k miles! Oh dear, this should be under warranty.

Paul, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Beautiful looking car and well built. I’ve experienced 20,000 trouble-free miles. Soaks up bumps well and drives great. Quiet and refined, a premium car feel. I drive many different cars as we have a car pool at work. I fell in love with the Astra after several weeks. Recently had the new over-rated Focus, although lighter steering it feels cheap next to the Astra. Only gripe with my Astra is the fuel consumption - I only get low 30s but I do love the powerful engine though so can forgive this.

Joe, Ireland on the Vauxhall Vectra

Comfortable car and nice to drive, but the interior is cheap and nasty and low grade plastics. I don’t think the interior will stand the test of time. I’ve just sold my new model Volkswagan Passat 06 model, I prefer the Opal Vectra for driving and comfort and a smoother engine and gear box, but Volkswagen for interior finish. The Vectra is better for mpg and is quicker.

Diane, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall

My advice is do not go near a twin top! Looks are deceiving. I bought mine mid March 2010 (yes, this year) since then it has been back in for three lots of repairs all to do with the roof mechanism jamming (a total of 25 days worth). The last time was for the boot lid becoming unaligned - 10 days of work on it and it still isn’t working. I am currently in negotiations to hand it back, and guess what, due to the time it has taken to do all the work I am outside the time for a complete refund so beware, if you do go down the route of buying one, at the least sign of a problem HAND IT BACK!

David, England on the Vauxhall Antara

Delivered on Thursday evening, returned to the dealears friday morning with steering noise. First they replaced bearings on the suspension then found the fault was the steering rack itself. Only 54 miles on it when it was returned and I wanted to reject. Vauxhall seem to think it wasn’t a major component fault just a noise problem. I probably wouldn’t touch these cars again and will look at Honda.

Simon, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I haven’t bought one of these cars. I’ve just seen the advert, which focusses on features such as the front-opening rear doors. Bearing this in mind, picture what is likely to happen the next time your kids sit in the back and don’t close the door properly...

Eugene, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought this small car Corsa active in January 2010. Seemed ok to start with but within 3 months had new disc fitted, now just been called back to vauxhall for mod on handbrake. I have also complained twice now about accelerator sticking. I’m assured by Vauxhall this is a characteristic of the car. Has anybody had this problem?

A, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Overall I happy with the purchase. I think it’s a great car. The only problems I have had is the sudden chage of new altenator and the air con not giving out cold air.

Felicity, London on the Vauxhall Corsa

Not as nice to drive as my old Astra, does any other owner have trouble on hills? I find it quite dangerous as I have to put the handbrake on and once on the move again, when I take the handbrake off and put my foot on the accelerator, it revs like mad for a few seconds before taking off. The car drivers behind me look quite worried. Even worse if having to stop and start in traffic on hills. Also rear view when reversing is very poor, while the Astra has extremely good all round vision. Other than that, not too bad, the best I can say is that’s it’s very pretty, and good on long journeys with no stopping and starting.

Toni, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I’m so glad i have read a good review, I collect my 1.2 club next week; I thought the test drive was lovely.

Aislinn, Northern Ireland on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had my Vauxhall Zafira since Feb 2010. After the second week the window wipers fuse went, which didnt bother me too much, but a few days later my car would start shuttering and lose power. When I phoned the dealer I bought the car from about the problem they said take it back if the oil light came on. The engine light came on so I took the car back, they kept it for an hour said it was fixed so away I went again, the next week the car was back doing it again, light back on. Back down again to the dealer only this time they said that all I needed to do was when this happens, is to drive up the motorway in high revs for 25min and that should sort the problem, I don’t even live beside a motorway. So to cut a long story short that never worked, I was near killed while trying to overtake another car, I have been back and forth to the dealer 7 times and still not fixed. I have no faith in the car it is a death trap. And this week i AM SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE because my consumer rights have been breeched. And I have given the dealer 7 chances to sort the problem, and they can’t. IT MAKES ME ANGRY TO THINK THAT ITS ONLY WHEN A FAMILY IS WIPED OUT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WILL VAUXHALL SIT UP AND ADMIT THAT YES THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE ONLY REASON I GIVE THIS CAR ONE STAR IS BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT LET ME SUBMIT THIS REPORT WITHOUT A STAR RATING.

John, Swansea on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Car 5 weeks old, very noisy when ticking over and pulling away, gutless, hate to overtake, awaiting recall.

Allan, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought my Zafira in June 2010, It is a great car, roomy, does 30-32mpg around town, has loads of space and is great to drive - even in sports mode. It is much better than the Focus C-Max I previously had.

Syd, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Stride easily into the new Meriva and settle yourself - commandingly - in the driving seat. At the helm it feels cosy and manageable, but there is enough airy, comfortably spacious room to shame the plushest of cars in a class above: just normal curves and context and no bio cuddly excesses in a cabin that is so intelligently fashioned. From the outset you’re aware that this is a solidly constructed car with real depth of quality. With the Meriva, Vauxhall has broken new ground in space efficiency with interior packaging that offers enough permutations of transformability to confuse an Enigma Machine. And yet the class-leading inner space is matched with compact external dimensions in a particularly elegant and refined form, which is so much more attractive than the old ’boxy shape’ model. This combination of function and flair has been taken to new levels, defining a fresh perspective in logical rational car design and embodying key features such as rearward opening back doors just like your neighbour’s Rolls Royce - and all doors open to nearly ninety degrees. It’s the Flex Door System according to Vauxhall - which matches the Flex Rail System for the centre console. There’s probably even a Flex Biceps System too - but readers will be reassured to know that the new Meriva is simply - ’flexible’. Entry into and egress from the new Meriva just has to be the easiest of all cars. There’s even a grab handle on the B pillar to aid the process of easing yourself out if you’re not very flexible. My game warden pal on holiday from the Serengeti National Park assures me that, in his professional opinion, an inflexible hippopotamus in a state of rigor mortis could be gracefully eased aboard. ’Aha! The old ’suicide doors’, just like in the gangster movies when they pushed the ’stiff ’ out at speed. I wouldn’t put granny in the back of one of those!’. I hear you say. Well, I’m pleased to be able to reassure you that all is well, because you can’t open them at anything more than 2mph. - so if you need to bail out in a hurry, you’ll just have to slow down. Out on the road the driving experience is a good one. It’s not meant to be a drivers delight but by and large it’s an endearing car you can trust with friendly handling and good grip combined with a pliant ride - offering a complete feeling of reassurance and charming manners. A choice from petrol engines of 1.4, 1.6 or 1.8 - or diesels of 1.3 or 1.7 and prices ranging from £12,995 to nearly £20,000 means that there should be a Meriva to suit most needs. Probably the most popular will be the 120bhp 1.4 petrol turbo tested here. A singular pleasure is the way the little engine is flexible - but it’s no greyhound. It gathers speed respectably enough all the way to a top speed of about 117mph but the rather slow and heavy gear change makes you realise that performance considerations have not been at the top of the agenda: this is definitely a family car. Well designed, well constructed and - well - expensive, the new Meriva is light years ahead of the previous model - which is probably why the price is stratospheric.

Mark, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just come back from two weeks in Spain with a Corsa 1.2. This car was so bad I will need to ensure that I specifically request that I am NOT provided with another Corsa for rental in the future. The acceleration is virtually non existant and it screams round (cruises?!) at a minimum of 3,500 revs on the motorways. The model I had was fitted with cruise control but it was pointless enabling it because as soon as the car approached anything even resembling a slight gradient, it would lose power and I would have to change down into fourth, then third reducing my speed on motorways from around 75 to 50! This car had only done 5,000 km but it felt like it had been thrashed all over the place. Not surprising really, the amount of times I had my foot right to the floor in order to get anything out of it was ridiculous. I honestly thought the rental company had fitted some kind of limiter to it! Maybe it’s fine for people that only pootle around town and never go near the open road but the engines so flat,even the smallest amount of motorway driving just becomes a chore. Suffice to say, I won’t be buying one in the near future. Rubbbish.

Rob, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Superb car, regular 52 mpg, even when driven hard, excellent finish, well equipped and a good looking vehicle.

Andrew, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Club and have ben very pleased with it. The wide pillars are ok when you are aware of them and compensate for them. No difficulty in climbing hills or on overtaking. You can’t expect the performance of a sports car from it. I liked the space. Seat 5 people comfortably. I would have liked a quick-clear system for the windscreen especially during the winter. I would buy another Corsa.

Julie, County Armagh on the Vauxhall Corsa

Hey, I had a 2009 Corsa 1.3 CDTi SXI a few weeks ago (as a courtesy car) when my 308 HDi Sport went into a bodyshop to get a dent and few scrapes out of it... (I was pulling into a petrol station and the high sided kerbs around the pumps caught the door sill and wrecked it)... Anyway I had the car for about a week and a half, I didnt enjoy it one bit to be brutally honest.. It was slow and un responsive, the turbo took ages to kick in (I even wondered sometimes if it had a turbo) and just generally not pleasant to drive. I do alot of miles and the Corsa CTDI isnt the car for the job, also they highest MPG i got was 54 and that was on the motorway! I get 59 mpg in my 2L HDi 308 on the motorways with the cruise control on.. I woudn’t recommend a Corsa or Vauxhall to anybody, because they are c**p..

Steven, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

My mum bought her astra sporthatch about 3 moths ago it was an 09 plate. I have driven it quite a few times, my usual car being a T reg Pug 306 rallye. I expected good things from the astra but was severly dissapointed. Its engine is boring and pithless. The chassis is very badly balanced, and the handling through fast bends is scary. Then onto handling in the rain, it doesn’t. Overall this is a terrible car and is only used for going to the shops.

Tracy, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Love my 09 Corsa Active, second one I’ve had from brand new. Did have prob with climate control dial jamming but Vauxhall fixed under warranty. Dash is big on this model and sometimes get reflections on front screen. All in all a nippy car with loads of room had it packed floor to ceiling and top box on with no problems with keeping up speed. Feels solid and doesnt look cheap inside like some cars.

Ray, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Signum

Good Performance, most comfortable car ever I can’t fault this car. Why don’t they still produce this car?!!!!!

Coop, England on the Vauxhall Agila

I was amazed at what you get for your money with a small car these days. This is a genuine 5 seater, OK you sacrifice boot space a bit but then as a second car, this car is superb. If you are brave enough try the orange or blue interiors to give the interior a bit of a zap. Get just short of 50mpg with a light foot. It easily handles the motorway speeds. This car will not disappoint.

Gerry, Scotland on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve had mine for just about one year and not had any of the problems mentioned by other contributors. Nor have I experience the supposed handbrake problem. So I’m a happy bunny! Only problem I had was a broken front spring - but that’s down to the (allegedly A Class) roads here being allowed to degenerate to farm track status.

Sean, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Help?? My Zafira has been running reasonably OK until recently. We now have an intermittant red warning light in the shape of an ! It apparently is the brake fluid, however the fluid level is OK and the light only comes on once for a second or so in any one journey. Typical of Vauxhall, the minute it is out of warranty it goes faulty. Oh, the other great trick is when the motor on the window washers went and we thought it was major. We then got to our destination and could not open the back door. Got the AA out who knew the problem - both are on the same fuse!! Thanks Vauxhall!

Bill, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

Bought my 2.0 lt auto E Antara from dealer in Motherwell march 2009 due to it being heavily discounted. Although I like the car in general I too have had constant problems with the alarm and now the dashboard including the speedo looks as though it has lost the power feed and all gauges show zero. I’m not looking forward to returning it to Peter Vardy as I have been less than impressed with the dealership during buying the vehicle and servicing. Reading the previous reviews it looks as though I’m in for problems awaiting a repair. Has anyone else had the dashboard problem fixed satisfactorily and was the work completed under warranty?

Annie, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve had this car nearly 2 years, for the first 18mth no prob. In january I was traveling up M5 when I lost power, the speed went down to 40 and that is where it stayed then the engine managmemt light came on. I took it in to the garage the next day and was told the coil pack had gone. It was replaced and ran ok for the next 3 weeks then same thing happend again. I went back to the garage who had it in for 2 days and checked every thing was ok. And this is how its been for the last 6 months, I have it home for 2 to 3 weeks then the engine light is back on. It has been in now for 7 days and they are going through every thing again! I have lost all confidence in this car and I am scared to go far in case the light comes on and breaks down again. Does anybody know where we stand legally?

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

This is possibly, no, in fact THIS IS the most frustrating car I have owned. It could clearly be one of the best people carriers out there. It handles well, goes well, looks ok for an MPV and is spacious inside, but, it has now broken down 5 times in 6 months. All the usual stuff, DPF, EGR valve, alternator, and now 4 weeks and 600 miles after the alternator being done, guess what? Yep, the spanner light is on again. It just conks out at junctions when it feels like it and nobody can seem to find anything wrong with it!! Oh, did I mention the whining turbo? However much you like the look of these cars, do yourself a favour and get something reliable. If I win the lottery I will make it my mission in life to find out why Vauxhall feel they can turn out such an unreliable car.

Sandra, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This is quite an attractive looking car apart from the black paintwork, never again, scratches so easily. I have had a Corsa before but this has no umph especially on hills, foot to the floor and going no where. My partner has a Fiat Panda that has more get up and go.

Julie, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I’ve got this as a company car and very glad that I didnt buy one. First had problems with the boot sensors, where boot thought it was open when wasn’t, dealer couldnt find a problem twice! Still does it sometimes and I have to get out and slam the boot lid a few times to stop warning noise. Had major problems with the engine almost having a pause, it cut out on a motorway at 70 mph once, then lost power randomly, after three trips turns out a valve needed replacement, which at under 20,000 miles was not good news. The Windows rattle against the roof frame, the visability is terrible with roof on & heaters take about 12 miles to warm in winter. Do enjoy the covertible aspect & only have a few months of this one left, be glad to see the back of it.

Maureen, Ayrshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought my Meriva 1.6 Design from Park’s of Dreghorn. I lost power steering on 2 occasions almost immediately in the first month after purchase, which almost killed me. The second time thankfully my children were not in the car at the time!. I was offered a like for like swap but the offers were nowhere near a like for like. I complained to the finance company who sent out a DEKRA engineer who said there was no problem. I am now experiencing problems again 8 months on, over/under steering going round corners/roundabouts and tugging at the wheel whilst sitting idle. I have always sang Vauxhall’s praise due to owning a few cavaliers in the past but i would NEVER EVER recommend them to anyone now. I have never felt so unsafe in a car in my 20 years driving. Very disappointing!

Sue, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Antara

Antara E reg Jan 2009 purchased May 2009 ex. demonstrator. Alarm started going off for no apparen reason I took it back to dealer in July 2009. They had it in 4 times and it also went to Vauxhall Technical Workshop for 6 weeks but they SAY they haven’t heard it. Have they got cotton wool in their ears? At one stage the dealer said that Vauxhall are aware there is a problem with these. I also showed them these reviews but now they say there is no problem with MY vehicle. I have several witness’ to these events but it also goes off away from my house. I have written to Vauxhall twice but they are washing their hands of it and I am the one left with the alarm still going off when it feels like it, upsetting both me and my neighbours. Also the dealer has refused to do anymore to it as they say it is now out of warranty but this is ongoing since July 2009. Vauxhall suggest I take it back to dealer although I have made it clear that the dealer doesn’t want to know. Anybody out there wanting to buy one of these MINE IS FOR SALE (with an alarm!) Only 8000 miles! Can we all get together and let the alarms compete with the vuvuzelas? I bet the alarms would win!

Sheeraz, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Vectra

Neat looking vehicle. Had problems with fuel injection sensor and now linkage arm on wiper. Vauxhall are, however looking into the problem so I will revise review depending on how helpful they are!

Lesley, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Have had this car just over a year. Whilst still under warranty we returned car to dealer as it was cutting out and occasionally ’kangarooing’, also over revving. The dealers replaced the throttle cable saying that it had ’sooted up’. Car ran okay for a short while then the problem started again (mostly on long journeys when the engine was very hot). We’ve replaced the coil pack and its still playing up so now we’ve bought some new plugs but seeing as I don’t suppose this will do the trick either will probably get rid and get something more reliable as we’re off to France in August. It’s a real shame because the car itself is so comfortable and roomy.

Mark, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Absolutely c**p!!! overheated first week I had it with only 40 miles on clock. Spent more time in the garage than on the road, had a pot of rust, windscreen wiper clonking then after been repaired fell off on M25. Air con doesn’t work wind noise on drivers door the list is endless. Customerr care is s**t!! Trying to get money back now, avoid like the plague!!

Steve, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

A good looking car! It stops there, build quality not bad had a few rattles, trim around the doors do not align very well, boot try handle fell apart on day one as did the door handle insert on the drivers door. Problems from the beginning, things like noisy air con, gearbox selection, noises from behind dash, central looking failing to operate on my drive for 2 days, indicators doing their own thing, and the worst of all and the most worrying, gearbox-transmission knocking after gentle acceleration and backing off, Vauxhall says its a "normal characteristic" of the car. Anyone else having gearbox problems can e-mail me at stevewardle@hotmail.co.uk only then will Vauxhall take notice!

Alan, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Antara

I have had the misfortune to own a Antara for 12 months now, when I picked it up it was dirty and had no drivers manual, the idle speed was irreqular, the SE badge was missing. I booked it back into the dealers for the said repairs, they cleaned it and said they had done the idle repair, replaced the SE badge but they had no manuals. Like all your comments it started with the alarm going off, the front parking sensors going off even when the key was out the ignition took it back to the dealer, after two weeks they could not find a fault on the parking sensors but found the alarm battery was not charging, but due to the delivery date they did not know when a replacement would be found. Then the poor exceleration and fuel comsumption they could not find anything wrong?. Then the idle problem returned and the ESP light came on they found a fault with the carburettor gasket, which they had no replacement and had to use it from another vehicle (chevrolet). Another 2 weeks in the workshop, still poor exceleration and now cold start problems, heated rear window not working and the wheel sensers faulty only reading 3 wheels, which is OK according to the manager!!!! After a new sensor was fitted it takes upto 50 miles for the senser to charge up. all this time backwards and forwards to the dealer in the first 6 months it was back 7 times still have a few faults but they have worn me down and I lost money from work having to take it back all the time complained to the manager 3 seperate letters with no reply. I complained to GM motors who were very sympathetic and offered me a free service but I wanted my money back as it was not fit for the purpose it was intended, they said they were only obliged to fix the car while under warranty, which they were doing. I could go on about its poor performance for ever but I won’t. The car is just 12 months old and I want shut of it so I have been looking at other manufactures, the problem is they can’t give me a price on part ex as none of the 10 Vauxhall dealers they rang want it, nobody wants the damn thing.

Brendan, Australia on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I just bought my Astra (Twintop), that is what its called in Australia. It’s awesome. The six speed manual is really fun to drive not to mention how great it looks when the roof is down. Even when the roof is up it looks stylish. Only downer for me is the rear passenger space. It’s really only a 3 seater when I’m driving lol. Overall love the car not many around when I live, though there is no shortage of sun is Australia, so the roof is down all the time.

John, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Corsa

It’s the wife’s car, but I also use it, unfortunately ! Lacks umph, passenger seat tilt, slide forward mechanism broke, cheap and nasty ! Front screen gets loads of condensation in cold weather, takes ages to clear, any one else have this problem? Heated screen would have been a nice idea Why have same " dial " for heater as fitted to radio, confusion rules ! Light switches in an unsuitable location. Wouldn’t get another Corsa, better cars available.

John, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I was supplied with this very poor quality car while my own was in for repairs. Apart from anything else, the fuel consumption is pathetic. I picked the car up from the car rental with minute fuel in the tank (their policy) I put £10 worth in the tank, that’s 8.63 ltrs. 57 miles later the tank was showing empty when I then put £25 worth in. These must be the worst fuel figures in the car industry......5.7 miles per £1. Thank goodness I get my own car back on Thursday.

Richard, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

This is the second Astra I’ve leased, a really good car.

Robert, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had my Vauxhall Zafira sri xp 1.9 cdti for six months and has had no problems so far. It has driven well and my mpg has been good, in the mid 40’s. The handling is very good for a people carrier and I would recommend it to anyone. VERY PLEASED. A LOT BETTER THEN MY OLD ZAFIRA FROM 2001.

Jon, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Corsa

The car runs and accelarates well, responds when asked to. I must have got one that was built on a good day as the reviews I have read are mostly bad ones.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Astravan

This only looks like a van. It’s really a sports car, fast and agile with no down sides for me, just great fun and FAST.

Amanda, London on the Vauxhall Corsa

It’s not very good on hills, I’ve just driven it back fron Somerset on the A303 and it was very sluggish. Also, I can’t change down from 5th gear to 4th, a bit of a problem. Next time think I will buy a Nissan or Mazda.

Scott, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

I’ve never owned a Vauxhall before but this has surprised me. Very capable overall with the main highlights being refinement and ride. It’s a heavy car and as such don’t expect anything more than average performance. The interior is superb, I wasnt expecting 1/2 leather. Overall, a top all rounder. Ive had Mondeos (previous and newest model) and many other cars over the years but this would be my top choice again.

Lindsay, Ceredigion on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have this car at the moment while my usual vehicle is in for repairs. What a disgrace this is! I’ve never driven an automatic before, but I hope they aren’t all as bad as this. Fuel consumption is dire, 30mpg AT MOST on long distance journeys, atrocious compared to my own car (a 2003 Deisel 1.7 Dti Corsa, which gets at least 45-50 mpg on long distance trips). The car constantly revs like a beast, especially on hills, which it struggles up, not good when driving around Wales! The noise from this constand over-revving is ear splitting and sounds like I’m a boy racer tearing up the town rather than just driving normally about my daily business! A few minor positives; nice interior, nice looking dash. Good driving position and nice to have adjustable steering wheel and seat height. These in no way make up for the poor quality of this car! I can see that when my current car needs replacing, it won’t be with a newer model Corsa.

Colin, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have recently bought a new Meriva 1.4 in October 2009. I have had the car back at 3 different dealers with a list of problems and they are not interested: 1. steering wheel not straight and moves to the left if you let go of the wheel. 2. dashboard making a rattle and squeaking noise constantly whiles driving. 3.drivers window won’t go back up, need to pull it up. 4.banging noise from front suspension when going over speed bumps. 5.left indicator won’t cancel after use. As you can tell from my list it is not good reading for the Vauxhall Meriva and Vauxhall, I’m not a happy customer. It’s the first time owning a Vauxhall and I won’t be buying another again. I hope everyone else has better luck than me. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Ian, Scotland on the Vauxhall Vivaro

The best van I’ve ever owned, but i must admit I am concerned about 1st and 2nd gears when my van is cold, they can be difficult to engage. Anyone got any advice?

Tom, London on the Vauxhall Insignia

Incredible spec for the price. Awful implementation of that spec. Flashy looks, expensive looking cockpit. The complete triumph of form over function. Terrible all round visibility for the driver with tiny tiny windows, view obscured by pillars and headrests and even a great bulge in the roof right in the middle of the windscreen. Electronic everything - from handbrake to aircon, to seat adjustment to wing mirror adjustment - with no manual override. The electronic handbrake and ventilation system in particular were a nightmare. The doors are so wide and curved outwards (with thick curved plastic mouldings on the interior that it’s often impossible to get out of the car when close-parked in a multistorey car park. To add insult to injury the central moulded drinks holder and armrest separating the driver from the front seat passenger makes it impossible for either of you to get out of the car on the opposite side. Can’t fault the roadholding or actual performance, it was as smooth and sweet at an illegal 90 as it was at 60. No question, you get a lot of flashy-looking swept-back car hight performance diesel for your money. So if you want a car to impress and drive fast in, go for it, but if you want a well designed easy to use, practical, safe and easy to understand vehicle at this price don’t get blinded by the spec. Go rent one for a couple of days from Europcar, that way you can endure the weeping frustration of it’s castastrophically impractical design and baffling user interface for yourself.

Jay, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Corsa

What’s wrong with you all? This is a great little car with loads of equipment, cruise control, fuel computer, heated elec mirrors and loads more. This car is so much more nippier than my wife’s (09) 12.5 Zetec Fiesta, more comfy, more toys, bigger inside, better on petrol. This car was registered on the 10th Jan 2009 and has done 25,000 miles and there has been no problems what so ever. I will definitely think strongly about getting another one next year.

Andrew, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Overall very good but has a few annoying niggles: 1) The control switch for the front sunroof has no neutral position between the slide and tilt mode. This means that closing the sunroof can be annoying. Enough so to discourage us from using the sunroof. 2) This is a £15,000 car, it seems rather cheap of Vauxhall that a spare wheel, jack, tool kit and the first aid kit are optional extras, especially when the boot has a moulded space for each of these items. 3)The 1.6 engine does not seem to pull well uphill. I frequently have to change down as low as 2nd gear on moderate hills.

Phil, Torfaen on the Vauxhall Zafira

In General a good car, it’s done well in the recent snow that we had and didn’t fail to get to and from work in up to 12" of snow. But we have had the fault warning symbol of a car with a spanner through it, this turned out be the engine oil level was low, the fault code was that an engine knock sensor had failed, this was changed and oil put into the engine no more problems. Now the engine shaped warning light has come on, but I’m still searching for info on this.

Colin, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Bought the car as an unregistered showroom ’pack’ car, which means the dealer bought it cheap in a Vauxhall package of different models. It has every available extra and for a £23.5K list I paid just under £15K including £2k scrappage for a car I paid £1.3K for 3 years ago! It’s as much fun as you can have with your trousers on! I drive it roof down all weather as long as no rain or snow, even Xmas, Boxing & New Years Day. Heater & seats amazing, as is sound system. No problems at all, I love it and so do the ladies, grandchildren & friends. As the 09 plate is no longer new I’m putting on a personalised plate K999 plus my initials bought from DVLA for £250 all inclusive. Being flash at 65 feels great!

Ruth, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

We bought this car after owning 3 Corsa’s before we bought new a 1.2. Great looking little car but fuel consumption, well its very poor. The car is 5 months old with 4800 miles and we have just sold it and bought a Dodge Nitro 3.7ltr and believe it or not it’s cheaper to run so I suggest you do the same. We’ve lost a fortune and we would never give another one space on our drive. By the way we did put on rolling road for the day and yes a magic 24 to the gallon, thanks but no thanks.

Diane, Durham on the Vauxhall Tigra

Good car so far, just one major fault I have noticed that the body coloured bumpers do not match the the main body. I have had bumpers replaced but it looks no better, latest attempt from dealer was to paint bumpers to match, but there is still a tone difference. As I paid almost £18000 for this car I think that there is a problem with this aspect and they’re are not admitting to me that it cannot be rectified because it is two different materials. I wonder if anyone has the same problem? PS. It is now a discontinued model, that could possibly be the reason?

Brian, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I have had my brand new Antara for 3 weeks. I was very impressed with the drive and comfort as I proudly drove it home from the dealers. The car looks great and the build quaility is first class. Great great value for money, or so I thought!!! After just 3 days the alarm went off at 23.00, I could not turn it off no matter what I did. It only stopped after the battery flattened (after upsetting the neighbours of course). The AA arrived the next day and declared that I had not closed the tailgate properly causing the battery to drain triggering the alarm. Although thinking it strange as I had checked all doors before I left it prior to the problem I was happy all seemed ok. Now, needless to say the alarm has since activated itself on many subsquent occasions. This week I took it to the local Vauxhall dealer who told me that he had not heard of this type of problem. After 3 hrs in the workshop I am told that a new alarm box has to be order which will take at least a week to obtain after which they will arrange to take it in to fit the part, so say 2 weeks at best. In the meantime I switch the alarm off all the time but with concern over insurance issues should the vehicle be stolen. Having read about your similar problems on this site I am now depressed. I wonder how Vauxhall can allow this problem to continue to run unchecked, surely it only serves to damage the reputation of what in all other aspects appears a good car. Come on GM give us a solution to this problem, it can’t be that difficult.

Christian, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Antara

C**p on fuel, and I mean C**P!

Jack, London on the Vauxhall Corsa

Well, deary me. I bought a 1.2 Design A/C for around 10 grand (with extras) a few weeks ago. And I am deeply deeply regretful. The interior has no feel to it, that it is manufactured to make money. Not many people happy to own it. Cheap plastics, eugh. And I know, 10 grand isn’t a lot of money nowadays for a car. But lets not forget that the Fiat 500 is a cracking car, nice interior all for 1500 quid less. Also, its not a car you’d ever drive on long distances. 2,000 revs in first gear make your flipping ears bleed. You put your foot down and it decides whether or not it likes you enough to even attempt any acceleration whatsoever. It’s like my ex-girlfriend! I will admit however, that it looks quite nice in the right colour and alloys, and nothing has gone wrong with it... yet. But that can’t excuse its useless engine and stupid screaming everytime you want to give it some. Its not that economical either, I average, on a good day 28-30MPG. My say? look for something else.

Michael, Sussex on the Vauxhall Antara

Great car with Xenons, leather, heated seats, European sat nav, bluetooth all as standard. Upgraded 20" wheels with irmscher chrome side steps. Been to Disneyland - sat nav a joy. Guided us in Paris, found restaurants, petrol stations and general points of interest. Not great on fuel but it depends what you compare it to. I manage approx 26 - 28mpg. Not bad for a big truck. Kids love it as does the wife who has a Chevrolet Captiva LTX auto. She needs the seven seats apparently. To summarise: try and find the same spec as standard on the opposition and then check the price.

Kevin, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I’m having similar problems to Andy Dunk, Kent. My alarm keeps going off but only on hot days? Not extremely hot days mind you, just about 18 degress and over. The hotter the day the more the alarm goes bananas! Only had the car 6 weeks now and covered 2,500 miles. Some of the worst days I would hear the alarm going off several times. When you’re in a meeting and your new pride and joy is parked near the window screaming, its not fun! So far the car has been in 3 times, including right now! The first time was a "reset" of the alarm. Second time after running my weekend up north with family and much complaining to the dealer I got an entire new alarm (or so I’m told). Two days after the "new alarm" and I’m right back to square one, great! I gave up and yanked out the fuse, so peace and quiet for the past few days whilst I waited for a slot for a courtesy car from the dealer. The dealer called today to advise that some sort of foam has reportedly been causing the alarm problems as when the interior of the car heats up it in turn warms up the sensor, therefore thinking someone is in the car. The foam has now been replaced and the car will be taken home and monitored by their head technician tonight. I did explain that the alarm is fine over night due to the temps, but they still wanted to test it themselves. Im rather dubious of insulation being the cause and wondered if anyone else has had this excuse used? Another strange thing is that my fuel gauge doesn’t illuminate when I am in the red? At what point should it go on or does it not? All cars I have been in have illuminated on the dash a symbol to tell you you are running low, along with usually an audio alarm or beep. My Antara has neither and I’ve tried running it down to near the two red bars, which Im assuming to be empty and still nothing! I’m loving the car as I’m 6’9" tall, and leg room is a serious issue for me in almost every car I get into. The Antara isn’t 100% perfect but I am very comfortable, love driving position and styling. Not sure about the fuel economy though. I have the diesel auto and its pretty heavy, although saying that I am finding a quick improvement in economy. The first £20 lasted 75 miles, OUCH! I’m now getting about 350 miles to the tank, but it’s still getting run in and I’ve read some reviews stating it will go up to 540 - 550 miles per tank. Any advice regarding my alarm and fuel gauge would be appreciated.

Andrew, Monmouthshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I’ve had this car about 3 months now. I have the SE model which is fully loaded, and at £240 a month lease it is a bargain for what you get. Wery smooth ride, lovely and comfortable with full leather interior, great bluetooth sound system that allows you to use your phone hands free and sat nav that is very good also. My only bug bear was that it seems very gutsy on diesel, whilst it seems as if there was is some sort of acceleration surge intermittently. I have just had it back from main dealer after asking them to look at this problem for me. When I picked it up I was informed that Vauxhall know about this small problem as they have had a few like it. All that needed doing they said was a SOFTWARE UPDATE. So if anybody has this sort of problem then get it in to be done free of charge. Apart from that everything is as I expected and I look forward to having 3 years problem free motoring. Fingers crossed.

Kevin, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

A little update on my alarm issues... I got the car back on Sat 1st Aug and was told that after 2.5 days the alarm was fine and there were no problems. It looked like faulty "over sensitive" tilt sensors. They had been reseated in some "special foam". Sounded like a load of bull to me but as long as the car no longer screamed for attention whilst parked, I would be a very happy man. 5am this morning I was rudely awoken by my car alarm going off, and I’m a heavy sleeper, so who knows how long it had been going off for before I woke up! I was straight back onto the phone this morning to the dealer and I’m awaiting a call back to get it booked back in. Does anyone know if escalating this to Vauxhall will help or hinder my relationship with the dealer/ get the problem sorted?

Gerard, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

Got my hands on this when my 2007 Saab 9-5 1.9D conked out just before driving into the Lions enclosure at Longleat. Where I lost the chance to get the wife to get out and push. I thought it rode pretty well and was decently packaged. But, oh dear - the performance. Which isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything, but do bear with me. It was really hard work to get it to go above 60mph and overtaking was a complete no-no. Joining traffic on a busy motorway - even going flat out down the slip road - was worrying, as there was no chance of speeding up to get into that elusive gap. You had to take it or leave it once the road ran out. Changing lanes wasn’t easy either. In fact I would say it is bordering on the dangerous to take this car onto the motorway. God alone knows what the 1.2 must be like. This isn’t a case of not being used to a less powerful car. I never had the problem with an 04 Fiesta 1.4, which on paper gave away 10bhp, and which I owned until recently. In fact it took me back to a day when I went haring along a windy back road in said Fiesta in order to convince my know-it-all teenage son that you didn’t need big engine to have fun if you drive properly. I am quite certain there is just no way I could have done anything like that in the Corsa, it would never have recovered from the loss of momentum at the bends. In fact come to think of it my, 92K Toyota Hiace diesel van was way faster than this sad little thing. It also strikes me from the rewiews here that the old Corsa gets far better press than the new one. Which brings me back to my Saab (broken down at 30K miles and 2 years old, you may recall). I had a previous generation Saab 9-5 (2000W) and I have to say the quality was far ahead of the current model. The interior plastics were superior, as was the quality of leather, carpets, even the ’superior’ stereo in the new car was far inferior to the ’standard’ stereo of the older one. They even took out the bit ot hardboard beneath the load compartment which must have saved all of 50p. My brother still has my old Saab and the difference in quality just gets more noticeable the more time passes. Of course, both the Corsa and the Saab are GM products, that company that is well known as being more interested in making money than cars. Seems that, after all, maybe it isn’t particularly good at either. A friend once advised me never to do business with someone who is skint. I think these reviews are a good example of why this is a sound principle .

Mervyn, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Had car 3 weeks the roof jammed halfway down. Reg Vardey had car for 10 days; got it back now and it rattles on every slight bump. I will have to take it back in but I cannot afford the car to be stuck in garage all the time - very unhappy. It seems when anything goes wrong with the roof it has to be sent to Edingburgh. Worst purchase of my life and I still have 30 months before i can change :-(

Paul, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I have had this car for 5 months, and have done 10000 miles with no problems. Good SUV on and off road, and for distance driving (600miles in one trip) again no problem. I’m 6ft 3in and find this car very comfortable, and very good value for money.

Syd, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

No matter how you look at it, there’s nothing vexing about the new Vauxhall Insignia. It pulls a clever trick, appealing to everyone, offending no-one and yet emphatically escaping the clutches of blandness. Styled to signify swift and sleek executive authority, it nonetheless embodies enticement that would not make it displeasing to any enthusiastic user of our over frequented roads. It has the panache to please the sleek wine bar afficionados and the dash to awaken longing in the fume filled chest of the young petrolhead. In short, there can be few motorists on the road today who wouldn’t feel, not just "at home" behind the wheel of this superior machine, but, indeed, empowered to impress - not in a showy way - but a sophisticated way. The cabin is a comfortable business-like place to be. Emboldened by contemporary flashes of cool minimalistic chrome with touches of black and grey, it’s like an expensive suit tailored for comfort. Yet it’s designed with a subtle flair for the progressive boundaries of taste that serve to enliven the sheer ergonomic excellence of the overall concept. The external proportions are certainly not modest, but the contours bespeak purpose. Smoothly aerodynamically clean, even at rest the impression is gained of an automobile that will simply swim through the air with the least possible resistance like the terrestrial counterpart of a regal marine mammal. "Wow!" exclaimed my Fine Art trained neighbour whose cynical critiques of all my press cars make me think that he should really have directed Pininfarina: this was indeed an accolade. Anchored to the road on large tyres, the Insignia propels itself forward in a long legged eager manner. A Gucci shod ballroom dancer would not glide across the polished sheen of a fine floor with less fuss or more poise than this winning machine. The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder 130bhp diesel engine (there’s a 160bhp version of the same engine) drives through a six speed gearbox with well chosen ratios. Sixth gear is almost an overdrive ratio so motorway cruising is effortless. Despite this, however, economy is nothing to write home about and an overall consumption of 49mpg is certainly not class leading. On twisty roads it’s easy to handle and good to drive. The ride is smooth and the car remains composed even if you do hit bad surfaces. The most popular model is the one described here, but the range of choice is wide with four petrol engines ranging from 1.6 to 2.8 and one 2.0 diesel. Prices start at £17,130 rising to £29,755. On todays troublesome, stress inducing roads the onus is increasingly more and more on the vehicle and the technology it embodies to relieve the strain on the driver through lots of electronic jiggery pokery. I can tell you, having subjected myself to every possible mode of tribulation from tailbacks to road humps and having experienced in one journey a lifetimes quotient, courtesy of highway contractors of every description, and forbidding detours, that the Insignia is an enjoyable car to drive.Thankfully it is not bland and uninspiring like so many cars today and when pushed hard it can offer an involving experience. I arrived at my destination with every remaining hair on my thinnining pate in tact. In a lesser model of car I might have torn out every strand. As it was, I simply settled myself more comfortably in the very supportive upholsterey, adjusted the ventilation to cope with rising blood pressure and laughed at the idiocy of the outside world, secure in the splendid, rationally conceived safe haven that was my Vauxhall Insignia. Better than a Ford Mondeo I concluded.

George, Devon on the Vauxhall Agila

The smoothest automatic I have experienced. Very pleased with the car. I only use it as a two seater and with the rear seats flat it’s as good as a furniture van! Blind spot at rear nearside quarter. Take care when pulling out into traffic from RH side of road. Without the blind spot it’s a 5 star car.

Paul, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

This is my eighth Astravan since starting with an Astra max in the 90s. I have to admit the one problem I have with this latest shape (this is my second) is the noise from the tyres, it’s very noisy but after I have been to the tuners and remaped the ECU I soon forget about it. The van with a remap is fantastic; MPG is better, 5th & 6th pick up is so much better. The one other thing with the Astravan is the reliabilty - I have never had a fault or problem with any of them.

Digby, Denbighshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought a new Corsa from a main agent. It is the worst car I have ever owned. The faulty steering locked up on me, the engine kept on stalling. I took it back to dealer who said that there was nothing wrong with it. I’ts locked on me again, I was only doing 20 mph, it was lucky I managed to brake to avoid mounting pavement. The agent then agreed it was a fault with electronic power steering.

Stephen, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Antara

Could anyone tell me if you can update the software so that I can put postcodes in. As I do a lot of travelling it is a bit of a pain not being able to put in postcodes.

Clarence, England on the Vauxhall Insignia

I find the electric hand brake system is a problem and difficult to operate in some traffic situations, i.e., at traffic lights and on a slight incline. Also, the automatic lighting system is a constant annoyance - always on, every time you start up the car. The wide window frame to each door panel obscures vision and there is a some road & wind noise when driving on motorways & A roads.

Peter, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

Oh dear! I must be among the few satisfied Corsa owners. I bought a Corsa two months ago and after reading the previous reviews wonder if we’ve got the same car! I’m not a good driver (60 years’ behind the wheel and a score of accidents) but I opened the car out on the M25 and got an easy 80 with more to spare. Petrol consumption seems to hover around 40 to 45. The only major niggle is the reflection from the large windscreen and the totally inadequate parking lights. And we could do with a vew more dashboard pockets. Sometimes I wish I had bought a Fiesta but then friends point out there’s more gadgets to go wrong. So please don’t close down your Spanish assembly plant!

Mohammed, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I got this Corsa on a 3 year contract hire for the wife to use during the week as a run around for shopping and school runs. Overall it is a nice vehicle with great build quality for a small car. Very economical, especially around town. The downside is you need to rev the car a lot when changing up from first as it judders horribly. Quite surprised this is happening on a new car that has only done 3500 miles. I don’t think i would go for a vauxhall again, I just wanted a change from japanese vehicle. Big mistake!

Anthony, England on the Vauxhall Antara

I’m gobsmacked reading all the reviews on here, I also had major problems with the alarm and tonight all the dash has decided to stop working whilst I was coming into work. I know I’ve got juice in it to get me home but I’ll not have a clue what speed I’m driving at. What’s the bet that when I ring Vauxhall up tomorrow the warranty has run out and I’ll have to fork money out to get it fixed?!

Noel, County Down on the Vauxhall Insignia

Vauxhall Insignia 2009 pre registered, purchased through "Network Q (Vauxhall)" on March 2010 and driven only 3886 miles. I have been driving for 49 years, driven over one million miles, and driven most types of cars. I have always treated my vehicles with respect. I suffered a breakdown on the road and the RAC informed me that the clutch had burnt out. Never have I burnt out a clutch. At 3886 miles this seems absurd. Towed to the local Network Q/Vauxhall dealership who stated that, unless a mechanical fault can be proven, the repair will be my responsibility as they take the view that it is driver error. This appears to be a general response by the company when this occurs as other low mileage Insignia owners appear to be in the same position. My local Network Q dealer has removed the clutch and informed me that it is indeed burnt out and I am therefore liable for the repair costing £1600. I contacted Vauxhall directly and they are refusing to accept any responsibility whatsoever.

William, County Londonderry on the Vauxhall Antara

Having read all these negative reports on the Antara, I cannot understand why Vauxhall has been allowed to get away with such a disgraceful vehicle and customer service. I pray that someone from the media will read the letters sent to this site and come to our rescue by confronting Vauxhall on T.V. or somewhere they can be brought to account. Personaly I am sick to the teeth with the response I get from Vauxhall and my dealer. Please someone help us. Here’s an idea I’ve just thought of. If you are an unhappy owner of an Antara send in your complaint to G.M. tv. The sheer volume of mail should make something happen.

David, Dumfriesshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Just bought a ’09 Vauxhall Zafira 1.9cdti and could not remove the puncture repair kit from its holder as it looks like they have put it in first then put the trim on after, lol. If you own one check it out before it’s too late and take it back and see what they say as I got nowhere with my dealer. I have contacted watchdog so please do the same as this is a family car and any old person or women would struggle to remove it in a emergency.

Norman, England on the Vauxhall Antara

Purchased Antara in 2009. All well for 4/5 weeks then drivers window refused to stay closed. Dealer repaired,then OK for 4/5 weeks then same again. Dealer repaired, OK for another 4/5 weeks then back to Dealers for same fault. Worst still to come. After 10600 miles and without any prior warning the clutch burnt out as I was driving on the motorway (frightening) RAC towed it to the dealers who stripped it and informed me that there was no evidence of a fault or faulty parts and therefore suggested it was the drivers fault. Having 50 years driving experience and not once having to have a clutch replaced I find this quite insulting. I would like to hear from anyone who has experienced similar problems.

Paul, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

I waited for a long time to get my hands on a new Insignia with the right spec and when I found an Elite with 22000 on the clock within my price range I was a happy man. take into concideration I part exed my VW Passatt 2.0 TDI in for this 2.0CDI I was expecting good things. What a load of S**t!!!! in the 4 weeks I’ve had it it has been in Vauxhall’s in Swindon twice, the second time with a list of problem ranging from gear box to ipod not working, heated seats, which when fixed I drove off only to find the fitter didn’t put the seat in properly and I ended up tipping back, luckily I was not on the main road. Now I have mentioned gear box shudder at low revs, they have more or less said it’s in my head. Compaired to the ride of the Passatt I some times feel embarrased giving lifts because they think it’s my driving. What to do, oh what to do. I feel I’ve wasted my money and it’s hard work talking to Vauxhall. I should have listened to the Wife and stuck to VW.

Ian, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

For a modern car my Zafira Elite 1.9tdi disappoints in numerous ways. The fuel economy is 26 mpg, no wonder the book has it in litres/kilometer. The front screen demist takes forever. Screenwashers not working, to be investigated asap. To alter the rear seats the front seats have to be moved forward to give them room, my wife is disabled and then has trouble getting in the front. The sport setting just revs the engine by lowering the gear and I haven’t built up the courage to use it as the mpg would probably be in single figures. Will not be getting another.

Liam, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I am a qualified driving instructor and I used my Zafira for my advanced driving test and instructional exam. therefore I can categorically state that these cars are an absolute mickey mouse joke. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING. I could never get a good driving position or see if my indicators were on (had to duck/peer over steering wheel), naff steering, a bite point that actually moves, slack brakes; at first there is no braking & next thing you know your licking your window. Anybody who gives this car more than 1 star is either very, very lucky or very, very drunk. I only gave it 1 star because I had to.

Robert, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

A very versatile vehicle which converts easily from car to van by folding the rear seats down, ideal for a family where DIY is of interest and bulky items need to be transported. Also, great for when we tour Scotland and need to take food supplies to remote locations. A comfortable ride and, with the 1.6 petrol engine it is reasonable lively for this type of vehicle. Downsides are the thick A post which you have to look round when making sharp turns. I also understand that the steering column switch which controls the power steering can fail at approx 40,000 miles (but I have paid for an extra 2 years Vauxhall warrantee - just in case). I would definitely buy this model again.

Shaz, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

1.9cdti 120&150 bhp have same problem, it’s a manufacture fault; they used Fiat engine, even Saab is same and there are lots of problems with the Vectra! All the following (DPF),(EGR), (ECU setting)( STARTING PROBLEM) all this common fault badly design. Never buy another Vaxhall that’s why on new Vauxhall they given you life time warranty for reason.....

Paul, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I use a Vectra Sri 150 Auto and cover circa 3500miles a month. I have got only good comments, well balanced, stunning acceleration, cruises at 2000rpm in cruise at 80+mph.(78 miles on £10), it’s always in the right gear. The brakes never fade, give it plenty of road on twisty sections and you have all the mechanical grip needed. In the wet a bit of self generated torque steer can be induced if using to much lock, feather the throttle and it’s glued to the tarmac. The only car I have encountered that’s quicker from a standing start is a 535 sport BMW. A true first by Vauxhall. Interestingly it’s my 4th example, I always get used one’s, when you first get in at about 22/25k miles they seem a bit tardy, once they have a good trial and the oil changed more than recomended they seem to fly!! I also tow with it, curiosly the economy improves while doing so. I am now looking for the next one, this has done 41k Thanks G.M. for a great company hack.

Kenny, Inverness-shire on the Vauxhall Insignia

Nice to drive but an oil change after 9000 miles !!! When is the next one going to be ???? Previously had a Mondeo and a Passat and did NOT have that problem. Customer service not at all helpful, "it must be the way you are driving the car"!!! Looks like my first and last Vauxhall.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Insignia

The Insignia inside and out looks good on the eye and it has a number of toys which make it more appealing than some other more expensive brands. However don’t be fooled from my experiences with 2 separate Insignia models the issues with this car far out way the looks and toys. 1. Leaking back doors - happened on both cars 2. Faulty Fuel Filter causing car to stall whilst in motion. This happened to mine on the motorway causing a serious incident whilst my wife was driving and my 2 sons 6mths and 3 yrs old where in the car. Mine was swapped out by Vauxhall Motors directors office due to this. 3. Front bumper comes away from driver side of car - happened on both cars 4. Information display fails - happened on both cars 5. 2 amp drain on battery when car not being used, requiring new dash wiring loom and fuse box. Due to this and parts in short supply the car is off the road now for 2 months! I would seriously recommend you consider another car...Sorry Even as a company car could you put up with these issues given the poor emissions and high tax band? I some ways I wish this was my company car instead of my A4 at least it would be going back soon :)

Janet, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

I loved the test drive of my Insignia and thought, yes this is a nice car. Had 16000 miles on the clock when I bought it. Only bought my car in March 2010 from Peter Vardy in Motherwell. Was driving my 13year old son to school on Wednesday 10th November. When I arrived at his school I could smell burning and saw some smoke coming from the bonnet. I thought what’s wrong? I had to get to work so I thought drive to Motherwell and take my car to Peter Vardy to assess it. Didn’t reach Motherwell did I as my clutch went and I was stuck on a busy road. Contacted garage and they sent recovery vehicle. I was told they would not look at car until Monday. Got a call on Tuesday and I phoned back to be told I would need to authorise gear box to be taken off to look at clutch. Girl said you will need to pay £229 for this and I said "thats terrible what about warranty"? You have got to take gear box out to find out whats wrong. I said I only bought car 6 months ago and I am going to get a big bill. Are we selling dodgy cars Vauxhall??? I have authorised to take gear box out and the girl will phone me on Thursday to tell me the big bill and damage costs. This is not good enough Vauxhall who are advertising life time warranties on TV. It’s a bad day when a new car presents big problems. I am angry and will not be buying another dodgy Vauxhall car now... Will let you know how it goes. If big bill I am going to Watchdog, local newspaper to inform and getting legal advice...CAR WARRANTIES AIN’T WORTH THE PAPER THEY ARE WRITTEN ON... WHAT A CON

Tina, England on the Vauxhall Antara

I had my 09 plate Anatra 6 days and was enjoying every minute driving it when one evening after finishing work I got in the car to find it would not even turn over. I called the AA they diagnosed the alternator. The garage has has it days and say it’s the battery and most definitely is not the alternator. I have ordered a new battery - let’s wait and see.

Angie, Newport on the Vauxhall Corsa

Well my car at 18,000 needs a new steering rack and it’s very disappointing and Vauxhall couldn’t care less!!

Glenn, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Insignia

Good Bits: Blisteringly fast, responsive, chuck aboutable, fun to drive, looks good. The power, just goes on and on. Mid bits: Fuel consumption but what the heck when the car is that much fun. Bad Bits: They made it out of plasticine and sticky back plastic. Too many rattles in the cabin and bits falling off. This is a superb car let down by the interior components and body build. It really is a star to drive.

Gary, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

Bought it 12 months old in October 2010, excellent road holding and performance getting aroung 52mpg on a motorway, which I’m very pleased as I average around 20,000 miles per year. Had to take it back as the rear lights were letting in water. As a convenience to me I didn’t have to take it back to the dealer where I purchased it, but one closer to where I work. Both of them were replaced so may be best to check yours. Apart from this hiccup the car has been excellent.

C, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Insignia

This car is excellent, built like a 3 series and very good value. It has full heated leather, AFL xenon, sensors and 3D sat nav. The only thing that lets it down is the terrible 1.8 vvt engine. I strongly urge you to choose the diesel variant. I was averaging 26.9 mpg! I now get more from my Vectra VXR auto, madness. But truly one of the best built VXs I’ve ever owned.

Mark, Devon on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Tiptop, what a machine.

Mark, England on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Love my car! Excellent performance, great looking car, fast and furious! Love it!

Emily, England on the Vauxhall Antara

Bought my Antara from new, I have never experienced any faults or problems. Only downside is fuel consumption it is a gas guzzler. Brilliant in snow, 4WD is great.

Gordon, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Have had this 1.9 Diesel for nearly 3yrs now and as a Mobility vehicle I have been very pleased with it. Had no major problems with it and have covered 43000 + So may have been lucky reading all the reports on here. We get about 34 mpg at the present. Like the practical loading, could be improved a lot but hopefully the new one may do that. Over all pleased with it.

Lorraine, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I love the look of the car, but it’s been in the garage 5 times since purchase and going back tomorrow. I have had no leaks but the windows have dropped, the boot jammed shut, the rear windscreen stopped working and needing replacing then the guy who did that reported that my car didn’t have the harness fitted correctly, it was missed in manafacture. Now, yesterday, whilst the enging was running the roof was coming off and I had a violent jolt, which I was aware of but my passengers thought nothing of it, as they dont know how the car feels when this happens, I stopped put the roof back on and found my boot won’t close and the trim around the back of the boot area has been forced up. Seems the boot didn’t open until it was forced to! There was no sound or cut off of the operating boot so now yet again I’m without a car! So disappointed in this car, which I was so excited to be owning!! Has anyone else had this recent problem?

Al, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

A very good family car. Good ride, spacious, huge boot, very good value but..... Minor teething problems (Ignition failure three times) and the car battery went dead last week (replaced with new one immediately by Vauxhall under warranty in Woolston, Hampshire) They knew there was a problem with car batteries in Insignia’s and have offered to try to diagnose the problem to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The dealer I bought the car from in Lymington "Pats Garage" were worse than useless - they offered no help, no advice and "we can look at the car in 10 days time if you can get it to us". "we have no knowledge of such a fault on the Insignia" "The car battery is not covered under warranty"

Bruce, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I can’t understand why one review is awful and the next praising the vehicle into the sky. Please accept the fact that just about all products, including the entire car and van industry are now produced using components that are the cheapest, shoddiest, ultra low quality garbage you can get, and no matter what the make, its going to be c**p. If you get away with having only a handful of problems from new, then you’re the lucky one. My advice is buy new on a 2 year cycle and have all major cost items covered by the 2 year warranty. Then you can thrash it into the ground and have the company pay for parts and labour.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought my car new in March 2009 and loved the shape. I still love the shape, but the car is the biggest heap of junk I’ve ever owned. Since the day I picked it up at the dealership the roof has constantly jammed halfway through its operation and has only worked off the remote once in two and a half years. I’ve had lots of bother with keyless entry and every other week, it won’t start when I press the ignition button. I’ve spent weeks and weeks driving a courtesy Vauxhall Agila while my TwinTop has toured Vauxhall garages all  over the North East looking for an answer to no avail. Vauxhall’s customer service department have been no help whatsoever and would not even entertain replacing my car when it was only weeks old. On one occasion I was stranded 55 miles from home with a car that would not start,so knowing my car was still under warranty and that the dealer knew all the problems I’d been having, I rang them and told them of my plight. I was put on hold for about ten minutes when a lady came on and told me "If you can get the car down to us,we’ll have a look at it" PRICELESS!!!!!!!! I’m now looking to get rid and am being quoted trade in prices that are less than half of what I paid for the car. These cars are not fit for purpose.I bought mine as a treat for myself and it was to be my last ever new car purchase before retirement.I certainly won’t be buying another Vauxhall.

Edward, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this in May 2011 and am fairly pleased with it. There was an early problem with the dealer over paintwork and spare keys and I had to pay half so just over £100 out of pocket which was abysmal dealer service. (non Vauxhall independent dealer) The car had done 15000 miles when I bought it. I did not want features like air conditioning and alloy wheels and heated door mirrors, which is why I chose the Life model. However, I did think it came with adjustable steering wheel and the handbook says it does but it does not have that feature, which is a great shame. The handbook should be corrected, there is no asterix to denote it’s an option. The car itself drives well and I am averaging over 40 mpg in mixed motoring. The lack of an engine temperature gauge is a penny pinching disgrace in this day and age though. The seating is fairly comfortable and I find the car has enough power for my needs. The gearing is good for a 1200c supermini with 3000rpm only at 70 mph. I thought I might have problems with the indicators and the thick A pillars affecting visibility, but I havent. Nor have I had any problems with reflections in the windscreen. I have experienced problems though with the clutch from cold starts, it is horrendous and I had to take technical advice on it. I now keep the engine speed up for this and Vauxhall should hang their heads in shame over this, its very poor. I like the boot capacity and I like the fact that I have a full size spare wheel. It is reasonably spacious for 2 adults and the radio is easy to use and tune. I only give this car 3 stars because of the awful clutch when the car is cold and because the handbook is so unhelpful on so many things. If Vauxhall could have addressed those points the car would have been so much better and would have merited at least a 4 if not a a four and a half rating.

Frances, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Mine has only done 16,000 and had a recall from the dealer last month. The bearings were replaced yesterday and there is now a ginding noise when it is driven. There is also a noise when the steering wheel is turned. I have had Vauxhall cars for years and they have always been great, but this has little power at times when you try to accelerate.

Charles, Ayrshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I have had this car just over a year now and I find it nice to drive, very quiet and it has good acceleration for 1.4. It has also never let me down in any way. The only things needing replaced at its 20,000 miles service was the droplinks on the front. I bought it from Peter Vardy, Motherwell, and I had a few problems with the purchase due to human error; it took about a month of shouting to get to the right person to sort it out and as a goodwill gesture I was given a voucher for a free service. However, when the time came to use voucher I was a bit reluctant to take it to Peter Vardy, but times are hard and money is short so I thought I would use the voucher. To my Pleasant surprise I was treated very well and I was kept informed as to how long it would take (2 hours) and got coffee and refreshments while I waited. I could not believe that it was the same garage. 5 stars for the car and the service!

Stuart, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

I loved the car the moment I took it for a test drive at the dealership. I still love it 9 months on. There are a few niggles: The gear box can be very clunky and sometimes you feel you are forcing the change; visibility is slighlty restrictive when reversing due to the wide sides between front and rear doors; it’s been back to the dealer due to a faulty thermostat and a recall regarding the tailgate. Despite these issues I’m still very happy with it.

David, Northern Ireland on the Vauxhall Insignia

I have been a Vauxhall owner for 20 years, but never again. I have always bought second-hand and have never had any problems, so when I retired from work I bought a new Insignia 2.0t. The first year saw no problems, but after that things went down hill. So far it has needed three steering racks and two steering pumps; the steering is still moaning and pulling left all the time making the handling very bad, even scary at times. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve had the steering checked and aligned, paying for this every time. The dealer has told me the steering needs to be aligned often because of the size of the wheels. Funny, a lot of Insignias have the same size of wheels?! If I manage to sell this car I will never buy Vauxhall again.

Simon, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I hired one of these for a month when I was between cars. Was very comfy and roomy, which is quite amazing when you consider I’m 6’3 and don’t fit into many hatchbacks! Driving was very pleasant, although perhaps a little dull. Overall would recommend if you’re in the market for a reasonably priced family hatchback.

Ian, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Insignia

Company car, new in 2009. At first it was like a breath of fresh air compared to the Vectras I had had. The Insignia felt and drove brilliantly, like a quality made car, however, after the first 1000 miles things started to loosen up and it quickly began to feel like the usual poor build Vauxhall. Shortly after there was a burning smell coming from rear of car. I took into local dealers who replaced the rear disks and pads. It seemed ok for a while then there was a smell of burning rubber coming from the rear. I again took it to the dealers who said they could not find anything wrong. The burning smell continued! The first year service came around (had only done 10k) and it had another set of rear disks and pads fitted. After about 15k the Automatic box started to randomly change gear and gave off a low grumbling noise mid change, so back to the dealers who as usual said they could not find anything wrong. The car still has this fault after a further 2 visits to the dealer. It’s now due for its first MOT, it has only got 30k on the clock and it drives like an old banger! Sloppy steering, rough ride and terrible fuel consumption. A friend has a 2009 Mondeo that still drives and feels like new, unlike the the Insignia. Also I have found that the customer service from the local Newcastle dealership is disgraceful, nobody seems to care or want to help in anyway. You just know that when you take your car in for a fault they are just going to say the usual "We plugged it into the computer and can’t find anything wrong". I would never get a Vauxhall by choice!

Nicola, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I had an Astra years ago, which I loved, so was looking forward to having another Vauxhall. I chose a Corsa as I just wanted a little economical runaround to get me to work etc. I couldn’t have been more disappointed and won’t be touching a Vauxhall again for a long time, they’ve seriously let themselves down. Firstly, I was surprised at the poor quality of the interior. Then I was slightly surprised at a recall from Vauxhall within the first few months, due to an issue with the handbrake. A few months later, it started slipping out of gear completely (it’s an automatic) and would just roll (the service light would come on too). This was frightening on a fast and busy road. The first time it happened, my husband picked me up and drove it to the dealers (as they refused to come and pick it up). They couldn’t find a fault so gave it back to me a few days later. Seemed fine for a few more months then the same thing happened again, accompanied by a serious shuddering. This time the RAC picked me up and diagnosed an electrical fault to do with the gear selector on the automatic transmission. It also needed a new ignition coil (within 18 months). The RAC took it to the dealership and they informed me that the RAC’s ’fault code’ was invalid to them so they couldn’t fix it!! The gear slipping problem still occurs, and the car does not feel safe. It has been through loads of brake pads and tyres (despite safe driving) and recently had a leaking shock absorber. It also leaks water into the passenger side footwell, but I can’t see where it’s coming from. It’s recently had another recall (the second in 2 years), this time for a problem with the brakes. It hasn’t been great driving in snow either as I found that it skids a lot, but that may be to do with it being automatic? I’ve had the car exactly 2 years now and it’s spent so much time in the repair centre, it’s ridiculous. I’m just about to get rid of it and I’m sorry to say I won’t be touching a Vauxhall for a very long time. I think they’ve seriously scrimped on the Corsas and are compromising safety.

Graham, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Meriva

My wife bought her when she was 6 months old and had a new steering rack plus steering motor fitted under warranty at Marshalls, Ipswich, who were fantastic (we bought the car from Thurlow Nunn in Diss). The car is as reliable as any Honda and apart from services, tyres and windscreen wipers she has cost us nothing in 60k miles. The engine could do with a bit more shove and the visibility on right hand bends and roundabouts is a bit hairy, but you get use to it. The car has a good seating position is fairly comfortable on a long run and is so versatile. Would I buy another? Yes! Without a doubt. What you see is what you get. All in all a good little barrow that costs peanuts to run.

Maria, Devon on the Vauxhall Meriva

I do not yet have a problem with the steering, but I am having problems with the notorious blind spot and windsreen wiper on the driver’s side. It does not clear the whole screen and further obstructs my vision. I am having to lean forward and follow the road round to keep myself and pedestrians safe. I too had a near miss driving in the snow because the wiper does not completely clean the windscreen. I have parked it and I’m desperately looking for a buyer.

Paul, Surrey on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

This is my 4th Astra H and definitely the best. Astra’s don’t get enough credit for their handling, which the Stig said would be nigh on perfect if the power delivery of the vxr model was smoother. It’s up there with the Renault megane 225 - surprising? Well here’s where the 180 horse power Sri turbo comes in. Smooth delivery, plenty of power (quite a bit faster then the 1.9 150, which I’ve previously owned) and an exhaust note that sounds great. The good thing about this engine is if you drive very light footed you can get 33-35mpg around town and 40 max on the motorway, although when you use the power that will drop to 25mpg or less. One thing I must say is don’t run cheap tyres on the front as in the wet you don’t get much grip at all, but a pair of decent ones will fix this. Overall I believe the Astra is good value, has nimble handling even on 18’s, the brakes are strong, looks great with the xp kit and I enjoy driving it every day. If you can get past badge snobbery then you’ll enjoy it too!

Bernard, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

I’ve had this corsa for nearly 4 years and all I’ve had to do is buy 2 new front tyres.

Michael, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had two zafira’s, the older version (2004 diesel) and the new shape (2008 petrol). My wife had a head on car crash in the older model and although the car was written off there was no visible signs of damage in the cab and she got off without injury - unlike the other driver. I had a few problems with the 2004 version when it was only a few years old where the engine light kept coming on and the speed was limited. This is common and eventually means a new manifold needed, which is expensive and couldn’t be cured without this by the garage. Apparently the diesel engine needs to be thrashed occassionally to avoid this and a fuel additive is a good idea (fill up with the premium petrol once a month). Apart from this and excessive tyre wear there have been no major issues and I’m very pleased with it; it did 20k a year before being written off at 80k. The 2008 petrol version we got had only 10k on the clock at 8 months old. Fuel consumption is about 32/gallon. The only issues have been excesssive tyre wear, the inside fan broke, all the discs needed replacing as they had jammed on after heating up (going up the Alps towing with 7 adults on board) and there is a common fault with the wiring through the car along the seal, which causes the central locking not to work and the boot can’t be opened. This is about £300 to repair properly. The rear 2 seats (6/7) are adequate for short journeys and much better than the Galaxy, which are uncomfotable. I’ve given a 4 score as the layoutand safety are excellent, and I’m generally very pleased with both cars. I would recommend the diesel, just make sure you get the Network Q warranty, which means all repairs are done without quibble. I would buy another.

P, Wales on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have had several problems with this car: 1. Coil springs snapped (a common Vauxhall problem) 2. Four different engine maps needed (this should have been sorted before the cars were released on the market) 3. Brake discs worn down in only 30k, so obviously made from too soft a material. 4. Three rear wheel bearings needed. 5. Engine goes into limp home mode quite frequently and the dealer can not trace the problem. 6. New glow plugs needed, but this is probably wear and tear. 7. 39 MPG on a long run from a diesel? The most unreliable car I have ever had the misfortune to run.

Michelle, Wales on the Vauxhall Tigra

A fab car. No leaks. A1 heater. 40 mpg and a proper little hot rod through the lanes!

Sue, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Awful car! Never again will I buy Vauxhall. It’s had problems from new; lack of power, lights faulty, brakes faulty, seats faulty. It’s a load of rubbish and I can’t wait to get rid of it!

Danny, England on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

A great car that is very economical, great to drive and has plenty of room. I bought mine at 3 years old with 68000 miles on the clock and it runs and feels new.

Nicola, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I love my 58 plate Corsa! Nice shape, size, interior and an enjoyable drive. Having down sized I was worried I’d miss the space, but so far that has not been an issue. Love it!

Ben, Essex on the Vauxhall Astravan

Great to drive, fast and handles well but... The gearboxes on these vans are rubbish! Just google M32 gearbox and see how many have bearing failure; mine went at 40000 miles. It starts with a whine on 6th gear and then disintegrates. An expensive design fault that lets down an otherwise great van.

Leon, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I got a 58 plate 1.6 Life Zafira with 45k on the clock after owning a 2000 1.6 comfort for 4 years. A great family do-it-all car with no problems; the older Zafira has done nearly 120k and my mate loves it now! The 58 plate is a big improvement on looks and drives very good and was a bargain at £5k.

Martin, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought my 2008 Zafira 1.6 petrol Life in May 2011 with 45k on the clock and have done over 3k in it so far without any problems whatsoever and I love it. I have done school runs, shopping trips, motorway runs and even used it as a builders van when needed. I opted for the basic model as there is less to go wrong and so far nothing has. I get approx 35mpg just plodding around town and approx 45-50mpg on a motorway run, but that is probably just my style of driving. The build quality is excellent and it is a comfortable car to drive even after a non stop 190 mile motorway trip. I did check out a lot of reviews on the internet before buying a petrol Zafira and decided against a diesel because of the problems that so many seem to have with them, but it would appear that you shouldn’t buy any newer diesel engined car if you are only doing short trips. I am quite happy that I made the right choice. Would I have another? Hell yes!!!

Inderjit, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I will never buy another Vauxhall so long as I live. The Vivaro is rubbish. I would rather catch the bus, atleast I would get some where.

Wayno, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Sloppy poo off a polished shovel! I love my car and defend it down to the ground against my mates BMWs, Audis and MINIs. The only thing the VXR lacks is a slightly better interior. Other then that it’s awesome! Not lost to anyone yet and I’ve done 160 in it (on a track of course). Oh and it’s quite a job to keep it in a straight line in the wet but that just adds to the excitement.

William, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This car has been made into a bad buy by Vauxhall’s after care people, who could not care less about guarantee work. After you have bought the car their slogan should be "Do one" as they have a clause to cover everything and about the only thing covered is that the paint won’t change colour. I would advise anyone to steer clear of Vauxhall.

Tony, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Further to my earlier review the van is now on 196K miles and about to be serviced. All I have had to replace is tyres, pads, front discs, one wheel bearing, nearside track rod end and rear door lock-under warranty. Van still travels 1700 miles a week on a mix of country roads and motorway-over a period of 2 years. Van still returning 34 mpg average and uses no oil between services. I have been told to expect clutch failure at 220K miles. I plan to replace it next Summer when it is on 250K. Of course one can only speak as one finds.

Ross, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Astravan

I’ve had my 150bhp sportive se van for 8 months now and had a few problems. Firstly it needed a new gearbox at 35000miles!!! Luckily just covered by warranty (only had 8weeks left). It has recently gone through its second egr valve, I wonder what will be next?

MIke, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

My car feels very heavy, my previous car (the much bigger) Ford Mondeo 2.0d Zetec felt a lot lighter to drive and was considerably more comfortable, it’s not that fast and the economy is terrible! The only thing I like is the mp3 jack for my iPod!

Stuart, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Nice looking van, but the 2.5cdti has a major flat spot that made it dangerous pulling out onto roundabouts. Got a chip that has helped, but it is still there. Would not recommend.

Julie, Surrey on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Lovely looking van but rubbish; auxilary belt went after a few months, back door lock has broken twice, the air con is still trying to be repaired after three weeks and the alternator has gone.

Peter, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have owned my Zafira for two years and found it to drive well. The main problem is with the waterbased paint as I have had the sills re-sprayed, due to water lying under the rubber mouldings inside the sills of the door making the paint bubble up and rust appear.

Richard, Spain on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

All in all I’m very happy, two and a half years down the line after buying new. A couple of small issues with the computer that controlls the roof and windows which was sorted under warranty. And recently a wobbly and rattly drivers window cost me 50 euros. The car is absolutely water tight I jet wash it all the time without any leaks. Fuel economy really good on long runs dissapointing around town. For the money I thinks it’s great. We also have a BMW 318ci convertible 2005 and to be frank there isn’t a lot to choose between them they both rattle a bit roof up, the BMW handles better and has a fab auto box but the Opel was 20k less and is a little quicker. I also love that you hardly seen any where we live, I think there are less than 10 on the island! I would buy again depending upon the new version to come in 2012.

Gareth, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought mine new in Nov 08. Everything was all right until 14000 miles, when it got a bad clutch rattle and a sort of tinkling noise from engine under accelleration. I took the van back from where I bought it from, and all I can say is I would not give them a push chair to look at! This went on and on for several months. Milage now at 21000 and still no joy although the tinkling sound was cured for a couple of weeks, but that was it. I’m completly disgusted with the service from the dealer and customer support. A work colleague advised me to take it to another dealer and within 1-5 hrs they said the gearbox had to come out and the clutch was noisy, which was done under warranty. They are still trying to find the source of the tinkling noise on accelleration, but I can’t complain as they’re pulling out all the stops at the mo. All said and done this is an excellent van for what it does, I just wish Vauxhall customer care was better.

Brian, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought this car with one previous owner and 13000 miles on the clock. It was an ex-mobility car from down in Durham and came with the full sevice history. The first problem was an electical fault which came up on the diagnostic computer as 37 faults. At 20000 miles I would have expected better and my local Vauhall dealer were not helpful; it took 3 attempts to fix the problem and cost me £285 as it turned out to be a SIM card in the steering column. The next problem was a big one; the easytronic gearbox got stuck in fourth and I had to get it recovered to another dealer. This time the gear selector had jammed and that burnt out the ECU, which I was informed it goes hand in hand with this fault. Again the dealer was not very helpful and with a £1800-00 bill I would have thought they could have at least cleaned my car before returning it. This was at 27000 miles and to be honest all my previous cars, which have been a lot older were a lot better.

John, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have finally just sold my Vauxhall Meriva..phew! As other reviewers have stated, the steering kept switching off and the only way you could sometimes fix it was to switch off the engine and restart it. The amount of scary moments I have had driving it when you can’t turn the wheel, the worst was on a roundabout! Add to that it always kept veering slightly to the left (yes the tracking was checked). The other design ’fault’ is the mpg, I just can’t work out how a 1.6 8v vehicle was only getting 27mpg!!! It was costing a fortune to fill it up, and yes 2 garages checked it out and there was no leak or problem... apart from the design! Put it this way, I have just upgraded to pure luxury in a Chrysler Grand Voyager, which is massive with electric sliding doors and boot, a dvd player with a screen in the back with wireless headphones. Heated leather seats, heated electric folding mirrors, 6 cd/dvd changer and another slot for 1 more cd in the sat nav. Dual zone a/c, cruise control. Seats in the front and middle row with arm rests, and all the seats fold into the floor easily with loads and loads of room, etc. It weighs over 2 tons and is bigger than most parking spots yet does more mpg than the tiddly Meriva I used to run about in. It just doesn’t make sense. I pity the fool who purchases the car from the dealer as it’s an expensive to run death trap that should have been recalled.

Simon, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Just thought everyone out there would like to know my Astra Sportive 150 se van has been a bit of a pain for the last 30 months: 3 x EGR valves, 1 x condenser unit, several electrical problems all on a van that’s only done 65.000 miles, yes really 65.000 miles. Yes I am lost for words as well. But on the up side it’s very comfy and quick. The moral of this story is I won’t be buying another Vauxhall van again whilst I’ve got a hole in my wallet!

Ian, England on the Vauxhall Corsavan

Bought the van new in 2008. It has to be the only small vehicle that I find a pleasure to drive; performance is great and handling superb. I’ve covered 25,000 mls to date and van is as new.

Alan, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I think that Vauxhall know about the juddering when reversing, but are denying it because of the cost of the rectification. If enough people contact them they must respond to our concerns.

John, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Zafira

I think this is a great car and I use it for work and family holidays in Europe. I bought mine in 2009 and it was a year old with about 11K on the clock. I had a problem with the engine light last year and it was fixed under warranty. It has now come on again, but off course the warranty has expired! I took it to a garage that I used before. A vehicle engineer with years of experience on loads of vehicles and not just certificates on the wall. Tested on his computer and it is indicating the air flow problem that so many other appear to complain about. Getting it checked when he has spare slot and hopefully it will get fixed. Price? Who knows??

Matt, England on the Vauxhall Antara

I bought an 08 plate Antara last August and had exactly the same problem with the fuel gauge as described by Paul of Rotherham. The Vauxhall dealership identified the problem as a faulty sender unit in the tank and replaced this part, which fixed the problem. I have now sold the Antara, although apart from the problem specified I found it a fairly competent, if not terribly exciting car.

Julie, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

I have an Insignia, it’s an excellent car, very comfortable, superb drive, average fuel consumption around 47mpg. would definitley have another one!!

Rob, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

WHAT A COMPLETE MISTAKE BY VAUXHALL!! I have had my 150 sri almost 2 years now and its out of warranty. 5 problems: 1) Flat spots 2) Engine management light on 3) Spanner light on 4) dpf fault 5) Air leak. Myself and the wife are not slow drivers and we do drive the car to its full ability and the way Vauxhall recommend to regenerate the dpf so why does the scanner bring up this fault? Yes it does have short trips to school and shopping but it is a family car. Being in the trade myself I have checked for the air/vac leak but nothing found. All the power is there when the spanner light goes off but the engine management light stays on. When I eventually get this bag of nails fixed I will be selling it and buying a different breed of car. Gang together and take it to watchdog!

Mick, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought this 57 plate (registered 08) with 5k on the clock for £13.5k (almost half price) 2 years ago and its the mutts! Good torque, good speed and acceleration with a great 6 speed gearbox, smooth, quiet (as quiet as 18" alloys with ultra low profiles on shall allow lol), no leaks; had a little trouble with coolant level warning but since Vauxhall Approach (Andover) updated the software no repeat warnings. I regularly silicon grease (spray) all roof joints and seals and to date, touch wood (No not Catweasles toad); no hassles whatsoever. Its a great car and would recommend to anyone. My only quibble is why Vauxhall stopped at 150bhp? Would have much preferred it up to the 200bhp, which the diesel tuning kit would have provided but Vauxhall have stopped selling them :-(

Karen, Scotland on the Vauxhall Corsa

I was satisfied with the appearance of my car (bought it brand new) and the interior etc. I just have the plain version, only extras I have really are electric side morrors, however I find the boot very small. My old P reg was much bigger. I find that the acceleration is sluggish, especially between 3rd and 4th gear and sometimes it struggles to get up even a slight hill with just me in it (I’m small!). If I have passengers, it’s embarrassing! The car barely moves with my foot down on a hill. I have also found an ongoing problem with the clutch control and handbrake ..and NO ! I do not have problems getting the biting point! I have been driving for 20 years, and drive around ten different vehicles via my job. I have no problem with clutch or gears thanks, but this Corsa is a nightmare. It seems to change it’s preferred bite point everyday and as such ends up Kangaroo-ing off at lights or hills. My partner drives it and also finds the same. I would recommend this car for a first car, but I will NOT be buying another when the warranty runs out this year. I’m disappointed.

A, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought the car new in 2008. So far it’s had new discs and pads all round, new wheel bearings, problem with the alarm, an annoying rattle, poor offside rear visibility. The mpg however is about 40mpg. It is certainly very nippy! Absence of jacking points is annoying. No spare wheel hasn’t caused a problem to date. I have had several other new Sports and SRi models in the past but I think this may well be the last!!

Dave, England on the Vauxhall Combo

There was a terrible van clip on the bit under the bumper which was stupid because if you touched the kerb, it fell off. The doors would lock while you were getting something out the back. The build quality was poor, the seats fall apart and vision was poor. This was the worst vehicle I’ve ever had.

David, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I love my sporting vicar. Only one problem, the fuel gauge is electronic blocks! Almost impossible to know when one will turn off, and not very accurate, if this van had a needle for a gauge then it would be perfect.

Martin, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’m now on my third Zafira. The first was a 2006 sri 150, fantastic car but I wanted cruise control. I then purchased a 2008 Elite 150, even better, no sporty looks, but with Cruise Control as standard, an amazing car especially having the cd30 mp3, which saved me a fortune in cd’s; burned my own 10 albums on a cd great! My next zafira was the VXR 2008 CD30 mp3 standard. Even better to drive, it didn’t have cc on it but I knew the wiring loom was there to fit it! It’s there on ALL VXR, Designs and SRi`s (150 version). The only let down on the VXR is Fuel, 19/23 mpg if I’m lucky and the tyres are £210 each. Admittedly I could get budget tyres at £100 each, but with kids in the car...hhhmmmmmm NO! To sum it up: VXR is the best to drive, I’ve had them all so I’d know! But if money is a problem then KEEP AWAY!....and £410 road tax.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Antara

The fuel gauge is inaccurate which affects the fuel consumption computer. The gauge will read half full after the fuel tank has been filled up. It sometimes corrects itself and other times read a quarter full after travelling 100 miles from a re-fuel. When the vehicle is stationary it will show different readings when the ignition is switched on. It is definitely faulty. I was told by the service manager at the Vauxhall dealership that there is no fault and that the gauge will give different reading when the fuel is disturbed by movement in the tank. He told me instead of relying on the fuel gauge, perhaps record mileage on the trip to work out when a refuel is required? Utter tosh!!! I believe this may be an inherent problem with the Antara which GM are aware of? Perhaps they don’t want the expense of a re-call. Same as the faulty handbrake on the 2006 Vectra - took Ann Robinson on BBC Watchdog to get GM to take responsibility. Other problems I had with the Antara include faulty fog lights and electrics not working properly on tow-bar fitted by the dealership. Vehicle has gone back to dealership 4 separate times to try and sort out the problems. On one occasion the Antara was sent to GM’s technical centre. In fairness to the dealership, they did provide me with a loan vehicle whilst I was without the use of the Antara.

Stan, Durham on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have just got a 08 1.4 Meriva to replace the 1.6 8 valve. I had and the fuel consumption is 42/49 mpg, better than the 30/35 I was getting.

Stuart, Wales on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought my Zafira new in 2008 and I have experienced the same faults, and more ,as all other 19cdti owners but I think you are missing the point, yes these faults should be reported to watchdog but surely the Zafira’s fuel economy should be its foremost concern. For it having such high tech state of the art diesel engine technology it only seems to manage 34 mpg combined and 20mpg when the dpf filter goes into regen mode. I can’t see how using twice the amount of diesel to burn off soot is very eco friendly? Vauxhall should be made to refund our money as the vehicle is not fit for purpose.

Hugh, Herefordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought this car 2 years ago and being a Vauxhall fan love the car apart from having 2 new fly wheels put in and now it needs a clutch and has only done 28000 miles. It has a 6 speed box in it and am wondering if this is the cause of the problem.The last fly wheel was put in in October 2010 and also had a starter moter fitted as well. Ok it’s still under warranty at the moment but what happens when it runs out? Never had a problem like this on my other ones; 2x sri and a gls.

Owen, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I too am having problems with my 1.8 twintop, I’ve had it two years with no main issues but now I am having problems with the electric circut which opens the roof and the boot central locking and heated rear window. It’s been back in the dealership twice in the last weekand they can’t fix it . I can’t get in the boot the internal alarm is going off constantly and the heated rear window doesn’t work, which is no good in the winter. The clowns at the dealership seem cluleless and now they want to send it to a twin top roof speciast in Preston to see what they can do, they think it is a break in the wireing harness, which costs in excess of £400 to fix. I got a lift to work from one of the people in the dealership and he admitted they have lots of problems with twintops and they have had several in the last few weeks. Even a guy when I dropped mine off today said he got rid of his because he had loads of problems with roof and went back to a normal Astra DON’T BUY ONE - PILE OF JUNK

Martin, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Underpowered car with a very clattery diesel engine; have to keep radio on consantly or gives me headache, poor visibility; have to lean to the left when turning right just to see around bends, windscreen wipers knock on full speed, front screen demist takes ages to clear; started carrying a towel to wipe the windows it’s that slow! Gear box playing up when engaging 1st gear, poorly placed hazard warning button to close to radio controls, nightmare glare off the dashboard on the front screen especially in sunny weather. All in all bought this car to replace ageing Zafira based on lower tax £35 per year and smaller diesel engine. Really am sorry I bought this car beware with these newer Corsas they’re not as good as the older ones when you consider the one I own is just over 27 months old and already having problems with it especially the drop in fuel economy from 56mpg to 44mpg for no apparent reason.

Jay , Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Movano

I have been given a 2008 Movano from my company. I had it at 50 miles and now it’s on 58k in 2 years. BAD BITS: Nightmare to park, power steering rack broke, uncomfortable seats, POOR steering wheel position causing stretched arms and bad back, heavy doors that ping back onto your legs in the wind nearly taking your legs off, sliding door has come off its hinges around 5 times, vauxhall dealers are utter utter poor leaving oil cap off once which nearly caused a fire, SLOW. GOOD BITS: the stereo is ok, the compartments above the head are great apart from the times my folders came out and whacked me in the head nearly knocking me out while driving (wait is this a good or bad bit?), mirrors are nice and big, Good space OVER ALL: I wouldn’t buy this van myself. If you want a big van get a newer shape Sprinter or a VW Transporter if you want a small van.

Dougie, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Bought from new, done 19000 miles, oil changes only on services. Only complaint is the hub caps need cable ties to prevent loss. Would I BUY ANOTHER? Yes, ordered last week.

Philip, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Had the car 4 months now and loving it. Coped well with the snow and ice and no leaks. Find it a bit thirsty ’round town, but no problems on a long run. Great to drive and what a head turner. Would recommend it to anyone.

Malcolm, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Purchased at a reasonable price in 2009, I thought I had the answer to all my long distant high speed driving to and from France from the UK carrying full loads that my wife finds to fill it. What a disaster. The car has covered 53k now, of which I have done 41k, and has been returned to the garage seven times and has broken down four times, three times leaving me stranded in France. It has blocked its catalytic converter four times, broken three air conditioner units and had a steering problem causing it to pull to the left so hard that it was not possible to release the steering even for a moment. Vauxhall tested this car and said ’no fault’, but then I insisted their manager drive it and he was terrified as it nearly took him off the road. I will never, ever purchase another Vauxhall diesel ever. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. I will be trading it in if I can get a dealer to take it. It has now broken down again, what a disgusting car.

Zoe, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

This is the worst car I have ever had. It has needed nearly everything doing to it and has now just blown up whilst I was driving on the ring road; I thought I was going to die! There was no warning light or anything. Stay away from the worst car in the world.

Patricia, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

My Car is 18 months old and has 10000 miles on the clock, with one service under its belt. So far I’ve had no other costs or problems. The pro’s are: good performance, economic fuel consumption, ample comfort, no rattles or squeeks, very good handling. The Cons are: engine needed 8000 miles to loosen up, windscreen and rear wiper controls can be confusing and it’s easy to kerb those nice alloys.

Chris, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

Car broke down with exhaust emission light on after doing only 24,000 miles. The dealer tells us that it will cost £2,700 to correct. We have experienced some problems since it had its first service such as stalling and suddenly losing power during the first few miles. Buy another Vauxhall? You must be joking.

Mel, Devon on the Vauxhall Corsa

Owned mine for 18 months now. I bought the 1.4 Design 5 door. (don’t like any oil burners!!!). Love it to bits and cannot find the time to drive it enough! I have cruise auto lights and wipers, electric sun roof and climate etal... get 44 to the gallon on a run. We have lots of hills in Devon ,so more power could be desired, but the low road tax was more important. If you put your foot down it will respond so I don’t know why a previous review had issues about joining the motorway???? As I am retired from work I don’t need to drive around like a lunatic, and it is nice to relax in an enjoyable car and watch all the idiots living on their nerves in case there is a tractor is around the next corner... because most cars wouldn’t stop in time but my Corsa would!!! Good build quality, I have no rattles, and can fit four adults and good amount of luggage in for weekends in Cornwall. Good car and I have owned and driven a lot over the years. I used to drive 20,000 per year as a rep so I could not tolerate a rubbish car!!! If you want a sensible car and don’t want the next class up then you could do worse than trying a Corsa.

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Hi, I am back!! Yes, the Antara’s back in the workshop. Had been enjoying the car for the past couple of months and began to think the worst was over. Wrong. Last week the wife was driving the car when the ESP light comes on for no reason, then minutes later the ESP turned off light came on as well. The car was left overnight and in the morning it would appear that the Fairs had fixed the problem for us. Used the car on Saturday and yes you guess it both lights come on again, but this time they did not re-set. Monday comes along and the Antara disco gives us another light show; now the parking light is on even with the handbrake off along with both ESP lights. The car went back to the dealership tonight, so they have it for the morning to work on. Normal great service; the Workshop manager sees me walk towards the service centre and runs for cover, when I asked to speak with him told he’s in a meeting. Then the woman on the count say "Ok Mr Dunk we will carry out a diagnostic check and that will be £59 and we will contact you tomorrow to tell you what the fault is. To which I reply "I don’t think so, this is the seventh time this so called brand new car has been back". Perhaps 3,400 miles in six months is too much for a car like this to cope with. I wonder if hire car I will be offered this time! Update to follow along with the book and DVD.

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Car came back that afternoon to be told that the brake fulid was low, it hadn’t got a leak and it was all sorted out. Vauxhall customer service is still rubish THEY JUST DON’T CARE!!!!!

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Hi, yeah I am back! Sorry for the delay but I am not going to say it too loud... the Antara appears to running fine now, Yes, I can’t believe it. At last the problem with the alarm that happened back on the 19th June like I said in my last report had returned. Well this time when the car was calling out to us we decided to video the events and show the footage to the Workshop Manager. This time straight away he stated he knew what it was and that this was the same type of alarm fault that some of the Astra’s have had. This time they replaced the alarm sensor and so far it’s been fine. As it’s been just over two months of trouble free motoring in the Antara I feel that I am in some sort of position the review the car now. It’s now got two and half thousand miles on the clock and I can say that the fuel consumption is nothing like Vauxhall states I am getting about 28 to 30 mpg. But it’s a great car to drive its comfortable, lots of vision, the Auto box is great, money well spent. Last week I drove to Disneyland Paris and it was a pleasure to drive, got to use the cruise control and that was great. The extra I paid for the parking sensors is not worth it, they peep at everything. When I back off the drive it peeps at the kerb stones between my drive and next-door. I think they are more trouble that they are worth. When I drive the car I have them turned off most of the time. All in all I did wonder what I had purchased at first but touch wood everything appears sorted now and I am starting to enjoy driving the car, the wife loves driving it, in fact she drives the car most of the time, unlike our old VW Passat when she said that was to big! The kids love going out in it and after the drive to Paris and back this year we are thinking about driving down to the South of France next year in it. One little problem is that the boot is a bit small or is it that we take too much junk away on holiday with us? Considering purchasing a roof box for next year, any recommendations? As for Vauxhall after care they are rubbish, still trying to get compensation out of them after all the problems. STEVE from Kent as for your question, what was the dealer I purchased it from? If I was to say that it can be found on the A2 in Bapchild that might help!

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I also love my Zafira, nice and roomy and reliable... smooth ride and no power problems even though it’s only a 1.6 petrol... a great invention is the back seats folding down to give a large storage space... lots of different options... not bad on the juice either, I get about 35 miles to the gallon about town and more on the motorway... plenty enough for my 3 kids who get to choose what seat they want to sit in on a daily basis... would highly recommend and when I’m done with this one I shall be buying a new shape one... I won’t have any other type of car from now on... I’m hooked on Zafiras...

Pete, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I had a 2001 Astra for 5 years - a club 1.6 8 valve. I’ve just got myself a 2008 club 1.6 16v . v.v.t. with more bhp and torque. But I find in 1st and 2nd gears it’s no faster than my previous car... a bit dissapointing really. But once you get the revs up it really shifts. I think it might be because of the low ratio gearbox. Anway, a smoother and tighter drive allround, better quality build in the cabin but not much storage room and a smaller boot than my earlier Astra. Overall a nice motor.

Barrie, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Antara

To look at and drive, the car is wonderful. However I find the fuel consumption is very very poor. My previous car was a Hyundai Santa Fe whch on a long journey returned 44/45 mpg. Acccording to the MANY on-board computers, the Antara showed 31.5 mpg. Doing manual tests, full tank to full tank over a measured mileage it was 36 mpg. Better, but still disappointing. Another downside is that you cannot turn of the screen display! Who wants to see the main computer or Vodafone sign. If you want the sat nav on, then you have to have the audio system on as well. There are times when I prefer to drive in silence. OK, I can turn the volume down, but surely that defeats the object of it all. So, computer systems that are useless, audio/sat nav systems turns an otherwise excellent car into a source of annoyance.

Nick, Surrey on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought this car in August 2008 and have had so many problems with it. It’s a 1.9 diesel and it’s had new boot catches fitted, new fuel injector, and now when I reverse the near side front brake housing clunks yet Vauxhall say there is nothing wrong with the car, saying that the clunking doesn’t happen all the time. The engine management light stayed on and took weeks to get the car into vauxhall. All these problems aside the car, when working, goes really well; it drives like a dream but could do with more cubby space and a better sound system, and alloy wheels as standard. Does anyone else think the folding seat handles are poorly made?? Mine have come off plenty of times.

Rob, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Great car! Best one yet!

Mike, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Omega

This is also my second Omega, the first got wrote off in December 2007 - she was a 2.6mv6 gold and in a1 condition. I bought my present car in February 2008. It has a full irmscher body kit, twin pipes, 18ins irmscher wheels, and the best of all is a duel fuel job. I’m paying 40.9 per litre. When i saw it I’d already made my mind up to buy it. Both cars have been totally reliable. I just love the shape, the room, the price; it handles well and of course has all the toys. I will be keeping her for as long as I can because it just does so many things so well. Variant: cd. Year Of Make: This vehicle was bought.

Peter, Newport on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought a Vivaro 2 litre 115 ps combi ( minibus) in April 2008 brand new. The steering made a terrible noise and they replaced the steering pump under warrantee. The battery (varta) packed up without warning after a year which was also changed on warrantee. It’s done 25k and so far has been good. It’s really quiet at speed and does about 600 miles on a tank. I have heard about the gearbox problems but these seem to be the old euro 3 1.9 engine ( I hope).

Norm, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Low profiles and 19 inch alloys make it a firm ride. But it goes round corners like it’s on rails. Plenty of gadgets and a nice stereo. Only slight problem is the accelerator has slight lag and the indicators take some getting used to, but otherwise very pleased.

Natasha, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Corsa

The car was very nice to look at, great design and the interior was just as good. The stereo controls on the steering wheel was great and the ipod dock, although it took me a while to work out how to turn it onto ipod mode and wasn’t clear. The seat was very low even when you raised it i still found it to be quite low and being 5 ft 6in I still felt I was looking over the top of the steering wheel. The power on this car was a serious downside, it hated being in 4th gear and even in 3rd on hills it struggled to even hit 30 and if hills were attempted in 4th it would just come to a standstill. Overall it was a nice car but the power was irritating and I wouldn’t buy one myself.

Max, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This is my first and last Corsa; it’s the worst car I’ve ever had. Yes, on the outside looks nice and stylish but my god its a c**p car to drive. Mine has been into the garage 3 times for modified brake pads and still the same, it suffers from clutch judder and its suspension is very poor. My husband refuses to drive it because its a tinny, whinney useless pile of cheap metal.The sooner I get rid the better. Don’t waste your hard earned money.

Ben, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I’ve now had several Vauxhall Vivaro’s (now leased throw Europcar). It is the best van I’ve ever driven, I’ve never had a problem - comfortable, fast, very economical. A great van, I spend most off my days in it and do many, many miles each year. I recommend it highly - drive it right and it will look after you. Forget the Transit (c**p), Transporter’s (slow and use to much oil), LDV Maxus (forget it). 5 stars for the Vauxhall Vivaro!

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

After seeing a used 08 Antara S Auto on the forecourt of our local Vauxhall dealership, I thought what a great looking SUV and at a good price. But at that point I had no intention of changing my VW Passat but still went ahead and booked a test drive. I went on the test drive taking my wife and family. After the drive we all agreed that it was a great family SUV and was impressed with box standard features, so much so I that I ordered a brand new Antara S Auto. I was told that my order would take about two weeks before it would be ready for collection, so in that time I started reading various reviews on net. Most of the reviews I read made the car sound good but concerns were raised about MPG. Last Wednesday came, blue sky, warm, a great day to collect our brand new Antara, with five miles on the clock; only my second ever brand new car. I was like a little boy again with a new toy. I was impressed, the ride was great, it was comfortable and the automatic box was proving to be money well spent. I was that impressed I drove the twenty miles to my mother-in-laws just to show her the car. She was impressed so much so she asked to go for a drive in it. On my return home the kids had come home from school they saw the car and asked to go out in it. So off we went driving two miles to the local petrol station... I filled up, got back in, three attempts to start the thing up, didn’t think much of it at this point. Go off for a drive doing about ten miles before stopping to collect a takeaway pizza. Whilst the wife is collecting the pizza one of my children ask to sit up front and experience the heated front seats after hearing about their mother switching them on during the day causing my bum to become a bit warm. So I went to start the car... nothing - the engine turns but does not fire up. After fifteen minutes I managed to get the car going and drove home. Thinking that it might be the chip in the ignition key causing the immobiliser to stay on I have decided to try the spare key to see if that solved the problem. Wrong! No it didn’t. So what started out to be a great day ended up with me thinking - what I have done? The next morning jump in the car to see what happens with a cold start. Straight away the engine starts and this happened on three occasions but the engine management light was now on. Now very p@#+~d off with the car. I have telephoned the dealership telling them I was not happy and that I was wanting the problem sorted out. The salesman, with his tail between his legs, comes out speaks to me... a mechanic comes out to have a look at the car. Now, with the engine warm again, it won’t start. The CMU is downloaded and a SENSOR on the CAMSHAFT has developed a fault and will need to be changed. So my brand new car that I have owned for less that 24 hours, with only 45 miles on the clock is in the workshop. Having spoke to the Servicing Manager this morning (Saturday) I have been informed that the part is on order and will not be delivered until next Wednesday as it is being shipped from Germany and I properly won’t have the car back until NEXT Saturday. What have I purchased? I can’t review the car anymore as I haven’t got it. This explains why you don’t see many Antara’s on the road. What I can review is the 09 Zafira 1.9 CDTi - the loan car - it is c**p. HOPEFULLY IF I GET THE ANTARA BACK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE CAR IN A BETTER WAY. If not the VW 1.9TDI 130 Saloon is a fantastic family car that does on average 620miles on a tank of diesel (62 LITRES). I WANT IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Yes it’s me again with my Antara update. Well Saturday has come and yes still no Antara. The Service Manager contacted me in the week to tell me the Cam Shaft sense has been changed, but this has only caused Pandora’s Box to be opened. The car has some many faults on it that I have been advised to reject the car and send it back to Vauxhall. So it is now being dealt with by the gods at GM Motors as to if they will replace the car with another new one. What do I do?

Steve, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Lovely sized-car, but had nothing but problems inside 12 months. Car began losing power and would not change up through gears and the emission light kept coming on and Vauxhall dealership said they had fixed that during first service around six weeks ago. Then car started losing power again, same problem back so off it goes for a second time. They spent two weeks telling me it was the EGR valve and that no parts were available (due to this being a common fault). When it arrived and was fitted, they then told me that the EGR valve problem had knackered the rest of the exhaust system and that it needed a full replacement. Which is on order. And has been for another two weeks and is still not available. Crap build, shoddy after-sales workmanship at local dealership. Needless to say I will not be replacing with a Vauxhall car when this car reaches its third year. Is it any surprise that GM are in trouble?

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Hi - ready for another interesting instalment on my Antara Nightmare? Well, after my last two reports things have moved on somewhat. After nearly three weeks with out my brand new Antara I was given the good news that Vauxhall had agreed to replace the car for another branded new one - HURRAY! Nearly another two weeks past before I could pick up the replacement one. Last Saturday came, I arrived at my local Vauxhall dealership at the time agreed , signed the paperwork then the salesman disappears for sometime after say he was going to bring the car around. After twenty minute the salesman was seen talking to one of the managers then they disappear into the office of the dealership owner. Another couple of minutes past then I am informed that the vehicle had not been taxed and that the admin lady was off - they could not tax it as the computer had gone down. I’m about explode and I have informed them that if I didn’t collect the car today then I would be leaving with my money, but luckily they managed to contact the lady concerned and the matter of tax was resolved. So off I went with my lovely new Antara happy once again. Didn’t use the car Saturday as a BBQ and beer was the order of the day. Sunday; went out for a drive with the family the car was great, it was everything we expected comfortable and nice to drive. Monday and Tuesday used the car for work and got to play with some of the toys in it, the cruise control, the auto light and wipers. The auto box was proving to be money well spent , but the parking sensors were proving to be c@*p. Got home from work Tuesday afternoon, parked up, leaving the car on the drive. Then all of a sudden the alarm came on. I’ve managed to turn it off and didn’t think much over it. So that evening we drove to the beach and had fish & chips on the sea front then drove home. Wednesday came, the wife had the car she went out in it and loved it. She would never drive the old Passat saying it was too big! But the Antara she love’s. The only moan at this point was that it drinks fuel. Wednesday afternoon about 4pm the alarm sounds on the car. Go to check on it find nothing wrong with it. Alarm reset; twenty minutes pasts the alarm goes off again. This time it would not reset. Bleeps, flashing indicator, lights etc and continue about every 20 minutes for three hours. Not happy now I call out the AA (Vauxhall Assist) the AA man arrives, looks at the car say "What’s this?". Having never seen or worked on an Antara before. He admits that the AA has no information about them, but to take it back to Vauxhall in the morning. So we could get some sleep that night the battery was disconnected. Thursday morning forced to take a day off work, call the after sales manager tell him the problem, told that it just needed an alarm re set and to bring it down straight away. Drive down they check the ECU and tell me that the alarm tilt sensor was the problem then hand me a set of keys for yet another Zafira this time a petrol one great (yes like the diesel its c*@p). I was told to go home and they would ring later. Well later that afternoon the after sales manager rings, leaving a message on the answer phone advising me that it is a problem with the tilt sensor and they will be working on it in the morning and will ring lunch time on Friday with an update. So since place my order for the car on the 14/4/2008, which was picked up the on the 28/04/2008 which lasted one day (45miles) before it broke down. Then picking up the replacement vehicle on the 30/05/2009 which lasted five days (220 miles) before braking down. I am left wondering what I have done. Vauxhall / the dealership so far have had no offers of compensation for what I have been through I am still waiting to see if Vauxhall will cover the months insurance which I paid for a vehicle I didn’t have and the cost of the admin fee that I was forced to pay to change the registration on my insurance policy for the replacement vehicle. I can’t say very much more than if you want to be out of pocket, have permanent stress then the Antara is the car for you!!!!!!!!!!! In August I am meant to be driving down to Disneyland Paris I don’t think I can trust the Antara making the journey, so it’s looking like more expense to change my travel plans. I have sought legal advice and we are now thinking out having a refund and taking legal action, because I have lost all faith with the Vauxhall and the Antara. What should I do? Because of the Vauxhall Partners deal I won’t be able to buy the same type of new vehicle with the same spec for that type of money. Any suggestions?

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

Yes me again! Well the tilt sensor was re-set and the car is collected at 16.30hrs on Friday 5th June. Saturday the 6th June 02.47hrs woken up again with the sounds of the Bloody Antara’s alarm going off, manage to turn it off a bit of sleep then 05.50hrs yes the alarm goes’ off yet again. 08.20hrs the car is back in the workshop at my so called Vauxhall dealership. Oh guest what my Zafira is waiting for me. Workshop manager tells me that they will change the Tilt Sensor so leave the car with them. Five days pass with no updates decide to ring to find out what is happening. Informed that alarm has been re-set and the car left on various different area’s of the forecourt and for five days it has not gone off. When asked why the Tilt Sensor had not been changed was told that it didn’t need changing as it has not gone off. Pick the car up on Thursday 11th June 17.30hrs and manage to use the car for a few days and manage to get the mileage up to 500miles I AM STARTING TO ENJOY THE CAR and trying to put all the problems behind me. Thursday 18th June laying in bed trying to get some sleep as I am up at 04.00hrs on an early shift in the morning, just fall asleep when I am woken up a 23.30hrs to the sound of the cars F*$%^@g alarm going off again. Manage to re set it yet again. Friday 19th June drive to work and back, 80miles round trip , been home for ten minutes after a fourteen hour day when yes the alarm activates yet again. Guess where I’m off in the morning!!!!!!!!!! LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ZAFIRA AGAIN.

Robert, Sussex on the Vauxhall Astravan

I really wanted to like this van as I currently drive a 2005 Astravan 1.7 CDT and I badly need to replace this soon. My mate has just bought a 1.9 Sportive so I had a chance to try before I buy. For a van it has a very luxurious cab with all the toys. Quite quiet around town but it became very boomy on the motorway, more so than my existing model (which has much thinner tyres). But what else can you expect - the 1.9 has large tires and they have a big unsound-proofed box to resonate in ( laws of physics innit). It was a lot more bearable laden. It handles really well and had plenty of power but I came away wondering do I really want out of a van. If I need a sports car I will buy a sports car. If I need a small van the 1.3 CDT might be a more sensible bet as it has 20% better fuel efficiency, it is still powerful enough to carry a full payload - you can drop a gear on the steeper hills if it’s struggling (that’s what gears are for I thought) and it’s probably quieter too.

Steve, Kent on the Vauxhall Antara

My wife and I love this car; excellent value for money BUT haven’t had the car a year yet and completely out of the blue, 3.30pm on a Friday the alarm starting going off. The car was in the garage so I thought a fly or spider must be creeping about in the car setting off the sensors, it went off about 3 annoying times, checked car windows, boot, etc then thought no more then 3am next morning off she went again, again many times we read the handbook again to try solve it but no luck, so we took it back to the dealership in Canterbury who’s workshops said they were too busy to look at it but finally told the service man that we will give the number of the showroom to our tired and stressed neighbours for him to explain. Anyway, took car in workshop, put machine on it and according to them the machine indicated that the alarm HAD NOT gone off and all was well, but our tyres had 9mm of tread! What’s our tyres to do with anything? So have got to try tomorrow to get booked into another Vauxhall dealership - Caffyns and wait to see their outcome! who advised us to leave the car unlocked which is the only way to stop the alarm trying to reset itself. I would like to add that our Antara is good on fuel also, Andy Dunk of Kent - which dealership are you using please? Andy, our dealership advised AA assist and it appears that they dont know one end from the other!

Jack, England on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I’ve recently bought an 08 Astra a 1.4 sxi - quite impressed although the back window is very small and hard to reverse with. With a top speed of 112mph - it is smooth on the motorway at 100mph. Great sporty look and fuel consumption good too.

John, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Agila

A wonderful small car, good in town and motorway, driving is economical.

Paul, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Painfully underpowered and thirsty as a result. I managed 24 MPG. How anyone can describe this model as lively is beyond me...

Dave, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have got the basic model,s eating very hard, no aircon - temp reaching 50c; cloths soaking wet with sweat, bottom bleeding - its like sitting on a wooden bench all day. Give me a Transit any day!

Alan, Moray (Elgin) and Nairn Shire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I hired a Meriva to go to Edinburgh and I can’t believe all the positive comments I see in reviews. I’ve just driven it up the A9 in a gale and if you put it in fifth gear it slowed down. It was tinny, cheap, had hard uncomfortable seats, leaned alarmingly going over the Forth Road Bridge, had negative acceleration and was basically frightening. I normally drive a six year old Golf and frankly the old Golf puts it to shame. I often drive an Astra which is also fine. I just couldn’t believe the fragility of this car. I really didn’t feel safe!

Steve, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I purchased this car a month ago and so far am happy with all aspects of the Zafira, except the fuel consumption. I am disappointed with the 31 mpg which I get on a combined run. Before buying the car I read the road tests, which claimed it would return 35 mpg.

Jeff, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Astravan

I have had 3 model Astra Vans in the past so l think l know a little more than some! The road test doesn’t mention the the amout of outside noise from this model, if you have a passenger and are traveling on the open road, limit the conversation because you will have difficulty in hearing each other, much more noisier that the previous model...Jeff

Templar , Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This car can only be discribed as "s***". I bought the 05 plate Corsa 1.3 CDTi and the car was fantastic, the interior was just quality. I had it 3 years and then bought the 58 plate in 08 and what a 100 per cent let down, I think with the Corsa c Vauxhall packed everything they could into it and duped the public into thinking that the next model would be even better therefore getting rid of their new stock and making a mint on the disgustingly cheap and nasty made new model. OK yes I got duped and yes people will be saying that I had the chance to go for a test drive or to look round it but when I was shown the vehicle in Reg Vardy in Leeds. I was shown inside the CDTi model and was told that the only difference would be the engine as this time round I wanted the petrol engine to cut overheads due to fuel inflation. Finally all I can say is I’m looking forward to a new SEAT Leon 2.0 TDi which I’ve just recently put a deposit on and there will be no more Vauxhalls for me, I’m finished with this company. My 58 plate is now up for sale.

Helen, Dorset on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I picked up my new car with great anticipation, only to bring it back the very next day. I had a added feature of a swimming pool in the boot of my car. so for a week or two I was without my brand new spanking car. Now six months down the line I am now told I need a new gearbox. As a lady driver I don’t reckon I would be classed as a racing driver although I do like to put my foot to the floor on occasions. So a six month car having to have gear box replaced doesn’t do much for its reputation. I really am very disappointed with the car on the problems I have encountered.

Dave, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Fantastic car, comfy, reliable and very economical.

David, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

We test drove the Antara and were very impressed with it. After also test driving the C Crosser and Outlander Captivia we have ordered ours and are looking forward to taking delivery of the car.

Craig, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I’m pleased with this new car, it’s much better than I expected. This is a company car and as such it offers a very flexible working and family car. It has all mod cons and drives well enough. Would I buy one? Probably not. Although there is nothing dreadfully wrong with it, there’s nothing that exciting about it either and price wise I think there are more exciting cars on offer.

Greg, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I chose the new Corsa as I thought it would cope well with the towns and cities. There have never been more than two people in the car at one time - this is for the best as the back seats do not look like they would provide much comfort for an adult - this is not a family car. Vauxhall claim that the 1.2 Life manages 48 miles to the gallon but I was not surprised to discover that this was in reality around the 42 mark - whos journey to work is on a rolling road and doesn't involve stopping?). The limited space in the back is made up for with the large boot space. I paid extra for side-airbags as these do not come as standard - I feel that these really are must have safety feature. Reliability has so far been exemplary and there have been no extra, unexpected costs attached to my Corsa - this is exactly how it should be. I would recommend the Corsa to anybody looking for a great town / city run around that has good fuel economy and low maintenance and insurance costs.

Kevin, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I love this car, I just got one as a company car . The diesel engine is fantastic - economical and quick. I found a lot of information about the car at http://www,astra-twintop.net very helpful when I was choosing which model to go for.

Mark, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Standard equipment is abysmal - no climate control, no cruise control, no parking sensors. CD player only - no aux port, CD player does not play MP3 disks. Interior design by Stevie Wonder. Just switched to this car from a Saab 93 with same engine and gearbox, hoping to get more space and lower tax. Handling is awful, squirms and slithers around like an Austin Maxi (which on balance I’d rather have). For the money - it’s bloody theft. Am opting out of the company car scheme to get away from this atrocious piece of tat. In the past 6 years I still have not driven anything as good as my old 2.5 diesel Skoda Superb. That includes A4 quatros, Holdens, Toyota Camrys, Volvos, Hondas and Saabs.

Clive, Essex on the Vauxhall Vectra

Very poor - - handling - rear leg room - equipment level - quality. I think Clarkson’s review was far too kind. Plastic is used where metal should be, the interior is just awful. The handling is atrocious, you have to go so much slower round the bends than in the Saab 9-3. Whoever put the SRI badge on this car was having a laugh. Do not buy this car.

Pete, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Have only done 7000k so far as only had it 2 months ago. It drives ok, went to the South of France with 9 people plus skis at limit. French motorway speeds and did about 36 mpg. I was looking at the Mercedes and the Volkswagen but they are ridiculously expensive. There’s a performance chip available for this apparently and a friend who fitted this was impressed with the greatly increased power. One annoyance is that I ordered factory fitted black windows and it came without them! So I’ve put limo tints over them instead and it looks cool.

Phil, Wrexham on the Vauxhall Vectra

Having moved from the vec b v6 sri to this four pot version I am pleasently surprised - the handling is quite good and the ride is not too firm the steering is lighter but still with a driver feel about it the vvt engine rev well through the gears and can hit the legal limit with ease. I am happy with the driving position as the drivers seat is multi adjustable and the steering adjusts to suit the rear leg room is not as much as i would like for an adult but the boot space makes up for this downfall in my books. Overall I am one happy Vectra owner.

Gurdev , England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I am very happy with my car, it is very smooth and nice to drive. It handles very well. The fuel consumption is excellent. Also the car is very spacious and the car has a spacious boot. Overall i wll give this car ten out of ten. It is superb. I give credit to vauxhall for making this car.

Ian, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Pro’s:- Reasonably quick 140ish BHP. Great flexible seating. Sports suspension on the SRI particularly on sports mode is great around corners and doesn’t roll much. ESP and traction controls also very good. Good sound from stock stereo. Sports seats on SRI very comfortable. Cons:- No CD mp3 player as standard (just normal CD player) even in SRI. Rear seats (very rear), don’t give enough room for larger teens or adults to sit comfortably. Fuel Economy - gas guzzler extreme!!! At best driving very lightly at around a constant 60mph 32mpg. On average I get around 26 - 29mpg which means filling up every 300 miles. Even on a recent trip to Spain of over 2000 miles (mainly motorways), I only averaged 28.2 mpg. Around town expect 18 - 19mpg!!!

Matthew, Devon on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Having owned three Alfa Romeo’s buying a Vauxhall was hard to do but with two dogs and a baby on the way I needed practicality, safety, reliability, comfort and looks, so getting an Alfa Sportwagon would only get two of these! So I looked at Vauxhall and got all five, this car is amazing.....it’s black so looks cool, has 150ps so plenty of power, handles almost as well as my Alfa 156, lots of little toys to play with, reliable, has a sport button which actually works so as you notice it.....the one and only drawback is that this model doesn’t have an on board computer which for a car that cost this much should have, but other than that an all round excellent car.

Paul, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This is the first brand new car that I have ever bought for myself, due to illness I have finally had to admit that I’m getting too knackered to go crawling under cars. The Corsa looks fantastic and I’m delighted with what I got for my money. It’s now done 650 miles, and so far so good. It’s comfortable to drive and good enough for going on a long run as long as you are not in a hurry. I find that I have to keep the revs a bit high on the hills and change down a gear sooner than I’m used to. Drivers visibility is an issue both through the tiny little front "portholes" and the rear pillars which are a little on the large size ( 3 door ). I want to service the car myself when it’s time but service information is minimal and warranty issues are a problem. Dealers seem to have the upper hand and service charges seem a bit on the expensive side for a very simple "oil change". Otherwise an excellent car.

Steve, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I have had the car 5 months and compared to other convertibles on the market it’s a lot of car for the price. It looks stylish with the roof up and looks fabulous with it down; equal to the look of the Saab convertible which will cost you a lot more. The car seats 4 which is really handy unlike most convertibles which only seat 2 unless you pay a lot more. Leg space behind the driver’s seat can be a little tight but is manageable. The automatic is great to drive and the 1.8 engine is very responsive. The sports function is easily engaged with the press of a button on the dash and this really turns it in to a sports car, dropping the engine throttle and damping the suspension makes road handling really effective however this does consume more fuel. Driving with the roof back is enjoyable and one of the best features about the car. When the roof is stowed in the boot I can still get the family shopping in. This is a good looking convertible, a lot of fun and a great drive.

Pete, Torfaen on the Vauxhall Zafira

Good points - excellent drive and a good looking car. However, buyer beware, the fuel consumption on my car barely reaches 35mpg overall - way below Vauxhall figures and surely one of the most expensive cars in it’s class to run. As for the trip computer mpg - well ignore it - those of you out there who think it’s accurate do some manual checks - you will be shocked by both the inaccuracy of the so-called on board computer and how much fuel you are actually using. Zafira = thirsty!

David, England on the Vauxhall Combo

I’ve had my Combo 7 years, still averages 55 mpg. The steering rack went at 20000 but warranty covered this, oil pump went at 140000, alternator at 210000, starter motor at 340000, now the gear linkage/selector cup has worn through at 392000, yes 3920000. Yes I am satisfied with mine and am now going to look for another one as I think at this mileage she is now finally wearing out. I keep her serviced, cam belts changed, oil and water checked daily and also does 1400 miles a week. I’ve got no problems with a combo.

Geoff, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I am having problems with the heating system. One minute boiling hot when the setting is on cold and then later when on a hot setting it goes cold and stays cold. Car been in five times but Vauxhall dealers thinks this is fine. Clearly they don’t like warranty problems that involve spending money.

Mark, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have bought this car for work and as we will soon have our 3rd chid. It eats up fuel, everyones 10amp fuse seemed to blow with the cold weather. The car gets to 60mph sitting at 30revs and makes a noise like you are at it’s peek, if you go a little above 70mph the car struggles and shakes. This car has little power at anything above 55mph. My 02 laguna, also a 1.6, has none of these issues and is a fair size too. This car isn’t very well equiped for kids, the laguna has every cup holder, several 12V connections for portable DVD players etc, the zafira has one 12V and cup holders if you use the middle seat down and a drivers cup holder in the middle of the clutch. Not impressed. The size is great for having more people in the car, but you have to have very short legs to use the back two seats.

Mari, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my 08 3 door Corsa Breeze brand new. It did take some time for engine to loosen up and is better now. Two years on I have a problem with the front anti roll bar links and it rumbles and rattles over bumpy roads. Getting fixed by Vauxhall dealer next week - I hope under warranty. I never really ’bonded’ with the car and don’t like the grab handles on the front seats. Nearly had my fingers off several times. Yes it’s got lots of toys but it’s sluggish up hills and takes time to get rolling. Wish I had gone for a 1.4. Looking to change the car once work done - thinking of going back to a Nissan or Mazda. A a little person I also find the car difficult to reserve park cos of the shape at the back.

Jack, Perthshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have covered nearly 30,000 miles with car so far and it has been a joy to drive and the only thing I have needed to buy for it so far is a 10 amp fuse for the windsceen washer. Needed tyres at 17,000 miles but since I swapped to bridgestone er 300 the car runs smoother and gives me around 40 mpg with very little wear so far. The one thing I did when I bought the car was have the dealer fit it with an underbonnet sound proofing which I noticed only came in the diesel versions and this made a great difference to any noise from the engine is now so low you can hardly hear it running on tick over. I will keep it until the new model comes out and hope it is put together in the same way. I would give my Vauxhall dealer Fiskens of Forfar 100% for service and customer care so far. Great stuff.

Maxsound, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Corsavan

I’ve had this van for coming up to 2 years and covered about 25,000 miles without a glitch. Performance is great with 50-70 miles to the gallon. Bit of turbo lag at first but you get used to that and know when the power is going to kick in when you need it! 6 speed, aircon, heated mirrors; well come on eh, what small van has that?! Purchased mine from Greenhouse Vauxhall in Shrewsbury. All in all as far as vans go this little beauty is a cracker and well worth buying.

Lewis, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

I drive 25-30k a year. The company fleet is Astras, but I also often get hire vehicles, so I try pretty well everything on the market. Like a previous respondant, I am taller than most, and seating is pretty poor for more than a couple of hours. The long load-space makes getting at things a chore. The cab also is cramped, with small door bins etc. I tend to be away on site all week, and need room for odds and ends. On a motorway, yes it’s OK, but the high overall length is a pain to drive and park in London. Has it’s good points, but I’m not a person who goes for a van on it’s looks. The comfort and practicality is a let-down compared to say a Berlingo or Transit Connect.

Dave, Durham on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

A suprisingly good car, the 1.3 diesel engine with 6 speed gearbox is excellent and not at all under powered as reported by some owners of earlier Vauxhalls using this engine. Probably not the best (nor expected) motorway transport but a good value for money all-rounder.

Christopher, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I agree with Alan in Yorkshire, I have had no problems with the car in general, but with my car at a similar mileage, i now need a new steering column due to power steering faliure, new tyres and track rod ends.

Sam, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

First of all how can anyone moan at the performance when its only a 1.4 - its not going to be the fastest of cars ay. Overall I am happy with my Corsa, a few problems though; I seem to be getting a strange sound like a squeeking when driving on rough road surfaces and the brakes don’t seem to be as good as they should. Other than that I find the power ample (although it would be nice to have more) steering very sensitive and the quietness of the engine is astounding.

Jack, Dumfriesshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Great car for practicality, ideal for family as the space and flexi seats prove worth their weigh in gold but seats are hard and meriva is horrendous in snow. I have been grounded since Sunday as car will not move in snow, nearly had accident on way home on Sunday as car lost control and I am a very experienced drive, over 20 years driving experience in all conditions, this is my first MERIVA AND IT WILL BE MY LAST DUE TO THE SAFETY ASPECT & PERFORMANCE IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. I have always had VW and Peugeots and have never had any problems with their handling even in more sever weather conditions, anyone else has the same experience?

George, Dumbartonshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

My twintop has been in the garage ten times since new, I’ve had problems with the keyless ignition, problems with roof rattles, problems with roof leaks. Vauxhall sent my car to Edinburgh to fix the roof rattle and they added two water leaks in the roof then sent the car back to go straight to another two garages to try and fix the leaks with no luck. Now Vauxhall want to send the car to Luton to have another look. My car has been of the road for 10 weeks so far, Luton say they need the car at Luton for four or five weeks; 15 weeks to fix a water leak? That has to be a record. P.S. Tech centre in Edinburgh put 395 miles on my car test driving.

Derek, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought this van brand new. On delivery it had a puncture in os front tyre. When the tyre was removed for repair it had been repaired twice already (very poorly). Not a good start. After 7000 miles the gearbox became noisy at 13000 miles, it was very bad, then the gearbox was replaced under warranty along with os wishbone assembly and droplink with the total cost over 5k. After a further 1k miles the driveshaft failed, which was replaced under warranty again. I’ve got to say that the van drives like a car and as it’s the 115 psi version it goes like hell, it’s not that good on diesel though doing about 33mpg on a run. The seats are nice and supportive and the power steering is nice and light with decent feedback, although it tends to spin the driving wheels on anything over than bone dry roads. Would I buy another? No, I will go for a Transporter or Vito next time.

Brian, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I looked in to this car before I purchased it second hand. Certainly the post 2007 cars are better. Programming for dpf and improvements in dual mass flywheel are a few things that are better on this age of car, but I’m disapointed with the mpg. On urban i just scrape into the 30sand 40s on the motorway. The diesel clatter isn’t as bad as some people say! it handles superbly and pulls like a train, the power is more than enough for a family car. The a pillars are worse than the previous car, which is sometimes scary on roundabouts with cars disapearing totally in your blind spot making you crane your head round to see around the pillar. On the whole though a good comfortable family car. I also tow a caravan with this car which is excellent as a tow car. 22000 miles and lookin good,should just be run in now.

Trudy, Devon on the Vauxhall Antara

I was one of those unlucky ones to pick the Antara. I have had nothing but headache from the car and dealer. The first 6 months or owning the car it spent 18 weeks in the work shop having it’s many faults "rectified" The MPG is rubbish nothing like stated, I was even taken on a driving lesson to be shown by the dealer how to achieve the figures, no joke we were going so slow on the motorway we got stopped and asked if we had a problem!?!?!?! Even driving at a silly speed, with everything and I mean everything off (they even made me take items out of the boot including a child seat) we still only reached 35 MPG Extra urban, nothing like the 41.5 in black and white. Customer services are poor... As I write this guess where the Antra is??????? Has been recalled for the driving shafts. We have now placed this in the hand of our solicitor and trading standards are investigating under the sales of goods act and trades descriptions. my advice DONT BUY AN ANTARA and my advice to my dealer? LOOK UP CUSTOMER SERVICES!

Sarah, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Water leaks into the top of the engine and fuses the injectors to the head. As we still have warranty they will cover the cost but they will not replace your vehicle if it is over 12 months old, so ours has been in the garage a week and will be in there another 3 weeks until they can get the specialist tool they require to remove the injectors. This is not only my husband’s business vehicle but it is also our family vehicle as well. We are apparently "lucky" that 2 have gone now as apparently another lad has been in 4 times already to replace each one. The fix for this is to put silicone underneath the windscreen which stops the water getting in. Will I buy another Vauxhall? Definitely not, I would rather walk.

Ann-Marie, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Leaks, leaks and more leaks. Has been to two different Vauxhall garages in the Midlands area and still having problems. Feel like it is time to take legal advice on this now.

Antony, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Vehicle is a 115ps Euro 4 engine with a Fridge conversion, which I purchased as a 58 plate pre-registered van which had been stood on Dealer’s forecourt for 12 months. I paid £14000 and it was valued at £22000 when new. Current value is approx £7000. My work as a self-employed courier requires me to drive 2200 miles per week so van has covered 60000 miles from Sept 12th last year to March 2010. It is serviced on the button by a Unipart registered dealer in keeping with warranty requirements. So far only work required under warranty was a sticking rear loading door. Front tyres and pads have just been relaced. It is as good to drive now as when new. Comfortable, fast and responsive and with a 6 speed box and returns 38 mpg with mixed country/ motorway driving. Interior is still looking good with regular cleaning and seems to be very hard wearing.I have experienced none of the negative faults reported by some users and bearing in mind the hard usage the vehicle is getting I cannot rate it higher. If it had cruise control/bluetooth I would give it 5 stars.

Sharon, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

It’s ok but acceleration is a bit poor.

Peader, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Corsa

Worst decision of my life, awfull car to own and shockingly bad reliability. Never again am I buying a Vauxhall.

Linda, Surrey on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Since buying my Twintop just over two years ago it has spent about 20 weeks in various Vauxhall dealerships with problems with the roof, first a creak, now a leak. Some research shows this is a common problem - check out the owners club for more information. Has really spoilt my enjoyment of an otherwise nice car. I am just constantly paranoid about the roof and can’t enjoy it.

Chris, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Bought this car when it was 12 months old, listed new at around £28k paid £13.5k. 9 months on I’m glad to see the back of it. Great car with the roof down, nightmare when its up, creaking & leaking. Bought an Astra SRi and now I’m a happy little bunny.

John, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought this two year old Vectra with 27K on the clock and have been really impressed with it. The seats are excellent, it handles well, the auto gearbox is smooth and good to use once you become used to it. It can’t match the economy of a manual car but isn’t crippling like some petrol auto’s. It’s a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde car - very docile when you are commuting but if you really put your foot down it takes off. The interior isn’t as bad as people say. The dashboard is a bit plain but it all fits around you well and all of the controlos are easy to use. The steering wheel feels really nice in your hands and the two-stage indicators are a good idea if you ask me. I’m in a job where I recently used to drive different hire cars every week and this Vectra is as good as or better than any I’ve driven and that includes VW’s, Honda’s, Toyota’s, Ford’s.

Geo, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

5 times now been back 2 dealer with DPF problem. contacted Vauxhall/GM and I quote they said I "should have read the handbook before I purchased the vehicle"? Also, that I "do not do enough miles". The car is not fit for purpose as they do not tell you at point of sale that you need to cover m/way miles in order to regenerate the DPF. Just a week back from the dealer ECM light has come on and now a terrible whine from the engine. This is my second new Zafira and the only one that has given me any trouble. It is now going back to dealer on Mon 12 Apr again. I have contacted the judge in the newspaper and also Trading Standards. the car has only done 18k miles. The mechanic told me they have at least 10 cars a week back for the same EGR/DPF prob. I was also told to take car on m/way 3rd gear and drive at 70 until regenerates, I tried this and took 2 hours on m/way before it cleared and used up a lot of fuel. I also had to pay for extra oil and filter change as fuel had seeped into the oil. Not a pleasant prospect. Search the net and there are similar stories re this problem, it must be a design fault?

Linz, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

Fantastic car, have had from new. Only probs I have had has been with the windscreen wipers on a freezing day, they go berserk! But apart from that, love the car :) - Linz from England

Tony, Kent on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

A nice looking car which will only look nice while it is a current model. The ton of chrome is already dating, and the rest of the car will follow quickly, especially since the rest of the Astra range has been replaced. You only have to look at the new Megane and the VW Eos to see how quickly it has dated. The interior is drab and uninspiring. The seats look very dirty despite regular cleaning. The car is slow. Very, very slow. Don’t buy a 1.6! I had an Astra cabriolet before this. I wish that I had kept it. This is probably the most expensive car I have ever owned. Were it not for the fact that I would have lost a fortune I would have got rid of it a week after I’d bought it. It has been in the garage for creaking roof, failed roof motors, poor original paintwork resulting in panel respray and a few other niggles. The bootlid has started to rust near the handle mechanism and is due to go in for warranty repair. The service department at my dealership, Perrys of Dover, are fantastic. They deal with everything quickly and efficiently and nothing is too much trouble. The car is dreadful.

Marc, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Vectra

Stunning peformance and great return of an average of 49 mpg since purchased 2 years ago. I have the sri xp version which comes with 19" alloys as standard. These are my real gripe about the car. Look absolutely stunning but its like driving on thin strips of rubber. If you get a flat, do not think of getting it repaired as it’s a new tyre you need. Profile so low you wouldnt even know you had a puncture. Tyres can be pricey too which dosnt help. I have recently bought a 2.0 Peugeot 407 136 bhp and although the ride is smooth, the vectra would absolutely eat it up for dinner with regards to the accelaration and torque pull. The only problem you get with the Vectra when you put the foot down is bad torque steer which means you could end up all over the road - especially in wet conditions. All in all a fun and powerfull machine.

Pancake, Stirlingshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

It has a stopwatch, just what’s needed, all round good fast car.

Tony, Ireland on the Vauxhall Movano

I cannot praise the build quality and design of my Movano minibus highly enough. It’s a 2.5 cdti and its pretty responsive when you need the extra power, what with the fuel consumption and smooth drive, I reckon I made the best choice when I purchased it 12 months ago. I’m in the PSV passenger business and also drive a people carrier as I’m a taxi driver also, but I’ve got to say i can’t wait ’til I get behind of the wheel of my Movano as it’s sheer pleasure to drive.

Johnny, England on the Vauxhall Astravan

Had van chipped from new 201bhp on rolling road, great van, bit heavy on fuel but thats the trade off. Nothing looks better on the market, the extras are a bit pricey but I love it to bits; top end is mental!!!

Graeme, England on the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

Vauxhall have taken back my car today due to gearbox problems, only done 40000 miles. I have to wait 3 weeks for parts, sounds a bit suspect to me.

Rod, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Fantastic, had it from new as a company vehicle, it’s now done 120,000 miles, the only extra work done was tyres and brake pads, it’s just a shame about Vauxhall; the dealership we use is c**p, but they did try to change the timing belt on the last service, only to find it had a timing chain. The lumber support has broken in the back of the seat, but thats just me, need to loose a few pounds!

Bill, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had this car for 1 year now and took it on holiday on the continent last year. Touring was a pleasure at 90 mph on the autobahns and auto strada. The layout suits us well. and my wife uses it to travel to work. I took it in for a service to the main dealers in Glasgow in April, when engine management light came on. An EGR fault was diagnosed and replaced. It still lost power on hills, so I returned it to the dealer and had the inlet manifold replaced (all under warranty). The car is still losing power and going back to the dealer today for yet more tests. I suspect the fuel pump is knackered as the engine feels as if it is being strangled of fuel. I am horrified to read of the poor customer service by Vauxhall dealers in these reports and will contact Watchdog later if I’m on the receiving end as well.

Toni, Sussex on the Vauxhall Zafira

My husband and I bought this car just over a year ago with 12.000 miles on the clock. We have since added 12.500 miles. The car had been owned by a manager of Vauxhall and was immaculate inside and out, the 2 rear seats still had the factory covers on. The cost was £14.500 plus the trade in on our S reg Ford Focus (which we purchased as a new car and had never let us down). The Zafira was purchased as with a disabled husband, 4 grandchildren and a dog it was to meet all our needs, I have also taken semi retirement and it was our intention to travel to all different places in the UK and abroad while we were still able and young enough to enjoy. I need to state that when the car is working it is a pleasure to drive and does meet all of our needs. I would also like to state that up to now the service we have received at our local dealership has been excellent. The car is still under warranty so any repairs have not cost us. We had problems with the car losing power within a few weeks of purchase; the car suddenly lost power and came down through the gears, it appeared to right itself within a few minutes but the warning light for the emissions came on and stayed on. This was on a Saturday .We did not use the car again until my husband took it to the dealership on the Monday. He was told a jubilee clip had come loose but to be on the safe side they had replaced the sensor. The car then ran well for several months and journeys were made all over the country. In Jan 10 we were returning home from Leicestershire on the M1 doing 70-80-ph when again the emissions light came on, (so much for the statements that the car needs to be taken on a motorway regularly.) We contacted the dealership who advised that although we had not lost power it would be advisable to let the AA take a look at the problem, We waited for over 3 hours in a service area. The car was checked and the AA mechanic revved the engine for several minutes and checked the jubilee clips. On returning home the car was again checked by the dealership who stated that there were no problems. This week a more frightening incident has occurred. On the Tuesday the car again lost power for a few minutes, reducing us down to a few miles per hour. It again appeared to right itself. The next day we left home to travel a distance of about 3 miles, Within 2 miles of leaving home power was lost for a few minutes, then appeared to clear itself. On the return journey we had travelled less then a mile when the car lost power at 40mph.The engine then totally cut out leaving me with no power steering and no brakes. This occurred on a winding country lane, I had to fight with the steering while my husband applied the handbrake. Luckily we managed to stop within a short distance. We called the dealership who advised us not to start the car as they wanted the computerised memory in tact. We called for the rescue services who took the car to the garage. The car was back with us within a few hours. We were told the filters were blocked but there was no evidence to say that the engine had totally stopped. When we discussed our concerns with a manager from the dealership he pointed out that to the best of his knowledge this had never occurred with any of the other car. I am a confident driver of many years but this incident has frightened me and I now feel totally unsafe being in this car and driving it around, I spend my time looking at the display panel waiting for the light to come on, or for the signs of loss of power or the engine cutting out. I see this car as an accident waiting to happen. We do not have the option of buying another car. We are also concerned about what will happen with the costs when the warranty runs out. I believe that Watchdog needs to pick up these concerns and I will be attempting to make contact with them. Vauxhall also need to do the decent thing and admit there is a problem and then to recall the car and rectify these problems.

Lisa, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Zafira

We bought this car 8 weeks ago, I was happy with the car all ’round as it suits our needs. However, two weeks ago an intermittent clunking noise started on the passenger side, which sounds like its coming from the rear. After waiting a week for it to go into vauxhall I was told that it was the exhaust hitting on the heat plate, ok thats a relief I thought. I live 8 miles from the garage and I hadn’t even got 5 miles and it was back. It doesn’t happen all the time but it is scary when it does. Vauxhall don’t seem to know what the problem is, any ideas?

Nicola, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought this car in Feb 2008, had the car a week and it started cutting out on me. I took it back to the garage and they couldn’t find a problem with it. After 4 wekks the drive shaft went. In the mean time I took it back and forward to the garage, for it cutting out and they still couldn’t find a problem with it. After 8 annoying months I called in the AA to check the car over as I was getting nowhere. Within 5 mins they said "it’s your altenator and erg valve". As the car was just out of warranty they wouldn’t repair it, even though the car had been back and forward, I told garage to check records and they said they had a new system and all records had not been carried over - HOW CONVENIENT for them. Then the bolt snapped on the gear box and they said it was wear and tear... yeah right. Then the dpf pipe split which led on to the manifold motor going and then the gaskets went... then the throttle body. All in all I have spent nearly £4000 on this car in repairs. I’m now buying a new one and would not have another Vauxhall if they were giving them away. The amount of money I’ve lost in work and repairs is atrocious and I feel so sorry for other people who have bought this car. I have also had the same problems on the Vectra which my brother in law had; all the above same problems.

Christine, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I have a vectra 1.9 cd sri and have had a catalgue of problems. The car is 27 months old and as I am a rep have already done 75k. the car is on hire through my company so all of the servicing etc is done by their own mechnics. Recently i took it in for its service and asked them investigate a noise coming from the engine whilst standing.It turned out that the clutch needed replacing. Whilst doing this jib they found that the gear box also needed re-newing. After two weeks I have the car back but now have more problems than before. I am sure the gear box hasnt been fitted properly as it is almost impossible to find 1st gear. Not all of the time but the majority. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem could be? The rest of the gears seem to be fine it’s just first, which can be a problem when attempting to pull away. Other problems with this car to date are the indicators keep knocking themselves off before I have made my move, this apparently is normal. The cruise control only works when it wants to, and the air cond too so that needs looking at also. I’m sure this car was the last one on the production line on a friday..lol

Karen, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought mine in 2008, was happy for a bit, then the suspension springs went, took it back to the garage, they said it’d be repaired under warranty, but cost me £200 for labour??? Then in April this year, while driving home from work, the engine management light came on, pulled in, filled with water, sat for 15 mins, then started the engine, 5 mins later, the same again, had to get the thing towed home. Called the garage, which I did, at my own expense. Got a call about a week later, they said it’s my fault! I should never have driven it with the engine management light on, which I did not!! And now they say it’s the head gasket, and it isn’t cover by my extended warranty!! They just will not take me seriously. I need my car as I work 6 miles from home, which although it isn’t far, its a 2 bus ride journey, and because I’m a hairdresser, I can’t get out to do my customers hair at night. I will never own another Vauxhall in my life. Biggest mistake I ever made. My next door neighbour’s neice, had a ’56 mplate corsa as well, and it’s awful funny how the exact same thing has happened to hers!!! - Karen Brown from Lanarkshire

Jim, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

I was very happy with this car when I bought it and have been driving it for the last 18 months with no problems apart from the window jets clogging up after a year. The garage sorted this at its 2 year service. The problems have started in the last few weeks with the engine management light coming on. The dealership just reset the computer first time and this time they have allegedly cleaned the DPF. From reading the posts on here, I guess I can expect the engine management light on within the next few weeks and another lecture from the dealership about thrashing the car once a week. I am now concerned that I have only huge bills to look forward to when it comes out of warranty and am beginning to think, buy another car now! The dealership doeesn’t care, vauxhall doesn’t appear to care, why should they be rewarded with our custom? The next time I hear sob stories about how they are on the verge of going bankrupt, I will laugh my socks off because they don’t deserve to be in business. They are no better than thieves and con merchants. Quite frankly, I am going to lobby that these dealerships and manufacturers are prosecuted for their incompetence and dishonesty towards their customers. Hopefully, we can get this on watchdog to publically embarrass vauxhall and cost them future sales. The sooner companies and dealerships like this are out of business, the better!

Tim, Gwynedd on the Vauxhall Corsa

I had the 2008 Diesel Ecoflex as a driving instructors car for 1 year and it was absolutely fantastic. The fuel consumption was superb. The injectors needed replacing after about 35,000 miles, but apart from that pleasure to drive. Can’t speak highly enough about this sexy little car.

Adrian, Scotland on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my Corsa on the 23rd July ’10, so far I have had no major problems. When I test drove the car I noticed the brakes were grinding but was aware that this car had not gone in for the disks and pads refitting for the 2008 recall, as for fuel I get 220 miles for half tank and that’s driving round town. Have not done much motorway driving in it yet but would expect to get pretty close to the figures as diclosed for this car by Vauxhall, I reckon on a full tank motorway driving this car will do 450-480 miles.

Murrough, Essex on the Vauxhall Antara

Reading these reports, I feel I am one of the lucky ones. Bought the car in Chelmsford Essex in March 2009 and I’ve never had problem with it. Took it to Scotland straight from the dealers, gave it a run on a few dodgy roads and tracks, all fine. OK. It does drink diesel and the sat nav tries to take you down every footpath, but that’s about it. I’ve finally worked out the the auto settings for the environment: they are not the best so use the manual settings, especially on hot days. Had the first service, and the recall fix, and the car still feels good to drive and I like it. I did have one random incident with the alarm, but only once that I know of and put it down to a solar flare :). My only beef is the automatic gear takes a bit of forcing to put into P, with the brake pedal having to be firmly pushed.

Santa, United Arab Emirates on the Vauxhall Vivaro

My car has had a lot of battery problems at 5,000 kilometers then at 6,000 kilometers and at 19,000 kilometers. It has finally been resolved. My A/C problem has been there since 35 Kilometers when the car was brand new, they changed some valve or something and then it became ok, but now at 40,000 kilometer again there is A/C problem and it is in the dealership garage as I am writing this review; its been two days and they have not come up with an answer to why the A/C is not cooling. The head lights have been foggy since the day I bought it, after complaining alot the headlights were replaced but then after a week they started becoming foggy again. This car has made a lot of trips to the garage, I am not happy with it and would not recommend it to anyone.

Louise, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought my Astra Twintop in March 2010. Its an 08 plate. 1.6 sport. Within weeks I realised I had a locking problem. After several trips in and a few battery changes in the keys (which obviously I had done myself) They finally issued me new keys.... I also mentioned the water pouring in from the passenger side. Again, after several trips in and several water tests, door and window adjusting, the car was returned to me, still with the leak. Oh yes, and the power loss from the engine, the motor from the power steering needing replacing...maybe these problems distracted them from the more annoying water pouring into the car and soaking my children every morning after and during rainfall. Eventually, after 5 times in, the last technician has admitted to me there is some kind of design fault. The seals around the car are ’u’ shaped, hence they collect water like a gully. When you drive, the water drips into the car. It’s like having a dripping tap landing on the shoulder of the paseenger and the legs of the person in the back!!!!! This is why when they do the water test in the garage they can’t find the leak. The car has to be moving. The car can drip like a tap for a good half an hour....probably more but i don’t drive that far.. Now at last they are ordering me new rubbers, but if they are the same shape and style, I can’t see the problem will be solved...Looks like I’m getting them done and saying goodbye to the car I really looked forward to owning.....And now I can’t wait to see the back of it!!

Kath, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought the 2008 diesel xp 1.9tdi model- It is great. Has excellent power for a diesel and looks great with the roof either up or down. I would certainly recommend buying one- Had no problems (touch wood) to date.

John, Essex on the Vauxhall Combo

The most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever driven. The drive is so hard, at first I thought the suspension was broken, but no. The Vauxhall garage confirmed that it’s supposed to be like this and they cannot do anything about it. The cup holder spills your drink behind the seats when you accelerate, the map light will only come on when you open the door and it is impossible to stretch your legs fully out, even with the seat all the way back (I’m not a giant either, 5’9"). On the plus side, the Combo van does corner well. If you’re considering this vehicle, DON’T. Get a Citroen Berlingo instead.

Will, Moray (Elgin) and Nairn Shire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have the Nissan Primastar version of this van. It’s an 07 plate with the 2ltr diesel version - it’s done 126,000 miles and its falling to bits. The dealerships are poor, good van body, the rest is c**p. 1 day old, no reversing sensors, dealer unable to repair, possible driver fault? Four months old, no air conditioning, not covered under warranty (stone chips)? 36,000 miles, four discs, two sets of pads; 40,000 miles, rear anti roll bar fell off, garage said caused by poor servicing, they serviced it. 72,000 miles; 4 discs, 2 sets off pads. I say it’s got a year’s warranty on parts, reply not for brake parts. 74,000 miles, put van in garage for new timing belt, was told its takes 2 days to change belt at approximately £400. I called to pick up van to be informed the engine does not have a timing belt but your fuel pump is leaking fuel, your turbo is suspect, and your power steering is leaking, estimated cost £2000-£2500 - it may be more. A van at 19 months old will cost me £4000 in repairs, these vans are c**p, if you’re only doing 3,000 miles a year they are OK otherwise avoid. But the good news is the gearbox is OK.

Tracey, County Down on the Vauxhall Tigra

I’m only giving the car a three (despite really loving it) because the bloody thing leaks like a sieve and yet no-one is able to find out where the water is coming from. Every time it rains the drivers side footwell and the area behind the seat are soaking. I’ve been told it’s over zealous car washers, parking on a hill, the direction of the wind (???). I know it’s a covertible and the odd small ingress of water unavoidable but right now I feel like I’m driving around in a very expensive fish tank!! The dealers have been very unhelpful. I certainly won’t buy another Vauxhall of any description as it seem to be a common fault they refuse to acknowledge!

Philip, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

This is my first diesel, I am very pleased with my Vectra, it drives and handles really well. This car is a lot better than my old Vectra Sri, but I have a problem, the indicators, they seem to have a mind of their own. When I indicate to turn left or right they have a habit of knocking off before I have turned, they don’t do it all the time. I rang Vauxhall and told them about the problem.they told me to take my car to a vauxhall dealer .to find out if it was a manafacture fault, they checked the software and said everything was ok. I asked "did you take the car out for a run and try the indicators yourself?" They said no. I like this car a lot it’s just a shame Vauxhall don’t care if you have a problem after you have bought the car.

Jayexxr, Sussex on the Vauxhall VXR8

I used to think sex with a glamour model was fantastic until I discovered a rough brute of a woman, not refined, not pretentious, not classy infact...wild, raw and exciting, that’s what attracted me to the VXR8. From the moment our eyes met, I couldn’t wait to get in her (excuse the pun) and when i did...it took my breath way. This car is like no other, no excuses it’s an animal and driven hard will excite you like no other, the image is loud, the engine is brutal and the performance value bang for bucks is second to none. It is a motorway muncher, attracts comments and is by far the best car I’ve ever owned for 30k. Never a day goes by when this car doesn’t make me smile, I cannot ever wait to drive it and it’s sheer enjoyment. Ok it doesn’t have the finesse of an M5 or the finish level of an S4, BUT trust me, if you want excitement, an adrenlin rush and performance this is the baby. However if you want a more sedate, uncomplicated ride, where mistakes are governed and ironed out by electronics this isnt for you!!! This car goes like he clappers, will bring sheer joy to the driving experience and you will always be suprised at its ability to please....the difference between Jordan and Lumley I suppose!! Great car, don’t hesitate to buy!!

Paul, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Nice van, I had transits before this Vivaro, well what can I say? Problem after problem. I hear there is a lot that can go wrong with the gear box but doesn’t it all come down to how we drive and look after them?

David, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Corsa

Having had two Corsa C’s previously and been very happy with both I chose to buy another and went for the near the top of the range Corsa D, 1.7 Diesel in Design trim in White (£390 saving over metalic’s) with options of electric sunroof, cruise control, climate control and computer. The vehicle looks great and distinctively individual in White with the black glass panoramic roof that comes with the sunroof option. Now down to the nitty gritty the good, the bad and the ugly (well no ugly) points I have found with this vehicle to date. Firstly I must say that I love the sturdy, solid feel of the vehicle and the (German) build quality is good although not excellent (the rear screen has been install out of line with a big bottom gap on one side and no gap on the other side). The internal materials are also mostly very good quality; the piano black centre console is particularly smart and pleasing (although again not all materials are great with the cabins secondary plastic’s appearing a bit 1980’s Ford Escort dashboard quality, but durable and easy to wipe clean all the same). The external paint quality is first class and cannot be faulted. Internally the cabin is light and airy but there are a few niggle. Firstly the piano black strip trims on top of the dash reflects in the screen on very bright sunny days and this can be quite disconcerting. Front occupance headroom is not brilliant and although the driver’s seat is height adjustable I still find my head brushing the headlining. The door opening check straps do not adequately keep the door open and often on hills the heavy door will close whilst one is attempting to exit the vehicle. Rear legroom while the front seats are set right back is very poor and it is difficult for rear passengers to put their feet in the rear footwells to ingress the vehicle. The buttons that operate the computer on the centre dash panel are not backlite as are all the others, unless you have the radio on. The depth of the glove box is minuscule, and therefore rather pointless although it does have its own light upon opening. There is no engine temperature gauge, an utter cheapskate omission as is the fitting of a single tone horn as opposed to the dual tone that it was supposed to be fitted with as was specified in the broacher. The indicator switch (the same as on the last Vectra models) takes some getting use to but once familiar with it appears intuitive in use, although its operation can be heavy and confusing at certain times. The rear screen cannot be flip wiped but has to be turned on to its intermediate wipe setting then off again, an additional operation and a nuisance. However this negative can be countered by the automatic rear screen wipe function that operates when the vehicle is put in reverse with the front wipers on. As I always reverse onto my drive this is so useful in the rain. The operation of the automatic external lighting fitted to this model is excellent as is the anti-dazzle electro chromatic rear view mirror and I would not be without these features on future vehicles. However the same cannot be said about the automatic windscreen wipes that operate automatically in the rain, they are just to sensitive and override the variable intermittent wipe function when set, in all but the lightest of drizzle. This is plain annoying, as you have no control over the wiper operation other than to switch the wipers fully off and thus the fitting and use of the variable wipe function becomes superfluous and redundant on this vehicle. The seats however I can report are very supportive with squab side bolsters but perhaps do lack lower back bolster support. On the road the vehicle all but excels. For a diesel it is very quite and many passengers upon their first ride in it have question if it is a diesel at all. Around town it is quite refined to drive (although no where near as refined as my wife’s Honda Jazz). The only let down here is the engines on/off turbo nature where acceleration off turbo at low revs is a bit sluggish but as soon as the turbo kicks in it will fly. However where it comes into its own is on the motorway. With its standard fit six-speed box, it lopping long legged nature and the optional cruise control it is so relaxing on long journeys. Two thousand engine revs equates to 75mile per hour in top and it will hold this all day long. Fuel consumption is also excellent returning between 45 and 50mpg around town but on longer journeys 55 to 57mpg can easily be achieved whilst holding a constant 75mph. This gives an excellent range of well over 500miles between fuel fill ups. Over the 12000miles that I have run this vehicle nothing has fallen off or packed up and no oil has been used, However there is a very annoying bumping noise in the base of the B post behind the driver when driving over uneven surfaces and I shall have this looked at before the 3 year manufacturers warranty is up.

Chris, Somerset on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I own a great car but there are some aspects that I am not too happy with; visability when the roof is up is poor being one of them.

Gerry, Neath Port Talbot on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought my Vectra 2 weeks ago at auction. Its the CTDI 1.9. Yesterday the alternator went. The car has done 30,000 miles. I like the comfort; the sound system; the power of this 150 HP model, but now I read that this alternator is a common fault and I am worried when it will strike again.

Mark, Caerphilly on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought the car in Nov 09, Network Q 22,600 miles on the clock. I have had to take the car back to Vauxhall six times with various issues, the latest being lack of power, engine management light illuminated on the dash. Vauxhall struggling to rectify the problem, telling me nothing is wrong as its not coding. How can you explain loss of power? Disappointing as I like the car.

Ian, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Tigra

Giving 2 stars because the car failed its MOT on steering nock/play!!!! I have had the car from new at 9k miles, yes 9k. It’s never seen wet weather, it’s here in Germany so all excellent roads, feel the car is only good enough to be used as a target on a range. Will I buy another one? What do you think? When it goes out we like to know we can go where we point the car. Support British, why?! Even the horn doesn’t like the dark.

Hazel, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Prior to purchasing my car in November 2009, I was really impressed with the Astra TwinTop. Since purchasing it I have hardly been away from the garage. First of all I had problems with my roof retracting, which resulted in it getting stuck midway. I then had problems with a creaky steering wheel, the garage initially stated that they could find no fault despite it being clearly heard. Since then it has been in again, and the garage failed to align my steering wheel properly afterwards. My most recent problem is a water leak. The water is currently storing somewhere underneath the car and between the chassis, I do not have a clue. When driving all you can hear is the water swooshing around. I am waiting on my car getting checked, just hope a fault can be found and is covered with my remaining warranty. If I had known what problems I was going to encounter I would have purchased a different model of car.

Keith, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

It goes like a rocket but on motorways the steering wanders all over the the place; Vauxhall are asking for £240 for steering alinement check, even with 29 months warranty to run they said I must have hit the kerb. Other then that it’s great, just a bit of noise from the heater motor and some times the engine cuts out when slowing and a little knocking noise behind drivers seat. Thanks Vauxhall, keep up the standards.

Paul H, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Good van until 60k, then new clutch, slave cylinder and then new fuel pump. This van has cost me £1800 in the last 6 months. I drive steady and service at the correct times. If you buy a new van every 3 years then a Vivaro is for you and don’t forget that it is a Renault in disguise.

Sidney Thomas, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I will have had this for 3 years come November 2010. I am thinking of changing to another manufacturer. It has been serviced regularly. I told them the nearside rear brake was making a grinding noise when it went into service and they did nothing about it. Also, which i know is a big job, you get vibration under the driver side dashboard, which i was told it could be the air conditioning pipe loose. So if they can’t do a simple job, like checking the rear brakes, what’s the point of telling them about the vibration under the dashboard drivers side? If I had bought this car it would of been different. It is a Mobility car. My conclusion with Vauxhall Deals is they do not have enough time to work on their cars and services and checking work out, this is bad service! The Easytronic is really bad to drive. Going back to a proper Automatic. When I told them how bad it was to drive, they revved the engine more so the gears change, which change down when they shouldn’t. Worse Automatic I ever owned!

Michael, Carmarthenshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve had this 1.9 CDI diesel for the past year, which now has 40k miles. Best car in 40 years driving. A blessed relief from the Skoda Fabia. The Vectra has the power on tap to pass safely, something the Fabia with 70hp wouldn’t do. Massive wheelbase and track provide great ride, yet the lump returns 56mpg! I like the quiet grumble of the diesel at 2000rpm in 6th at around 70mph. Problems? Wipers go beserk when the weather is freezing. There may be a wheel bearing. Tyre wear greater than Fabia. Had a lighting problem with a side light out, but it cured itself before I’d bought a bulb. Looked difficult to do anyway. Suspect the problem is water getting into electrics, maybe through the huge gap between the bonnet and the grille. Why is it there? Engine gets dirty, water gets in. Am thinking of blanking it off with some closed cell pipe insulation stuck on the bonnet lip. As editor of Practical Farm Ideas these probs have to be solved!

Vikki, Scotland on the Vauxhall Zafira

I know most before me seem to be putting down this Zafira but I can’t recommend it enough! I’ve had mine for almost 4 years, it’s used daily - a lot! I’ve had the normal wear and tear, tyres, brake pads/discs., had to replace belts for the altenator but it’s flew past every MOT, only ever needed filters sorted. Maybe I just got lucky with mine but I’m sure I’m not the only one! These cars are fantastic, my Zafi’s never let me down. It’s in for it’s MOT today, the only thing it needs this time is brake pipes, I’m dreading this a little for price but if that’s all it needs at it’s age can I REALLY complain??

Ieuan, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Sluggish, new clutch after 14,000 miles due to plates contaminated, new heater as old one very noisey and out of balance... just found out the £800 panoramic sunroof I had fitted when I ordered the vehicle has sprung a leak "Sorry this is not covered on warranty as it’s classed as trim", £470 to replace a new piece of rubber?!! ... I don’t think so. I would seriously not recommend buying Vauxhall, even to my worst enemy. Be warned, the get out clause is " Has it been fully serviced ??"

Gary, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

Got a 2007 5 door club full automatic 1.4. Seems ok, fuel economy not what I’m used to average 32-37mpg if driven carefully. Performance is fine, good city car and fine on m/way. Got 17500 on the clock & is ex mobility with full service history. Not had it long but it’s a good spec small car, parts etc cheap and service costs fine. Economy on my Renault Scenic 1.5 dci is outstanding at 55mpg plus and it’s much bigger motor but dodgy electrics! Will report further on Corsa in a month or two but quite happy with it, auto box is nice and smooth too.

Brian, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Well I had 30 thousand trouble free miles and then in a few weeks EGR, DPF and then air condition unit went up the spout, a very expensive few weeks! The thing is, it’s a great shame because it drove well and gave good fuel economy. I must admit I won’t be buying another Vauxhall DIESEL , I have always had Vauxhalls, the best was the Astra 1.6 PETROL 125 thousand goodmiles. Mr Vauxhall you have let me and several hundred drivers down, Shame on you !!!! Use VW diesel engines.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

We’ve had our Zafira 1.6 for 3 years and had no problems until about 18 months ago when almost every journey, when driving over 65mph, would result in the engine cutting out. But not immediately... no, it would wait until I’d slowed down at a junction and then without fail, evertime, cut out. Maybe twice its cut out whilst driving at high speeds on a dual carriageway, which is terrifying on your own, but when your entire family is in the car its a nightmare. Garage said it was spark plugs, but after changing them it still does it. Like other reviewers it does it on fast roads, not local, slow journeys. If I keep it under 65 we seem to be OK but in the last few weeks it seems to happen at 60mph and cut out when slowing to a junction. I’m so used to it happening now I can be prepared for it but occasionally my wife drives it and she is terrified to do so. After reading all these reviews about EGR valve or DPF replacements and then still cutting out I dont hold out much hope and just hope I win the lottery to afford a newer car and a different make.

Philip, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Signum

I bought my three year old 40,000 mile Signum recently from my local Vauxhall dealer. I was looking for a diesel auto estate so had not looked at the Signum as it is classified as a hatch. My wife found it and sugested that I should take a look. Up until now I am very pleased with it. It is a very smooth, comfortable ride on motorways or A roads; get onto more bumpy surfaces then it is not so smooth, probably due to the low profile tyres. I am getting between 40 and 45 mpg which, for a fairly large car. I don’t think is too bad, although the dealer told me that it had a new engine due to it being driven through a flood six months ago, so fuel consumption should come down as the engine runs in a bit more. It is a lot of car for not a vast amount of money (compared to Audi, BMW, Mercedes etc...) and you are unlikely to find yourself parked next to another one at the supermarket on a Saturday morning. In three weeks I have only seen two others.

John, England on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Just purchased this car, no complaints except the manual covers to many models and I can not find out what is built into my 2007 1.8 astra auto estate design. Very pleased with my choice of car.

Garry, Ireland on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I cannot understand all the fuss? I bought my Opel Astra at 15 months old and have put 20,000km on her without a problem and believe me, if it doesn’t leak here it never will. The only wetter place to drive it would be in the Irish sea. she is rock solid on the road and handles great at speed. I will agree it is quite slow on acceleration but I knew that when buying her. I was warned about roof problems so I am very careful in that respect. I never put the roof down or up without the engine running as any break in the power feed may cause the roof to jam but that is said to be true about the 207cc also. I am also very careful not to overload the boot as this will cause serious damage. I love my twintop and will definitly buy another one when the time comes.

Jean, England on the Vauxhall Antara

I’ve had my Antara for a month now and have so far been very happy with it apart from a highly annoying intermittent alarm problem. The dealer had it back last week, told me that a problem was found and it had been fixed, but since then it’s gone off 3 times. I’m not very propular in my road at the moment. I’ve tried all sorts, am always careful about locking doors and windows, closing vents etc... all to no avail so far. I see some reviewers have disconnected it, my dealer tells me I can’t do that but obviously I can! Will someone tell me how to do it please, is it just pulling out the fuse?

Tim, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought new and built to order SWB with tailgate and twin doors.Fantastic Van. 78k and still on original discs and pads. Excellent handling, 44mpg, very cheap to run and service even at main dealer. Tows well but power out of 2litre engine a bit poor. Engine should pump out a few more horses really, especially as I also have a Zafira B 150ps which also has a 2 litre engine. Small problem with instruments due to dealer messing up ECU software load but replaced under warranty. No gearbox, turbo or timing problems as it is the new Euro 4 engine and box combo. Will buy again. Highly recommended.

Dave, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Antara

I bought this vehicle in August last year from the Peter Vardy dealership in Perth Scotland. It has been back to various Vardy dealerships 8 times. I had a dashboard that would light up like a Xmas tree; I had a sign telling me it (wasn’t ready) and this totally shut everything down; the engine wouldn’t turn over and if left overnight it would sort itself out the next day. Sometimes. I had brake problems twice and was advised to replace rear pads and they would cost me almost £200. A local garage cleaned out the dust and said pad replacement wasn’t needed. I have to travel 30 miles to this dealership and the cost of fuel is a BIG problem. I am registered disabled and my money must be spent wisely. I have had 8 courtesy cars from them since all this started, the latest an Astra. The reason I bought an Antara was because I have difficulty getting in and out of small cars but an Astra was all they had this time. The heater is the latest in a long line of problems and it has been back 4 times for this problem; on hot it is fine but as soon as I move it back one click (about a milimetre) it blows cold. They have another one in their workshop with the same problem, but when I picked up my car yerterday they told me that wouldn’t be a problem as they had sussed out the problem on mine so they would know what to do to repair the one in their workshop. My car was away for 2 weeks this time, it has been in their garage more times than it has mine. I called them yesterday after getting home and let them know their 2 week’s work was a waste of their time, the problem is still there. Thank god the work I have had done was under warranty or I would be bankrupt by now. I told them yesterday my next move was getting in touch with Trading Standards and going from there. I like the car and have spent a fortune on Irmcher extras etc but enough is enough.

Nicola, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I bought this vehicle in December 2007 and within two weeks it was back in the dealership. The alarm kept going off constantly, much to the annoyance of my neighbours and me of course. Skurrays in Swindon have had the vehicle back in and replaced the sensors many times along with trying other things but the only way I can get it to stop going off is to de-activate it from inside when I park up everynight - I won’t tell my insurance company that then............ From the beginning, my car has had many other problems, they are: Losing all power - normally when I am on the school run with my 6 year old twins. I am quite quick thinking so can normally act quickly to avert a mass pile-up. Twice, lorries have had to actually swerve around me on roundabouts as my car just dies. The service manager did reassure me though, he said "Never mind, at least nothing bad happened as you do have a few seconds to react". Tell that to the other drivers or to my husband when I phone him to say the car has been taken out along with the twins.... At least the twins come in useful when my car loses all power - no indicators, speedo, petrol etc. This has happened three times and the kids take it in turns to stick their arms out of the windows to let other drivers know if we want to turn left or right. Isn’t it against the law to not have a working speedo???? Vauxhall don’t seem to mind so let the police speak to them instead of the poor person who was foolish enough to trust Vauxhall in the first place (my hand is up as well). Skurrays Swindon have had my car in numerous times over the 3 years (in November 2010) and have now refused to extend my warranty by three years as the electric panels I have had, 4 in 2+ years at a cost of £771.00 each, have a 12 month warranty. I did go to court with the finance company over my vehicle and the judge said he had never seen a new vehicle with so many faults and would be interested in hearing the case should I ever take Vauxhall Skurrays to court - that’s an idea. The Area Manager has refused to meet with me to discuss the problems, Vauxhall Head Office don’t want to know and can’t see why I am making such a fuss as they "fix the car every time". Yes you may fix it, for a week if i’m lucky. They just don’t get it. If I had seen all the complaints on this make of vehicle before I had been stupid enough to buy my death trap, then I would have gone to elsewhere. My only advice is, stay away from the Antara - they are death-traps on wheels and Vauxhall are a bunch of fools who are only interested in your money.

Marcus, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Despite reading all these bad reviews on here i have nothing but praise for my Zafira....I had mine remapped from new to 184hp 3 years ago and has been faultless having only gone to the dealer for servicing and a new air con heat exchanger(under warranty). Great economy, even though I drive at 80+mph most of the time and often tow a trailer, she returns an average of 41.5mpg. She is very spacious and fits all our camping gear no problem, the only niggles I have is road noise but mine being the 150 has big 17in wheels and low profle tyres so also makes the ride a bit harsh and I should have got the climate control instead of the air con as I can never get the temperature right. I like mine so much I’m going to get a new one in 8 weeks!

Peter, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Vectra

I just bought one last week, love it to drive, very quiet and what a wee kick from when I put the pedal down. I have everything on this car, parking sensors front and back, cruise nav,, dab radio 19 inch alloys. 50k on the clock with a full service history on a 07 plate minted all for 7k, great.

Arthur, Pembrokeshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Sorry but this car is a dog....good to drive, plenty of room and fast but poor to own unless you have very deep pockets, indeed.....it’s been into Vauxhal twice for the swirl valve to be sorted which they did to be fair and they changed the ERG valve, I was told to blast it down the motorway to clean out the particulate filter (nearest motorway 60 miles away) rear tyres are good quality continentals but have worn so they look like the have come off a landrover and make the same noise, too. The gearbox whines like a lorry in fifth and there is rust on the back tailgate..right in the centre and very obvious! Oh yes, it was registered in November 2007 and has done just 31,000 miles. My advice would be to spend your money elsewhere. My 2002 Mondeo diesel was streets ahead in the reliability stakes.

John, Wigtownshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve just got rid of my Veccy after one year due to clutch judder. I contacted Vauxhall and they had never heard of this problem... what? Also, the indicators cancel at will and the gears are very notchy. It is a good car for long distance driving but an effort to drive about town. It also has a good stereo. I have now gone back to the Mazda 6, what a difference! The Vectra felt like a car I might have driven ten years ago.

Paul, Durham on the Vauxhall Zafira

Great car when working. First thing to go wrong, Air Con. Second thing EGR valve, Third thing EGR valve, Fourth thing EGR valve, Fifth thing Alternator (very expensive), 6th thing EGR valve and straw that broke camels back Pressure Boost valve which cut the Turbo off. I recommend buying a spare EGR valve from an auto parts store and change it yourself. Complete doddle to fix. I’m an expert at changing them now. Keep the spare, take apart and clean up ready for when the new one goes in 6 months.

Ian, Scotland on the Vauxhall Antara

Don’t touch it. I’ve had the car for 18months and it has been in and out of the dealer most of this time. It loses power and the dash lights up like a Christmas tree with ABS and descent control coming on. Still not fixed. I am getting rid of it so my advice is stay clear of any Vauxhall Antara.

Annemarie , County Tyrone on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought our 2007 Zafira in March 2009, secondhand with 47,000 miles on the clock. In January 2010 Vauxhall local call to say our warranty was almost up and to bring it in for a checkup, given the all clear. Then, in March 2010, the problems began... a loss of power, a ticking noise even when engine was switched off. I was driving home one afternooon and the car broke down, about a mile from home and it had to be towed. I brought it to the local garage who got the car going again and said it was the DPF. A week or two later the alternator went and, after another week or two, the car started to lose power and thick white smoke appeared. I was told it was the EGR valve. Eventually the car was taken to the local Vauxhall dealership who has now said that we need a new engine! (NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND NO GOODWILL GUESTURE FROM VAUXHALL! I DEFINITELY CANT FAULT OUR LOCAL DEALER, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT - PITY THE SAME CAN’T BE SAID FOR VAUXHALL. I WOULD NEVER RECOMEND VAUXHALL.

Keith, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

My Zafira 1.9 cdti is onto its 3rd egr valve and its 2nd dpf at a cost of £1200 on last visit to vauxhall. I can no longer trust or afford a vehicle with such diabolical "common faults". Sick of being told to thrash it every now and then and not to go on short start stop journeys. I bought it as a family car as we have four children. It seems it wasn’t designed for school runs and shopping trips only non stop trips from Lands End to John o Groats. I’m going to trade it in for a petrol; I pity the poor soul who inherits this vehicle, I hope they have deep pockets. Do not touch a diesel with egr or dpf"s, stick to petrol. I had expected a lot more from a car that’s only 3yrs old and 44k on the clock. Just out of warranty aswell and no goodwill from Vauxhall as I had its last service done at another garage. I was told I’d broken my loyalty with them..lol..how sad...

Mark, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I had this new in 2007, within 2 weeks there were problems with the steering wheel controls, changed twice, the second time did it not get off Vauxhalls forecourt before they went again. New rear shocks 6 months later, new gearbox 2 months later. Now 3 weeks ago alternator, 2 weeks ago ecg valve and today gearbox third gear pops out. VAUXHALL YOU ARE S***E they would not help me at all and said they don’t do goodwill because I used another cheaper garage for all of my vech service. Oh by the way, it is my wife’s school run car and just clocked up thirty thousand miles only. Do not buy a Zafira, how can they get away with this?

Ellie, Dorset on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Super car to drive. Handles really well; have had no problems with it. Economical to drive plus great looking car and comfy inside. I use this car for work and have really enjoyed it.

Darren, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Have not had any problems, 90mph on the German autobahn and she powered on with room still to push it. I drove 300miles at about that speed. Fuel consumption is out standing. Maybe I was lucky, I bought from EMC in Eastbourne used.

Wayne, England on the Vauxhall Astravan

I have just sold my 2003 Astravan 1.7dti 165000 miles was still running well and was getting around 550 miles+ to the tank, good old isuzu engine. I decided to upgrade to a 2007 1.7cdti model which had 63000 miles on the clock. I agree with all that have commented on the road noise but I think British road quality has a lot to do with that. The fuel consumption is not quite as good as the dti but I think the cdti engine is much more responsive, over all still a nice van. One thing I would say is keep your ears open for a whine from the gearbox especially in 6th gear, the bearings are a weak point; just had mine stripped and had the bearings done £800 ouch, but a bigger ouch if you ignore it. I have heard of a couple of exploding gearboxes! New gearbox from vauxhall is £1700 +vat and that’s not fitted.

Eddie, Angus (Forfarshire) on the Vauxhall Corsa

I believe the only way to write a report like this on a car is after owning one for a considerate amount of time, it is 2 and a half years now since I picked up my Glacier White Corsa SXi diesel from our local Vauxhall dealer brand new and it’s an absolute cracker, apart from a couple of minor niggles! It has currently done 30,000 care-free miles and the only real problem that has occured was the heater would only work on certain occasions and this was replaced under warranty - this is a common problem with the Corsa and anyone who has this problem should contact their Vauxhall dealer for it to be replaced before the warranty expires. The next niggle I find is that there can be a terrible reflection of the dashboard through the windscreen and the access on the 3 door model to the rear seats can be a bit of a pain. Apart from that nothing! And I’d quite happily buy another or recommend a Corsa to someone else, especially the 1.3 CDTi engine option! It is very frugal and has good punch once you get up the revs. It can be a bit slow initially but has plenty power enough for most people. Although I would agree with some comments about the 1.0 and 1.2 - I have driven these and they are too slow. It is good car from Vauxhall and backed by a good local dealer.

Kerry, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Just to say in reply to many of your reports about the Vauxhall Zafiras and their DPF faults. Ours is in the local Vauxhall dealer right now for that very reason after gradually losing power when driving and then breaking down finally last week. Been told new filter will cost £700 plus vat !!! Horrified..... and that may not only be the problem. Car still in warranty so will be going to Vauxhall headoffice to sort this one out! Its a shame but after hearing about so many others and issues with their Zafiras we will not want to keep this one! It had run well up till this point. Maybe Watchdog is the answer!

Allan, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Zafira

Just been reading reviews of the Zafira. I have had same problem with DPF. The garage Ballyroert Motors, Mallusk have been fobbing me off for weeks about the £700 part being ordered and "in backstock". Five weeks on I had to phone them! only to be told the wrong parts had been sent out and the new ones would not be in until the 22 June - nearly 10 weeks since they took my car into the garage. This is a joke car, a joke comapny and a completely amateur franchise. Never ever buy a Vauxhall. They are a bunch o f cowboys. How do we report this to Watchdog and when are Vauxhall going to admit a design fault?

Charlotte, Dorset on the Vauxhall Antara

We purchased a used, 2 year old Antara at the end of October and are at the end of our tether, having had nothing but problems with it. First of all, the dashboard electronics failed suddenly whilst driving (total loss of speedo, fuel gage, parking sensors etc). We took the car to Vauxhall to be checked/ repaired and they finally confirmed it was a fault covered under warranty. However, we were kept waiting ages for the ’replacement part’ and had to go back again for it to be fixed . We then got the recall for the ’steering shaft’ and returned (again!), to Vauxhall. A few weeks later, the alarm kept going off for absolutely no reason, day and night - no laughing matter at 3am....3.30am....3.35am....3.52am.... Again we took it back to Vauxhall and they said they couldn’t find any fault! This saga continued and was extremely stressful (upsetting us and our neighbours) and no one at Vauxhall seemed to understand that it was causing us a major problem! Finally, Vauxhall claimed to have fixed the fault, only for us to be woken that night by the bl**dy alarm again! We even asked Vauxhall if it was a common fault on Antara’s - which they denied but having read the other comments on here, it obviously is! It was my partner who realised that the fault was related to the interior movement sensor - (not the highly trained mechanics at Vauxhall!) and finally, they agreed this was the fault and repaired it. This week, there is suddenly a problem with the clutch/gearbox......another trip to Vauxhall...£46 to check for a fault.......£366 to ’further investigate’ and then goodness knows what........Can’t drive the car at the moment (although used to this given the amount of time it’s spent at the Vauxhall service department!), as it’s too dangerous. Have had the car for 7 months and loved it- for all of a few weeks........am totally fed up with it now and the warranty runs out next month and am dreading what else will go wrong with it. Have spent a lot of time etc., returning the vehicle for repair and would not recommend anyone buy this car!!!!! Vauxhall are hopeless, they deny knowledge of common Antara faults, seem unable to diagnose Antara faults and keep you waiting ages for parts.

Kev, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my Corsa 1.2 57 plate brand new. Is it just me or is the fuel consumption on this car very, very poor? My girlfriend’s dad has the exact same car and he feels the same way. Does anybody else feel this way too?

Matthew, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Just a quick report to add to the growing number of Zafira cdti 150 owners with DPF, EGR, ENGINE FLAT SPOTS, DEALERSHIPS COMPUTERS UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM tales of woe. I’m in the same boat and urge anyone who hasn’t already to contact "Watchdog". Dead straight forward to send them a quick report. Do not buy one of these out of warranty!!!! They’re not three grand cheaper than an S Max for nothing.

Dave, Sussex on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought a 2007 1.9 cdti design last August; traded my trusty renault scenic in and got finance for the other 9k! BIG MISTAKE!. The car not been right since day one. I took it back to dealer, no fault showing, so carried on until 7 weeks ago when I got a call from my wife, "car’s broken down". Towed in to local garage, diesel particulate filter blocked beyond recognition. New one fitted costing £666. So, off we go, still not right, breaks down a further two times. Taken into another local garage who has the required tech2 equipment to sort it. Guess what?...Throttle butterflies in manifold are not working..to cut a long story shorter it’s now back with us after all this time and is running well. Well done Bognor Motors, not well done to the incompetant dealer and their service team that sold us this pile of trouble, but more importantly WHAT THE HELL ARE VAUXHALL THINKING with these cars? A people carrier that is generally used by families like mine for general driving duties, I dont want to go out of my way every week to drive like a lunatic on the motorway just to keep the filter clean and the car running, this is 2010 not 1910, can’t we just use a car to go from a to b with no problems? Being in the motortrade for 25 yrs I have had numerous cars, salvage write offs, trade ins, some good some bad but never ever has a car let me or my wife down. The most expensive one I’ve ever bought now has on a few too many occasions. Back to Renault now I think, shame really as it looks great, handles well,leather seats are nice etc., but it won’t do what it’s actually supposed to do.....carry me and my family around in a reliable manner. VAUXHALL you should be ashamed of yourselves, you never developed this car properly. With so many people having problems I am amazed that it’s not all over the papers, watchdog etc.

Scott, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Been a good car but fuel consumpsion is poor, 30 - 35 mpg. Also just got it back from garage after the main ECU (brain) packed in, a cost of £531 to get repaired. Might not buy Vauxhall again.

Nicholas, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Compared to my last 6 year old 1.7 diesel which covered 120000 enjoyable trouble free miles, never returning less than 55 mpg, my one year old replacement has been a big disappointment. It drives ok but is let down by a crude common rail engine which is noisy and uneconomical. I have yet to exceed 47 mpg which is no where near quoted figures. I believe the last engine was an isitzu unit - why did they change? I have had little joy with my dealer or with Vauxhall. Long journeys are tiresome with the radio full blast - what a shame as the Astra is the only estate based van available.

Phil, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

I bought this van brand new. It was the size I wanted and it looked a smart van. The cabin itself is not any different from the Astra car and is smart. The ceiling itself is different and has a cheap cardboard feel about it. It is a Sportive model so the air con, heated/electric mirrors etc are handy to have and it’s a nice interior. It is only a year old and has done 14,000 miles. On the road it isn’t that great on fuel. This 1.7 engine isn’t any better than the 1.9 regarding fuel consumption and I only get around 44mpg. The handling is great and I have no complaints there. The engine is not underpowered but there is hardly any response in 5th and 6th gear. The engine is rather noisy at low speeds but becomes a muted hum once you get above 70mph and is hardly heard on motorways. Sadly when you up the pace and engine becomes quieter road noise becomes a BIG issue. Regardless of what speed and road you are on the tyre noise from the rear becomes far too noisy and becomes a major pain when you get faster. This makes the cabin an extremely noisy place and even with the radio up loud it does not shut the noise away. Even with a bulkhead and ply lining the noise is still there. Wind noise and exterior noises coming through the back are a pain. For me a van that handles the road well and has the best interior of any van. But the road noise let’s it down big time and really the headache pills and earplugs are needed. I won’t buy another one as i don’t think it’s worth the money.

Max, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Uncomfortable as hell - can’t move the seat back enough. I’ve had to remove black divider and still can’t stretch my legs and I am 1.85m tall. Unless you have really short legs your hips and knees are going to be in constant pain. Fuel economy is quite poor from a 1.7 - had it as low as 37 mpg, got 48 mpg last summer but that only happened once. Very very noisy in the cabin from all directions. Also there is no arm rest which is a huge disappointment. I drive quite a lot (35 -40k a year) and an armrest is a must. The sports bucket seats are way way to narrow I am a skinny guy but my arse physically cant fit in the seat because it’s too narrow. What’s wrong with the normal seats - it’s not like 1.7 diesel going to shake you out from it. On the positive side it handles well. PS, I miss my Mondeo with the normal seats and armrest.

Andy, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Fantastic car, very comfortable, lots of leg-room in the back, large boot and loads of gadgets. CD player, cruise control, automatic electric windows from off the key fob, fully loaded. Does very well on fuel, I’m getting around 46mpg. Road noise is a little disappointing, seems to be lots of road noise coming from the tyres. In regards to Mark from Derbyshire’s comment - you must be driving a white stick with a walking stick if you prefer a Skoda to a Vauxhall; and on top of that you need to open your eyes when looking for gadgets because even the most basic Vectra has many, try reading the manual you might figure out where these devices are.

Clair, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

Purchased a year-old Corsa 3 months ago. Have had niggly problems, some of which the fault of the dealership not fixing them after the car was a courtesy car, e.g. broken air vent, but in addition there was a clunking noise on the back left side of the car when going over bumps or round corners. After persistence in getting the dealership to look at this, it later turned out to be a shock absorber needing to be changed (after 1 year - ?). In addition, the electronic clock reset itself randomly on a particularly cold morning. It did this again in the last few days. Vauxhall couldn’t originally find a reason for this but at present the car is back with them and apparently ’a part is on order’, so watch this space. I parted with a much loved but older Toyota Yaris and I really do want to love the Corsa. I need to get to grips with how to work the relatively small engine for a very heavy car, as this makes hills much more of a challenge than they should be. Economy doesn’t seem too bad so far but I would definitely agree that I find I’m in a lower gear than my old Yaris for most instances, even having to slip to 4th on the motorway which I never would have had to do in my old car and this makes a big difference to fuel consumption. Guess I would summarise that the car is a nice overall ’package’. One more thing - and this may be incredibly obvious! - I would recommend pushing any dealer for an extended test drive of any car you’re interested in, or perhaps even hiring one for a weekend. Sounds obvious but definitely worth it.

Mick, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I recently bought a Vectra 1.8 Life - clutch judder when reversing and the accelerator has a slight pause - this is something the dealer is unable to rectify. Good all-round car but spoilt by this fault.

Tanya, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have a Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 VVT petrol, its only a year old and twice I’ve had my car condemed unroadworthy by the R.A.C. I have choosen the Zafira as I am a single parent of 4 children - I have two disabled children. Have I picked the wrong the car?

Lisa, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Great for fun driving. Handles beautifully and is very fast. I had 1.8i auto that flew like the wind, especially when hitting the sports button. Heavy on the fuel though, only 25mpg and that’s without touching the sports button!!! They lose value very rapidly. Mine was only 10months old when I bought it and I paid only 8k (list price around 16k!!) Didn’t keep it long as it had electrical problems. Took it to Vauxhall 3 times and every time they promised it was sorted but never was. On one occasion I allowed the dealer to keep the car over night and still they couldn’t fix it so I got rid. Even though I loved driving the car I would never buy a Vauxhall again because if dealers don’t know how to fix their own cars how can any other mechanic be expected to know. I guess sometimes you get what you pay for.

Jim, Cornwall on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

This is my 4th Astra and they keep getting better. Bought ex-fleet at 9 months old for £7k. The drive on this model is a little harder but the handling is very good. My last was a 1.6 CD which I sold with 104K miles on, but this model is livlier although lacking power a little on hills. Engine is quiet but road and wind noise seems to be worse than earlier models. I would like to see a water temperature gauge fitted as was on previous models, though this seems to be more and more common on modern cars. A recent journey of 275 motorway non-stop miles returned 42 mpg (driver onlyon board). Road tax of £120 instead of previous £170 and better mpg means that my running costs should be lower. One big moan is the lack of front storage space, no drop down drawer as on my previous model, I believe to make space for more airbags which seem to be everywhere. Rear seats map storage is a plus as are brighter interior lights. Stereo is adequate but not a quality sound like Sony. Plus point is MP3 CD play and jack for MP3 player. Just as well as there is nowhere to store disks. I’m not keen on the ’plastic chrome trim’ to front and back of the car, already showing signs of pitting which is hard to correct. All in all a great car for the money which is why I give it 5 star rating.

Martin, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Brilliant, had mine for 5 months now, just starting to get to use it with the roof down. Really good ride & handling, smooth engine & auto box. Best looking mid range convertible; with the roof up or down. Fantastic car.

Graeme, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Zafira

Very good car from a design point of view, very practical, very versatile, good looking etc... Reliability and quality is the complete opposite. Ongoing issue with chemical fumes of some description. Initially thought to be fuel related but actual origin still unknown. We are on our 2nd car now in 2 months and both are the same. It seems to be related to a batch of Zafiras. My pregnant wife refuses the drive the car (quite rightly) not to mention not allowing my 8 year old and 1 year old in the car either. Definitely going back to Vauxhall... may be sooner depending if dealer sorts out the Zafira problems.

Peter, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Very pleased with the car... however, when setting off in 1st gear and revving to around 1,800 rpm it carries on revving around at 600 rpm after you have depressed the clutch. Is there any way of switching this off? Other motorists at the lights think I am trying to "burn them off " in my 1.2!

Jon, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Dreadful, awful, appalling car. Noisy, ugly ,fascia looks like a Curry’s Far Eastern hi-fi. 10 years ago it would have been poor, today it’s a sick joke. No wonder nobody pays much for them!

Pamela, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my Vauxhall Corsa Design in October 2007 and totally regret it. One major fault is the leaking of wax fluid from the bottom of each of the doors - it sticks like glue to the ’sills’ and is impossible to remove. I am currently arguing this with Vauxhall who advise that this is a "design fault on all new Corsas" which I just need to live with. They have removed the offending substance with glue remover but say this will keep on occurring. My advice - buy a Renault Clio. I always had Clios and they are a far superior car to the Corsa. Lots of little differences which made it a pleasure to drive - eg: mute button on finger-tip control / lever to put back seat (Corsa has a wind down system - how antiquated is that!!)

A, County Armagh on the Vauxhall Corsa

Overall a good car, however a few negative points also must be mentioned.. The driver’s view of the road and surrounding area is severely restricted because of the very wide posts down the sides of the windscreen, especially on the driver’s side. The (very small) switch to activate the fog light is hidden away almost down below the level of the steering wheel... too hard to get at if you actually encounter fog and need to use it safely without pulling over as you have to take your eyes off the road to actually find it. The seats are fiddly to move forward if passengers get into the rear of the car. Poor performance power wise (its only a 1.2, 16v but still could be better) and fuel economy for such a small engine leaves a lot to be desired. Other than that I’m delighted with the New Corsa; however when the next one comes out i think Vauxhall would need to fix these type of things.

Paul, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought almost new from Vauxhall dealer. Covered 6000 miles in 2 months. Very smooth engine. Will sit all day at 90-100mph (abroad of course). We use it as an alternative to the run of the mill MPV’s (old car was ’03 Galaxy) and do not regret decision for a minute. Excellent for big family (6 of us + 2 dogs) who like to travel - loads of space for luggage. Very good for towing large caravan - but keep an eye on your speed - very easy to creep up to 70+. Slick 6 speed box, light controls, nice ride. Handling okay, but remember this is a basically a van with seats ! No complaint about space or comfort of seats. One niggle is that the stereo is not up to the standard of my last car - but for £16k including the alloys and roof ladder that I got added it’s a lot of metal for the money. So far I have achieved about 36mpg.

Nikki, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

I got my second Brand New Zafira in September 2007. After getting a strong smell of petrol I took it into local dealer ship and was told it was unsafe to drive and could have caught fire at any moment. There was a split in a hose - I am concerned there could be a problem with this current stock and would like others to be aware of this potential problem/disaster. Apart from this I love the design - drive and price of the Zafira although it is not economical to drive around Town and is better suited to longer journeys.

Amanda, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I’ve been driving this car for about 9 months now and I’m very pleased overall with it. The space is fantastic and my little girl loves being higher up and able to see out from her (Isofix) car seat. It can lack a little punch sometimes from setting off but I hardly feel the need to race off from the lights so suits me fine. The only downside are the side pillars on the windscreen, which took a little getting used to as they do get in the way of visibility sometimes, especially on roundabouts. All in all I think it’s a wonderful family car and very flexible. Something I would definately buy again.

TJ, Sussex on the Vauxhall Vectra Estate

I’ve had many, many Vectras as company cars and they are typically swapped after 6 months, so I can’t speak of the long-term reliability of these cars. With that said these are perfect motorway cars and will cruise all day and all night in 6th gear without trouble. On the twisty stuff they start the feel their weight but they still stick well to the road especially with a bit of weight in the boot. They are huge inside and the boot is massive. One thing to note is that the rear legroom is much improved over the hatchback. Helpful if you have teenagers with long legs like me. It feels like a very solid car and the doors close with a reassuring clonk. It’s no sports car but the 120PS engine is powerful enough to keep up with most other cars of this ilk. The 150PS is a bit quicker and does benefit from much greater torque for no more tax. If I was going to buy one 2nd-hand I would wait until the Insignia arrives in late ’08/early ’09 and this will surely drive down the prices of the Vectra.

Matt, Kent on the Vauxhall VX220

Amazing to drive, performance and torque are great. The cost is low as well so a great buy.

Sam, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall VXR8

A seriously contender for Auid and BMW sadly over-looked due to the badge but in my opinion it has all the equipment and performance with a much cooler exterior.

James, Dorset on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just had delivered my new corsa sri and love it. Great engine and well made inside and out.

Levi, England on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

This car is amazing, I’ve had it now for 6 Months and have yet it has not failed to impress me, and it definitely delivers the goods. The XP version really does stand out next to the standard SRI and from the side you would think it was a VXR, the sport button mode is a joy, and yes it really does make a difference to the way the car handles and it instantly feels like you have got more under your right foot, it just takes off, it also corners very well sticking the car to the road surface, it will easily go round islands and then come out of them at 50 mph no problem at all, and without the feeling of impending doom, because you are so low to the ground on those low pro tyres, just great. Having said all that their is just a couple of things that i would change if i was designing this car again, those would be the radio needs to be a lot more bassy, and the exhaust back box could do with sounding more sporty, apart from that I’m a very happy fella indeed, and would and have recommended this car to my friends, so if you want a car that looks the dogs B then you should go and take a look at SRI XP model, because insurance is group 8E, compared with the VXR which is group 17E, a big difference when it comes to shelling out each year.

John, Sussex on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Had my Twintop for 3 months now. I’m blown away with it.

Alan, Pembrokeshire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

The 150 CDTi Estate is Spartan in the cabin (it does not even have an engine temperature gauge) and somewhat noisy until warmed up. The ride on those 18 inch low profile tyres result in a hard ride with a lot of road noise. However on the plus side the performance is astonishing. If the ’ sport ’ button is pushed the response to the accelerator is so quick it is a bit difficult to drive smoothly which is not helped by the very powerful brake assistance. Very much a driver’s car which puts a smile on ones face. My wife hates it for its lack of comfort and refinement.

Steve, Sussex on the Vauxhall Antara

I have had an Antara for a year now and it has performed perfectly everyone who travels in it is impressed by its ride qualities and interior space, off road it is more that capable as an SUV and despite getting it very muddy it has never got stuck, I would recommend anyone looking for this type of vehicle to consider one.

Susan, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Like the car, spacious and comfortable. Quirky gearbox with heavy fuel consumption.

Jim, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just recently received my new Corsa 1.2i design and can’t really fault it. Yes i would agree with many reviews that the engine is slightly out of puff on hills. This means it needs to be revved in order to get up to speed, subsequently fuel is less efficient. But having had 3 Polo’s previously this makes for a refreshing change. The steering is excellent, along with the grip. And the cabin is as roomy as the previous Polo’s, although the three door rear space is minimal, but then if i needed the room i would have a brought a 5 door. The toys as standard on this model are fantastic, automatic rain sensing wipers, light sensing auto lights, and auto rear view mirror, not forgetting Aircon, electric windows and mirrors, all make for a touch of luxury on a wee car.

Alexander, Clackmannanshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Is the Zafira the best family car? Yes, by far. The versatility is a joy and it is impossible not to come up with a seating arrangement that is perfect. This is due to the fantastic Flex-7 system which I cannot praise highly enough. I previously owned a Meriva with which I was very happy but a rapidly expanding family required a larger vehicle so I thought I would stick with Vauxhall. The Zafira takes all the plus points of the Meriva and improves upon them. The space that is available inside makes it feel like a mobile home. Safety was also a priority for me and the 5 star EuroNCAP rating was the final confirmation I needed to purchase this MPV. The price is also spot on giving you fantastic value for money.

Lennie, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I am very pleased with my new Vectra. We hired one on holiday a couple of years ago and it was dead slow but this new engine is so much better. It’s really nippy; the only reservation I have is that I feel the accelerator has a slight pause when I put my foot down. Does anybody else find this? I was advised by the engineer that it was OK and said it’s all tight being new and it would loosen up so I will give it a couple of months to see if he is right. It is a lovely smooth quiet ride though.

Natalie, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

This is the top hot hatch! A beautiful looking machine with a 2 litre engine that can do 0-60 in only 6 seconds. The VXR can do more than 150 mph but so far I’ve just pushed it to 110mph one early morning (4am) on a desterted motorway, it didn’t even break into a sweat!

Peter, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

My wife and I had a baby recently and the Vauxhall Corsa we owned just wasn’t big enough to cope with the army of supplies that you need when transporting a little one around. It was also difficult before to get him into the baby seat in the back. I thought that something in between a car and an MPV would be perfect and the Vauxall Meriva is exactly that. The interior space is magnificent and the FlexSpace system that allows the 3 back seats to be moved independently is a stroke of genius. Luckily, and importantly, it also performs well. The 1.4 engine gives me exactly the amount of acceleration and cruising speed that I need. Running costs / fuel economy are pretty good too. The only negative, and it is a very small one, is that the visibility from the drivers seat is not as good as I would have liked. However, this car is leased and I am so happy with it that I will be leasing exactly the same model again.

Ian , England on the Vauxhall Corsa

Excellent car, reliable, can’t fault it.

Peter, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

I’ve used Astravans as every day workhorses for the last 11 years. These are fabulous, reliable spacious vans that drive like the car equivalent. No wonder that these are one of the most popular vans on the road in the UK.

Robert, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Best car I have ever had. A superb drive. best handling I have ever had in a coupe. Smart and smooth.

Geoff, Rutland on the Vauxhall Astravan

Nothing better on the market in my opinion. Perfect little van that makes use of all its available space and drives like a car. Comfortable and very smart looking. Excellent price and cheap to run. Top marks.

Rosemary, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Tigra

I just love the Tigra, I previously owned the 01 model and decided it was definately time for an update. This Tigra beats the old one hands down but still retains it’s sporty personality and easy going drive. LOVE IT!

Robert , Kent on the Vauxhall Tigra

I chose this car over its rivals because its a real head turner. Ride is fantastic.

James, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought my Meriva to replace a Zafira 1.6 which had a fault from new that Vauxhall couldn’t fix (the revs always dropped off when pulling away). Well, this Meriva has the same problem and I totally hate this car. It’s power is crap for a 1.6 design, 5th gear is almost useless. The seats are rock hard, seating position crap, the interior condenses up far to easy, especially the rear windows. The blind spot is a total disaster. The stereo jumps from station to station for no reason. Long after it’s stopped raining you got to use the wipers because of the water running from the roof. I’m constantly having to keep the steering wheel in the middle, if I let go the car veers to the left (the garage swears the tracking in ok). I can honestly say this car is nowhere near as good as the Zafira... I will never buy another Meriva. I have totally lost confidence in Vauxhall and am eager to sell this Meriva and again accept my huge loss in money. I’d advise a good long test drive... then say NO THANKS!

Alan, County Londonderry on the Vauxhall Zafira

Good looking car and a good driver when it goes. In the last 18 months we have had to replace turbo twice and had a new radiator fitted - off the road for seven weeks in the last 18 months. Not impressed by reliability.

Craig, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Problem after problem... now gearbox has gone after 30,000 miles. This is costing over £1,000 for reconditioned replacement.

Tommy, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall VXR8

I have driven all BMW have to offer...a nd yes... you get a nice "solid clunk" when you close the doors, expensive Vanos repairs etc. But with the VXR8... it truly is a phenomenal car! I bought mine just two weeks ago and the smile still cannot be wiped from my face. Went touring in the North of Scotland and returned 27.6mpg! Wasn’t hanging around either... amazing! If you can afford to buy one of those Supercars then why would you even consider MPG, Road Tax etc? You buy this Car to have fun, live life.....ENJOY! If you want Two Cities per Gallon, buy a Micra. Supercars don’t come any better than this... and I love it!!

Adam, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall VXR8

Vauxhall. Just mention the name to me and it sends a horrible shiver down my spine. But hold on a second, Vauxhall has been on a roll since the VX220, and now that the Vectra is gone, the only turd in the range is the Meriva. Vauxhall has always been associated with people who couldn’t give a stuff about cars, had next to no imagination whatsoever and you would NEVER invite a Vauxhall owner to dinner. Oh how have things changed. The soon to be replaced Astra was a million times better looking than anything else in the family hatchback market and not a bad steer either. The Corsa was funky and had grown up considerably without sacrificing fun, the Zafira is pretty fun to drive (especially in VXR form), and the Insignia is millimetres behind the Ford Mondeo in terms of being the consummate all rounder. The Monaro was a snarling beast of a thing, especially in VXR500 trim, and how I cried when it was killed off. I was wondering what kind of idiot in the marketing department decided it would be a good idea to drop the Monaro, but good news came in the form of the VXR8. What a monster. Mine was black and it was a glorious looking thing. Those 20" alloys filled the arches with a real purpose, the front end looked mean and moody, the rear ’afterburner’ style lights looked menacing, and the rear wing looked slightly ridiculous. No matter. As a package, it looked magnificent. It’s not pretty mind you, but pleasant enough to look at. Who said that the Australians didn’t have a sense of humour? Inside, the sporty and menacing theme continued. Huge sofas made by Recaro hugged you intimately (and I’m a pretty small guy), the steering wheel was wonderful to hold, the pedals were well placed, and the quality of the materials used were pretty good, considering it cost ’only’ £35,000. Spacious too. The boot will easily hold a few bodies, if that’s your kind of thing. I was starting to feel pretty good about the car, until I started it up....then I gurned in excitement. Good Lord it sounded good. The 6 litre V8 jumped into life and rocked the entire car on its suspension. I didn’t want to believe what I felt, so I switched it off and started it again. Oh yes. I was gonna have me some fun here. Performance figures speak for themselves. 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, over 400bhp, and a top speed of over 170mph. Lovely. The one thing that immediately hit me was how docile it was. You could easily pootle around in town in 4th gear at 30mph all day long, and it’ll never kick up a fuss. Just a distant little V8 rumble in the background, being soothed by the wonderful climate control, with Sade coming through the Blaupunkt stereo system. Nice place to be really. Jump out of town and head to the motorway, and it’s still wonderful. Quiet, refined and comfortable. Not bad for a car they claim would rip your head off. I wasn’t scared at all, until I decided to take it onto a country road. Traction control off, 2nd gear and a bootful of throttle, followed by the sound of tortured tyres, a lion being tortured through an amplifier from the exhaust, and a 26 year old man screaming like an 8 year old! Last time I got this sensation from a big car was back in 2001 when I had the pleasure of driving an E39 BMW M5. So it’s got speed. Lots of it. (of course I’m not going to tell you how quickly I was going. I’m not that stupid) Handling on the other hand, I’m afraid to say, is wonderful as well. It’s not quite as razor sharp as an M5 but it’s always willing to have a play. Be reckless with it and it will most likely spear you off the road at illegal speeds killing you in the process, but treat it gently and it will reward you massively. Oversteer is only but a toe twitch away and winding on opposite lock is as natural as tying your shoelace. It’s wonderfully composed, if a little crude in it’s execution. The gearbox is a little dimwitted in its action, quite clunky and over heavy. Cannot complain about the brakes at all, which are huge. They will easily whip the car from 60 - 0 in the claimed 2.8 seconds, and take your internal organs with it. Braking is a rather painful experience in this motor, which isn’t a bad thing at all. As far as reliability and costs go, this is where it falls down ever so slightly. Fuel consumption is pretty bad averaging about 24mpg on a good day, and closer to 14mpg on a playful day, which one can argue is also a good day. I had a couple scares with the engine management light coming on every so often, but the diagnostics showed nothing. Servicing isn’t too bad either, costing me about £250 - £350 per service. The amazing thing about this car is that it only costs £35000, but offers M5 levels of fun. My only regrets are not opting for the Walkinshaw Performance packs, which make the car sound even harder and go even better. No matter. I still fell in love with this charming beast and I never thought I would say that about a Vauxhall. If you were to ask me about which I would choose between an M5 or a VXR8, I wouldn’t be able to give you a straight answer. The M5 is Muhammed Ali, the greatest ever, moves like no other, and is a bit of a showoff and pretty. The VXR8 is Mike Tyson, brutal, scary, menacing and would probably lose his temper and bite your ear off. I love both cars to be fair, but the M5 is a better car plain and simple, because BMW are masters at making fast executive saloons. The VXR8 is just a copy, but as far as copies go, it’s a pretty impressive one. Would I recommend it? Oh hell yes! £35000 for a Corvette engine, in a comfortable 4 door executive saloon, that will keep an M5 honest . It’s a no brainer really.

Marie, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Anybody out there with am Astra SRI that gets a clonking sound between 10 & 20 mph? Vauxhall say that’s what they do!

Charles, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I purchased this car NEW two yrs and one week ago. It has been driven only 16.000 miles. It just recently went for a full service, and the mechanic at Nationwide service centre Kings Lynn called me into the workshop to look at the inner front brake discs. Whilst the outside of the discs were nice and smooth, the inner side of the discs were heavily scored!! and the inner pads heavily worn down. The mechanic stated this was a common fault on these late models. I was also told the rear springs had a tendancy to break without warning. I immediately visited a main Vauxhall dealer, who said he had never known this to happen before!!. ditto rear springs. Vauxhall will guarantee the front discs and pads for 18,500 miles under warranty, but after that, it’s classed as wear and tear. But at 18,000 miles, NEW DISCS AND PADS?????, I had a Sierra that did 250.000 miles and needed one set of new front pads. Whats the cause, and the cure, and why havn’t Vauxhall had a re- call, or admitted this is a potentaly dangerous mechanical failure, which could cause a fatal accident and do something about it?. JC

Pauly, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I have had Vectra’s for 8 years. I previously had a 1997 1.8 LS. So I bought the 1.8 Life (being the replacement). Although I’m generally happy with the car several issues do annoy me: Clutch - judder is terrible and erratic from standing start or whilst gear is moving and in stop and start traffic. It gets progressively worse. It sometimes seems impossible to pull away smoothly; you tend to get a kind of da da da da (my car does not have T/C). The clucth/ accelerator never seems to have the same sensitivity (I’ve driven 50 or so cars/vans and always quickly got used to whatever I was driving). I was kind of hoping this was due to it being a new car/clutch but nothing has improved. Indicators (touch sensitive) good idea in principle but when lightly touching the stalk to cancel, say L, the R then comes on. The signals cancel early before you’ve gone round the roundabout and then never cancel after turning at a junction. Acceleration is fair/OK but it has been slightly improved by fitting a K&M panel filter (gives a bit more poke) and for gods sake Vauxhall; if you do keep using this engine please put a 6 speed box on the end of it - it seems to rev very high when cruising. Overall a decent car - nice ride, comfortable cruiser and it can be chucked round corners when you get used to the feedback. True MPG from me - motorway; I’ve had 53/mpg but combined is about 38/40 mpg.

F, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have had the Vivaro from new, and after 2 years I am very pleased with it. Its only been back to the dealers for servicing, replacement arm rest and A/C condenser (all at service). The new engine and gearbox have not proved problematic like the earlier model. I use this for work and it has not let me down or cost me any time. I had a VW T5 before this van and it had 22 warranty repairs in 3 years!!! It is averaging 37 mpg (loaded with tools), is quiet and will get to motorway speeds with no bother. I know it is widely accepted that these vans have gearbox problems, but I think these have been sorted out with the new model. I have 3 friends who have the pre-2007 Vivaro’s and they report no problems even after many miles. I would recommend this vehicle.

Paul, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Vectra

Nice looking car, however... interior is made of cheap plastic (squeaky sounds fixed under warranty), the back shelf is making noises on the bumps, noisy while on the road. When the first gear is selected the engine makes funny noise like as if something was tearing inside, the engine is underpowered for a 140 bhp, not very economical in the town. The maps of Europe cost about £100 - I had 1996 Omega 2.5 V6 - I have to say that this 15 years old car was in a better condition than my 2 years old Vectra and far more powerful and comfortable - I would really have a second thought when buying another Vectra - maybe 2.8 V6 engine is better but 1.8 is a crab.

Geoff, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra Estate

I bought this car when it was 10 month old and saved 10 grand on the retail price. The sheer size puts some 7 seaters to shame. I love it for what it is; OK, you have to rev it to make it shift and there is no turbo performance but it will do everything you ask of it with ease and has a top end of 130mph. I don’t understand why people slag the Vectra off; you try and keep up with me on a bendy road in your people carrier doing 70mph and then you will see that the Vectra Estate isn’t as slow as people think... if you want a boy racer performance buy the 20 litre turbo SRi Estate or the VXR...

Alan, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Great little car. I bought it after enjoying a 1985 1.8 SRi for 14 years. While the old one was a racing roller-skate, the new one is heavier and slower off the mark, but once on the move this thing handles like a dream. I’m getting a steady 34 mpg as a commuter/shopper. There are no problems yet after 18 months/10,000 miles. Rear visibility is very bad, but I knew that when I bought it, so specified the reversing sensors as an essential extra. The leather pack was a worthwhile add on, as was the auto climate control. I have only two observations/complaints. Maybe its the angles of the window frames, but I can never park this thing square in a car park slot. The choice of colours is sad. Unless you’re buying a VXR, you can get it in 11 colours, most of which are shades of silver.

Lou, Devon on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Just bought my Astra Twintop and it feels great! This is the first nearly new car that I have purchased and I’m so pleased with it. I didn’t want a sports car, but I did want style and that comes as standard. Fuel consumption is good and when the roof is down it’s simply fabulous. In short, I love it!

Mik, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought this car just under a year old with only 18 miles on the clock. Nothing wrong with it apart from being hopelessly underpowered. Struggles to get up the slightest of hills and was downright frightening trying to negotiate Pembrokeshire coast. With just the driver very good performance; upwards of 45 mpg. When carrying 3 passengers this drops to 30-32 mpg. Seating system is fantastic and versatile but with all seats occupied there is room in the boot for one Tesco carrier bag! I am getting rid after a year. Shame really I’m sure the 2.0 would be excellent.

Nick, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Why don’t Vauxhall ever quote the mpg for the Astravan? Maybe here’s why... With tyres pumped up to the 40psi max and cruising at 65 to 70mph I’m getting up to 51mpg. But the road noise is unbearable and it’s not at all comfortable (ear plugs required). Drop the tyre pressure back to 35psi and the road noise becomes (just about) liveable with again, but the mpg drops to 40 - 44mpg (my wife’s 2.0litre turbo Saab 93 can manage 40mpg). A bit disappointing as I’d hoped for the 50 to 60mpg that you can get out of the VW 1.9 turbo diesels. However, build quality is good, handling is exemplary, it’s totally reliable... and no-one else makes an estate-car based van.

Charles, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Further to my report of the front discs and pads scored and worn after just 16,000 miles. Vauxhall admit there is a problem, and they re placed both front discs and pads, they also admit there is a LARGE problem with the Astra rear springs failing, and breaking, and as such, they have extended their normal 3 yr warranty for the springs to 4 yrs, however, they refused to uprate the springs on my car, so BEWARE if cornering/braking hard.

John, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I had a oil leak from the clutch area on my car and the clutch was replaced. Now the car makes a noise when you use the clutch peddle - it’s been back a few times and Vauxhall still can’t fix it. I am not happy with the service I get even though i like this car a lot!

John, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

Vauxhall want to take the car out for another road test - that makes it three times now. So I will see what they do again on Tuesday. Will they want to keep it again for a few days?

Mervyn, Conwy on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Fast, reliable and quick. Highly recommended but would advise post 07 model as the gearbox problems have been sorted.

Richard, Sussex on the Vauxhall Corsa

I can’t believe Vauxhall have produced such a NAFF CAR. I am currently enduring the misfortune of having to drive this heap whilst my car is in for repair. So, lets get on with it. 1. Badly thought out position of lights switch 2. Odd automatic gearbox. Spring loaded gear stick that returns to the centre when appropriate position selected. There is no ’P’ for park, the ’D’for drive has been replaced by ’A’? What for? Automatic? Why not ’F’ for forward as ’R’ is reverse? 3. When in ’A’ the car on occasions appears to have problems in selecting the right gear so losing power! In addition when changing gear there is a definate jerk and no smoothness at all! 4. Easy to select ’1’ instead of ’A’. 5. Strange dashboard that reflects in the sloping windscreen! 6. This car warrents one star because I admire Vauxhall for having the nerve to put such "CRAP" on the road! 7. Please don’t waste your money - this car clearly needs to go back to the drawing board as Vauxhall clearly haven’t tested this car.

Mike, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just traded this car after 30 months and 50,000 miles. Overall I was pleased with the car, it was quick and reasonably economical, averaging 45 mpg according to the trip computer. Actually the difference between long journeys and around town was very small. This car had auto lights and wipers, I have had these features on other cars and I have to admit that they worked perfectly on this Corsa. Now to faults. Rear nearside wheel bearing replaced after 12 months, 24 months and gone again when it was traded. Gearbox replaced after 2 years and 40,000 miles. Half leather trim on drivers seat split adjacent to airbag after 12 months and going again at time of trading. All above were repaired under Vauxhall warranty very quickly with no quibbles, so overall pretty good but watch the wheel bearings and gearbox (loud wine in 6th gear).

P2, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought my Twintop Design 1.8 in power red with leather in July 2007 and have just completed 10,000 fantastic miles. The recall work on the roof and rear boot light was completed by Grasmere in Macclesfield during the first year of purchase and the only other issue was in year two when the power steering pump had to be replaced FOC by Arnold Clark in Manchester from whom I bought the car. They have been great. I am a regular contributor to astratwintop.net (service temporarily unavailable as I write, but try later this week) and you can find all my hints for how to care for your Twintop on that website among the many tips and blogs of other Twintop enthusiasts. These include how to look after the roof seals, how to protect red paint and prevent it from going pink, how to use the load assist mechanism, how to prevent stuck parcel shelf fins (tip - keep engine running at 1500 rpm, use the roof switch, not the key fob) and all sorts of things like this to keep you safe. There are also hints and tips on where to find a space-saver wheel (tip - look for those from a second-hand Vectra) and how to stow it alongside the tyre goo that Vauxhall provide as standard. Invest in a windshield - only a small % of the value of the car and inceases the number of top-down miles you can cover. Best wishes, P2.

Daniel, County Londonderry on the Vauxhall Antara

Driving an 07 Antara and in less than one year, the ecu light came on 7 times. 3 times on one day then goes in to safe mode. Can you get speeding ticket for driving to slow by the look of things? I may get quite a few. One other thing I would like to mention when I left it in dealers woorkshop there was 7,000miles on clock when I got it back the salesman told me he put the miles back to 3,000miles. I asked him why he done this and he said not to worry as this was their display vehicle it would not come up on the computer. I am starting to wonder was there some other reason for doing this and was there only 7,000 on this when I purchased this vehicle? I suppose I only have the dealership’s word.

Milton , England on the Vauxhall Astra Coupe

I bought a Vauxhall Astra coupe cheaply online. The car was in an excellent condition with a full service history.

Matthew, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Do not buy one of these vehicles! On the face of it the van is excellent, fast, quiet, loads of extras and looks really good. Have owned the van from new and have done 32000 miles. In this time the van has put itself in limp home mode a total of 7 times. Each time the van needs an oil and filter change due to ’poor oil quality’. Apparently this is due to it needing to regenerate but regen light has never been on! The Vauxhall dealer thinks there is something wrong with it but Vauxhall technical say it’s my driving style. How do they know it’s my driving style? Have they been following me driving down the motorway? Most of my mileage is motorway, the dealer asked me to take a log of my journeys which I’ve done but technical aren’t interested and will not contribute to the oil changes (£100 a time) and will not send a technician out to assess the vehicle though last time it happened they said they would & Vauxhall care are unable to overule the decision made by technical, oh yeah and I am not allowed to speak to technical! So I’m stuck with a van which is under warranty which Vauxhall won’t fix. It looks like I’m going to have to get stuck into a legal battle! My advice buy something else and stay well away from Vauxhall!

John, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Looks good, drives well but fuel consumption is worst than some of its petrol models. Can achieve 55mpg on level motorway or dual carriageway as long as no cars are in front. My combined figure is never higher than 37mpg and running around the houses 31mpg and this is in a quiet area, not a congested town centre. Customer service is poor and is based in Hungary, car produced in Poland, need I say more? Even if you do get someone at Vauxhall UK they are not helpful, the service manager at franchise has been helpful but the best advice I get is to drive in low gear at high revs to clear the particulate filter. When spanner light came on I took the car to the garage. Later, when I picked up the car I was told it was the particulate filter and whilst this time I wouldn’t be charged I would in future. I pointed out that when problem arose I did follow the procedure so why had it not cured the problem. There was a deadly silence... I also pointed out that the car was then only 18 months old so still under warranty.

Gordon, Argyllshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Great car, very realiable and good fun to drive for a 1.4. It looks good handles well at speed and is comfortable to drive. Cheap to run, around 45 miles to a gallon. The only downside is the very noisy air con and the poor demister takes ages!!!! (especially on cold frosty mornings). Other than that it is a great little car that looks great and drives well.

Jason, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have this funny creaking clunky noise that happens when i set off in my 2007 zafira sri.

Dennis, Somerset on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

For me this car, which I’ve had from new, was a good choice. It’s comfortable to drive and is a good motorway car. The general road handling is better than the 3 or 5 door versions because of its longer wheelbase. It’s been a reliable vehicle. The only time it has seen the garage is for its annual service. My only complaint with this car is that the heating and air con controls are too small and set too low on the centre panel, an error that appears to have been corrected on the new 2010 model.

Julia, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

As with other reviewers mine had a DPF issue from 6 weeks after the 3yr service (Jan 2010). It’s had a full filter replacement, followed by an EGR valve replacement. It cannot be used as a family run around car, which it was bought for in the first place and it has spent the last 2 years in the service centre, every 6-12weeks when the filter blocks up and the car becomes unusable. The advice from Vauxhall is to take it out every week for a 50 mile run on the motorway! Makes it more of an expensive dog that I am running around, rather than it running me around economically. Oh and this advice doesn’t work. Although I can’t afford it, am trading it in as I have had enough.

David, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought my Astra TwinTop 1.9cdti brand new in 2007. Every year, as regular as clockwork, within one month of having a dealer service and this year only one day after, it has had to have a new EGR fitted. This year at 56000 miles it rattles like a bag of bolts and I have been told by Vauxhall it requires a new dual mass flywheel and clutch at a cost of £2000. On speaking to the service manager, Vauxhall do not want to know. As well as this point I asked as the car has a trade in value of £4000, and requires £2000 of work what would he think about using Vauxhalls £2000 scrappage allowance? Scrap the car all together, and buy another model? To which he said "Well, you could do". So if your thinking of buying any Vauxhall, do not - at any price.

Rob, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra Estate

I bought myself a low mileage Vectra Estate in immaculate condition and I’m delighted with my purchase. The usual criticisms are probably valid, yes it’s a bit bland, yes it’s not exciting; the throttle isn’t the most responsive, but the plus points outweigh the criticisms. Firstly it’s massive. I like a big car and this certainly fits the bill. The load space is huge especially with the back seats down. It’s a very comfortable drive in town and on the open road. It’s also particularly quiet. It feels well built with no rattles. I’d recommend one of these to anyone who isn’t too bothered about image but wants a big, comfortable, well built load lugger.

Carole, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I love this car, but after owning it for just seven months I discovered water on the carpet behind the drivers seat. I took it to a garage who noticed the roof about 1 mil out so hand pushed it back and that was it leak fixed...until now. The passenger side is now leaking! I just don’t know where to turn now. I often hear the fuel swishing about in the tank however after reading a few reviews I’m now concerned that this swishing could now be water within the sills of the vehicle. Gutted absolutely gutted.

Had, Surrey on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought my Zafira 07 CDTi when it was a year old with 4500 miles on the clock. I thought it was just bad luck that in the 4yrs I’ve had it it I’ve had the EGR valve replaced 3 times, the alternator, 2 sets of tyres, aircon unit, internal fan unit and roll bar replaced. After having an MOT and service just 3 weeks ago it is back in the garage and I’ve now been told its the manifold with a price tag of £750. It only has 35000 miles on the clock. This is the final straw it has to go. I will never buy another Vauxhall or diesel engine car - I have made no savings whatsoever over the 4 years. Apologies to all the tree huggers. And to the person higher up the list, diesel engines all have EGR valves.

Jason, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this as a second car as I own a Subaru Impreza, but needed something economical for commuting to work. I think it’s a nice looking car and I am able to get 600 miles to a tank if driven sensibly. I find the steering a bit vague, suspension a bit wishy washy, but overall a pleasent drive and economical, which is the reason I bought it.

Seaune, Merthyr Tydfil on the Vauxhall Astravan

Vauxhaul Astravan 1.3 still in Southern Vauxhall after 5 weeks 50,000 on clock, ecu unit gone, turbo gone and it’s taken 5 weeks to repair. No discount on parts or labour. Well done Southern Vauxhall, Merthyr Tydfil, guess I’ll buy a Ford next time.

Steven, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought the car two weeks ago to replace my gas guzzling Honda Accord, I used to get 350 miles from a tank. This Zafira is even worse, I get at best 260 from the same amount of petrol as I put in in the Honda. I have managed to squeeze 104 miles from just over 1/2 tank. Not impressed, as this is after a FULL service and decent fuel going in. Avoid like the plague, but the wife likes it as its got plenty of space for the kids and buggys etc.

Allistair, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

DON’T BUY, THESE VANS THEY ARE POO. I bought the 2007 2.0 cdti Vivaro with full main dealer service ’cause everyone said the gearboxs had been sorted and what happens? The gear shift has gone stiff, had oil change still stiff, so now have to get new gearbox. They don’t cost as much as the Transporter so every one thinks they are great but is it worth the down time? I’m getting a VW t5 130 Swb tomorrow and every time I pass or see a Vivaro van I will pitty the sucker driving it. DON’T BUY A VIVARO.

Reid, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Purchased 1.9 CDTi, 07 plate from main dealer, Network Q. This has to be the most unreliable vehicle I have owned. Was less than 3 years old when I purchased it. Since owning the car have had to have the alternator replaced. There is a knocking noise from the gearbox which I have been quoted £1900 to fix, taking into account I had had the car for less than 6 months before I noticed this. Dealer has basically refused to help. Now Vauxhall UK involved but yet to be resolved. Warning lights keep illuminating and the list continues. I have owned Vauxhalls in the past with absolutely no issues. What have they created in this Zafira ? My advice is DO NOT BUY ONE !!!!! Wish I could get rid of mine but unfortunately purchased it on finance and would need to pay in !!!!!

Ray, Durham on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Bought my car new in 2007 after a short experience with a new Suzuki Grand Vitara which kept catching fire. I don’t appear to have had the problems that some people have, i.e. leaking roof, sticky roof etc., etc. (Fingers crossed!) HOWEVER, I have had SIX egr valves (inc a two week period where I had a loan car as there were no replacement egr valves in the country!!) Terrible fuel consumption figures (not always related to egr valve issues) and last week a failed alternator (on a dual carriageway in the dark; no lights, no steering, no hazzards, no power steering and finally NO ENGINE!) The car is out of warranty now. How much did Vauxhall want to repair? £395! I objected and got this down to £118. How many miles from new? 22,800!! Being a Vauxhall man from being 17 and also this is my fifth Vauxhall convertible of one type or another I assumed I would be rewarded for being brand loyal, but oh no! When I asked at a local dealership about changing for a new Antara (Vauxhall have said on their website that they are available to order from dec 2010 and its now Jan 2011) I was stared at in puzzlement by the rep who said "we don’t make them anymore!" Quite right if your talking about the old model, which does not now comply with euro emmission regs, but I was asking about the new 2.2 model. So to sum it up: VAUXHALL GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER; train your staff in the dealerships to be able to know what they are selling, fix what they are selling and stop acting as if they are doing you a favour for taking your money. As for me? A new Volvo xc60 on order, bye bye Vauxhall, good luck and do something with your Luton based customer services team; the woman, who shall remain nameless, who pretends she is the team manager and is disgraceful to customers is NO CREDIT TO YOU WHATSOEVER, give her the heave-ho and take someone on capable of doing the job in a courteous manner!!

Gary, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Antara

Just read all (yes all) the reviews and seems we have bought a second hand bundle of trouble. Last night at 3am then 4.30am car alarm went off. The car just came back from main Belfast, Vauxhall dealer after all electrics completely shutdown whilst driving along the road; no speedo, rev counter, clock, lights, lucky it was during day. It appears to have been rectified by a software update that was completed by dealer. The Antara has also got the wettest interior of any car that I have driven. During the bad spell of weather at the Christmas period it appeared that moisture had got into the lining of the roof, via the pollen filter being defective. Turning corners or braking caused a heavy downpour from the sunvisor and centre console to pour onto my lap soaking my trousers. With the replacement part now fitted I hope this is the last of the leaky problems (how long will I have to wait?) Love the comfort levels and driveability but one question DO I CHANGE?

Simon, County Down on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my Corsa in July 2010, had problems with the wipers, kept hitting off the paintwork when I had them on in fast mode. Took it back to the dealer, didn’t even look at it. 2 days later, I took it back again, bumping noise coming from front tyres. Dealer said that new brakes were fitted, needed some time to bed in properly. Returned 2 weeks later, noise still there, left it with the dealer for 3 days and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Went to a local independent mechanic, he took it for a test drive, told me that the cv joint and ball bearing on the left front tyre was gone. He valued the repair at £250 and that’s including workmanship. He told me to return the car to the dealer, he contacted the dealer and told them what the exact problem was. 3 days later, car was returned, no problem since. The cv joint on the right front is starting to go now. If you are looking at a new car, avoid corsas and Vauxhall completely.

Daniel, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Astravan

Since I got my Vauxhall Astrvan 1.9cdti 2007 it has been a pain in the back side. All vauxhall do is replace parts and charge you loads of money. I have had a new EGR valve fitted, 4 new glow plugs, a new radiator which had bolts missing so that was rubbing and a radio which still has a fault on it which Vauxhall say they will not replace. I had a old Vauxhall Astravan and that was a very good motor. Vauxhall just take your money and then they don’t give a s**t about you. I still have this motor, I hope one day I can get it right again.

Milton, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought car from new, had no issues for 3 years, then trouble. The EGR Valve stopped working (45,000 miles), while abroad (nightmare to get fixed by Opel dealership). One month later red battery light comes on. Alternator needed replacing. According to websites will need to change cam belt, soon (at 4 years) Cannot risk another breakdown, so trading in for a Toyota. Would not buy another Vauxhall. I should add that car is roomy, great to drive but will breakdown after 3 years.

P, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have been driving Japanese cars without a problem for 10 years. Having now bought a Zafira I have problems every day; engine light, water pump, timing belt, problems are still there. Never ever buy a Zafira!

Shaz, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Never, NEVER, will I buy another Zafira. 1.9cdti, its Fiat engine has several problems such as egr, dpf, and lot of smoke. Problem after problem.

Rich, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought a 2007 1.6 life Zafira with 30,000 miles on the clock just out of its 3 year warranty BUT a years mot. Two days after the purchase the break light was showing. Garage say stuck sensor, answer was no brake fluid. 3 month warranty just runs out, new disks and pads needed £300. The cherry on the cake, driving as normal, pistons gone smashed all the head, new engine needed on a 07 car, which has done only 36,500mls??!

Karen, Ireland on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Purchased twintop in or around May 07 have had ongoing problems with roof leaks. Car has been back so many times have lost count had extended warranty, which is just about to run out and hense car back again with leaks.  I was told that the concerns lay with a build up of moss on the seals and that the seals needed to be lubricated regularly to prevent the build up of any outide debris that could be causing a concern with the seals. Only had car back approx. 3 weeks after they lubricated the seals and water is coming in, worse now than ever, back seat soaking wet again, dampness and condensation again. This problem is not abaiting, to the point now that the car is not enjoyable anymore to drive. It is very frustrating when you think you have purchased something that was going to give me many years of nice driving. I am dissatisfied with they way this car is functioning and as this problem continues I am left with a car that is leaking, and who would want to buy a car with a leaking roof? I certainly wouldn’t.

Ian, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought second hand, thought good van at first, had new clutch, gearbox and now 2 fuel pumps, yes 2! And all the other stuff cleaning pipes. Good looking van but I’ve lost a lot of earnings.

Local, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought new, was ok for first 20000 miles then aircon went, terrible wind noise from side doors and stupid design seat belts that get trapped in the doors and get ripped also damage the locks, mid row seat very hard to get into rear in the dark, poor quality seat covers that come away from their bases. 28000 miles airflow meter faulty and abs fault. 57000 miles rear bearing and front disks and drop links front wishbones. 64000 miles clutch slave cylinder pedal to the floor no clutch rear door lock fault. 79000 miles steering rack ends and track rod ends worn out, also using engine oil like an old banger, also turbo pipe rubbed through on water bottle hose split apart so service mode 2000 revs max £259 +vat for a rubber pipe. Good points: Never left me stranded, alway got me home. 30mpg /45mpg good handling ride ok lwb tyres last for ever (Goodyear marathon). The minibus has now done 160000 in just over 3 years. Would buy a Sprinter next time, last Merc 208d did 340000 miles with hardly any probs.

David, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Great economy and performance on tap but woeful reliability. Been off the road three times this year; inlet manifold swirl flaps and egr valve (warranty), water pump and cam belt (Vauxhall goodwill contribution)and now alternator and battery (hoping Vauxhall will help). AC is also duff. Only done 52k miles so very disappointed and consider never buying another Vauxhall (wife’s Astra also had lots of unexpected failures - coil pack, ECU etc). Vauxhall dealers are inefficient and patronising and Vauxhall just do not get it.

Rob, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Combo

Van is leased through work, had 32k when I got it and 3 months later has done 48k. Its a 2007 1.3 cdti, but the first thing that impressed me was the power, really pokey. I travel all over the uk in it and i love it. Cruises at 80 mph all day long and will return 55mpg. Nothing has gone wrong, and i find it comfy and has all the equipment wel except air con that I need. Lots of storage, and very usefull. Only negatives I have is the passenger seat is fixed so is a pain, and not a lot of dash storage. All minor though.

James, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Combo

What a pile of rubbish! Had mine a year and I have had nothing but trouble with it; new turbo, new timing chain, and now the garage want to change glow plugs and they have snapped inside head (apperently common probs with these vans.) The only good point is it’s got lots of room in back and the little 1.3 engine is quite pokey. My advice is don’t buy.

Gordon, Durham on the Vauxhall Zafira

Had my basic 07 1600cc for 16 months and apart from it having a lot of road noise I can’t fault it and I have used it like a van for a lot of the time.

Michelle, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

So I purchased My twin top brand new in march 07, since then the seals for the roof have been replaced, I have mould from water coming into the boot when it rains. I spoke to Vauxhall who are not interested, even though I have had to hold tissue up to the seal whilst driving. The other day I got the car washed and ended up getting wet too when sitting in the car!! This is ridiculous!!

Peter, England on the Vauxhall Astra Convertible

Bought this car in December with it just being over 3 years old. Found out to my cost that the roof and boot leaks really badly. Almost a swimming pool on wheels! As it was just outside of Manufacturers Warranty I got hold of Vauxhall HQ to see if there was anything they could do, ie good will gesture. Unfortunately, the young lady I spoke to in the customer relations dept explained that as it was a convertible, the roof seals were only covered for the first 12 months. This is very disappointing that Vauxhall take this attitude, I have since found out that this leaking is common place and badly lets the car down. What makes it worse is the price Vauxhall place on replacement seals as each seal is horrendously priced, you need very, very deep pockets to replace all the roof seals outside of warranty! Vauxhall must be making a mint! Not for the faint hearted, stay well clear unless you want extra swimming lessons as you drive. Additionally, the roof has a habit of sticking whilst half way up then you need to flick one of the motors to make it go up or down apparently this is also a common fault. On speaking with a sales person at the garage, I was informed that due to the problems Vauxhall have had with a hard roof convertible they may be going back to a soft top when the new convertible model comes out so buyer be aware!!

Ledge, Dorset on the Vauxhall Zafira

If it would have let me rate zero I would have. Wish I had never bought this car, what a heap of c**p. EGR valve failed, cleaned it out and code went only to bring up code for dpf. Had this changed, car was ok for a couple of days but seemed a little sluggish. Then the spanner light reared its ugly head again, EGR valve again. Had this replaced but car is still in limp mode. How Vauxhall have the cheek to say this is not a recall issue as they don’t deem it a safety issue is beyond me. The car broke down on my wife with my 2 children in the car on a busy intersection where anything could have happened. When a car puts your family at risk like that then in my view it is very much a safety issue. I am going to contact the trading standards and see what they advise. Don’t ever buy one of these dogs they are a death trap!

Mario, Cornwall on the Vauxhall Zafira

I got a Zafira 1.9 about 6 months ago and basically I got a pain in the neck! 2000GP put on it, EGR went off 6 times, alternator, battery, breaks, oil consumption up to 2ltrs every 400 miles, this to mention only a few. DO NOT BUY A ZAFIRA, UNLESS YOU ARE A PAIN LOVER!!!!

Terry, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have a Corsa 1.2 sxi. I agree with people when they say it’s a bit underpowered. I fitted a performance chip, £7.00 off ebay. The performance now is much improved. Acceleration and hill climbing improved too, fuel economy really good. This is a really good car, I’ve had no problems with it at all in the 3 years I have owned it. The electric power steering takes a bit of getting used to at high speeds, but other than that it’s a great car to own and drive. Fit a chip, only two wires to connect so easy and you will notice the difference right away, trust me.

Adam, Devon on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought this van in November, had more days off with van not working costing me a fortune in parts and days out of work. Something else goes every week, doesn’t start, engine mgt gave a list of faults 3 mile long. Alternator packed up today, been a sole trader since November and its killing me and my livelihood.

Graeme, Australia on the Vauxhall Vectra

This car is a 2.2l manual hatch somewhere in the mid range for the British public, and while it drives well and uses little fuel, it loves to sip oil. Even from new, surprisingly I have had to put a litre of oil in the engine at 10,000 kms twice in 30,000kms of driving. It has ended up using close to 5 litres of oil every service interval in country driving, and in the city 2.7 litres of oil - only 100,000kms on the clock. Holden who buys these cars, would not rectify the problems. It’s a real problem if you travel the vast distances in Australia and cannot find the right grade of oil at a service station in a small town. This is a real pity because the car isn’t as bad as some UK reviewers have it out to be. I have bought 6 cars in my life - all Opel inspired cars - never again thanks to the excessive oil consumption. One thing - Astras and Vectras have plastic driving lights that yellow and craze terribly - better materials please - if Holden decides to import Insignias and the new Astra.

Patricia, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

NO STARS! I purchase my car in Jan 08 having previously had the Comfort 2.0 DTi 2003 (52reg) had that since 6months old my father still drive it and has never had any problems!! Hence no EGR or DPF. Anyway, my car was great at first then in may 2009 we noticed the car very sluggish and loss of power we put the car in for an early service and ask the garage to check out the problems we were having. The EGR valve needed replacing (milage 14344) so this was done a few weeks later as the part was on back order! No problems after that then April 2010, same again orange exhaust emissions, light on and stayed on, car losing power and very sluggish. I called the local Vauxhall dealer and was told by the garage and Vauxhall that the car was safe to drive, but would be in limp home mode, which I totally disagreed with as the car could stop at any point and you could find youself seriously injured or worse. I did use the car while waiting for the garage to be able to take it in a week later, but the car broke down and I had to have it towed to the garage £50 cost to me, and again EGR Valve and this time also the DPF this was done under the warranty. I asked for an extended warranty from Vauxhall as the warranty was nearly up and the car had only done 24100 miles, but they refused, they did hire me a car as the parts again were on back order and it took over 3 weeks to repair. They also had to replace the air-con condenser, I had to pay £60 to have that regased. You don’t get any paperwork or warranty for repairs that are done under the manufacturers warranty, I wonder why? Car ran fine after this until 24 february 2011, then again exhaust emissions light on and stayed on, called the garage and was told they couldn’t take the car in for a week but not to drive the car until they could see what was wrong incase it wasn’t safe!!! Safe enough last time though? Again it was the EGR valve and the DPF. I was furious, why after only 10 months and the milage at only 31100 this had to be done again? And this time the car was out of warranty and the repairs were going to be in excess of £1000! The garage contacted Vauxhall to see if they would offer a goodwill gesture towards the repairs they offered to pay 50% of the DPF and 70% of the EGR. I still had to pay £669 to have the car repaired and they couldn’t give me a courtesy car for 5 weeks at least so I had to hire myself a car as I needed a car to take my disabled son out and about. The car was repaired after loads of phone calls to get the parts as the garage said they were on back order and Vauxhall said they weren’t. Eventually I got the car back. I’ve called Vauxhall and complained also I called Trading standards and they advised me to contact the finance company that I got my car through and tell them about the problems that I have had with the car and ask for a refund for the car or the money back for the repairs for the car as the car hasn’t been of good quality and hasn’t lasted a reasonable time; it comes under THE SUPPLY OF GOODS (implied terms) ACT1973. I have done this and I am currently waiting to see if this can be resolved but I will not be backing down on this!! I have had my car back just over 2 weeks and now the battery light has come on. I took it to an auto electrician and it needed an Alternator another bl**dy £237! It’s never ending expense.

Joe, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Had the car approaching 4 years from new as a company car. Dull but worthy car with good road manners and economy on the motorway but handles like an elephant in a shopping trolley on the twisty bits. Reliability not bad but some very weak points including 3 wiper motors, failed DMF flywheel, AC matrix positioned for maximum stone damage, indifferent Vauxhall service depts and numerous electrical gremlins only surpassed by an 80’s Alfa 33. It’s a car but thats about it...watch for escalating service costs over 100k.

Chris, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought 57 plate vauxhall Zafira 1.9 diesel From Vauxhall dealer August 2010 (26,000 on the clock), but after only four months and 4,000 miles broke down, ems light been on for 2 days had to replace diesel particulate filter and egr valve at a cost of £911. Then six weeks later had to call out AA again. As soon as he saw it was a Zafira he immediately diagnosed alternator without looking under the bonnet. Another £288 for new alternator. As someone mentioned earlier Vauxhall need to fully recognise this design fault or make the dealers give specific advice on the precise driving conditions reguired to keep DPF "servicable. Feel gutted and let down by dealer and Vauxhall very poor customer service

Perry, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Vivaro

This van is fantastic, best van I have owned. I travel from Suffolk to Newcastle and back every night 6 nights a week, 44 mpg no prob. Just fitted new clutch etc, tyres last 50k rears and 25k fronts, 100 per cent reliable after 264,000 miles. Just ordered my new one to replace this one. Brilliant vans!

Alex, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Vectra

While there’s only ever me in it and I live in a Cul-de-Sac with no driveways, wouldn’t change it for anything. Have wanted one for over 4 yrs (13th car in 12 years of driving). All my driving motorway and dual carriageway despite my low annual mileage. Maintenance peanuts, unlike all other cars ever owned the faster you go, the noise level doesn’t change. Quick, relaxing. Cruise control wouldn’t be without, heated mirrors big safety feature in bad weather. My previous Diesel supermini saved me around £10wk but Vectra not affected by high winds like that was. Economy not overly bothered about. Worst 34.5 mpg, best mid 40’s judging by last tankful that’s about to run out. Do drive quite hard though (should avoid DPF and EGR valve faults this way) but wouldn’t surprise me if car had these replaced in first 3.5 years of it’s life. Only car I’d replace with same again. Still makes me smile 9 months on. Recommended.

F, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

To follow on my review of 2 years ago. I am still ’very’ pleased with this van! I use it daily in the construction industry and it has yet to let me down. I’ve had it 4 years now, and it has been the most reliable commercial vehicle I’ve had in 20 years of driving them! The residual value is very good as well. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another.

Ken, Surrey on the Vauxhall Zafira

Nice car, reliable, I use mine as a taxi cheap to service and run. The car does have a dpf filter problem, as you will need to regenerate them by driving the car on motorways at 3,000 revs to clear the filter or the car will go into limp mode and could block the filter. I have now found out how to clear this problem permanently you can buy a product called cataclean, just add it to your fuel tank at quarter full, drive for about 10 miles then top up your tank to full, job done. You must repeat this process every 3 months to keep the car clean, good luck.

Don, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Had the car for about 4 years now, only problem we had was that the drop links needed replacing. There was a clunk coming from the front of the car when going over small bumps etc. Obtained new drop links for £17 on ebay. The drop links support the suspension and are just behind the front wheels. The bar is plastic with t-ball joints either end. I used a 3/4 spanner to undo nuts. The bottom nut is not easy to get at and once you have broken the nut is a slow and tedious job to undo. Jack up the car so that wheel can be removed. Place axle stand under car. Remove wheel. You will need another jack to raise suspension to remove link. Between the joint and the arm is a flat nut. Use this as the joint will turn when undoing lock hut. About 1.1/2 hrs each side. Good luck!

David, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have been very pleased with the vehicle for 3 and 1/2 years until I experienced a DPF failure. This needed replacing at a cost of £1200. I wrote to the Vauxhall Customer Care Centre requesting the company consider assisting in the payment under warranty goodwill because the vehicle was still very new with low mileage. Vauxhall stated they would not assist in the repair cost because I had ignored the DPF alarm light that indicates Regeneration is required. I have responded that my Zafira does not have this indication and has never been seen. I am now considering taking the matter further so therefore would not recommend a Zafira diesel.

Michelle, Kent on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I brought mine second hand from a dealer in 2008 and I loved it from the first time I drove it! Problems: 1. it has been recalled 3 times for roof, steering and back brake light (cost nothing and was out of warranty.) All in all i love it! My baby is only a 1.6 and it everything I wanted. Woman’s view: It looks good, it’s an excellant car and very good on the petrol, I use it every day and I don’t like my husband driving it :0) Family: We are a tall family height starting from 5ft 6 to 6ft 4 and we can all fit in the car comfortly.

Mike , Devon on the Vauxhall Zafira

When the is car not in the garage getting fixed, it is a lovely drive but I have lost all faith in the car and vauxhall. I spent close to £3,000 last year on a long list of problems.

Chas, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

A great little car, although I do have a few complaints: The radio comes on automatically when the ignition is turned on, there is no indication light on dash to show side/headlights are on and is now starting to get problems with E.P.S, which seems to be an expensive problem to correct (£500).

H, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have a love/hate relationship with this car! I love to look at it, the noise it makes, the go-kart handling! The things I hate are the pretty poor mpg - it struggles to average over 35mpg on the motorway, I’m driving like a pensioner and I’m 24 years old. Reliability has also been pretty poor, had a wheel bearing and brake disks and pads replaced under warranty within three months of owning, another wheel bearing went nine months later which I had to fork out £200 for. The heating system is all over the place making the engine light come on and off when it wants to! The car only has 35k miles, pretty disappointed really with reliability! But would I buy another? Probably yes, because it still puts a smile on my face!

David, Sussex on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Nice to drive and looks good! Poor interior design, nowhere to put CDs, phone, maps, drink bottles, etc.. Buttons on steering wheel and on control panel do not work (trip computer etc). The Vauxhall garage could not change the program. Auto gearbox gave up in snow on hills, but only started in sports mode. It turned out to be leaking oil in the gearbox through speedo cable (over one week in garage). There’s a rattle in the engine on start up, but told this is normal for this engine! Leg room in back is like a 2+2 and load space small to access. I’ve got rid of it now and got an excellent Nissan Note 1.6 ntec auto.

Peter, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought two Zafiras at the same time, one with 20k miles and one with 30k miles and I use them as taxis. I had major problems with the DPF; I had diesel getting into the sump and mixing with the oil and the cars weren going into limp home mode. I was spending a fortune on oil and oil filters and the fuel consumption was terrible. After a few months of this nightmare I took a gamble and spent £300 on each car getting them re- mapped to stop the car regenerating. I also had to have the exhaust cut and the dpf drilled out. It was the best £300 I’ve spent, these cars now run with no DPF and no problems and far better fuel consumption. Remember having the DPF taken out will not affect your car for an MOT.

A, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have two Zafiras both with low mileage; one a 1600 the other a 1900. Both have clutch problems after less than a year. One is juddering and the other’s problem is the DMF. Help from the dealers and Vauxhall has amounted to zero. These should be ideal family cars, but are let down by unreliable mechanicals and hopeless after care. Lesson learned.

Hannah, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I bought a Vauxhall Antara 2007 model and the car has been nothing but trouble! It went into Burnham garage on many occasions as it had a really noisy engine. vauxhall really didn’t want to know and now my Antara now stands in my driveway, where it’s been for over a year now, broken. I will never buy another Vauxhall!

Michael, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought the car new. It needed a new turbo when 2 years old. Then at 3 years old, after being washed, water ingresss into ECU caused many problems; this is a fault on 1.3 CDTi Corsas. It now keeps fading almost cutting out and when I fill up with diesel it is even worse. Other than these problems the car is not too bad. It does need break pads every year and discs every 18 months.

Neil, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I own a 57 plate Vivaro and the only problems I have had was with 3 injecters that needed to be replaced at 28,000 miles at a cost of £1,500. Perry’s of Canterbury, Kent paid 90% towards the repair even though I was 1 day out of warranty, I was a lucky person. Just complain and say you will protest outside and show some courage and they soon sort it out. They earn loads and don’t want any bad publicity.

Mark , Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Just swapped from a BMW 116i sport and find it’s a totally different drive. The Vectra is so smooth and as quiet as the BMW which is very hard with no room. Very pleased with it so far.

Mr, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Very impressed with the car. It drives very smooth a bit different from my old BMW 116i sport that I swapped for it.

Mark, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Just swapped a BMW 116i sport for a Vectra Sri 1.8 vvti and must say, it’s a hell of a better ride than the BM and you get a lot more extras in it too, well pleased with it so far.

Karl, Angus (Forfarshire) on the Vauxhall Zafira

Just watch out for the DFP going as mine did at 80,000. How to tell it’s going? When you let the revs off it makes a grinding noise, then when you put the revs on again the noise goes. It’s not very cheap  at £715 for a reconditioned one fitted!

Tina, Kent on the Vauxhall Meriva

This car is an absolute disaster. Please test drive this car in dry, wet and snowy weather before purchasing it. The thick pillars on either sides disrupts periferal vision. The right windscreen on the right stops 4-5 ins from the edge therefore a film of water/snow forms, further obstructing the driver’s vision. On many occasions I have had to get out of the car and use a squeegee to clear the windscreen. I have had two near accidents due to the notorious blind spot and I cannot wait to sell this car.I have been told that the windscreen wiper was designed not to clear the whole windscreen and has passed safety checks. Is anyone else having a problem with their wipers? Can we all send a petition to Vauxhall?

Pamela, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

My car is a Vauxhall Zafira Diesel 2ltr and is less than 6 years old, but has just had to have it’s 2nd alternator fitted after doing less than 30,000 miles. This shouldn’t have happened and has caused me great expense and inconvenience. Vauxhall customer care has been totally unhelpful. I certainly would NOT recommend anyone purchasing a Vauxhall vehicle based on my bad experience!

Andrew, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought a low mileage van with full service history. The EGR valve went, then the power steering pump went and next the injecters played up (but they get seized so new head). A great drive and comfy, but such a shame as they suffer so many silly problems. I have just changed it for a Toyota Hiace, which is a bit basic but a lot better. Would I have a Vivaro again? No!

Phil, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have owned this car for 4 years and it is now on 60,009 miles. It is the worst car I’ve ever owned. It drinks oil and has poor MPG. The new parts fitted so far are: discs, x2 Lamba sensors, the cylinder head, gaskets and bolts, the M.A.F. sensor and the exhaust manifold/catalitic convertor. It has also required a reprogramming of the E.C.U. and the heater only works on No.4. I will never buy a Vauxhall again! I had to place a 1 star rating because there was nothing lower, but a -10 rating would be more fitting!

Jason, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have a Zafira diesel 1.9 life and have had it for about 2 months. I had to have the DPF changed costing me £1800 and after only a month the DPF warning light has come on so I’ll have to make an unscheduled trip down the motorway and looks like this will be a regular thing, as the car is for school/shopping etc. Also it is poor on MPG and consumes a lot of oil. Apart from a good, smooth drive I would not recommend this car at all.

Raj, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I can’t say it’s been plain sailing with my Zafira. I’ve had a few issues with the DPF so I had to get it replaced and found an after market one for £375, when Vauxhall had wanted £1000. What a joke! The EGR has been changed once and the alternator has also been changed once, which seems to replicate what everyone else has been experiencing. A nice car, but just littered with problems.

Garry, Essex on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this car in April 2006, when it was it was 1 year old with 4k on the clock. Ok, where do I start? Overall I think the world of the car, it`s quite rare to see a 1.8 these days and it does attract a few stares. I have it serviced every 20k and I had the cam set changed at 60k. It also had a recall a couple of years ago due to a problem highlighted by the BBC, but that was sorted with no problems. However, everytime it rains the driver’s footwell is soaked. It’s had a new screen fitted and this that and the other checked, but it’s still leaking. It must be a design fault, but Vauxhall won’t admit to that will they? Last week the n/s mirror lens fell out at 70mph so I went to my local dealer to get a replacement, only to be told "Sorry sir, Vauxhall have stopped making the lens or housing for that model". Great! So what do I do? "Sorry sir, I don’t know, have you tried a scrap merchants?" Yet the car is not even seven years old yet!! There is lots of road noise at 60+ and the handling can be a bit hairy, least ways ’til you get used to it’s funny little ways. If you drive like Miss Daisy’s older brother then you will squeeze 350 miles to a tank, if you drive like you have just nicked it you will get about 300. The ride is hard and bumpy, but I like that it feels like a go-kart. I also like its understated looks, red calipers, not much to give away it’s pedigree. I must like it as I have had it 5+ years although I have been looking at A3`s lately, 2.0 turbos.

Martin, Bridgend on the Vauxhall Signum

A very nice car to drive with plenty of room inside. It looks good, but as with most modern cars it has common faults. The Duel Mass flywheel’s going (most powerful diesels have DMF now), the spring’s snapping, the EGR valve is going, but taking all this in to consideration this is one of the best cars I have had; the 150BHP is nippy and very good on motorways. I would recommend.

Daz, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

This has got to be the worst piece of rubbish I’ve ever owned in my life. My engine had done just 52k and was well looked after with full regulat services and cleaning then BANG! The engine has almost chopped itself in half. This comes after a new ECU set, sensors for god knows everything, the EGR valve replaced, repaired, plated up, tech diagnostics etc. Don’t ever buy a Vauxhall if you dont want to spend another 10k repairing it every week. oh I forgot to mention the fuel relay issues including having to bypass its earth since it decided to cut out at 85deg for no reason. I hate these cars so much i’ll never buy a Vauxhall again.

Brian, Dorset on the Vauxhall Vectra

Generally I’m very pleased with mine. I bought it in Oct 2006. It achieves 40 to 43mpg around town and 50 to 55mpg on a run, depending on speeds etc. Whilst under warranty the gear knob came off and required a new stick and coupling to the gear box. Strange? Then in July this year the knob came off again. I was quoted £278 to replace it, which I had to pay. Because I was going to France the next day I had glued the knob on but forgot to look for the spring that goes under the knob. This was not really safe so resulted in this big pay out for a knob. I wrote to Vauxhall twice and they didn’t want to know or justify the need for a whole assembly. I don’t want to let it go and I doubt I will get anywhere. This is why folks buy Japanese etc. Comments welcome.

Lisa, County Down on the Vauxhall Tigra

I fully agree with other reviewers, a nice car, but just made to use in dry weather. I got this car 7 month ago. The car dealer where I bought this car from is really far away from being honest, althought it is a very well known car dealer here in Co. Down. (First he sold me a defective car; breaklights not working and the roof made strange noises when it went down etc.) I went to him and told him about the problem of water behind the passenger seat in the Tigra. Nobody there was able to find the problem and they wanted to bill me £300 for stripping the interior with material costs on top of that. Pure robbery! I decided not to get the car fixed and instead our neighbour found the cause of the problem; water was getting in through the speakers. The problem is not completely solved, but we are at it and for less money.

Tight, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought my van as a camper conversion with one previous owner at 6months old. It had been used as a day van, selling electrical parts up/down the country and I picked it up with 39k on the clock. I have never had any trouble with it and it is still on the original tyres at 49k. It passed its 1st MoT with flying colours. On its 2nd MoT it needed front pads, but the 3rd MoT it again passed with flying colours. Although I dont use it every day like most of you guys on here, I have never had any squeaks etc., from under the bonnet. All in all it is the best van I have ever driven and I have been behind the wheel of nearly all of the vans on this planet! Luckily for me, I think by looking around most of the online forums the 06 registed vivaro`s have all escaped with very little mechanical issues. I think this van will see me out until I take that first step to my grave lol!

James, Wales on the Vauxhall Signum

Having bought the car 18 months ago whilst it had 23,000 miles on the clock (now 29 k), I have been impressed by its looks, comfort and power. However, in the last 18 months it has spent nearly as much time on the back of a recovery truck as on the road. The 6 speed auto box failed after 26K and its replacement is also on its last legs. Vauxhall know a about these issues but frankly don’t give a damn. The fault appears to be an oil cooler in the radiator allowing water to mix with the transmission fluid hence killing the auto box. Obviously a major design fault. In all other respects the car is excellent.

Jeanette, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Insignia

I have had nothing but trouble in the 2 years of having this car. First the front tyres needed replacing at 15000 miles, rear brake pads and shoes needed replacing at 25000 (not covered under warranty) and now at 35000 I am experiencing loss of power. I can’t wait until my new car is ready, which is a Nissan. My first and last Vauxhall. Vauxhall head office Customer Service did all they could not to provide any customer service.

Darren, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought this car with 18k on clock and it now has 116k and maintenance is starting to cost! It’s had a new inlet manifold costing £1000, egr valves at £180 each, the condenser £450 on the air con and I’m now just about to change timing belt costing a further £250. All in all I have probably spent nearly £2k on fixing all these problems. I do a lot of motorway miles and it is comfy, fast and good to drive, but it is just not reliable enough. Would I have another? Probably not. It needs to be a bit more robust in the engine department! I feel this lets Vauxhall down.

Allen, Sweden on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have owned my Zafira from new since Oct 2006. The honeymoon soon ended after just a few months. In the first two years the EGR valve and alternator had to be replaced. Recently the starter motor and now somethig serious is wrong with the DMF flywheel judging by the vibes from the steering wheel. The car was in the Opel garage for 3 days and they couldn’t diagnose the problem. The car has only done 89k miles with full Opel Garage servicing. I’m very unhappy with the overall build quality and I would warn anyone to stay away from diesel engine, especially 150bhp models. The paintwork is bubbling under driver’s sill now too! Shame, because it drives and behaves lovely (when working) for a 7 seater Soccer Mom Bus. Please stay away from diesel engines, they will break your heart and your wallet.

Karen, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought a second-hand Meriva from my local Vauxhall dealer. It’s a 2006 Plate. I’ve had it 2yrs now and recently had a problem with my power steering. I was told by the service centre at Vauxhall that it’s a problem with the Meriva of that year but reading what others have written this isn’t the case. It’s dangerious. I was driving round town when mine went; what if you were driving on a busy motorway? Even though my car has had a new steering system I have lost all confidence in driving my car. Lucky for me my car was covered under warranty, not everyone is that lucky. I intend to change my car and it won’t be a Vauxhall.

Rob, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Signum

Needed a second car to cover family duties and motorway commute. I went for a facelift CDTI Design with 44k on the clock. The car is great inside with half leather sports seats, which are great for long trips and give good support. The car is nice to drive and the CDTI engine is a good match for the cars size. On the Motorway the car see’s around 52mpg. Only had the car a month but love it. I had a 2006 Renault Megane estate as my second car before and I hated it. This is far, far better in all respects. Only down side is I had to fit a new alternator after 2k of ownership.

Phill, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Yes the Bluetooth is great when you need to call the AA out again, and the nice CD Radio to listen to while your waiting for them to rescue you! I have had two of these vans, a 2002 model and a 2006 model. Both have had problems, gearbox, 3x clutches on this last one, Exhaust manifold, turbo, air mass meter, suspension, brakes. I have a roof rack on, it averages 30mpg over the past 70,000 miles. Mine looks fantastic with chrome bull bars all round, and alloy wheels, and very comfy to drive, but too much time off. Would I buy another one? No.

Gordon, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought the car (Feb 06) new and followed good driver practise by getting services and recommended belt changes done on time. Mileage now (May 2011) 262,000. One Turbo at 213,000, recently had EGR cleaned out. Average MPG 48. I do a lot of motorway miles in sixth gear at 2000 RPM. Respect and care for the car and it will reward you with reliability.

Bashir , Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought a Zafira because my wife needed a 7 seater for our 4+2 family car. I bought one second hand with 80,000 miles with full service history. Soon realised, it was a mistake, DPF problem, fly wheel plus clutch kit, starter motor, central locking, windows wouldn’t open are the only problems found during 20,000 miles. Got everything fixed by a specialist mechanic who knew all the usual Vauxhall issues. Had it chipped and the fuel figures have improved dramatically from 38mpg to 48mpg on a combined cycle, which is not bad but it’s always an unknown issue to surprise you every so often. Would I buy another one? NO!

Karen, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have gave this car a star rating of 1 only because you don’y have the facility for a zero. This has been the biggest waste of money that you could possibly buy. Do not touch this car with a barge pole. This car is now onto its 3rd alternator, the diesel particulate filter had to be replaced, the engine failed, the rear door got stuck and would not open. The central locking failed and needed to be completely replaced oh and its also a guzzler of diesel. So much for a good old British made car, it’s foreign all the way for me now.

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Combo

Not impressed with the van, had nothing but trouble with it. First altenator, every lock has failed and now belt chain has broke. My advice? Don’t buy one!

Jack, Kent on the Vauxhall Astravan

I have a 56Reg 1.4 LPG model. It has been a big disappointment. I have done just over 90000 miles in it and I can’t see it doing many more without another major fault. I had not had the van for 3 months when one of the rockers in the engine snapped, I have never heard of that ever happening. Over the years, I have had several oil leakes due to broken sensors and seals. Clutch packed up around 60000 miles and gear box was just replaced at 87000 miles. I have always had traction problems, never mind what type or make of tyres. Vauxhall servicing is a joke, twice they were caught out by our local machanic. I asked them to check if the van had been serviced, a few days after taking it to Vauxhall, it had not. I personally own a Vauxhall and my wife has one too. They have both been great. What has gone wrong with my Van? Don’t think my boss will get me another Vauxhall after the trouble we have had.

Lawrence, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Nightmare car! Familiar story.....In the last year it has been back to the garage 6 times. New EGR valve, turbo, radiator, alternator, DPF etc. Total cost of repairs 4K. All this from a 3 year old car!. Broken down 4 seperate times. We can’t bare to drive it not knowing when it is going to fail next. The DPF was replaced at Christmas, 10 weeks later we are towed back to the garage and the new one is apparently blocked. How is this possible in 10 weeks?? The family car that is not for local driving, what a joke. Do not go anywhere near it!!!!!

Mahmood, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought this at 39k miles and it has now done 63k. The flywheel has been the main problem I have had with the car and also a few minor problems like springs and the wheel bearings which have been replaced twice. Generally, it is quite a good car with decent handling and great power. It will leave most cars in its class standing but it lets in a lot of road noise. Overall, I dont think I would buy another Vauxhall after this one.

Mandy, Torfaen on the Vauxhall Tigra

After driving numerous cars and all being different manufacturers, I decided to try the Tigra, mainly for the way it looked, what a mistake! It drives like a bag of spanners, the back end is way too heavy (due to the mechanics for the convertible roof) for a smooth pull-off with a 1.4 engine. The handbrake sticks after being parked up for a while. The car leaks on drivers side, even after being very careful to keep the seals clean and free of debris, I have just opened the boot to investigate where the water is getting in, only to find the carpets covered in mildew and sodden in the boot too. I am absolutely furious after spending the last 2 hours trying to dry it out and remove the mildew. I will never again buy a Vauxhall, they have blinded me with a car of good looks, but in reality I’ve got a very expensive skip! Vauxhall, you should be ashamed of yourselves, yet again the great British public are being ripped off.

Aidy, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Clutch cylinder failed inside the gearbox. £1000 bill. Just got the van back tonight and now the power steering is juddering when turning the wheel on idle engine. Never again will I buy this make. Customer service at Vauxhall sucks too for commercial drivers. They didn’t even wash it...

Andy, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have a Zafira SRI diesel, (150psi) which was just under 3 yrs old when I bought it. Took it to Scotland on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed the performance and made Inverness on 1 tank which was pleasing. However, I had just had over 1 yr when I noticed a drop in power. Someone at work used his computer and diagnosed a problem with the dpf which is part of the exhaust and suggested thrashing it up and down the motorway for 30mins. Booked it in to local garage anyway and attempted to clear it on the local M5 but it died. Had to be towed to garage who thought they may be able to "regenerate" the exhaust but it was too badly blocked. New dpf, £800 fitted. Stilldidn’t feel right and engine management light came back on. Back to garage! The back pressure from the blocked filter apparently blew the swirl valves on the inlet manifold which can’t be repaired and the replacement, £500 fitted. They couldn’t get the engine management light to go out and had to take it to a Vauxhall specialist for a Technician to look at. Bacause the dpf and inlet manifold had been replaced the ecu had to be remapped. This highlighted a fault on the egr valve, new valve and remap? £400! I am now led to believe this is a common problem now coming to light on the model. My recommendation, unless you do A LOT of motorway work, don’t buy one. 6 months later, last Thursday evening on the way home from work, faint burning smell and slight whistle, then BANG! Still waiting for garage report but, the man from the AA noted the slackness in the cambelt so, either it’s snapped or a cog broken or both! Dread to think what it’ll cost this time but it’s history once it’s up and running!

Kevin, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Agila

This is a fantastic car, I can not fault it in any way but it all depends on what people like. I like it because I go back and forth to uni and for shopping, it’s roomy. It fits in any little spaces and can carry loads of stuff. I put about £20 petrol in and don’t have worry about it for a month. It seems that it just runs on air. Very good car indeed.

Alan, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Overall a good car but it is juddering when reversing and having only done 37’000 miles the coil pack has failed which is going to be costly even though it’s a 5 minuite job, it’s the parts that cost.

David, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astravan

Had the 1.7tdi for 4 years, drives like a dream I had an Escort before the Astra (load of c**p). This is the best van I have ever had. It’s a bit smaller than the Ford, I have to lay the cement mixer on its side to get it in the van, but that’s the only down side. I had to fit a new alternator, but that’s all.

Jonathan, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Signum

I purchased my ’56 plate Signum from a Vauxhall dealer with @ 11k miles on the clock, and now 3 years later I have done 110,000 miles. It has been a brilliant car, and is a fantastic, effortless motorway cruiser. My version has the 6 spd automatic, and hovering just under 2,000 revs at 80ish mph (where this speed allows of course) makes for a quiet, comfortable cruiser. The on board computer tells me that in the last 14k miles, I have AVERAGED 41.7mpg. OK the bulk of that is on the motorway, but nevertheless very good. Definitley highly rate this vehicle.

Bryony, Vale of Glamorgan on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

DO NOT buy one of these cars! I bought one second hand with only 20000 miles on the clock. Love the look of the car but all the common faults that seem to occur on this car seem to have happened to me within the last year! Dents in the roof struts for not reason, leaking roof, horn only works intermitently, roof would not function so needed new wiring harness - £400. Then found out I had a faulty water pump - after nearly crashing at 70mph on the motorway when it sheared off straight through cam belt (at 30000 miles) £1500 and now...bearing gone in gear box cracking it and £1000-£2000 damage which I just do not have. Oh also could have exploded at any time! The car is a pile of junk and made of cheap faulty parts. I am gutted as I loved the car and thought I’d treat myself. The car is constantly in the garage and has left me broke. It is currently in the garage as they would not let me drive it home but I have no money left to get it repaired as I am still paying off the cambelt issue, As soon as summer comes will be rid of it like a shot...just feel sorry for whoever ends up with it! Vauxhall should be ashamed of the product they are selling cheap and nasty sorry to say not a good car. Will never touch Vauxhall again

Tony, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought my Zafira new in 2006 and I would have to say there were some initial build problems with it. The demist flap did not work, which meant the entire dash had to be removed. A sensor on the exhaust manifold was faulty making the engine run rough and the clutch and flywheel was replaced under warranty due to severe judder. These problems were dealt with by the dealer in Brentwood in 2006 and since then the car has run brilliantly and returns high 40s mpg on a long run. It has done 25000 miles and I have just changed the tyres. I would recommend the 1.6 engine if you do mainly town work and short journeys, it is quite a refined engine and you won’t have the problem of EGR valves clogging.

Gary, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Movano

I have had my Vauxhall Movano 2.5cdti for 2 years now and to be fair I have found it to be a great van and never let me down. As far as the body work looks I think it’s also a great looking van. I have had a few problems with the van but nothing more then you would expect for a van doing a 1000 miles a week!!, The same as any van if you look after it, it will look after you.

Sam, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

Corsa C SXI look great and drive great, but after a while little things keep going wrong with them that become big things, had mine 3 years plus and it’s only properly broke down now with a throttle sensor fault. Ideal for 1st time drivers but high maintance cars, burns oil and poor for long distance. Put an Irmscher kit on a Corsa and it will look fab, just like mine, for that am going to give 3*

Mike , England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Had Vito dualiner before Vivaro. Purchased at 1yr and 8000 miles, goes better, drinks less diesel and rides better than the Vito. However, at 32000 miles the front suspension clunks, bangs,knocks- steering vague. If I could locate where its coming from I’d fix it myself numerous trips to dealer and all the usual excuses. "Can’t hear anything mate!" "They all do that mate!" to name but a few. High spot was last trip to dealer-vehicle on ramp, technician says "all tight here mate" as he does 360 degree circuits with a socket/bar on all subframe mounts! One stud has ripped the thread out of the subframe completely and been replaced with mild steel threaded bar secured at either end with m8 mild steel nuts. Allegedly an acceptable repair! Am seriously p----d off and consulting solicitor. Great van when working- if you are self employed and considering one, get the missus to kick you in the nuts- it’ll hurt less than the pain of the money you’ll lose when its in the garage.

Kevin, Sussex on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought van when 6months old. When loaded only does around 30 mpg (I do drive hard) already on third set of front pads and I take corners at 60 to 70 so not on breaks unless I want to stop. Like my VW the hand-break should be 6 inches higher, radio has a common problem going out of frequency, the fuel pick only being plastic breaks off from the tank if you go through water at speed and the seat belt is poor at rewinding.

Simon, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

Eps system is continually cutting out, definitely a manufacturing fault. I would not buy again.

Alan, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Dreadful headrests cause blind spots, small buttons on radio and heater controls too low, cannot get comfortable in driving seat, jerky drive, gas pedal too sensitive, no temp gauge, do not like indicator and wiper controls, gearbox notchy, engine or injectors noisy, mpg very poor on 1.6, washer bottle in front of engine; cannot see level to top up and it freeze up, too much road noise, door pockets too small, hatchback opening too small, takes a lot longer to clean than my MK 3 Astra. I bought it from a Vauxhall dealer with full service full, mot and 12,000 miles on the clock. I would not buy another model of this car. I have owned around 16 cars from 1979 and I would say this is the most disappointing car. The one good thing about the car is it looks good.

Paul, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought this car 5 months ago, I heard a blowing noise coming from the engine, I’ve had 4 engineers take a look at it and they all said that the manifold has cracked. I’ve heard its quite comon with this type of engine on this car, but the cars only done 30,000 miles. Everyone, including me, called Vauxhall and they are charging £1012.00 inc VAT and that’s just for the part not Labour.... as you can’t buy the manifold with out purchasing the turbo as well. The Boot leaks and there is mould inside it as it’s always wet and stinks, the roof gets stuck, it’s endless costly grief. All in all the car is made very, very cheaply. You would think a company as large as Vauxhall would know how to make a car that functions properly.

John, Ireland on the Vauxhall Insignia

When I test drove this car I was very impressed and now 2 years after purchasing and having covered 40K miles I can safely say it’s been a pleasure to drive. The seats in the SRI offer superb support for long journeys and the diesel engine has plenty of grunt when needed. I have had the car serviced twice and have replace the two front tiers but other than that no additional work required. When changing car I will definitely consider another Insignia.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve had this car for 6 years and excluding servicing I’ve spent a grand total of £150 on parts. This has been the best car I have ever bought; the most reliable and the most fuel efficient. I am very reluctant to trade in, as it’s only got 116000 miles on the clock and is still going strong.

David, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Company lease vehicle. Approaching 80,000 miles over 2 and a half years. Climate control did not work from new but resolved without fuss, but I can never get the vents to close properly. Performance is not blisteringly fast, but more than adequate, even when full of people. Handles extremely well and returns about 30mpg on mainly motorway runs with just me in the car. Glad I got the automatic - that handbrake really is a triumph of style over practicality. Comfortable enough even for 7 average-sized adults. Build quality seems pretty good but GM seemed to have run out of money when it came to soundproofing - road and wind noise are abysmal. A front blowout proved that the tyre repair device was a BIG mistake - it doesn’t work when half the sidewall is hanging off the tyre. This meant calling for the RAC to arrive and carry the car 150 miles home - for lack of a spare wheel! Another gripe I have is with the rear lenses. Before I got this car I thought what a great idea it was having cheap clear plastic covers to protect the rear light clusters. When I reversed into a wooden post and cracked one, I learned that that cheap clear plastic cover was actually a fixed part of the entire cluster and is going to cost me about £80 to replace - when Vauxhall can get one. That was 6 months ago and the part is still on order. I gave this a 3-star rating because although the car has proved reliable and practical enough, there are better (and certainly quieter) MPVs of this size available now. I don’t want another one. I have had enough of having to shout at my passengers to be heard above the cabin noise.

Robert, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

I purchased my Zafira design 2.2 petrol and I was so pleased but now i’m so, so disappointed. I love the look, the seating is amazing, just what I wanted with grandchildren. I bought it 6 six weeks ago, first 10 days were great, then the little yellow car light came on, AA cover said take it to a garage, as not a main dealer they couldn’t read / understand the code, so off to main dealers. The "investigation" is not covered in the AA warranty so £50 quid and 10mins later the diagnosis was "sticky swirl flaps". I was told that they are "OK now and will probably will not be a problem". 24 hours later car dies in the middle of a busy road, Scary or what?! I get AA (road assisantance, again not under the warranty) to tow to main dealer. £109 later, with a new fuel regulator, happy motoring? 10 days later the little yellow engine light is back on... if it’s the swirl flags that require replacement then its £1500 as the AA say it’s not part of the warranty.

Andrew, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought the car used from a franchised dealer in Cannock 7 months ago. When I test drove the car I was impressed with the comfort & performance, styling & practicality. There was a minor scratch on the o/s rear bumper which I asked the dealer to smart repair before delivery, they got spray all over the windows, then the horn stopped working & various other interior electronics. After 4 visits they replaced the SIM. Moisture then appeared in the rear light cluster, after a botched repair sealing the moisture in I insisted on a replacement which they did under warranty. I like the car but not impressed with the dealer, from a cocky salesman to the service staff having a couldn’t care less attitude to sheer incompetence. In my experience Vauxhall produce great looking & driving cars but reliability is an issue, not only that but the dealer I dealt with, although a network Q agent, left a lot to be desired. I would probably buy a Toyota or Honda next time. Vauxhall must do better!

Paul, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve had my Zafira 56 plate sri for 2 years and had no problems at all. Lovely car, loads of space. Performance OK; especially when in sport mode.

Mr, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Nothing but problems with repeated particulate filter blockages, EGR, oil leaks. Avoid....

Marc, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Hello all, I bought this car 7 months ago from a local garage and loved it as soon as i saw it. Me and my family went on holiday to Devon and the car let me down massively - I took it in to a garage in Devon and they put it on the diagnostics and for some bizarre reason it had no fault code until it broke down again on holiday. I took it back and they plugged it back in and it came up with E/G/R valve so we phoned Vauxhall dealer up in Plymouth, which was not very helpful at all, but what they did tell me is that the E/G/R valve is a common fault and there is lots on back order so if your cars suddenly loose lack of power engine management light comes on lots of black smoke out the exhaust its most likely to this and was told this might happen again sometime. So, I’m not very happy with this car - steer clear and buy a Mazda, Honda or Nissan; much more reliable cars.

Chico, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

Good all round performance from a 1.8. Excellent gadgets and plenty of leg room. Averaging 45 mpg overall covering country roads & fast motorway driving. As Andy (Notts) has said - far better than any Skoda.

John, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought this car new when new model was released. I have had it for 2 and a half years and have no regrets. The car is very underrated, can’t really fault it. Smooth, quiet, drives like a larger car although probably smallest car I have ever owned. Great fuel economy and I do not think it lacks power: perfectly adequate for it’s class, certainly out-performs my previous car (Rover 400, owned for 10 years). I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Nigel, England on the Vauxhall Signum

Having previously owned two Omega’s, the last being an MV6, I decided that I would stick with Vauxhall, but wanted something a bit different. As soon as I got into the Signum for the test drive I realised it was a bit of a tardis, and was much bigger than expected, which is good when 3 of the family are over 6ft. The 2.8 V6 Turbo charged engine kicked into life with enough of a growl to get it noticed, but without drawing any unwanted attention. When you put your foot down you realise that you really do have a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention, it’s really comfortable too. All in all it’s a really good car with enough room for the family, and enough power for the boy racer that’s hidden in all 40 something men!!

Chris, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Bought directly from Vauxhall Management, so this well-specc’d car had the luxury of every other available option factory fitted. I downgraded from the V6 SRi for tax reasons, and was extremely disappointed with the 1.9 Unit initially. It had to go back to the Dealership so many times that they eventually sent a Field Technician out from Vauxhall directly, and he couldn’t cure it either. Resigned to the fact that I was stuck with a good looking and massively equipped car with no decent performance to match, I took it to the VXr Performance Centre in Banbury.....the result from their Software remap is incredible. Not only do I now get high 40’s/ low 50’s MPG, it rockets from 0-60 in a shade over 6 seconds!! So there you have it - a luxury motor with every conceivable gadget, with a performance that will leave (most) others for dead on a sprint. I was planning on chopping it in after 3 years, but given how much I love driving it, I now plan to run it into the ground...however long that will be!

Chris, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve always liked Vauxhall but I bought this one 8 months ago and its had 2 EGR VALVES , a WIRE HARNESS fitted and it still has no power at low revs. you need to rely on the turbo all the time but still my turbo seems to hesitate, its been in the dealers 4 times now and they still cant find whats wrong !!!!! I’ve only got 2 wks warranty left and I know im going to have to fork out money when my warranty does run out.

Simon, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

An excellent vehicle which I bought in UK and exported to France. Headlight change was no problem as was re-registration. I found it no problem getting the European Certificate of Conformity from Luton. It gives me an average mpg of over 50 and on long runs even more if you do not use the air con too much. The 6 speed gearbox is magnificent in either mode. I regularly travel back to UK from home in Brittany, a distance of nearly 500kms to Boulogne and it behaves impeccably. I use the cruise control for 80% if the journey and it behaves well compared to the system on my old Senator. I have done two return trips to southern Turkey and it behaved impeccably. Whilst in Turkey the EGR valve needed replacement as the warning engine management light came on. The local Opel dealer in Alanya got the part within 24 hours and all was fitted for half the price in Europe. I even got a full 4th service done while I was supplied with tea and cakes in the showroom! On the downside, I found it took quite a while to get the drivers seat into the right position. Also I am not too keen on the in-built SatNav as you have to buy a Disc for each country so I only use it in UK and use my TomTom elsewhere in Europe. The only change I have made is to replace the Vauxhall badges with Opel Blitzes which are more modern than the Griffin. Prior to my Vectra, I had a Megane Cabriolet which was a problem for my Greyhound to get into and before that a Senator for 10 years. What a vehicle!

T, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Comfortable drive on long distance; fast and economical to run; elegant to look at and uncluttered interior.

David, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

With a wife, 2 kids and a dog, the space offered within the Zafira is ideal. However the build quality certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I have just had the EGR valve fail for the second time in 14 months. My local Vauxhall dealership are telling me that there are so many EGR valves failing at present that there is a large order back log. In fact they are suggesting that it could be up to 2 months before they get the replacement valve in stock. They have at least loaned me another Zafira. As the car will be out of warranty later this year and with serious concerns that the EGR valve will fail again in the future, I’m not intending to stay a Vauxhall owner for too much longer!

Richard , Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Where do I start my tale of woe? Oh yes, when I bought it.. 2006. Day one...car judders every couple of months quite unnerving + burning smell, stops out of gear, continues back in. Ok next day.. Garage can find nothing. This carries on for a couple of years.. meanwhile I put up with abysmal fuel consumption. I moved to Ireland 2007.. eventually car packs up, towed away. They replace the turbo, the computer control system various others then modify the EGR valve. This has no effect. They then replace the swirl actuator. They then replace the the EGR valve, thank the lord for a warranty. Ok none of this works, car goes back in after numerous emails, test transmission oil, looks bad chaps, OK, they replace the whole transmission!!! £5k they say. Ok it is done, I get the car home, the even washed the filthy thing, guess what our demon friend the judder is back, oh yes, and I have 2 weeks left off warranty!! Any one any ideas? I only did 22k miles! My advice even though this is my 2nd Zafira is avoid at all costs!

OMS, Orkney Islands on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought the Meriva 1.3cdti in Feb 2009. I had a Skoda Fabia before and was used to thick front pillars. This vehicle is a dream to drive, loads of room and very economical as well - 46 mpg combined.

T M, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought at 6 months old, 2 and a half years ago. 43,000 miles later and it is the best buy I have ever made, I’ve had many types of vans, the only reason I’d change is for the facelift model.

Carl, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vectra Estate

Excellent to drive and phenominal amount of space. This is a cracking car and better than some MPV’s out there for the room you get. Very comfortable too. First rate family car and comes with a good amount of kit as standard. Good fuel return too. First rate.

Tony, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Monaro

This is a powerful car that is a fraction of the cost of an M3 but of course doesn’t have the same refinement. Yes there’s quite a bit of nasty cheap plastic on the inside and the shape of the Monaro isn’t to everyone’s taste but when you feel the performance of this car you’ll realise you get an awful lot for your money.

Tony, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Very smart van. Nice and neat to drive and good load space. Good cabin area with lots of stowage areas. Very good on fuel and low insurance rating. Good hardworking van that looks the biz.

Helen, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

My Meriva is my Tardis on wheels! I needed a vehicle which for 99% of the year transports just me and my business goods around the country but for 1% accommodates trips out with family and friends spreading into the back seat. A Vectra served me well but the overall length and boot projection made parking and manoeuvring in strange locations a bind. I cannot believe the Meriva is based on a Corsa chassis. The internal space is huge -legroom front and back is phenomenal and is not provided at the expense of the standard boot space (as with some mpvs). Flexspace drops the rear seats in a flash to a massive loading area, with no lip at the tailgate to negotiate and several handy anchorage points to tie everything down (not family and friends!). The car handles like a mini hatchback and the common rail engine provides excellent poke at the lower end of the gearbox. It will cruise for ever and on long, fully loaded journeys returns 45mpg with ease -which is pretty good for the planet and the purse. The solar reflect glass -available on the top models -is an added luxury in hot weather and an essential security feature when loaded up. I challenge any manufacturer to offer me a better vehicle for my needs (however a private helicopter may do nicely!) PS to Peter Mahoney (post 9.11.2007)..... 23 years ago we had a baby + a toddler + all associated necessities (pushchair/ travel cot/high chair/nappies/food/clothes) all neatly stashed in a two door Fiesta for regular 5 hour journeys. Children of today have it too easy!!

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Fuel economy of the 150BHP (Euro IV) CDTi engine is extremely poor. Average economy is 20% BELOW the manufacturer’s official NCAP figures, costing me over £1,000 in extra fuel over 4 years. Average mpg varies between 28 and 35mpg, when driven moderately in town (urban) and country roads. My Saab 9000 2.0liter (1998) automatic gives me only 4mpg less, when driven comparably. On a motorway cruise at 70mph, my Zafira returns between 40mpg and 45mpg. But this is way below the manufacturers concocted NCAP figures (measured on a rolling road, with artificial ECU settings) of 36/54/46 mpg (urban/extra-urban/combined). I am sure the Euro IV Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) doesn’t help the economy, but these figures are appalling. Vauxhall have tested my car and verified engine/vehicle is running normally! Which is a shame, as the car is excellent in all other respects. Especially with the Active suspension CDC (Continuous Damping Control) optional upgrade with IDS+, the handling is outstanding. This is helped by the SRI suspension set up and standard 225/45/17 wheels/tyres. The room for a family of 5 is top class, with the Flex 7 seating arrangement which is unbeatable, especially if you have minimum space to store removable seats of some competitor cars. My only recommendation is - avoid the CDTi (150BHP) engine at all cost. The 2.0 Petrol model gives similar economy and performance in real life. Other users have reported similar poor economy, but it does seem to vary between different cars. I will never believe a manufacturers ’combined’ figure again and therefore will never buy new again - until NCAP figures become realistic again.

Ray , Conwy on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have had my Meriva six months its good to drive and good on fuel about 45 to 50 mpg. My wife has certain difficulty getting in and out of most cars but not whith the Meriva , we gave a lot of thought to which would be the best car for us and tried a few on test but only meriva ticked all the boxes . Ours is a 1.6 petrol and it runs so smooth it is very nice car in all respects ,if there is one thing I would like that it does not have is arm rests, maybe some one out there knows if i can get them from somewhere.

Russell, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Had my Sporthatch now for just over 2 years and no complaints. Went for 1.7 diesel as economy rather than performance was important. However, she cruises down the M Way at 85-90 with out a problem and has plenty of power to keep me busy on the B Roads. Handles Like magic!!! Just about to change the car so going for the 19 CDTI 150 SRI exterior pack next. To sum up the Sporthatch, excellent value for money and great looks!!!!!

Mike, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The vehicle is an excellent all rounder with the ability to swallow up a large family comfortably. I would highly recommend to anyone - supplying dealer (Lookers St Helens) had a tremendous salesman who looked after the order from start to finish (8 week special factory build because of the extras lad called John Ashcroft). Only downside is that the vehicle has a cut out, normally when coming off a motorway and for an Automatic could be dangerous because you lose all power, including steering. Not happened for a while now (Thankfully) Vauxhall state, no fault found. Have this logged with the dealer in any event, because it could prove dangerous if my grandchildren were in the car.

Chris, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought this car being 9 months old for £12.5k, with 7,500 miles on the clock. It’s the Design variant which is half leather and very well equipped inside. The 6 Speed Gearbox is very smooth and performance is good from the 120BHP engine. Drive it hard and you’ll get 46mpg, take it easy and use the 6th gear whenever possible (55mph+) and you’ll get 50-53mpg. Cruise control works very well and is far superior to the cruise control i had on my previous Mondeo car. The engine is available as either a 120BHP or 150BHP. I went for the 120 purely because i went for a diesel for economy. If i had 150BHP, i’d more than likely use it and defeated the object of switching to diesel! The ECU can be very easily reprogrammed to 150BHP by local specialists. It has a DAB radio fitted as standard which works very well and gives a superb range of station to choose from. The 6 CD Autochanger and FM Radio work well too. First annual service from a Vauxall dealer is £150 and is performed at 20,000 or within 1 year. whichever comes sooner. I’ve had this car just over a year now and i enjoy driving it as much now as i did the day i picked it up.

Sam, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought my Vectra 12 months ago and have enjoyed its excellent fuel economy, it is an excellent car loaded or unloaded, however be aware, Vauxhall have major problems with clutch judder on all petrol range vehicles and it is almost impossible to find a dealership who are competent enough to rectify the problem. This also includes Vauxhall’s warranty department who are the worst people I have ever dealt with, they hide behind phones For only a little bit more more money you can by a Saab, which has a history of excellent customer service, keep in mind general motors own both companies but more importantly has technicians who can and want to rectify problems. I have to travel 15 miles to another dealership to get quality service in Coventry, despite being 2 minutes from a Leamington dealership.

Clive, Torfaen on the Vauxhall Zafira

Over-heating on short journeys.

Ken, Monmouthshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have used the car for 2 trips, from the UK to Lisbon and back. On the superb roads - Santander onwards, I used up to 95 mph where circumstances permit. 100 mph needs 3650 rpm (approx), hence at 90 mph it is not overstretched. Diesel consumption for those journeys averages 47 mpg, which to me is fantastic. With driver only, but with a fully laden / back seats flat Meriva. The only gripe being the thick pillars either side of the windscreen and they do obstruct peripheral vision. I have also used my Caterham CSR 260 for that journey, but the Meriva is a far better and relaxed proposition for such long journeys.

Lee, Rhondda Cynon Taff on the Vauxhall Corsa

29-10-2008 - Well I’ve recently bought a 1.0 Club on a 06 plate (not the new shape) with less than 10k on the clock. It’s immaculate both inside and out. I am firstly amazed by it’s tiny motor. Having driven many small hatchbacks over the years and being less than happy with their respective engines. The tiny motor in the Corsa is a revelation, no doubt due in no small part to it’s 4 vales per cylinder design (twinport). It’ll win the traffic light Grand Prix (if you want it to). It’ll pull like a train up-hill. Also it’s so flexible that you can be in 5th gear running less than 1000rpms and it’ll still pull away smoothly and swiftly, of course if you need to accelerate sharply you’ll need to change down, but for normal day to day driving it’s more than happy being driven this way. So it may only have 60bhp but how it delivers it is spot on. Ride comfort is also quite good, soaking up the majority of bumps with no fuss. Sleeping policemen too can be tackled with no need to slow right down, as has been the case with other cars I’ve driven. Parking is so easy it’s almost laughable, with plenty of glass and excellent wing-mirrors it’s an absolute doddle to parallel-park in even the smallest spaces. Also here is where the speed sensitive power steering comes into it’s own. I’ve already said that going is good, but stopping is better, with ABS and Brake Assist fitted, it really does stop on it’s nose. At first the brakes seem too sharp, but after only a few miles you wonder how you ever managed without them. Cornering is sure-footed, but the skinny high profile tyres don’t really lend themselves to great road holding, however, I’ve no doubt that if you’ve a mind to that a new set of alloys with wider rubber would cure this issue. For me personally the car pulls and stops so well that it’s no chore to slow down that little bit for a tight bend. All the controls fall easily to hand and have a nice positive feel to them. My only gripe is that the clutch feels slightly off-set to me, in as much as I have to move my leg more to the right than I have been used to, but I have adapted to this too. The upside if this is there’s a massive amount of room for you to rest your foot in when not using the clutch. Being a 3 door car access to the rear is always a problem, but the car helps by virtue of having seats that fold well out of the way, maximizing the available room for you to get into the rear seats. Now it’s a small car so rear space is never going to be good, but if like myself you have small kids then it’s not a problem and you can even (when parked) turn around to hand them things as their never far away. The boot too is on the small side, but it’s deep and a good shape, again making the most of the available space, You’ll get 3-4 of those blue bags that Tesco sells (called big green bag) in there, but little else. The seats are easy to fold down though so increasing the space is easy if needed. You’ll be making less stops at the pumps too, with 50+MPG achievable. So to summarise... 1. Goes well 2. Stops better 3. Easy to park 4. Comfortable 5. 50+ MPG too So what have I learned from owning a Corsa? Ignore the press and test drive one yourself and make your own informed decision. Why? Because most car manufacturers develop their cars constantly and on a 06 plate the Corsa is arguably better than it’s ever been, but the consumer will never know this because the press are to focused in reviewing the new model. (which btw is not as good as it’s made up to be).

Steve, Ayrshire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Got as a company car. Fuel consumption was 55mpg on a trip, but car cut out all the time, on motorway, in town, everywhere. Took to main dealer for service, drove 300 yards after collecting car, big bang & car stopped. Dealer collected it, kept it for a week, "fixed" the gearbox (why I don’t know) and it now does 150 miles less per tank, average 37.7mpg on long trip, grinds in second & sixth gears, and now needs to use 2 gears lower for the same hills that it managed in sixth. Had to take it back to get pollen filter changed (supposed to be done on service). The car is a joke to drive, even a Transit pulling a trailer will out drag you at the lights (used to go really well before service). Good news is the stalling is cured! This is my sixth Astra estate and they are great until the dealers touch them. They have ruined my others eg serviced & left dipstick out, fitted wrong fuel cap so tank & filler neck collapsed, on my first one, brakes failed in dealer car park after brake repair. Only by this car if you service it yourself! Basic design seems good & robust, but dealers lack basic skills & will wreck anything they touch.

Tony, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I am achieving 42-46 mpg without being light on the old right foot! My route is far from flat and has both town and motorway and just about legal speeds so I would recommend going for the 120ps as it’s far from slow and ride and stability is fine as long as you don`t think its a sports car. On a twisty road you wont have any trouble. The rear seats are as expected for small people or short drop- off’s. Having changed from a BMW 330 petrol I expected to be tearing my hair out but I am pleasantly surprised. Would recommend to all new dads of multiple children - only thing that bugs me is the stupid touch indicator stalk - why did Vauxhall put these on!! Its the only bad thing on the car!

Sheila, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Meriva

The space use is brilliant, love the cup holders and trays in the rear for my Mum and my son alike. The boot, with its extra under floor storage is really good. The acceleration/pick-up is swift which makes it good for motorway and town driving. The leather interior is easy to keep clean and warm to sit on. It’s a little costly on fuel but you can’t have everything.

Raymond, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Finally got my car back on the 15th May, it’s been with the garage since the 9th April, (SEE MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS, 24.04.10). Non Vauxhall part DPF as none were available in this country, cost £400, new ERG, new Manifold, new exhaust as it could not be removed to replace the DPF, diagnostic check and full service, total cost to me £1432.00, this was cheaper than their normal cost as some of the work was carried out at trade price, Vauxhall as a good will gesture paid £472.00. Guess what; its back at the garage after one week, excessive smoke when pulling away from stationary position, can’t see out the rear window sometimes, the garage says it can’t find anything wrong with it as it seems to be an intermittent fault. I feel i have no other option than to look for another car as i have no faith in the lasting ability of my Zafira. It will not be a Vauxhall.

Suzanne, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Always had older cars, bought this 1 year ago just out of warranty. Gave it to my husband to use thinking it was most relieable car now and I kept an old P reg car. Lost power going up hill, towed to Vauxhall Garage, EGR valve gone, not got any in stock ’til 10th May (about 4 weeks ahead) I found one in neighbouring town, fitted £400. Next? Garage rang Diesel Particle Filter gone as well, cost between £700-£900 for part plus labour but only one garage in country prepared to release one of these parts, down south, bank holiday weekend. Seems big problem with this fault!!! Fixed after forever, VAUXHALL OFFERED TO PAY £450 towards costs??? I wonder why??? Got car back, alternator went within 2 days £300, now engine lights keep coming on - don’t buy one!

Ann, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought a second hand Meriva. It was lovely for three months then it started to go wrong the emissions light came on, kept taking it back to the dealer Archy Moss, this went on for 9 months and as there was a year’s warranty thought that would fix the prob. No chance. At the end of the year they said I had run out of time and that I needed a new ECU at the cost to me £920 + vat, no way so then took it to another Vauxhall garage and they said it was not the ECU but was not sure what it was. I have taken it to another garage and they now tell me after having it tested and paying £50 pound each time on their machine that is what is wrong with my car is it needs the turbo boost replacing, so now its not the ECU the Baromectric pressure sensor, boot pressure sensor...so hang on then, what is it? By now this could have cost me 3 Grand if I had replaced all that they had said and it would still not be working? Then to cap it all the steering had to be replaced as it was getting stiff reversing in and out of tight places and had to turn off the engine as it was sounding crunchy and completely froze.

Mr, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Signum

Needed an Auto and bought this very cheap (under 5K)in auctions with 65K on clock. Felt and looked like a new car.The Design in 2006 has Sports suspension on 17" wheels. This car just cant cope with bumps around town or A roads and they unsettle the whole car. It does corner very flat though with no roll. The 1/2 leather seats seem more spacious and comfortable than a vectra Sri I tested and the ride smoother and less bumpy. Its quite hushed up front with all the noise coming from the rear. No rear air vents for passengers is surprising as the Vectra has them?on this spec. The sliding rear seats give limousine leg room but the boot is the equivalent of an Audi A4 estate (compact). Window lift buttons are a fiddle and you cant rest arm on drivers door arm rest as it slopes? I still hate the electronic indicator stalk. The auto box is easy to confuse at times -when you try to accelerate hard it starts changing down and actually slows you up. The tiptronic function is counter intuitive so is just left in Auto. Only 25 mpg general driving (but its always trying to rev at 2400) but 34mpg at 75ish on motorway (still revving at 2400 in 5th). Overall a pretty good car but wish I had the diesel for the economy.

John, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

It’s such a shame that we are mostly suffering the same problems with this car, if you read my reviews below you will see the problems I have encountered, its back on the road now at a cost of just over £3,000. But how much longer will it be before its off the road again. Why, in this modern day can a manufacturer as large as Vauxhall/Opel, get away without making any positive response to the problems we are having to endure? This now surely warrants TV/radio coverage from the 101 reviews now listed here at the time of writing. Has any one got any experience on how to raise these questions to the media so that these faults are highlighted. This is only one site for people to write their concerns, so there must be many more problems being brought to others attention. Leave a response if you are interested in your problems being highlighted to the media and hopefully Vauxhall can respond to these matters being raised. Only then do I see Vauxhall having to answer our problems which are costing the likes of me and you, money on a vehicle which is not reliable and fit for purpose. Look forward to your response.

Louise, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I love the car. A little slow taking off but what can you expect for a 1.6 with heavy roof and so on... Cheap on insurance and OK with petrol. Get one and enjoy!

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Try and avoid 1.9CDTI Zafira at all cost, within the last month 1 new turbo (£1200) and now DPF (£900), for a car 4 years old it’s not good enough, you have to give the car 25 mile run when the engine spanner light comes on, is this DPF considered good for emissions?, Bought the car for my wife 3.5 years ago, actually not been too bad until now! Had it serviced every year, the problem is ME; I thought the 1.9 CDTI was a good engine, OH NO, not if your wife is doing school runs. Vauxhall should ask how many miles you aim to do a year, when your response is about 6K, they should then turn and say this car is not for you, a 1.8 petrol would suit. Looks like fix it then back to petrol engines. Oh I have an Audi Q7 brilliant cars, no faults except their tyres.

Raymond, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

See previous reviews dated 24.05.10 & 25.05.2010, the Zafira has lasted only six weeks and its broken down yet again, same trouble as before yet I followed the garage & Vauxhall customer cares instructions fully. Each week I drove it down the M20 for 40 miles at 70 mph, this still didn’t stop the engine management light coming on inbetween time. Last week it came on and after 65 miles on the M25 it remained on as well as losing power down to 30 mph. WORD OF WARNING TO ALL, when I had the car repaired previously, there was a back order on DPF’s and none was available in the country for seven weeks, I paid and had fitted a none Vauxhall part for £540, this is not covered under warranty and I will have to pay another £980 for a new DPF. I phoned the Executive Support Manager on 08450902051 who stated "there’s not an issue with the DPF". I, and the other drivers of Vauxhall diesel engine cars who experience this continual problem are not the right drivers for them and therefore cannot help me. Although I said I would not buy another Vauxhall. To buy another new 7 seater car other than a Zafira I will have to part with in excess of £15,000 plus my car, Vauxhall seem to have me over a barrel, it will cost me £7000 plus my car for a petrol 18i Comfort. Before I commit, does anyone know of any problems with the petrol 18i. I am totally gutted to give Vauxhall any more of my money.

Suhail, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Zafira

A perfect family car, we’ve never had any problems and we are now changing it for 2007 1.8 Tiptronic.

John, England on the Vauxhall Combo

The best van your money can buy, on my second one, 66 thousand miles no trouble john.

Marc, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Having read some of the other reviews it seems that I have got away relatively lightly. The car was 15 months old when bought and for the first 8 months of ownership everything was hunky dory,then the engine started surging while holding the car on a constant throttle. Into the dealers it went "That will be the EGR valve",said the man "it’s a known problem". EGR valve replaced under warranty all ok again. Got an invite to take out a networkQ extended warranty, oh boy am I glad I did, alternator gave up the ghost, extended warranty paid for itself in one fell swoop. Near side rear coil spring snapped not covered by warranty £253 later new springs fitted, EGR valve on it’s way out again, dealer tried to get away with just giving it a software update probably in the hope that I would go away and stop bothering them. Car booked in to get EGR replaced AGAIN and then this dog is going to the pound, trading in against anything that doesn’t have a Vauxhall badge on it, any recomendations?.

P, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Had high hopes, but heater blower stopped working on 1-2-3 settings. Gear shifting hard work and heavy clutch. Quite a bit of road noise makes you turn up the radio really loud. Not very roomy up front, lots of space in the back. Now selling the car and will be pleased to see it go.

Joanne, Wales on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had my Vauxhall for just over a month now and 3 times I have had problems with engine management lights, loss of power been told egr valve is faulty having it replaced at car dealers expense. After reading comments on website I am now terrified to drive. I have 3 children and take others out in car, bought a bigger car for this purpose. Should have kept my old one T Reg Renault had spent so much on it thought 4,000 on new car would get me something reliable. Have I been sold a deathtrap? Can any one instill any faith in Vauxhall?

Mike, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Bought mine Oct 07 with 3400miles on clock. Now almost 3 years later and 59000 completed. Apart from a minor problem with CD player when bought has run perfectly. Not really town car but great for anything else. Average 53-55 mpg, great performance from 150bhp engine - confident overtaker. More toys than you can throw a stick at! Tyres last about 22/23k miles; Yes, indicators need careful use fully electronic - RTFM for those who complain. Been to the Alps skiing 3 times and I love cruise control - which you can vary on thestalk, auto light, wipers, dimming mirror, central locking etc.... Underrated.

Nicholas John, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

My 2006 Meriva 1.7cdti has just let me down. Just done 50,000 miles and seemed to be going well. But today the steering packed up and the E.P.S. light came on. How dangerous is that??? I managed to get the vehicle to the local main Dealer (You could almost see the service manager rubbing his hands with glee....) and I had to leave it with them. Since reading all the comments on the web it seems that this is a very common fault/design fault? I believe that the bill could be as much as £2000 so I am not amused. This appears to be a well known fault with Meriva models BUT Vauxhall do not want to acknowledge they have a poor car. As a retired Police Traffic Officer I think that Vauxhall KNOW they have a problem with the E.P.S. and should deal with it. Issue the recall and keep all the Vauxhall drivers happy or you could find that no one buys your cars anymore!!!!!

Louise, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have the 3dr version which comfortably accomodates me, hubby, 2 teenagers with the dog in the boot. It’s a fantastic little car and can easily take on the bigger engined boys on the motorway. The car has been with the family for the best part of 4 years and during this time we’ve had to do very little to keep it running.

Betty, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I bought a twin top in 2006, after loads of problems including a leaking roof the garage had the car more than I did. After 1 year they changed the car for a new one, but the roof is now leaking again. It’s still under warranty but they say the roof seal is not covered - what a shock!

Adam, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

No problems at all, apart from the flimsy aerial breaking, just replaced it with a Halford’s one. Only just bought a whole set of tyres and on 54,000 miles now. Lovely van to drive, very poky little engine. Just wondered why they didn’t use darker cloth on the seats?!? Best van I’ve ever bought!

Heather, County Antrim on the Vauxhall Tigra

I have my car 4 years now with 17,000 miles on the clock. I’ve had no bother with it at all other than a rubber boot that was needed when it was due its MOT. It is the 1.4 (Exclusiv) version and I’m sorry that they are no longer being made as I would buy another new one. I believe that the fuel consumption to be reasonable and although not the quickest car on the road it is suitable for my needs.

Raz, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I will NEVER EVER buy another Vaxuhall. This car has cut out on me three times on the motorway, in which one of them was a very dangerous situation. I’ve only had the car a year and half with 52,000miles (2006 reg). I’ve taken it to three different garages, including Vaxhaull but still no joy. This problem only seems to happen on the motorway and not driving locally. Any help would be appreciated.

Lorraine, Ireland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought 2nd hand in March 2008. Within a few weeks a spring coil had gone in the engine. Had it fixed under warranty. Has been driving away perfect since until this week. Starter motor went in it, cost £250 to replace and have now been told that there is power steering fluid leaking and that the steering rack will have to be replaced at a cost of anything between £800 - £1,000. Am beginning to wonder should I trade it in but I love the car, despite there being very little boot space.

Bob, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had three Zafiras now but this latest one has problems similar to that already reported. The salesmen do not tell you about the inherent problems but it is worth noting that whilst my first two zafiras had the 120 engine the SRi has the 150 engine. I still work part time and thought top of the range this will do for me. Although I do use local motorways it is not usually for the lengths of time needed to service the EGR valve and DPF. I two have had two each of the aforementioned replaced albeit under warranty. I had the car serviced and MOT just before it was three years old otherwise it would have cost me £280 for an EGR valve. I took out extra years warranty for £280 just in case. I am now looking for another zafira with 120 engine as I still believe in the car. Also bear in mind on any make of car or model that a car with the 150 engine is usually badged on the rear with the Ti in RED!!

David, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Bought the car from Motorpoint 4 weeks ago (bad point number 1). The car looks great with roof up or down but it’s been in the garage for 13 days already and being told it will be in for another 4-5 days because of a leak in the roof at the passenger side and also dodgy central locking. The locks close when you press the button but if your next to the car with the key you can still open the passenger side and the boot BUT NOT THE DRIVERS DOOR. The head mechanic at both Motorpoint and Arnold Clark (Mount Vernon Vauxhall Branch) say that this is not a fault. Then there’s the leak both garages have supposedly tested for this and can’t find it but when it rains it’s like a tap has been turned on next to the passenger window. Like I say great looking car just pity spends more time in a garage than on the road.

Derrick, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Signum

Very good and economical petrol wise considering size of engine, bought second hand in January 2010.

Raymond, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought the car new in Sept 06, only done 5,000 miles when engine management light came on followed by loss of power, took it to local dealership who serviced it at a cost of £154.00; Vauxhall’s customer service said this wasn’t under warranty so I had to pay. EML came on again at 1,5142 miles this time it was the EGR which had to be replaced (under warranty). EML came on again at 26,805 miles, EGR replaced again as well as split hose? (under warranty). The warranty expired in Sept 09, in March 2010 at 35,000 miles the indicator for the alternater comes on, as it was a Friday evening I asked the dealership if the battery would last the weekend, yes was the answer, within a short time while driving all the lights came on, had a devil of a job controlling it with no power steering, AA to the rescue, towed to dealership, cost of new alternater £491.00. April 2010 EML on yet again at 35,358 miles, AA towed to dealership, paid £110.00 for diagnostic check which said it needed a new manifold £1200.00, still wouldn’t go, now it needs a new DPF £980.00 but as the exhaust is a bit rusty I may need a new one of them as well, the cost to put it back on the road isn’t finished yet. Vauxhall customer services say as a GOOD WILL GESTURE they will pay 70% of the cost of the manifold but nothing else. It is a disgraceful state of affairs when buying a diesel Zafira that you are not told that you are the wrong kind of driver for a Zafira if you only drive locally. The dealerships only tell you that you need to take the car on a motorway for at least 30 miles a week to clear the DPF after you buy it, where is the economy and environmentally friendly use of this car? It spends weeks every year in garages waiting for back order parts and me borrowing friends cars or renting hire vehicles. I still haven’t got it back after nearly three weeks. Avoid diesel Zafiras at all costs.

Vanessa, England on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

Disappointed is not a strong enough word!!!! Had mine for 10 days and have only done 50 miles before the roof jammed halfway down. I’ve been in the dealership since, it needs 2 new motors and a broken wire. It cost me £9000 to buy and now a further £1000 on a costly repair. Anyone else had this same problem? Am terrified when got the thing back, of it happening again. What a nightmare.

David, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Our Zafira had a problem with the horn not working when the lights were on. We took to garage of where purchased TWICE and they eventually fixed as it was due an MoT, however, we had to take it back as the turbo was not working properly. They couldn’t give a slot suitable so we took it to another garage, however, it broke down before we got it there and had to tow it. We found it was the d.p.f filter and was told it was my fault. I explained it was not displaying any sign or warning light they said it was my fault! It has been in the garage for over a week, still no car, why you ask? well it’s not under waranty so vauxhall informed me I have to pay now, which will be very expensive when I get it back (eventually). It’s gone!!!!!!!

John, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Well where do I begin? Evans Halshaw, What a joke! A bunch of incompetent w***ers! Bought mine from Middlesbrough Renault at Cannon Park last summer, 60000 miles on it and within the first 8 weeks must have been back to dealer 8-10 times. For a start they couldn’t tell me if it had a service even though I paid for one in the price. Alloy wheels were put on with incorrect spacers. Then I met my exhaust system... Kept getting the spanner light coming on and would lose power. Evans Halshaw hummed and aahhed then decided to clean my particulate filter, which worked for about 1 day. Then the hoses blew on the exhaust, which meant more time off work to arrange getting to garage. Then they couldn’t find the fault so I had to go to Falcon Performance in Skippers Lane, Mbro who put it on tech 2 and told me the fault was the particulate filter again. By this time it had been in garage 8-10 times already. SO I HAD TO TELL EVANS HALSHAW WHAT THE FAULT CODE WAS! Anyway after much banging my head against a EVANS HALSHAW wall and being promised that someone would telephone me about the problems which, I’m still waiting for nearly 9 months later. I f****ed EVANS HALSHAW off and went to Falcon and had a new exhaust system fitted, NEW FILTER AND HAD IT REMAPPED TO 170 BHP. Apart from that its a lovely car. The moral of this story is NEVER GO TO A EVANS HALSHAW because they don’t give a s**t. Any one near M’BRO USE FALCON PERFORMANCE,DAVY ROAD,SKIPPERS LANE COZ THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL AND PASSIONATE AND REALLY LOOK AFTER YOU AND YOUR CAR PS sorry for bad language but I feel that angry with EVANS HALSHAW, MUPPETS.

Doug, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I recently part-exed my 2005 Renault Megane 1.5 dci Estate Auto,for a 2006 Vectra Elite 1.9cdti 150 Satnav Auto,in Lightning Silver costing £69500. It had a full service history being an ex-lease car and had covered 60,000 miles. So far it has been a pleasure to drive, smooth and quiet on the motorway, (unlike the Megane), with an excellent, well built cabin, superb leather seats, really well equipped and seems very solidly built compared to the Renault. I bought one as my son has an earlier 2 litre diesel 02 Elite with 130,000 now covered and the engine is as strong as ever; it looks immaculate in glossy black. I always was impressed with his Vectra but I ignored his advice and bought a Megane 18 months ago, which turned out to be a mistake. Gearbox problems, squealing brakes, worn discs, electrical problems, electric window failure, all sorted under warranty but I found the 4 speed auto box felt like it needed another gear as it was noisy on the motorway and I never felt confident that something wouldn’t go wrong! The Vauxhall inspires confidence and I intend to keep it, it’s a luxurious motorcar with a smooth 6 speed well tried auto box and is a delight on longer drives whilst still averaging 42 mpg!

John, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Zafira still in garage......read the items below posted by me… and you will pleased to know that its having a new engine... but guess who’s paying… correct, me. I’ve had full engineers report undertaken at reputable Vauxhall main dealers and the problems listed on the report are ridiculous for a 4 year old car. Shame no representative from Vauxhall reads these comments, they might be able to learn that the bad publicity by word of mouth and reviews like those on this site affects later purchases of Zafira’s, or the whole Vauxhall range come to that. A learning point here is that where I work 12,000 people are employed and such service and reliability problems that I have had don’t take long to get around. So Vauxhall need to understand that some of us are not just one individual who can be fobbed of, but word of mouth can lose so much custom in such a competitive market. And at the end of the day they will wonder why so many sales are lost to other manufacturers... I won’t be returning to Vauxhall unless some responsibility is under taken by them... £3,000+ to repair at my expense and still not got the final bill... Ford, Mazda, Kia, Citroen, and all the other MPV manufacturers, more custom coming your way in the near future, and Vauxhall can wave good bye to lost income from potential lost sales... If only they would acknowledge these comments...

Ian, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought a Zafira 19 cdti 150 2006 12 month old, good car at the time as I have a caravan. Had new egr valve fitted last May 2009 on warranty got it back engine managment light came on 2 days later, computor said dp filter, got car back day later everthing fine but then comes on dash coolent level low. Lifted bonnet and it’s fine. Now my car’s out of warranty so I rang the garage to see if the part was still under warranty as it was less than 12 months old, they told me they didn’t put one on anyway, just rebooted the cars software. Now they want a 1000 pound to repair it, didn’t tell me when I bought it that it’s only good for motorway miles.

Vijay, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have owned this van since 2007 when it had done 13k, now its 50k and no major problems. The engine management fuse went, which cost a bit in diagnosing the dealer, going to sell it because think it’s Renault! Should sell as its a 2.5 rare engine.

John, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Had the car since new, covered just over 91000 miles in a little under 4 years. Uncomfortable seats, problems with engine, new head gasket, turbocharger, various coolant system hoses, complete new front suspension, ongoing problems with rear reg. no. plate illumination lights bulb holder corroding badly, front ball joint and even had new rear shock absorbers on its first service at 20000 miles just for starters! I might just be unlucky with a Friday afternoon special, but would second the motion that "GM, engineered by accountants." When the lease runs out, Vauxhall will be first to be struck off the replacement vehicle list! In summary, rubbish vehicle, would not recommend!

Mayur, London on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Since the car was purchased (1yr old) from Monorep (Hayes, Middx) we have had non stop issues with it. 1st the horn was working intermittently and the Vauxhall dealer could not find a fault, until it completly stopped working! Then the emissions light came on and they replaced the temperature sensor. The car has been to the workshop about 5 times since we have had it. The emissions light has again come on and I have checked the fault code which is again pointing to the temperature sensor and now the dealer is saying that they want to charge us to run diagnostics and the repair / parts will be chargeable? I was also told that the work that is carried out has no warranty after the 3 year warranty has lapsed, meaning if work is done a day before the warranty has lapsed you have no come back if the fault re-occurs a day after. The irony is that when I spoke to the workshop manager said that he felt that the car coming back 5 times was not bad considering other Vauxhall’s that have had problems have come back a lot more. This is not very reasuring as a customer!

Leslie, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Having lived with the car for nearly 4 years and driven 40,000 motorway miles I can safely say the mechanicals are second to none. The engine is smooth and refined with a good exhaust note, but is a underpowered at low revs and manages only around 25-30mpg. The car has had a service every year with oil changes and it has passed its first MOT with flying colours. The car has also been kind to tyres as the first full set only had to be changed at 30,000 miles. The wear was even which shows that the steering is balanced. The interior is very comfortable if a little grey. The finish to the interior upholstery is of a high quality. The stereo which comes as standard is of a good standard, with steering wheel controls. The exterior design of the vehicle is striking. Its a vehicle that can be recognised in silhouette form and has since been emulated both by the Renault Megane and VW Sirocco. The only flaws with the design are that the rear window is very small and visibility is reduced and the side doors because of the size and weight loosen the door stops. A turn on the T screw rectifies this problem. The vehicle is also very wide for its size, making parking more difficult, than with the previous Astra.

Richard, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

The best van you can buy, my 2006 model 1.9 cdti has done me proud. I’m a service engineer and travel the country 6 days a week, i’ve now done 1740000 miles and nothing has gone wrong; I change the oil and filter every 4 weeks. All I have changed is the tyres and brakes, not bad for the miles eh?

John, Cumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Where do I start? Good points first.. Very practical, good ride and handling, plenty of room for two adults and four childen, if it wasn’t for the following problems I would recommend this car, just a pity Vauxhall are not recognising faults that seem to be mentioned repeatedly on the internet. If you have had any of the following faults then I assure you you are not alone. Grinding noise from clutch, replaced with new bearing, Engine Managment lights intermitantly, Alternater packed in whilst driving, lucky it was me and not my wife as I had to use two hands to turn steering wheel, engine stayed running as I knew alternater was packing in as all lights on dashboard flickered while driving and I was not in a position to stop safely; this is a serious design fault for women drivers. Heater switch does not blow onto screen, replaced two times fault back again. Smoke emits from exhaust and enters cabin, This has been mentioned as a cracked manifold and the emission light illuminates, and the most serious thing happened while my wife was driving, engine running on its own accord while driving, she pulled over and engine revved up until it blew blue and white smoke from exhaust and engine bay and finally died.... If any one has experinced any of the above please let me and others know, this has all happened on a 2006 55reg with 39,900mls serviced at correct times. Vauxhall need to respond to these faults. have you or are having these problems?? £13k for a car I can’t use because you guessed it......ITS IN THE GARAGE, waiting for a quote to get the car back on the road.

Terry, Northern Ireland on the Vauxhall Zafira

I loved the car when I bought it, a week later the EGR valve had to be replaced and then there was a problem with DPF turbo and I was told I was not driving it the way it should be. I’m so disappointed. I would advise anyone to get rid before the vehicle is out of warranty. Mine is costing me £1550 approx to repair. I’m going legal. Is anyone else or if you have already phone 07788742174. Will not buy Vauxhall again, I’ve had very little help from the Belfast dealer.

John, Dorset on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought the car second hand two years ago with very low miles on approx 20,000, the major problem with it is it keeps dying, literally, at high speed or at any given time with no apparent warning. I recently ground to a halt in the middle of carriage with a car that appeared completely lifeless. I usually call the AA but find by the time they get to me the car comes back to life and we carry on as if all is ok again. This happens now once a week on average, what should i do and what’s the problem? I see and hear this story from many other vauxhall owners with brand new cars mainly the vectra 2.2 diesel.

Jonny, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

An excellent van but stay well away from Vauxhall servicing because they’re useless. They tried to tell me i need new discs all round and I only needed rear ones. Bought it in 2007 with 6000miles on the clock and have now done 130000 miles and not one problem, even though it’s always fully loaded and driven quite rough some times. Find yourself a decent mechanic and it’ll give you no problems. The biggest problem I’ve had is when i filled the tank with petrol! - Jonny from Yorkshire

Phil, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop

I have first hand experience of the TwinTop boot/roof seal problem. Approx. one week before the three year warrantee was up, I brought a water ingress problem in the boot area to the attention of my local Vauxhall service centre, they explained that the seals had gone. With a replacement costing £650 I told them that I would tackle vauxhall direct, however, no joy. The rep from the customer service centre told me that seals were only covered for 12 months and I would have to pay myself. I now intend to pay for the work but still carry on pursuing Vauxhall on the grounds that the car is not fit for purpose under consumer act. When are these companies ever going to admit design failures? It’s a shame, only for this problem the car would get five stars.

Danny, Essex on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve had the car for 5 years, it’s only needed regular services and a steering rack and about 300 quid for other little jobs over the period, also done 160,000 miles.

Ian, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Zafira

It is now December 26 2009 and I have had THREE coil packs since April 09. Last New coil Pack fitted December 22. I have had fault codes deleted. Then the warning light on the dashboard came on the next day. The car engine cut out and failed on a busy dual carriageway. The AA towed the car home. AA told me the coil pack fault is showing as fault up on diagnostics. Not sure what to do now, get repaired or get rid?

Philip, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Combo

I have had a combo for quite a number of years and had very little trouble with the engine. Done about 75,000 miles over the last two years this van has been excellent value owes me nought. The combo has been a right work horse and usually got around the 50miles to a litre of diesil out of it around town. In my oppinion this van has been the best small van I have ever had. I have been looking for a bigger van just lately and after reading some of the oppinons on some bigger vans has had me thinking not to change from the combo due to it being so reliable over the years I have been driving it. It’s a shame other bigger Vauxhall vans aren’t as good as this little bute as I would buy one tommorow.

Steve, Somerset on the Vauxhall Zafira

Versatility fantastic, seating and load space great. Bought when 3 years old in Feb 2009 with 20,000 on clock, have now done 34,000. Since purchased glove box replaced. Coil packed up and replaced along with spark plugs. Battery kept going flat, due to glovebox light staying on. Then car required new ecu, this replaced but within a day warning light back on and now back with dealer to try and fix. Not impressed. Lack of reliability means car has to go as network Q’s 12 month back up has nearly expired and I’m wondering what next?

Cammy, Caithness on the Vauxhall Vectra

We have had this car for 4 years, it is one of the first facelift models. Had a few issues, EGR valve, alternator and flywheel, all of which were repaired under warranty. Other than that, this car has been one of the best we have had. Good performance, good fuel consumption, loads of room, good handling (once you are used to the steering). Also, quite a good looking car in the black. Honestly, I can’t really fault the car. Would be happy to buy one of the last XP models if I could find one.

Peter, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Didn’t really have much trouble if I’m honest until it mysteriously went up in fire. No evidence of any sabotage. Fire officer believed fire started because of an electrical problem. I have heard that this has happened to other Opel, Renault, Vivaro type vans. If any one can give me info if they know anything please let me know.

Steve, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought mine direct from BT, it’s a 2005. Had 39,000 on clock and full service history - BT are faithful to the recommended service intervals. There are a few things I will say. 1: Always have it serviced at main dealer 2: Buy from somewhere that offers an AA warranty and take out the policy for 2 years. After 2 years change the van and repeat! 3: Buy low mileage if possible and always buy at book value for year etc - eg If its cheap there is a reason!!! Mine is used 7 days a week (about 250 - 300 miles per week), Oil / Filter is done every 6 weeks and Full service every 3 months. If you look after them they are fantastic vehicles, BT use them, AA use them and many many traders up and down the country use them.

Ian, Perthshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this car new in 2005. Knowing that I would be doing a high mileage I went for the factory fit LPG option. In all respects it is as capable as any other Corsa and does what is required. The major benefit is the lower running costs, with LPG being less that 60% of the cost of petrol or diesel, and when even taking into account the lower mpg when running on LPG it still works out a much greater distance can be covered for £10 of fuel. Another plus is the annual road fund licence for this vehicle is only £15 so a good saving there too. The only downside I have found is that the LPG tank takes the space normally used for the spare wheel and as such the car is supplied with a can of tyre sealant.

Jacqui, England on the Vauxhall Tigra

I would like to agree with the previous review as my Tigra leaks so much especially on the drivers side that it has a constant smell of damp. The boot and the roof now makes a loud embarrassing noise so I rarely use the boot and the roof. When the sun finally comes I will be embarrassed to put my roof down. Just to look at it, the cost is £60.00. How is it that the rain comes in so much that it creates a puddle? Surely this is a manufacturing fault and something should be done? Apart from this when the weather is good I adore my little sports car, if only it did not rain inside.

Rob, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Have 1.9 cdti bought car with 50k on clock. At 58k eng management light came on - dealer diagnosed EGR fault. With a new one fitted car would hesitate in lower gears and sometimes feel like it was a missfire, no dealer could help. found out Fiat (with same engine) fit a restricter on the EGR so I made one and fitted it. Car is fine now and even has more response at lower rev’s.

Andy, Durham on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Cracking looking van in my opinion, seems to eat brake discs for some reason compared to the way I drive. Always sounds a tad rough in the cold weather. Diesel pump just went on it at 65000 miles, cost an absolute fortune to replace that. Gutted I am. Always seems to have small niggling problems. Now on the look out for another van - just not another Vivaro. 2 of my friends have the same van - the same story there, and yet another with gearbox troubles!

Thomas, Surrey on the Vauxhall Corsa

My car has just broken down, i am told is problem with one of the cylinders. Being a Sunday no garages were open so the truck carried my car home. I got this car as it is one of the few cars in insurance group 1. Suspension is soft so the car has a good ride, it also rolls quite a bit on the corners. But with a 1.0 engine this was never going to be a sports car. If i drive it carefully I get good fuel economy, over 40 mpg around town. Fifth gear is a low ratio to make the most of the engines power, at 70 mph the engine is doing nearly 4000rpm. The car is happy enough cruising at 80 and can achieve nearly 100mph, but I try to keep it to 70 because once you take it faster it starts using a surprising amount of petrol for such a small engine. I would not recomend this car as the steering is very vague, not sure if it has been driven into a curb hard by a previous user(ex rental car) but I hear that this car model does have vague steering. The engine is loud when cold, it’s actually as loud or louder than the diesel car I learnt to drive in, but once it warms up it settles down. There are better cars out there.

Zeshan, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I had this car for about 10 months and have put in new clutch, flywheel and turbo 2 months ago and now the car is giving me problems again. It loses power now and then when I am pulling out of junction or stopped at traffic lights. I took it to the local garage but the engine light doesn’t show so they can’t find the fault, they saying it might be the fuel pump or the regulators. I have always liked Vauxhall but this one has put me off.

James, Somerset on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Cramped, brake failure, constant water leaks

Fiona, Lothians on the Vauxhall Corsa

Worst buy ever - Corsa’05 plate! Car has 40,000miles on clock and had catastrophic engine failure on Christmas Eve’09, resulting in new engine being required, cost £2,500 (new clutch put in too). Still has ongoing problems with heating and oil/water leaks. We thought possibly the severe weather had something to do with the problem but have now found out, through Sunday Mail, there are many 05plate corsas out there with serious engine problems. Vauxhall currently investigating this and will report back to paper next week.

Damian, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’m disgusted in our Vauxhall Zafira, since January of this year its been in and out of the garage, with electrical faults, loss of power, egr valve, clutch failure, and accelerator pedal costing almost £2500. We are now in mid september and this car has left us penniless. Can’t sell it, no one wants it, Vauxhall won’t help because we took it elsewhere when it was out of warranty. Name and shame Vauxhall for their aftercare. We are at the end of our wits end!

Steve, England on the Vauxhall Combo

Awfully uncomfortable, rust bucket, under powerd, unreliable with an interior that is made from recycled plastic cups. Map light stays on permanently (resolved by removing the bulbs) power steering pump failed, diesel pump failed and failed its MOT on emissions. Brakes don’t do anything, passingers door won’t unlock (Vauxhall say its fine) only done 69,000 miles. All in all if you are thinking of one don’t, buy anything else. On the plus side the glove box is roomy. And the little door handles on the inside are really good for putting your phone in. That is about it.

Peter, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Economical (55mpg average, £30 p.a. tax), and cheap to insure. After 77k it still looks good and drives perfectly. It’s special feature is the anti-stall, this means that it will drag itself over the deepest snow in 1st without the driver touching the accelerator, NO wheel slip. Looking forward to another winter like 2009.

George, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Meriva

Powered steering has come out of action twice whilst driving and having to turn sharply. Almost impossible to steer when out of action. TV criticsized this action on many cars. BIG PROBLEM when driven by elderly persons. Is there a recall for modernisation or replacement? Would not recommend to any body because I consider it a very dangerous situation whilst driving and power steering comes out. I found by switching electrics OFF for two minutes power comes back on. Not very good on motorways. Have taken to a Vauxhall Garage and they have stated "Nothing to worry about, just stop and switch off your engine fo two minutes then it woks again" What are you comments on this situation, when you suddenly have no power steering and struggle to steer for stopping purposes whilst in traffic?

Steve, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Not a bad car as most have believe, but luckily I got the inlet manifold replaced under warranty (the swirl valve rod worn out) most warranty companies wont cover it as they say, if the inlet is choked up, warranty void. Mine was, but, ahem, a word with the garage to arrange a different story. Egr valves, yep, common problem with all euro4 diesels. Easy fix to remove and clean. . . if you are mechanically minded. Just don’t drop an allen/torx screw key down the back while you are doing any work...they tend to drop on the live feed to starter motor, and blow the heater speed control and starter fuse! When I saw the state of the inlet manifold I was shocked, reduced by carbon deposits to a third of its inlet port size. This causes the swirl flaps to restrict, wearing out the rod on top of the manifold. its a 600 quid job for new manifold, but the egr valve is easy for the mechanically minded. Just a fiver for two gaskets and bit of paraffin, and an hr work. Fuel consumption...erratic. Town can give between 25 and 35 in sport mode, but carefull 70mph constant on motorway has given me 62 mpg over 200 miles...not bad! looking at getting the chip from 150 to 170 bhp, it’s a fun surge at 2000rpm. Overall, I bought the ex lease car with fsh at 44000 miles, it had had gearbox, clutch, battery, starter, alternator new...but remember, fleet cars have non existent problems repaired when they go in for services...to fund the dealer! Also, front disks, rear disks, etc etc. Well, 20k miles I have done glitch free apart from warranty manifold, and egr valve 12000 miles ago. If buying used, go for 3 yr old ex fleet with fsh, yr warranty, they have everything replaced during fleet time by greedy dealers. Always have done, with every used car I have. I know cdti reps who covered 200k in 4 yrs with these engines no probs. Saabs have same engine, hundreds of thousands on the roads with the cdti. Just pick carefully.

Nick, Huntingdonshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Was an excellent van, bought at 23,000 and used it 6 days a week for work and then carried enduro bikes at weekends to different places. Serviced as required but fan belt wrapped around cam belt sitting in traffic and destroyed the valves. Had it repaired... now 2 months later it started missing so replaced the crankshaft sensor but still doing it?? Anyone with advice please let me know? Or is it time I got shot of it. It’s got 92k on the clock now.

Scott, Somerset on the Vauxhall Zafira

Intermittent EGR fault at 36000 miles, problem with mass air flowmeter, solenoid valve or temperature sensor, main dealer useless but eventually got Vauxhall to pay 1/2 the £400 bill. 65K on clock now and thrust bearing really noisy, looking at between 300 - 500 to sort. Good car for flexibility, useless on reliability and aftercare from dealer. Will never buy another Vauxhall again, Ford or Toyota for me.

Rick, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought van 2005 55 plate had it nearly 5 years never had a problem yet, not 1, the back tyres have just been changed 56000 miles later. I never use main dealers, this time I’m changing oil/filter myself, all the discs might need replacing next year. I hope I get another 5 years out of it.

Dave, Somerset on the Vauxhall Meriva

I’ve had my ’old’ Meriva since new and - touch wood- its been a good workhorse, humping stuff here and there, which is what I bought it for. It’s just sailed through its 3rd MOT. Whilst at the garage I tested the NEW Meriva. Won’t be getting it though...biggest shock.NO HANDBRAKE! Call me old-fashioned but having a gaping hole where the handbrack used to be just for the gimicky sake of extra storage is mad.

Aftab, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had for three years without any issues, but now I have hit the problems mentioned here. For the last few months the emmisions light was illuminated whilst driving, I ignored it as I could not feel any difference in performance. Then all of a sudden the battery light came on, this needed a trip to local garage. I needed a new alternator and a new EGR valve. I still have to collect the car from the garage, but I am dreading how long it will be before I have to take it back in. It’s a very practical car, but I may have made the wrong choice.

Carolyn, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

Have had this car from new and love it, it does everything I want from a car except... At nearly 3 years old and very low mileage the steering column needed replacing, luckily under warranty, as it was rattling at low speeds. In fact it sounded like the wheels were going to drop off. 6 months later familiar noise back again, needed a new steering rack and track rods - guess what? Vauxhall didn’t want to know, garage eventually went 50/50 with me after a fight. Now 11 months later I am told the familiar rattling is yet another steering column needing replacing, another £900. Accordingly to Vauxhall it is because I have to drive over speed bumps - well hello, who doesn’t? I can’t get within a mile of my house without going over some and no I am not stupid on them. Surely trading standards should have something to say about a car not built for purpose - who can avoid humps nowadays? Garage tell me it is not a constant problem on Merivas - the websites tell me otherwise. Surely they must have changed the steering on the new model but no one can tell me that Vauxhall seem to be holding those cards very close to their chests interestingly enough. Would I buy another one - yes I would but only if someone can actually truthfully answer that question. Love the car, hate their lies and complete lack of integrity about the issues.

Terry, Devon on the Vauxhall Combo

My 4th Combo now in last 14years. No major problems with any of them, just run of the mill servicing and ware and tear. Every Combo has been an improvement on the last. I keep them 3 years or 80K then change them. The latest 1.7cdti unit takes some beating 100bhp very quick, excellent road holding, superb brakes (discs all round with ABS and EBD.) Especially with a good load in the back. This van does around 35 mpg around town & 48mpg on a run. Never any starting problems or had to call AA out for this van or all the others. I have yet to find any other make of small van to get close to the combos all round reliability and comfort, or yet to find any small van to beat me away from a Green light in this van. I have to give the Combo top marks and just waiting for a new model to come out!

Tricia, Dorset on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought this Vauxhall Meriva in March this year, 30.000 on the clock and have done very little mileage since owning it. Had to take a trip up north a few days ago, 3/4 hr into journey, the engine stopped, temp guage wasn’t showing hot. Pulled over, saw steam/smoke coming from under the bonnet. Opened bonnet and things seemed pretty hot under there. Roadside recovery came out, he pointed out the water res’ was empty, although I had topped it up that morning before the trip. He then followed the hose around and pointed out that it had popped off. The jublie clip that is supposed to hold the end of the hose in place, was half way down the hose. It looked like it had been there a while, bit rusty and when he moved it to where it was supposed to have been, there was an indentation in the hose. Today I have been told that there is water in the cylinder head? I went on to speak about the findings of the hose and was told it doesn’t matter where the jublie clip is placed. This can’t be right surely - if the clip had been in the correct place, it wouldn’t have popped off the way it did and water would not have gone everywhere? My car has warranty, 12 months when purchased in March, cover £600. Now this car had a full service when purchased, surely hoses are checked??

John, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

It’s a great car, I’ve had mine from new and had no problems at all. They must be good cars because the police force have them.

John, England on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Hi, I have owned my Astra 1.3 cdti estate for 2 years now. At first I had a problem with the gears; they wouldn’t select reverse then all gears went and nearly burnt the clutch out. Took it to the garage to find out it was only a nut worked loose by the gear leaver. I was relieved as I thought the gear box had gone. Since then I have had no problems with the car, it handles really well and is good on fuel .The tax now is only £90 a year and it only has 10 bhp less than the 1.7 cdti. I find changing from first to second going up hill can be a bit of a struggle, it also from suffers from a bit of turbo lag; a k&n panel filter would probably help with the turbo lag. Over all the car is great, not really fast but will sit at a ton and it only feels like your only going half the speed. A practical car.

Danny, Spain on the Vauxhall Vectra

Had the car for 5 years, only replaced the brakes and steering rack, done 156,000 miles. Regular servicing is needed in the diesel well oil & filter. I would recommend as a great 2nd car at this age, fantastic.

Jack, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I think that it is an amazing car and the seat arrangement is just perfect, well done Vauxhall.

Jerry, Devon on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

A cheap second-hand buy to replace a lovely but rusty Skoda Felicia Estate. The Vauxhall looks great & does things well enough, but it feels designed for a sales rep in a hurry rather than for a man who prefers taking life easy. It’s at its best on motorways & main roads & at its worst around town. It just doesn’t drive like a diesel! Acceleration is excellent as is fuel consumption but you have to get used to using the gears to keep the engine above 2000 rpm, otherwise its dead. Sixth gear is a waste of time in the UK as the car needs to be going either downhill or well above 65mph for the engine to maintain speed. Also unlike most diesels it’s not happy climbing hills with a full load & a cold engine. It struggles to leave our driveway in first gear - a hill the Skoda could happily take in third. On the practical side, the boot is rather shallow for an estate car and the roof rails are so close together at the back that my roof bars won’t fit. On the other hand, the car’s just narrow enough for my wife to get her motorbike past it when it’s parked on the driveway - a very important issue for us! There have been just 2 reliability problems, both to do with the brakes. A hose from the ABS system needed replacing which was done under warranty, but just 2 months after the warranty expired, the back brake pads were worn down (56000 miles) & all 4 brake discs need replacing - due to rust - at an estimated cost of over £300! How long will we keep it? Probably only a short while as I really think I’d prefer something less racy & more of a carthorse.

Gareth, County Down on the Vauxhall Vectra

Excellent car, very smooth drive. Handles the road very well and very spacious. Very good family car and a pleasure to drive. We bought the Vectra Breeze and are very happy with the purchase.

Ron, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Agila

ONE of the best small cars I’ve driven, yes it may look like Postman Pat’s van but who cares? I’ve had it just over 3 years; the longest ever I’ve kept any new car and I’m going to keep it for possibly another 3 years. I get almost 50mpg petrol, the reason being the versatility it has and there is loads of room even without the seats folded down. I use it to take people to hospital in my spare time and everyone says how easy it is to get in and out of this car.

Ryan, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Do not buy one of these vans- stick with transit, only 43000 miles and had 2 new gear boxes and 2 new cluthes, van spends more time off road than on it even the vauxhall mechanics say they are rubbish. DO NOT BUY ONE OFF THESE TERRIBLE VANS IT HAS NEARLY PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS AND VAUXHALL DO NOT CARE IF YOU PHONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY CAN’T SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND A WORD OFF ENGLISH.

Steve, London on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have had this van from new and with 52k on the clock have had little trouble. The service costs have been high on the 2 services I have had, they insist on renewing the brake discs all round which I am sure is what they say to everyone. The power is more than adequate from the engine and I also got mine with an extra side loading door which has been a god-send. I am thinking about renewing soon and was thinking about a Transporter but after reading the reviews I think my search might see me buying another Vivaro.

Roger, Devon on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

This car does what is says on the tin and also looks quite good too. The diesel returns 55 mpg on long runs, is not too obtrusive if you keep to 60 mph. It is not as quiet as the French diesel engines that go in the Focus, Citroen’s and Peugeot’s. It is well built, it handles very well for an estate (it has a longer wheel base than the hatchback). The loading entry for the boot is excellent, no obstructions and low. it has a comfortable cabin. safety equipment in the club version is very good.

Richard, London on the Vauxhall Vectra

For a petrol auto it is good on fuel with 37mpg at motorway speeds. Quiet, smooth, reasonable feedback from steering. Quick acceleration from standstill but less so at higher speeds. Auto box in stop start traffic can change with big "clunks", I had same problem on a 02 model Vectra. Reliability has been good only wiper motor needing replacing & a fuel sensor. Previous 02 car had big problems with ECU & was never really sorted out. This model has an improved wiring loom apparently that has solved the problem. Seats are a minus being hard & uncomforatable. Dash is uninspiring but there are no rattles after 3 years & 50k miles. After 50k miles still just on original tyres previous model needed replacing at 20k miles. Having had the luck to try the Insignia, it really leaves the Vectra way behind but it is even bigger.

Barry, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought the car when it was 6 months old and have not had a single problem. I am now looking to upgrade to a newer model as it is the best family car on the road..... I love them!

Steven, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Combo

The 2005 Combo is a significant improvement on its 1997 predecessor. It features increased payloads and load volumes and is now a better alternative to the Berlingo and Kangoo than before. The diesel engines are now far more economic to drive and give improved power and performance. A good van, now on a par with similar vans from the other manufacturers - the 1.3 engine offers more than the older 1.7.

Andrew, England on the Vauxhall Signum

Having looked for a car with luxury features but not a luxury price tag - I looked at the Signum. I liked its flexible seating, the large (but not estate sized) boot space and the fact it had a nice colour computer with decent (but not amazing) Sat Nav. Everyone who has seen it close up comments on how comfortable it is and it’s a great drive on the motorways. The 150 BHP engine is great and returns between 45-50 MPG and with cheap servicing costs is a good all round package.

Tim, Middlesex on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

I’ve had this car from new and I’ve not regretted buying once. A very practical car that gives an enjoyable drive too. The engine is smooth and quiet and it handles very nimbly for an estate. The space is good and the interior is comfortable; very good driving position too. Overall this is an excellent estate and you could do a lot worse. For someone like me the down side is resale value is low, but if you’re in the market for a used car you could probably pick one up for a bargain.

Nikki, Sussex on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought this car when only one year old from the local main dealership. Has been reliable but lots of niggly problems, for example went back 3 times for faulty electric window, the seat on the drivers side gets stuck and has to be punched to move it and the dealership have been unable to repair it as it is an intermittent fault. More seriously it leaks when it rains, and has again been back to the dealership 3 times and has still not been rectified. Finally the electronic control unit has now gone and I have been quoted £703 to replace it and it is now out of warranty. I would not recommend a Corsa after my experiences, I feel very disillusioned as I chose this car for its reputation of being reliable and economical. In my opinion it would be ideal for a very wealthy but incredibly dull person.

Brett , Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I’ve had the van from new and it’s just turned 150k miles, quiet,fast and reasonably economical if driven right, apart from service items all it’s had is an egr valve,rear brake caliper and a track rod end. The gearbox is just starting to get a bit sticky but it’s still on it’s original clutch so it’s probably that. It has to go back to the lease company soon and I will miss it, best van I’ve had in 20 odd years.

Mick, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

Same thing happened to me last year mine failed it MOT on emissions and the garage said the same as yours. I got the CAT changed by someone else and got through the MOT. It ran perfectly until now - has been into a Vauxhall dealer twice so far; £750 and they still don’t know what’s wrong - CAT has disintegrated. I have refused to pay anymore money. I took it to them because it was misfiring; they put in new plugs, EMU and have said the CAT was blocked even though it wasn’t there. Now very upset and looks like I have a battle on my hands. They even charged me £170 for diagnostic check, they are now looking at it free of charge. Kwikfit will do the CAT for about £320.

Tom, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

We have had the car three years. It has been OK. The extra seats have been helpful with a family. Lacks a little power. Fuel mileage not very good around town Thinking of changing it. Concerned by some of the weakness that may start to appear. EGR values, drive chain etc... Any advice welcome folks? Email: tomj4088@hotmail.co.uk

Roland, Sussex on the Vauxhall Vectra

At 65k the gear box has failed I am at present ready to have it reconditioned at a cost of £2,600 after Vauxhall is refusing to help me. They say the warranty has run out @ 60,000miles and thats it. Sorry but we had your £12,500 18 months ago and we just dont care. That is what your told from a call centre in Hungary, you try and speak to someone at Luton Beds & they just direct you back to Hungary. I was told to write to the Director at Vauxhall by the dealer I bought the car from. I did three weeks ago, still no reply so in my opinion I would advise people not to buy a 1.9 Vauxhall 6 speed automatic as Vauxhall seem to think in this modern age of the car that 65k for a gear box is OK. DONT BUY ONE

Sean, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought this van with only 60,000 on the clock and very tidy looking. In three years it’s done an extra 22,000; it’s been off the road for over a year costing me a fortune in lost earnings. It’s had a new turbo costing £550, a new battery at £150, a new master clyinder at £150, a new slave cylinder at £675, a complete head rebuild costing £1300 (top) an engine rebuild (bottom half) costing £1400, a new clutch at £680 and now the gear box needs repairing at around £600 - £800! It has nearly put me out of business and so it’s now being sold for spares and repairs. Beware!!

Martyn, Essex on the Vauxhall Vectra

An exellent car. I always buy vauxhall and the v6 are easy to work on, as are the timing belts. A smooth ride with plenty of power when needed.

Linda, Kent on the Vauxhall Meriva

I own a 55 Reg Vauxhall Meriva. It was fine until a few months ago. I had a problem with my steering column. It would lose the PAS even sometimes on roundabouts. The Merivas had not been recalled by Vauxhall, but it seems is a common problem. A friend of mine had the same problem. I saw it mentioned on Watchdog and contacted the telephone number they gave. I had the problem sorted out no problem by a Vauxhall dealer near my home. Free of charge. Since then, I have had the Cam Shaft loosen and I have been told by another garage that I am lucky it did not do more damage to the engine. I did a search online and it seems this is also a common problem although the Meriva is not being recalled by Vauxhall. Apparantly Vauxhall are not helping customers as a rule with this financially, which I do not understand as they fixed my steering problem. Surely this is a dangerous fault and should be recalled?

Wayne, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I’ve had my vivaro coming up to 3 years looked smart and quite nippy paid £5,800 and every year I’m paying for it. Had it 3 months and the gear box went which cost £1,600. Then the timing or cam belt with all other parts that goes with it needed doing the following year which was another £400. Now last week the fan belt broke wrapping itself round the timing belt and knocking all the engine out, which means it’s going to cost between £700 -£1000. So in the time I’ve had the van I’ve spent a small fortune if you add up all the time off work the hired vehicles. You see these VW ralleys with the old vans up and down the country, I’ll bet you won’t see any Vivaro ralleys around in a couple of decades. I should of leased a new one or spent more on a decent van.

Ian, Ayrshire on the Vauxhall Combo

Goes like a rocket and guzzels fuel. It’s faster to 55 mph than my 1.8 16 v Focus! At 80K miles I paid £2.5K three months ago. Fuel guage lies. Roof ladders make a racket. The front is way too low and catches on the slightest bump. The driving position is very low and the windscreen very tall so even though the visors are massive they don’t reach low enough to shield the sun. It takes about 8 miles to warm up from cold. The turning circle is too big and I don’t trust Vauxhall’s, but the paintwork is good, the payload is excellent and I am still drawn to the little begger in a perverse way.

Richard, Shropshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I love these vans. This is now the second one I have owned. The first was an 03 plate 1.9dti. I ran this for 2 1/2 years (and 95000 miles) without a fault - just the servicing costs. The second is a 55 plate 1.9cdti which has now done 220000 miles. It ran perfectly upto 190k then blew the slave cylinder - £800 bill, but after that many miles, you have to expect something to go wrong. The only other faults I have had since have been a faulty MAF sensor (£39 from ebay including the postage) and the fuel pipe between the filter and the injector pump rubbed a hole in it - £5 from the local motor factors to fix that one. Over the 320000 miles I have done in these vans I have averaged 40MPG and I have a heavy right foot (love scaring porche owners who can’t drive!). It’s just been written off by the insurance company, so I am on the look out for another one.

Fiona, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

A good little car. I’ve had mine 2 years and have driven to my daughter’s in Scotland in it. It’s good on petrol and I love it.

Wayne, Somerset on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Nice looking van, but boy oh boy, when they go wrong they go wrong!!! Purchased the van when only one year old, so still under the 3 year warranty, only 30,000 miles when purchased with service history paid £9,995 in 2006, had 3 years almost with no trouble! but when the van reached just over 3 years old and the warranty ran out my trouble began!! At 43,000 miles the timing belt snapped, costing around £1,500, then at 47,000 miles clutch went costing,£700, then at 50,000 miles the timing belt snapped again, on 24-05-2011, so another £1,500 to be spent!! Two timing belts gone. Wont go back to the garage who did all the work with the first timing belt, as only lasted 7,000 miles and it snapped again, but out of their one year warranty. It’s the van or a string of bad luck!

Dave, Kent on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

The Astra is not as economical as I was hoping for. Averages 43-46mpg combined but has served us well on a recent trip to Cornwall. The big 18" wheels do tramline a bit and the ride is a little harsh. This is my second Mark 5 astra and I have been very disappointed with this high spec model. It has only done 70,000 miles and already the radiator needed replacing. I am going to be replacing this car soon with something more reliable.

Shakeel , England on the Vauxhall Vectra

It’s a beautiful car and drive smoothly. I never had any problem and it has been a good runner for years.

Roger, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought this car six years ago and it has been most reliable. It is cheap to run ie. 50 mpg in all conditions and a round trip of 700 miles on one tank full! Road tax is £30. Insurance is reasonable although I pay £400 with no excess and I have a full no claims bonus. I paid £8000 six years ago, now it’s worth £750, a little disappointing. Also I have been told some sensors aren’t working properly and the fuel pump. I’m told it may cost a maximum of £1000! This is more than the car is worth. I’m now trying to decide whether to buy another or spend the thousands pounds as it has been such a good car.

Patrick, Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve only given a 1 star rating because there is no zero. My car was bought under network Q at 6 months old; it had been a dealership management car. Besides new alternator and air con problems the main issue has been the dpf regeneration, within 6 months was running rough and drinking fuel. Since then it has been to the dealer nearly ever 3 months with the same issue. We have taken it there while the problem is happening and after it has happened. The dealer has tried fuel additives, forced regeneration and denying there is a problem at all. They recently claimed there were no records of us having reported this fault before, even though we have it recorded on their invoices! In the last year they have manually regenerated the dpf a number of times and then 2 months ago stripped and cleaned the manifold and EGR, handing the car back saying "problem fixed, it won’t regenerate" at a cost of £300. We thought great, at last its fixed! We got the car back last Thursday with the assurance the problem had gone yet today, Monday, 4 days later, after driving appoximately 60 miles the regeneration problem is back. Having read a lot of information on this site and a few others, these cars seem to get through a lot of alternators (ours had to be recovered from the Hebrides when it failed) and have some form of inherent fault somewhere in the DPF or its sensor systems. The car has been a nightmare and is probably using twice the fuel it acutally needs because of the frequent regeneration. So tomorrow it’s back to the dealership for an interview without coffee.

Mike, Surrey on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought mine new in 2005 (last of the old body shape for only £10k). The mileage is now at 87k with no problems so far. Maybe I have just been lucky?

Brian, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

These cars are the biggest load of rubbish! Mine’s had three clutches in one year and all of a sudden the car won’t recognise the key. I have spent £500 on moduals. Now the blowers just work intermittently; they only work about once a week.

Kirsty, England on the Vauxhall Tigra

This is for all the people that have wet carpets: I found the leak in my car was the seal around where the steering column comes through the bulkhead (behind the screen wash bottle). Vauxhall wanted £600 to fix it, instead my mechanic did it for £60. All he did was pull the old seal out and paint on a new flexible seal and my carpets not been wet since. Hope this helps.

Dennis, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The engine compartment wiring caught fire and melted the clutch pipe, the fluid caught fire and now the car is in a sorry mess! None of the fuses blew, but a mechanic says the ABS block and pump were at fault; my Zafira had done 76,000 miles. I bought it Nov 2009 and it has been utter heartbreak from day one! GM Vauxhall have many duff cars in their range and they are keen to say they make the cars in the UK, but judging by the foreign parts on mine and the OPEL chassis plate, I know this to be a lie. The dealers are just not interested, maybe the electrics are too complicated and poorly made, but that fire just about wrecked my house, garage the contents. The wretched thing wasn’t even running when it caught fire and luckily I saw the smoke wisping from the left hand bonnet/wing gap and pushed it out into the drive then got the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and slowly lifted the bonnet. The next day a part-time fire brigade member who heard about the Zafira fire said he has seen Corsa’s catch fire too and found there is no fuse in the circuit to protect an ABS unit from shorting out! Vauxhall are worse than French cars for safety or the lack-of! No model they could bring out could ever tempt me or my family to buy, drive, hire or even park next to a GM/OPEL/Vauxhall flamin’ Zafira or Corsa!! And why no zero star rating?

Richard, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I note all the references to issues with the DPF and EGRV on diesel variants. Unfortunately, the emissions and particulates mitigation measures on modern diesels (of all makes) render them less suitable for short journeys and town driving than the old soot blasters. Consequently, if most of your driving is as above, you may be better off with a petrol model. However, I bought my car as a Network Q vehicle when it had done around 19k miles, and it is now almost at 145k miles! Most of this mileage has been on long, A-road or motorway journeys, avaraging >40mpg, and whilst I have had a few issues, these have been no worse than other cars I have owned, on lower mileages. In summary: My Zafira is the best car I have owned and one of the best I have driven. It is safe, roomy, comfortable, reasonably economical, reliable, not a bad looker, and it handles pretty well too! Finally, has anyone driven their Zafira in deep snow? Who needs 4WD, when you can breeze past BMWs and Mercedes embedded in every ditch and snowbank!

Andy, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I own an ’04 2.0t sri and have had the car for just over a year now with no trouble whatsoever. I average 30 mpg on combined, but I have had 40+ mpg on motorway runs a few times this year. The only thing that was a slight niggle was the gearbox that felt notchy when cold so I changed the gearbox oil and refilled it to 2.4 litres, as recommended by a specialist and the problem was fixed. It is a spacious, comfortable, fast and reliable car and I still enjoy driving it daily. Apparently the z20net engine, which is a Saab block, is the most reliable in the range, all the problems reported on here seem to stem from the GM ecotec engine range. I owned an Astra previously with the ecotech engine and I did have numerous problems with the throttle, body, etc.

Andrew, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought my Meriva 4 years ago and for the first 2 years it was great. In the last 2 years it has been problem after problem. First the ECU went, which was very very expensive to fix. Next the front shock absorbers went and now the engine management light has come on. I have taken it in for a diagnositic check only to find out No.3 cylinder has no compression. This, I have been told, could cost me a grand!! I am not happy with this car and would never touch a Vauxhall again, I would rather catch the bus!!

Howard, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The EGR valve gums up every 15,000 or so miles once the engine has a few miles on it with lots of town driving. I blanked mine off at 40K and now it does not stumble at all when driving off at low revs and now it has 188,000 miles on the clock. The only drawback is it puts the engine management light on and every time the particle filter kicks in it smokes for approx. 5 mins because of all the oily sludge being put out instead of it being kept in engine; this happens about every 1500miles. You can find the blanking plates on ebay for less than a fiver, you can also get a cheap code reader to erase the light when you take the plate out for selling or MoT issues.

Phil, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Combo

Excellent workhorse/terrible comfort! I have the van 2.5 years now and started with 145k. I now have almost 200k on it. I have the non-turbo so it lacks power, but I will sit at 75mph all day once it gets there. Good: Very reliable, only one minor fault, it uses next to no oil between services and gives decent economy (50+mpg) Bad: Visibility is dreadful at junctions, very heavy on front tyres and possibly the worst vehicles for comfort.

Gary, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Combo

I’ve never had so many problems with a van in all my life! I bought it 2 years ago with 44k’sh on the clock and as clean as a whistle. The first thing to pack up was the turbo, then the alternator, swiftly followed by the clutch cable snapping, which incorporates the brake master cylinder costing roughly £320 to be supplied and fitted (but I think I was stitched up!) It has a very noisy thrust bearing now after all that and it seems the tensioners have snapped and the chain has skipped a tooth. Whilst on the M1 and 7.30am I had a loss of power with an artic up my proverbial. It now sounds like a bag of nails and won’t start. I have just been told it’s highly likely to be severe engine damage!! I have looked after this van and given it a full service twice a year! The biggest piece of rubbish I have ever owned!

Nick, Devon on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve had the car 5 years now. I get 27.5 miles to the gallon combined although some people get far less (sub 20), it depends on how you drive. It’s very smooth and powerful, with plenty of airbags, GSI has lower suspension, ESP plus stability control, comfortable half leather seats, automatic windscreen wipers  and auto dipping rear view mirror. The only thing I would say is that the first gear is a little hard to get right without slipping the clutch and is a little jumpy, but this is meant to be the top of the range sports version so it doesnt really bother me.

Colin, Isle of Anglesey on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought mine with about a month left on the three year warranty and 33,000 on the clock. The timing belt broke, but Vauxhall did not want to know and it cost me £1700 to put it right as the head has to be replaced as you cannot get steel injectors out of a aluminium head. Guess what? It had to have another new head at 55,000 miles on the clock; the same problem steel injectors aluminium head the first garage had put an after market head gasket on instead of a genuine Vauxhall head gasket. It fell apart and started overheating. Disappointed? Yes! If it’s going to go wrong it’s expensive.

Dave, London on the Vauxhall Combo

I researched this model online for size and economy, which are both great. It was an ex-Royal Mail model with a full service history and which hadn’t been kicked to bits, with a mere 44k on the clock. I gave it the usual oil and filter change expecting 12 months of trouble free motoring. The thrust bearing was noisy so I changed the clutch and dual mass flywheel to the tune of £1200. 4 months later I took it in for an MOT and it wouldn’t start. I called out the AA and he diagnosed a problem with the timing belt. A timing belt which was supposed to be changed at 60k? No way! Yes way! Another mechanic changed the timing belt, apparently it took out the camshaft as well to tune of £1000, all within 6 months. Yep, she has had to go to auction. Never again, Vauxhall, you have been warned!

John, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought this van 1 year ago. It had been well looked after before I got it and that’s the key with these vans. I’ve had a few now and apart from usual wear and tear items they are a good van. The only thing that lets them down is the gearbox. I’ve had the Master Vivaro and Nissan vans and their boxes always go; it starts with 3rd gear normally then just gives up. I’ve found a company in Hertfordshire that exchanges or recons yours called Abbey Auto Transmissions. I have had a few of these vans now and would recommend them, you just have to make sure it’s been well serviced.

Rachael, Dorset on the Vauxhall Tigra

I bought my Star Silver 54 plate 1.4 Tigra in March 2007 with just over 8,000 miles on the clock and I can honestly say I’ve never had a major problem with it. I’ve recently just had a little problem with the passenger window not going back up fully, but sorted that out just now by taking out the fuses, cleaning and replacing them. I bought it initially after previously having an N Reg Tigra and loved the fact that you don’t see many of them on the road. I do wish I had waited and got one which had the same colour targa bar (i.e all black or red) but I was so desperate for one I bought the first one I saw and test drove!! Although I love the uniqueness of the Tigra, I will be looking to change it in about a year as I need something with a bit more power and better petrol consumption as I drive round more in my job. Overall, I love my car and will be sad to see it go next year, possibly getting a Nissan Juke or Qashqai.

Si, Kent on the Vauxhall Combo

I had a combo years ago, sold it to a mate when it had 250,000 on the clock! Bought a second hand 04 plate combo some 3yrs back. It has given me 3 days off work in 3yrs. Starter motor (which failed 3mths after fitting!) and road springs. Absolutely brilliant van. You get very unhappy when you can’t get to work or are stuck but then you realise how few times this has occurred in this van and happiness is restored. I’ve put 85k on this van in 3yrs and it is still going strong. Obviously it is a bit small but the up side of this is that it will fit in a garage without a roof rack. The deadlocks are Vauxhall’s best asset; this van is seriously hard to break into! Unlike the vivaro you dont need to buy a gearbox for it after 80k either. The astravan and combo are Vauxhall’s strengths.

Andrew, England on the Vauxhall Astra Convertible

Very nice car. Drive nice to. I have the 1.8 bertone model in sliver. It looks really good with the roof down. +I have my son in the back so loads of space.

Louise, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Worst buy ever!! Van has had so much work on it since it was bought brand new. 4 fuel pumps (every 20k miles!!!) gear linkage x 2 now in for a new gear box and clutch, would never bother again.

Jack, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought this car from a Vauxhall dealer (Hartwell) in March 2010, with 21,500 miles on the clock and one previous owner. Just 2 months after I got it, things started to break, the steering became loose and unresponsive, also the horn stopped working. I took it back and they said steering rack had come loose. They tightened it, replaced horn buttons on the steering wheel and also found an oil leak which was leaking onto the breaks, it cost me nearly £150 just for them to tighten the steering rack. Then a couple of weeks later (now out of warranty) the steering came loose again. Took it back again and had a go at them so they fixed it again! And now the whole car creaks and bangs and doesn’t sound safe....then the suspension broke, one of the springs completely snapped. Now looking to sell it. Also fuel consumption is C**P! Not impressed!!

Rob, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I’ve had my Vivaro nearly 4 years, it certainly seems like a good enough van. No probs. Nothing out of the ordinary for me to afford. I change oil @ 6000’s and happy enough at 109 000. Happy days so far! (54 000miles and no probs) Probably go for a transit next for a bit more power though.

Chris, Kent on the Vauxhall Astravan

Comfortable to drive, solidly built and excellent fuel economy. The cargo area is a decent size to. Great for multi drop work.

Mark, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Combo

Well, I have to say what a great little van. This is my 2nd one now and it’s done nearly 109,000 miles with no problems whatsoever. My only concern now is that it’s getting a bit small for my work needs but, if your just starting out on your own then I couldn’t recommend one highly enough.

Terry, Essex on the Vauxhall Vivaro

For some reason every time the van has an M O T it needs new brake pads and discs, but other then that it is a great van, it has never let me down and it is on the road 7 days a week. Fuel consumption is fantastic. The only thing that worrys me are the reviews on here about the gear box. The van has done almost 79,000 and I don’t really want to spend all that money on a new gear box but I really don’t want to get rid of the van.

Charlie , Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Used 6 x days a week, bought it with 20,000 now at 64,000. It is the 1.9 CCTi version. No problems with g/box. In fact no problems at all. Best van I’ve had and beats the Vito that cost me a damn fortune to keep on the road by miles. I’d definatley buy another one down the road.

Raymond, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The problem with the gear box is internal where thrust bearing fits on my gear box it is flush with bellhousing, on all the replacement ones there is a 10 mil lip. They are all out of a zafira and coded f23

Colin, London on the Vauxhall Zafira

I purchased my Vauxhall Zafira Life 2004 model in August 2007 from Phoenix in Wimbledon. My biggest mistake. It was from Network Q. Just been informed that I need another engine already as I am having engine valve problems. Only 30,000 miles on the clock and this car has caused me problems from day 1. When it rains water gets in the inside of the doors. Door strips were changed but I still get water on the inside. The car is a shambles.

scarletboyambyth, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

The Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 LS 2004 39,000 miles. I have read multiple reviews of the Vectra over the last month or so and each seems to contradict the last; very confusing and conflicting reviews. Here is mine: I had always considered a Vectra too big therefore consuming too much fuel and costing far too much to run. I thought they looked good but would be too pricey. I thought a car of Vectra size would be sluggish and have the turning circle of an HGV, I thought they would be insurance group 5673!! However, 3 weeks ago I test drove one as I had seen a real bargain! £3490 for an 04 plate car with 39k miles, air con, remote central locking, CD/radio... I had to try it at least. The car seemed perfect for me. The steering was responsive, the car looked good, it had enough power... I bought it! After owning the car for 10 days these are my conclusions. Steering and handling - responsive and agile for a big car. The turning circle of the car is great considering the length. It banks well at speed and gives you a good feeling of road holding. Power and acceleration - it seems to be sluggish from a stop start compared to others in its class but once getting up through the gears and over 2000rpm it’s full of life and has enough power to jet past Aunty Doris in her Kia Piccanto doing 15mph on a 30mph road. If you’re looking for power at more speed then the Vectra has that too! On a motorway it cruises at 85mph in 5th gear at 2500rpm and can fly by most cars driven by boy racers without any trouble, drop it down a gear and wave as the go faster stripes become a blur. It’s no M3 but it has more power than its credited with! Road noise and suspension - there is more road noise than I thought after reading many reviews but still extremely quiet. You can whisper when driving on the right road and a person in the boot would hear you! The suspension is OK, but not great. It does glide over most bumps but I feel this is an area that could do with some improvement. Interior - plenty of room in the front and adequate room in the back. The gadgets as standard are very good but it still has rear wind up windows! The cup holders up front are handy and the arm rest/storage unit is a blessing - holds all you need in terms of sat nav, phones etc and so comfortable to lean on when cruising! The boot is gigantic!! I could live in it - and the cubby holes are handy also. There is a problem with dog guards fitting though. The seats come back to the window so a general dog guard will not fit. After trying 3 dog guards I finally found one that fits! Its £67.99 at Halfords (on sale for £44.99) and fits onto the rear headrests! Perfect as you can still fit the parcel shelf! MPG - I get around 32MPG around town which for a big car is good! I drive like any other 28 year old man - a cross between Grandad and cousin Chav in his Clio Sport so a real mixture. I have yet to drive at distance on the motorway but am guessing at around 39-40MPG. Conclusion: - I would give my car 8.5 out of 10. It has everything I need and does everything I want - but then if you can afford an Audi then get that instead. This car is the perfect £3000-5000 car for what I can afford but it may be different for you. I have given my honest opinion and hope that you make the right choice for you.

William, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

A very good car indeed, especially the engine. No need to worry about the timing belt (chain driven). The only bad point is that it drinks quite a lot of oil. It needs to be topped up every 1000 miles.

Ronald, Kent on the Vauxhall Signum

What an amazing motor,the Signum 3.2 v6 elite is roomy and very comfortable. It’s fast and well equipped plus it gives 28/30mpg overall and it looks the dogs b******s. I have owned Jaguar’s, BMW’s and Alpha’s plus a 3.7 Jeep. Would I swap my Signum for one of these? WOULD I HELL!

Jacqueline, Essex on the Vauxhall Zafira

Fantastic family car, lots of room, smooth, efficient and excellent performance.

Abi, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this lovely little 1.0 12v Corsa Twinport for my Xmas present on 15 Dec 2008. Previously, I had a beloved old P reg Fiesta. It had blown up on the M42 motorway the week before (my fault, didn't service the poor car!!), so when the chance came up to buy a 2004 Corsa, I couldn't turn it down! I had an R reg diesel Corsa, a diesel dog, it was so slow, but a good ride; I part-exchanged it for the 04 Corsa. This little Corsa is a revelation, it drives like a dream, it is economical and cosy. The best features are the gorgeous alloy wheels, its brilliant tiny turning circle, its economical 1.0 12v engine, and low road tax. I couldn't believe the drive quality, the Corsa is a bit skitterish over rubbish road services and surprisingly very fast for a 1.0 litre. The drive quality is good and decent for such a small engine. The Corsa drove very well to central London and back in Feb 09, it drove like a dream. Even the Aston Martin DB9 Cabrio that tried to race me on the M1 past London couldn't beat my little Corsa!! Ha ha!! The only complaint is that it is quite a light car; it should be a little heavier to cope with the rubbish road surfaces. And it's got a bigger tank than the Fiesta, so it needs a service now. I like the Corsa. It has pas, e/w, c/l, gets admiring glances wherever I go. And its economical, I bought another car, a 1.0 Micra 2002 52 plate; it is a gorgeous little car, so the Corsa is up for sale, offers over £2200 please.

John, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Signum

Having owned old but reliable cars for years I decided it was time to upgrade and opted for the Signum. Everything was fine until it reached 50,000 miles when the duel mass fly wheel went. It cost a small fortune to replace that and the clutch, having not owned a car in the last 30 years that’s ever broke a spring, this one had two replaced for the last MOT. I think I will go back to the old reliable cars.

Martin, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

My first (new) 2004 Vectra had problem with the clutch pedal sticking down occasionally (with the clutch engaged) from new. Local dealer was very helpful and after changing various components the car went back to Germany for further investigation and I was supplied with another new Vectra. I drove that car for 80000 miles without a single fault - it returned nearly 50 mpg in general use and 60+mpg on the motorway (yes - really) and still drove like a new car when I parted with it. I found it well equipped (included cruise control) comfortable to drive even on several 400-mile journeys, quiet, plenty of space for passengers - and the boot is absolutely cavernous - ideal for my work. I was pleased with my previous S-Reg Vectra - this one was superb.

Sarah, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I love my Zafira - it is the best car I have ever had. I bought it 12 months ago and have had no problems whatsoever. I have four children and the Zafira has lots of room for them and their mates plus the shopping. I think if you’ve got a red herring; you are unfortunate but I think they are fab.

Philip, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

Well made, comfortable, reasonably quiet and does just under 60 miles to the gallon. I’ve had it since new (5 years) and absolutely nothing has gone wrong. The only expense has been servicing (budget about £100 per year). Would I recommend it? Certainly - but take a test drive first to check the rather notorious blind spot to the right hand front.

Martin, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Contrary to my previous report, never again will I have one of these. Once it reached 100,000 miles everything went pear-shaped - starter, alternator, steering rack, all front ball joints and bushes, drive-shafts, and now gearbox whining in third. It’s paid of in 2 months thankfully, by that time there will be a box of matches and petrol can waiting for it... if it makes it that far. DON’T BUY ONE OF THESE IF VALUE YOUR BUSINESS - THIS HAS NEARLY FOLDED MINE DUE TO UNRELIABILITY!

Bryan, Argyllshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Had the van since new. Reassuring to hear I’m not the only one with gearbox and clutch problems... mine went at 32,000 miles. I live in a very hilly part of Scotland and am now on my 3rd set of discs. Comfy enough van but I’m getting a Transit.

Geoff, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Signum

I bought my Signum on the basis that I wanted a stylish vehicle providing practical and economic motoring. At 3 months old and with nearly £7000 off the list price this car promised to do all that. This was against all the professional pundits who rated it an odd-ball with mediocre driving appeal. But since most of us have to optimise our choice of car and are not seeking Top Gear approval this car is the best thing I have owned to date. Bearing in mind that Vauxhall with Signum probably began the current vogue of the luxury hatch-back, it has been under -acknowledged, in my opinion. In the turbo diesel mode with ’sports’ lowered suspension it provides a firm and stable ride,which can be pushed hard round country roads but is a great motorway cruiser, giving well above 45mpg to every tank -full. It is well built and gets envious comments from friends who like its quality feel. Its not an estate nor a limo but it is both flexible and roomy, for those who dont need the extremes of either, which lets face it, is an awful lot of us!

Stan, Durham on the Vauxhall Meriva

I love the car but the fuel consumption is heavy with only 30 - 35 mpg. Apart from that the car is great.

Martin, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Vivaro

have had this vehicle since 6 months old love it due to good points quick for a van great on fuel cheap to run i.e. road tax and insurance big van inside due to high door handles well good to drive now done 80000mls bad points 3rd gearbox needs no4 now this is an inherent problem have spoken to Vauxhall and Renault mechanics they recon to be changing at least 1 a week eats brakes even though i have had major problems with gearboxes i will buy an other vivaro or one of its variants i.e. primistar or traffic

Jo-An, London on the Vauxhall Corsa

I just purchased my car on Thursday and it is a great drive but I do have problems with the front and back wipers. Apart from that there are no regrets. I wish I had purchased one sooner even though i had always loved my Volkswagen Polo.

Eddie, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Signum

This car was what I thought was going to be my best yet and at just over three years old I'm beginning to think I may have bought and old Vauxhall Viva or Chevette. At 28000 miles it's had a new timing chain, a new injector module, new rear arms and new rear shocks. It is now booked in to have the rear wheel bearings done and the door seals on the front two doors. I'm glad in a way I'm not paying for the work to be done but its costing me money every time it goes in for work to be done to hire cars for the duration of the work. Warranty people don't pay for hire cars! Anyway, other than all the work and all the money I pay out for hire cars it is a wonderful car to drive, a bit of a fuel drinker around town but on the motorways its a good 40 to 50 mpg at a steady 80 mph, shushhhhhhhh! Did I mention speeding then. Lol. Handles the road very good in all conditions and very roomy inside for all the family. One thing it does miss as a new car and that's the heated front screen.

Steve, Powys on the Vauxhall Agila

I love my Agila; this is my second one, good space inside, good access (Disabled wife) room for shopping scooter. Try one before you buy a great big 4x4 for the school run! "High up" stance, good eye height, pleasant to drive, styling always gives me a smile! 1.2 is better engine for longer distances; mine is hardly ever used as a town car. Only downside is 40 mpg - needs to be a diesel. �4000 for a 9000 miler from local Vauxhall Dealer.

Andrew, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall Agila

I do 25,000 miles a year. I transferred from a 2.5 ltr gas guzzler when petrol went through £1 per litre. At first I was a little dubious about the switch, but after six months and 12,000 miles, I think the car is marvellous. It's the only 1 litre car that you can get a full stack of golf clubs and trolley in the boot. It has four doors and loads of room inside. I managed to get a double mattress in it to take to the charity shop! Service intervals of 20K miles, cheap insurance, cheap to run with even cheaper fuel bills (45 miles to the gallon) I save at least £50 per week! It pootles along quite happily at 70-80 mph. Once you get over the looks, it's incredible.

Lisa, Rhondda Cynon Taff on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have had several cars over the years varying from Ford Fiesta to Ford Escort and now drive a Rover 45. Due to a crippling illness I have trouble with my back and needed a car that I could get in and out of easily. Also have a 12 year old that I taxi around with his friends. Test drove many cars, including Renault Scenic, Renault Modus etc... The Meriva is far the best car out there and it is large enough to house 3 rowdy teens and hubby along with a large boot for accessories. I am only 5ft and hubby is 6ft so we needed a car small enough for me yet large enough for him. The Meriva ticks all the boxes. No problems with acceleration when at full capacity and I live on the side of the mountain!

Doug, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I’ve now driven this car for over 70,000 miles and it has been outstanding. Fantastically equipped, and with an extremely comfortable ride that easily matches the supposed ’premium’ brands. It’s consistently returned over 50mpg without trying particularly hard to drive carefully. The load capacity is enormous. Can’t recommend it enough.

Jon, Flintshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought vehicle new, have now done 126,000 miles and have just ordered another. 2 sets of discs, 1 master cylinder, 2 cam belts at due change and a service every 18000. miles including pads, tyres and oils plus filters, nothing more, and its all stop start work around town.

Marc, Angus (Forfarshire) on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Well my experience of this van is thankfully short, but not sweet. I started a new job 5 weeks ago, picked up the van from Arnold Clark van centre in Glasgow, 4 days late after a set of injectors, clutch and MOT @99,000 miles. I drove 2000 miles and the gearbox packed in, wouldn’t select 1st, 2nd, 4th or reverse!! The lease company have pulled the plug on the contract as it’s too expensive to run now, being a 54 plat and now over 100kmiles. not a bad van to drive, a bit lacking in the oomph department and if you don’t like courtesy cars or motorway hard shoulders its one to be avoided!!!

Michael, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

I would give it 0 but 1 is the lowest. This car is the WORST car I have ever owned and I have only owned 2. At 35,000 miles, a valve fell into the engine and was wrecked. This happened while going 60 mph in 5th gear. Vauxhall didn’t care because the car was 9 months out of warranty. This car was FULLY maintained at Vauxhall and as they don’t care, they build these cars to fall apart just as the warranty runs out. I would advise against ANY Vauxhall vehicle as they are badly built and their dealerships are the most unhelpful people you could ever meet. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Krystle, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

We got the Meriva one month after our daughter was born. We owned a KA then; we couldn’t get the pushchair in the back and it gave you back ache to put her in the car seat! This car is perfect for a new family or if your adding to your family. In fact, my parents like the Meriva that much they now own one the exact same colour. Overall: brilliant for space, smooth drive and easier for families.

Zed, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Just gone onto a mere 29.000 miles and the gearbox has had to go in as the bearings etc have gone, have never ground the gears and have always changed gear smoothly, now find out its going to cost about £1500 to fix really ******* off would have bought a Transit as before so will never buy one of them again, haven’t even paid for it yet. Beware, the running costs are expensive, also turbo sensor went - £120.00.

Anthony, Swansea on the Vauxhall Vectra

I love the Vectra ( 02 onwards), nice looking, refined to drive and there’s something Audi-like about them. Good value second hand too.

Anthony, Sussex on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I’ve had this van 4 years and the gearbox has gone at 34,000 miles. I’m not happy about it - what will go wrong next?

Lech, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Reference tyre noise. I swapped my tyres to Good Year yesterday , 3/12/08 and surprise , the road noise and wobble has gone (for now maybe) Had the wheels balanced several times previously, and made no difference. Also anybody else had coil spring failure. 2nd failure yesterday, ripped front tyre to bits, but fortunately I was only travelling at about 20 mph at the time, so managed to stop. Normally travel on the motorway at that time of day, so what would have happened, I hate to think.

Stephen, Devon on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I would never touch another Vauxhall. I purchased a 54 plate 2.5 diesel turbo SWB with 68000 miles on the clock with a new exchange engine fitted supplied and fitted by Vauxhall. After 16,000 miles the bottom bearing gave up the ghost. After many phone calls to Vauxhall they agreed to replace the engine but I had to pay for the fitting, so I agreed. Now, after 27,000 and 18 months later the engine has decided to pack up again. Vauxhall are refusing to do anything about it all do I’ve got the engine checked by an independent Aauxhall approved dealer who said it’s a manufacturing fault but still Vauxhall refuse to do anything about this. I won’t go on about the three gearboxes and the three inlet manifolds the three sets of injectors. It will take a lot for Vauxhall to turn me round...

Phil, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought this van 3-4 years ago, with 27,000 on clock. It is now coming up to 90,000 an it still starts and drives like new. My only complaint is the lack of power when motorway driving/overtaking. The rear hubs failed at 30,000 and I spent £1000 at 72,000 miles - all new pads, disks hubs bearings, rear stub axles and cambelt. I am now looking to trade against Trafic Sport 115PS. I would keep this van for another 20,000 miles but lack of power is pi**ing me off.

Mike, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Bought my astra 1.9 CDTI 150 in 2004 and have just clocked 117,000 miles. It still goes like a rocket. List of repairs include: air con full unit, full suspension springs all round, new discs and pads all round, 4no EGR valves, wiper linkage kit, radiator pipes. The trouble is that all the parts have to be Vauxhall and cost a fortune e.g wiper linkage £220 plus VAT plus fitting. What a rip off! A BMW is cheaper...

Stella, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my Corsa 1.0 Active, 1 month ago from a main dealer. I test drove the car no problems but the day I bought the car home it started to sound like a tractor. I took it back to garage but they said there was nothing wrong with the car and told me to take it to a Vauxhall dealer to see if they could find a problem. Vauxhall said it was the timing chain, so had to take back to garage (luckily under warranty) and have a new timing chain. A week later driving on the M25 the engine light appeared, sensor fault, car still making terrible noise, revv’s on it own when idle at traffic lights or sitting in traffic. I just feel unsafe driving this car, the biggest mistake I have ever made.

Alan, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Meriva

Don’t know about the NEW Meriva but let’s hope Vauxhall have sorted out the power steering problem found in some previous models. My daughter bought a 2004 17CDTi model which sporadically looses it’s power steering when driving. Vauxhall will not contribute to the cost of replacing the faulty motor, which they have quoted at over £1200. Nice one Vauxhall, none of my family will ever buy a Vauxhall again.

Ian, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought new in 04 after driving all the vans on the market this was by far the best. Had the option 2.5 which is the better engine, being a mechanic I do oil change every six months, then MOT/service yearly, apart from electric window motors packing up (£45 each) not had a moments trouble ’til this week. Just started slight oil leak from bell housing, so gearbox off job, all those people complaining about bad gearboxes, more like bad driving thinking they’re in a sports car, take your time changing gear ’til warmed up then no problems will happen. I have worked on Transit, Vito, Sprinter, VW, Citron, Fiat, all have gearbox problems when rushed in winter until warmed up. Mine cost £22,000 lwb high roof air con exter door with opening window electric pack, top of range stereo. Best machine I have ever bought, 2.5 built in Spain, great! 1.9 built in Luton need we say more....

Michael, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Quite simply the worst and most fragile vehicle it has been my displeasure to own. Less than 80,000 miles, but it has become an irritating and expensive liability. Plagued by minor annoying faults almost continuously, even the radio reception is useless. Next time I will buy a Ford or Peugeot/Citroen as they are certainly far superior (from personal experience) Vauxhall are a joke frankly. An embarrassment.

Peter, Durham on the Vauxhall Signum

Bought this second hand whilst looking in vain for a Ford Mondeo Estate, does the same job as far as I can see, but looks a lot more stylish I think. For a diesel it flys and cornering and ride are nice and ’flat’. The dash read out says it does great mpg too. More ’bells and whistles’ than the usual car and the rear seating IS more roomier than the front; wish I could sit there and let someone else drive! I’ve had to replace springs on front and rear offside, but that’s an unknown, previous, history. Also, after intermmitent sudden loss of power and ’choking’ of engine had the air mass unit changed, still does it now and again though, usually after a fuel stop, or being parked uphill(?) I suspect it has two fuel pumps, front and rear(?) and one hesitates, some times. Otherwise a great car so far, after a year or more, roomy, have even camped out in it with the seats flat at the rear, runs the motorways easily and nicely, good round town too, although not a great turning circle.

Andrew, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I bought a 1.9 Vivaro (54) nearly 12 months ago, my only problems I have got since July is that the stop light and engine light flash intermittently the temperature needle zooms from min to max then after 7-8 minutes it goes off might not do it again for a few days theres also a whirring sound when I turn the engine off, secondly the airbag light stays on but usually if you stop driving then restart it goes out. I have had it checked out and the results say no fault found and no stored fault. I believe the stop/engine sensor is connected to the flywheel could it be a bad connection, damp and the airbag sensor is under the passenger seat could this be the same or is it more likely a fault in the engine management system. My mechanic says as it’s not showing a fault the vehicle is safe to drive but its quite annoying.

Adrian, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I bought my Astra 1.6 design easytronic gearbox second-hand from my local dealer just over 2 years ago and I can say its the best car I have ever bought. It’s gearbox is just brilliant and easy to use after just a few miles drive and the best thing is you can use auto or the manual modes as well as sports drive too. Slight wind noise at speed but this is forgiven because it’s so comfortable, with both driver’s and passenger’s lumber support. Looks are easy on the eye and it’s this that made me look at it in the first place, even now 2 years later it still looks and feels like new. Well done Vauxhall.

George, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I’ve had this car since six months old. From the first few weeks there were problems. First in cold damp weather the car radio would switch on by itself and especially over long periods a flat battery would happen and the sound level would increase. Secondly the car alarm gooes off especially during the early hours, with annoyance to my neighbours. It has been back to dealers four times and the last visit they had my car for twelve weeks. On the plus side the ride is comfortable especially with leather and material trim. The tyres can be expensive.

Dave, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Great car to drive, in particular on the motorway, expect around 55 mpg at 60mph and 40 around town. I have had the usual problems though, rear suspension arms and egr valve (MOT cost £500) BUT found out my car was clocked 130k instead of 80k on clock so not too bad considering high mileage. Car can be transformed by Tuning box £250, fully recommended for extra power and increase in mpg. All in all ideal cruiser with 6speed and cruise control, I would definitely buy another, maybe the newer shape next time.

Mr, Somerset on the Vauxhall Meriva

The steering on my Meriva 1.6 life with only 32,000 miles went stiff whilst parking and EPS light came on. After taking to Vauxhall for diagnoses was told that it was unsafe to drive now the problem of replacing the steering sensor/torque at a price of £664 had been diagnosed, so due to having young children paid by credit card to get job done. Emailed Vauxhall to complain of safety aspect and was told there was no safety aspect so no need to recall vehicles - so why do their service managers give different advice? I will never buy or recommend a Vauxhall due to the complete negligence of this company.

Ian, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I’ve had the car from new, done 70,000 miles in it and really can’t complain. Me and this car have been through some thrills and spills, one such spill involving being cut up and swerving into a house, no major issues, had an engine replacement after 2 months after the timing chain snapped but that was done quickly and painlessly. Never been religous with servicing, oil and filter change every now and then but still no problem. I’ve driven it hard from day 1 and all that’s to show is a few bumps and squeaks. The recalls were annoying (had 4 now) but they don’t cost anything. Haven’t ever thought about replacing it ’cos as they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Fair enough the seats aren’t sofas, and the plastic’s a bit cheap and clacky, but the only people who complain about things like that are the people who seem to think they’ll get Rolls Royce workmanship at Vauxhall prices. For the money I paid for this car it’s been nothing but brilliant. I would definitely recommend one to anyone who has a realistic idea of what they’ll get for their money, but avoid the 1 litre as it’s the lumpiest engine in the world and 1.2 litre as it is a whiney little thing.

Bill, Pembrokeshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Bought this car 2 years ago, was very happy with it until 2 days ago when I was turning ’round the steering went heavy and EPS light came on. Managed to pull over swiched off then restarted, the steering seemed OK. The car was booked for a Service on Monday 26th April so reported EPS Fault at the Main Dealer, It was checked no fault found, it was recalibrated and was told to try it. If it occures again they recomend a new EPS steering at a cost around £600. I hope it keeps on working as I am a pensioner.

Ian, London on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I like the van but I recently had problems with the clutch, changing gear was hard and I had to force it into gear, especially when it was cold. I changed the clutch, slave and master cylinders but it was the same if not worse and I had a nightmare bleeding the system, any ideas what is wrong please?

Michael, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

Purchased 2nd hand from a local dealer (P A Autos) 3 days later the indicators packed in (common fault). Took it back and it was fixed in 20 mins. Spot on dealer, give him a good cheer, not many about like them nowadays. Had it for a year+ now & except for normal maintainance things (bulbs, tyres, wipers, my servicing done properly by my son, etc.) It normally does local journeys, but has been to Paris a couple of times, both my sons have used it (They try to hammer it) It’s done 78000 so I think I may need to change the cam belt (water pump is a good thing to do at same time, £20 extra but worth the effort) I get 46 mpg It’s a workhorse, 2 grandkids & daughter in law (here there & everywhere) hence the short journeys. Asda run regular, folds down for junk to the tip, tows my son’s car when it breaks down and as long as it’s checked out regularly (Normal checks) then it keeps going. All in all I would buy another one. By the way, as I have had a hip replacement it is brill as I don’t have to collapse into a low seat.

Paul, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I am a fully skilled motor technician, I’ve worked for 31 years in the trade. I’ve had experiance with 04 van, starter fault ,track rod ends with the most movement I’ve ever seen ,ball joints worn badly,gearbox faults, oil leaks. We recently serviced 04 van, used vauxhall engine oil and filter, now oil pressure light and stop light illuminates on dash and after road testing and parking van brake servo now not working due to vacuume pump fault.I would not have one of these vans if it was given to me. Utter crap. I feel sorry for people who rely on their van for their work, spends most of its life in the garage for exspensive repairs. Much better off with a Toyota Hiace and no garage bills.

Alan, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

At first I was happy with the Meriva, it was spacious,comfortable to drive and still is. The problem is the car is only 5yrs old and has only done 42k miles and now it needs a new fuel pump. This comes after it has had a new steering column, recent new discs and brakes, new track rod ends and several new tyres on the front. Surely a fuel pump should last more than 42k? Needless to say I shall be getting rid of this nightmare and getting a Peugeot.

Jerry, Somerset on the Vauxhall Corsa

The biggest load of rubbish I have ever owned. Only 23000miles on clock yet Oil leaks from the engine, which garage cannot trace the reason for. It gives 38 mpg if you are lucky. Leaks 5 pints a month, burns 1 pint per 1000 miles. The clock refuses to work. The driver’s seat is difficult to move except when you are driving along, when it decides to move under its own power. I will never touch another Corsa, I have seen better rubbish at our local tip. I would have given it ’no stars’ but the lowest score is 1.

Ian, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

We have the oldest Meriva here, a 1.6 Enjoy, yes the rear folding seats are hard on a long journey and we have had a lot of irritating problems with interior and rear lights - mainly bulbs. Now reached 45K and the eps light has come on at full lock twice, garage recommend replacing steering column, at an eyewatering Å�700 plus so we are just living with the problem! Lost confidence in the car somewhat, people who have had the power steering ’fixed’ seem to complain of it still being a problem at a later stage.See Vauxhall Owners Network site and search under ’Meriva eps’ - your experiences can help others and there is quite a lot of info there.

Andy, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought new in 2003. Used daily but short stop start runs hence a mileage of 45000 some 6 1/2 years later. Mine was a two yearly service interval, which I have kept to. Apart from run of the mill stuff it’s had a new wishbone and anti roll bar (the bushes couldn’t be replaced on their own). Still on the original battery. It’s been really cheap to run and has definately earned it’s keep.

Afy, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Vauxhall (Zafira) cars are the death traps. I bought mine, which was under the warranty. 1 month later, on the motorway, doing 70mph, suddenly in a second the speed falls from 70mph to 15mph. Thank god there was no lorry behind. I took it dealers and they said "Oh common fault, EGR valve needs replacing". I said I could have been killed. At least it should give you a warning before it drops speed. NO ANSWER on this from THE DEALERS. I would not recommend buying a Vauxhall Zafira or any Vauxhall. Go for Japanese or German cars.

John, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Just purchased this van with 78,000 miles on clock. Noticed that it pulls to the right under acceleration and then back to left on de-acceleration. Any ideas? Apart from that all seems to be fine.

Ken, Buckinghamshire on the Vauxhall VX220

I’ve owned this car for the last 6 years, the longest I’ve ever owned a car for. And I have no intention of ever selling it. That alone should tell you something. It has blistering performance (0-60 in 4.7secs) and goes on up to a top speed of 150mph. And coupled with this performance are fantastic levels of grip. The car brings a massive grin to my face every time I step into it. And there are very few of them around so they are a curiosity to other road users and passers-by who tend not to believe you when you tell them it’s a Vauxhall!

Samir, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa is absolutely cr*p! I’ve had 2 of these: the first one smashed into a lampost and the second one had to have a new engine, what the hell does that say about Vauxhall? The paint is very shoddy, my father has had the Vectra and it is the same again, nothing but trouble, sensors going and gearbox locking up! Never again will I touch these cars, awful run of the mill headgasket failing s**t. I dont even want to give it a star.

Rober, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

Bought at 16k now 52k on clock, the car always has a problem ,a bit of a lightweight in every sense. The original gear linkage was made from plastic and has a small oil sump, yeah a great idea for doubling your service bills. A lot of sub standard components under the bonnet. Can’t get access to even a relay without breaking your fingers. Yes I would recommend this to somebody, if you hated them. I had a Cavalier before and it was quite good but I will never buy a vauxhall again now.

Stuart, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I`ve had this car since 2003 and it has been mostly a good buy, the only thing though is the car has ever since needing it`s first MOT had a noisy steering column. The first time I was told it was a small pin that needed replacing which cost next to nothing. For the next 3 MOT`s the car has passed but have been told each time that the steering will need looking at (I`ve put off having it done though as I know how expensive it will be) and driven the car all over the place; the noise and shaking is quite loud when you go over a pot hole anyway the car recently has now failed it`s latest MOT and I had it so called repaired at a cost of £500. Now thanks to the many potholes around here the steering is back to knocking and shaking just 3 weeks later! It seems that this is a very common problem with this car.

Keith, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

I bought my Astra in Jan 2009, it is the worst car I have had, it had 49,000 miles on the clock, it now has 58,000. After three months I had oil coming up through the sparkplugs, my local garage says this a common fault with these. Also, every four weeks the dipstick reads nearly empty. I only do a very low mileage, my garage says another common fault as the oil is just being burnt. Also, the gearbox is very notchy third to fourth is very poor. At speeds at 60 or above it can get very noisy and fuel consumption is very poor. It spends more time in my local garage than it should.

Dave, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I advise people not to buy one of these vans. I cannott stress it enough - this has cost me a lot of money to put right; from garage bills to loss of earnings because I’m self employed.

Becky, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I own a 2003 Zafira 1600. In January the emmisions light came on and the car drove at 30mph kangaroo jumping, took it to a garage and it was the coil pack, had it replaced and drove fine. A week later the emmisions light came on again, took it back to the garage and it was the air duct pipe that had split, had it replaced but it the car was still running rough, the garage said it was the land sensor so replaced that too but it was still running rough. In the end the catalytic convertor had gone so we had that replaced, total cost so far has been £900. The car was running ok but not perfect for about 8weeks. I went out in the car one night and the car just cut out all together and all the warning lights came on, I had no engine power at all and luckily I wasn’t on a busy road!! The AA towed me to the garage and the engine had gone, the oil pump had seized up. We have had a re conditioned engine put in this week, £975 and the car was lovely to drive, just like having a brand new car!! Last night, 48 hrs later after getting the car back, the emmissions light came on and the car went into limp mode, couldn’t get over 20mph, the car sounds loud and vibrating!! We are getting really fed up with it now! Apart from getting another car anyone got any ideas? We will never buy a Vauxhall again!!!

Cameron, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

This van saved my life, I had an accident a week ago, I lost the back end on a wet road, I ended up on the side on the van in a field, just off the road. I walked away from the van with only a cut knuckle and that was because a wooden stake went through the small little window on drivers side n into the steering wheel. (I was quite lucky there really, I could have ended up a lot worse). The van was a write off because another stake had pushed in the corner of the roof but other than that a perfect van. The 2.5 TD 2900 I had was a flying machine 147bhp 300NM of torque, I’d get another for sure!! Well recommended van! More solid than a Transit, and I’ve owned a Transit!

Lee, Durham on the Vauxhall Vectra

I paid 3 and a half grand for it over a year ago with 56k on the clock - now that’s what I call value for money. I tried the Mondeo and it was just too tinny for me - I’ve always hated Ford’s - the Mondeo didn’t even have a digital clock - just a clock that looked something like an old man’s wristwatch. I get around 49/52mpg which is great considering fuel prices and as a tow vehicle it performs well too. I get around 29/31 mpg dragging 1200 kg tourer - now that can’t be bad. People seem too quick to slate it but compare them to vehicles that are far more expensive. Thumbs up from me!

Dennis, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The best car we have ever used. Very versatile inside - space for family use. Packs well and drives well loaded. Vauxhall in Stockport have been exceptionally helpful in warranty period replacing an EGV valve 2 weeks after warranty finished. Never needed any repairs. Original battery and exhaust after 80000 miles. Stands up to round town wear and tear. Daughters learnt to drive in it and handles well for them. Cruises well on open roads. Climbs hills. Second gear very responsive. Only downside is that the ECO engine burns oil by design fault and that front post visibility is poor. Would buy again but we are going to move on and downsize.

Ashley, Dorset on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Had the van 7 months, its only done 47,000 miles and the gearbox has gone, wish I got a transit now !

PJ, Northern Ireland on the Vauxhall Zafira

Problems with engine management light since bought as used in 2006. Despite 5/6 trips to the dealers this is still not sorted but loads of probably unnecessary parts fitted. Brought to original dealer this week who informed me that the car might need new throttle or ECU or 2 new front wheel bearings. SAID THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHICH PART WOULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM BUT ONE OF THEM SHOULD DO IT AND ALL FOR A PRICE OF £1500 + LABOUR. Absolutely fuming. Wondering if anybody else has had similar problems.

Stephen, Surrey on the Vauxhall Vectra

It’ll do for me!

Andy, Essex on the Vauxhall Vectra

I have recently purchased a Vectra 2.0 turbo diesel. It has had 2 previous owners and only a recorded 38,000 miles on the clock. Overall I have found it to be a good, comfortable car, classy looking with plenty of gadgets to play with. I have been returning about 44 mpg, mostly town driving with occasional blast round the dear old M25. My only concern is the noise coming from the tyres. I have had the steering, suspension, wheel bearings all checked and are ok. The rumble from the tyres needs me to turn up the radio and apologise to any rear seat passengers. Has anyone else had the same problem, and more importantly- what is the cure... new tyres or a change of car!!!!!!!!

Zephania, Kent on the Vauxhall Zafira

The car is roomy and a beautiful family car. Have had problems of it just cutting off at slow speeds with sporadic bursts of power. Been fixed now and running very well and am hoping it stays that way.

Paul, Angus (Forfarshire) on the Vauxhall Zafira

Lots of room inside the Zafira. Probably the only real problem with the car is the amount of fuel you can go through. You get between 25 -35 mpg or roughly 400-450 miles to a full tank of petrol. If you use your car a lot like myself its definitely not a car that I would recommend. Sorry.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Great van, good looking, good on fuel, comfortable, well made, rubbish gearbox , gearbox bearings made out of hardend porridge... BEWARE!

Wendy, Devon on the Vauxhall Zafira

I would love a nice diesel car that i could take the childrens friends to school in.

Jason, Wrexham on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have had this van for about 4 years and bought when it was 1 and a half years old. Overall it has been brilliant. I have put on about 60,000 in this time, which isn’t much for such a capable engine; maybe not the best on juice though. It pulls well although there has been a noise from the gearbox when pulling in second. This has been the case ever since I buying the van and hasn’t got any worse??!! I am not so sure about the Vauxhall service agents though as when my warranty was about to run out I took the van to sort the noisy box out, they messed around for about two weeks until the van was out of manufacturers warranty then refused to sort out the noise. Now changing to a 2.0 cdti lwb, from what I can gather the bulk of the problems seem to be with the earlier vans. Buy with lots of warranty.

Lynnie, Scotland on the Vauxhall Zafira

I also bought a second hand Zafira, problems from day one, engine management line being on, had a new coil pack, erg valve replaced, still hasn’t corrected the problem. Car is stuttering too, scared to go out and about in it in case I make it worse; the garage doesn’t have a clue if its piston rings or burnt valves. They say they’d have to strip the whole engine down to see what the problem is, and he reckons we’d be cheaper putting a new engine in, heart breaking. Anyone have any ideas what could be wrong, or similar problems?

Russell, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

Owned a Vauxhall Zafira for 6 years. Good family car, plenty of room for going on holiday. Doing 25-35 mpg - not so good, and having problems with egr valve. Just been diagnosed with the same problem again which will be my third egr valve. High revs and cutting out, drinking fuel for fun, juddering when power is applied. These problems have put me off Vauxhall’s.

Andy, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Well, what can I say? After reading these reports, I’m in the market for a new van and it will not be a Vauxhall Vivaro. Over 6 years of motoring I stuck by the Vivaro thinking it was just one of those things. I’ve now had enough - 3 gear boxes, injectors, turbo... the list is endless. Only done 75,000 but enough is enough.

Roger, Essex on the Vauxhall Omega

As a Carlton and Omega owner of many years this, the last of the line, was one of the best. It’s 2.6 V6 is punchy, lifting up its skirts and flying when the tacho hits 4000rpm. Beautiful motorway cruiser with cruise control as standard. The spec list leaves most 2009 cars in the cold. Heated front and rear seats, auto wipe, reversing sensors. Xenon lights, Sunshine roof and his ’n’ hers climate control. The back is so spacious that with the rear seats folded down I can fit a full size door in the boot and shut the lid! Most reliable - never broken down. Had one oil gasket changed on the front crankshaft and one broken coil spring at the rear - but I never noticed until the MOT! If you control your right foot it will easily return 30+mpg. Beautiful BOSE sound system with multi CD player. All electric leather front seats with autodim rear view mirror. The list goes on and on. The car is smooth ride makes my son in law’s new BMW 5 series feel wholly crude. The Omega is fitted with an excellent auto gear box - sport and snow mode too if you need it. Rear wheel drive and very good turning circle. It came with Pirelli P6 tres that tramlined badly, now has Mitchelin’s on its 7 spoke alloy wheels and they are much more supple and don’t tramline. Even has a proper spare wheel. For those snobs who believe they value German engineering and buy a Mercedes etc for that reason, well this is all German too, in fact a lot more German than those Mercedes that are built in America, or the Audi’s built in Hungary! I will miss it when it goes.

Phil, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have a 2003 Vivaro it has done 140000 and the gearbox has just about collapsed. It’s going to cost me about a £1000 and that’s doing it myself. I was warned of the problems with Vivaro’s by an AA patrol man who uses these vans but still went ahead and bought one. They also have a problem with the speed restrictor in second gear. They are gutless when you want a little bit of power pulling out of junctions and trying to get up to speed; apparently this is incorporated in the ecu specifically to protect the weak transmission bearings. Very overrated van - stay clear.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Zafira

I bought my car in Feb 09 (3rd owner from new). I had the car 3 months when engine light came on - £300 later and new coil pack, plugs and oil all seemd OK. 4 months later the engine light on again; same problem of losing power on acceleration. Mega bad oil and fuel consumption. Back to Vox garage and they replace EGR valve and plugs again. Drive it off garage forecourt and problem still there. Back on ramps and they say no fault but Vox tell them to disable the egr valve. 24 hours later problem still there. Now booked in again but have to wait a week, and they expect me to drive a car that can’t get 5th gear and struggles with 4th!!! Anyone got any ideas because the VOX garage haven’t got a clue!

Gwenda, Australia on the Vauxhall Zafira

I purchased a 2003 Zafira and it runs lovely. I have done numerous trips to Queensland, which is around 900 or so klms from my home. The problem I have is the catalytic converter light stays on. I still drive it and it doesnt worry me. It doesn’t stay on all the time but evey now and then it will light up, I have been told it is the computer in the car that is playing up and not to worry about it. I hope this helps some people out there.

Tracy, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bought my Meriva 2 years ago, and a couple of months after it starting stalling and juddering when driving, took it back to the dealer and he replaced a part and fault gone. Now 2 years later the same fault is back, took it to my local garage they say its the EGR valve; it’s been back twice for them to reset it with their computer. They expect it to go again. Upon reading stories it appears there is a fault with the ECU software. It appears this happens to a lot to Vauxhall cars and so I would not recommend buying this car.

Susan, Renfrewshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve loved my Zafira, but this year has started to have problems with steering rack, needing replaced. Now I have a leak from radiator, it has just had four new tyres, a new exhaust; I don’t really want to spend any more money on it. Think it’s time for a new one.

Joanna, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I think that the Meriva looks great but it’s a whole different matter driving one. I have had the car a year now and can’t wait to get rid of it. It lacks power, it’s noisey, feels quite tinny like it needs to grow a back bone!!! On the plus side the space is great inside, it’s just a shame that Vauxhall didn’t put more thinking power in to the engine and mechanical workings of the vehicle. Vehicle cut out on me twice on the motorway with a car full of small children ...had the problem fixed free of charge but only because my Husband threw the keys at the dealer and was prepared to walk away from it and leave it there!! My advice...NEVER BUY ONE...go for a good old reliable Ford!!!

Chris, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Been a great car only had to have egr valve cleaned in the 2 years of owning it. Also great mpg.

Jo , Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have now had my Zafira 1.6 club for 5 years and have had very few problems. In fact this has been a wonderful car and now it has done 110,000 miles and feel I should be thinking of trading this one in. I am very apprehensive as my Zafira is very reliable.

Sue, Dorset on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have had a steering problem with my 53 plate Meriva; intermittant loss of steering. I took it to a Vauxhall specialist and they quoted me £1500+ steering column and motor! I couldnt afford it so decided to do some research on the internet and found it was a common manufacturing fault so rang Vauxhall head office who told me I had to ring Vauxhall customer services. I spoke to a polite gentleman who told me I had to book my car into a Vauxhall main dealer and would have to pay for the diagnostic test, if the result was a manufacturing fault then they would repair it free of charge! Which I have done and yes it was a manufacturing fault so I am now waiting for Vauxhall to ring me when they have ordered the parts and will book the car in to be fixed. I am very relieved otherwise I would have a car with a MOT failure, which I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for it to be fixed and left with a car that was worth less than the cost of the repairs!

Graham, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsavan

Bought our van from about 6 months old, back in 2003. It’s a 1.7, non turbo. It’s known in the family as ’the Pocket Rocket! What an awesome little vehicle. Carries the two dogs adequately, used as the family workhorse by everyone, and is so cheap to run. Sadly it’s got to go, as the insurance premiums keep going up, because it’s a van for some reason :-(

Stephen, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

Big and tidy, great economy and I do use the cruise control. Very good all round car and cheap to keep on the road.

Lucy, England on the Vauxhall Meriva

I’ve just bought a Meriva and thought I was getting a bargain when I saw it had 12 mths mot on it. Ha ha! What a joke. I’ve had it just a week and the EPS light has appeared, with loss of steering. By reading previous reviews this appears to be a common problem. I didn’t buy it from Vauxhall, but it’s booked in for a free diagnostics and if a certain error code appears, they are going to repair the problem for free, so I’m playing a waiting game at the moment. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s put me off the car completely.

Darren, England on the Vauxhall Movano

An excellent van that has given 154,000 trouble free miles. It has been serviced every 3,000 miles. It is better and far more reliabe than a Ford Transit and parts are cheap if you stay away from Vauxhall. I would recommend this van to anyone. It also has excellent mpg, need I say more?

Simon, Kent on the Vauxhall Corsa

If there were minus figures it would get -5 stars. Where to start? 1). The car leaks water into the passenger side footwell when it rains. 2). There’s a rattle from the front of the car that the Vauxhall garage cannot locate; the car sounds really unsafe. 3). The timing slipped so I went to vauxhall and paid over £800 only to find when I went to pick the car up it now had a flat battery. Vauxhall tried to charge me for new key but I lost my rag and demanded that it be resolved. I went back the next week to pick up the car and the battery is now running flat if the car is left for over 4 hours (this didn’t happen prior to going to Vauxhall). 5). The car is not running right and the front engine mount requires replacing. 6). The car is leaking fuel from the pressure pump, the ECU’s light in on and now it won’t start. I will be going back to an independant garage now as Vauxhall have the worst customer service and must employ monkeys instead of proper mechanics. Conclusion: I will never buy Vauxhall again, even though I have had a pre-1995 Vectra, Cavalier, Nova etc., with no issues what so ever. The new Vauxhall’s are not up to the same standard and this one car has put me off the company for life. My car has less than 30,000 mile on it. A total joke!

Electric, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Combo

I bought this three years ago with 68K on the clock. It needed a new spill valve on the day I bought it and a new gear linkage at 90K, which cost £10. It’s now got 120K on the clock. It is full of heavy gear all the time and is by far the best investment I have ever made. I’m now looking for a newer one; as much as I need a larger van I’m sticking with a 1.7 Combo.

James, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have a 2002 long wheel base Vivaro. Where do I start? I have had the van for two years now and it’s going on the 7th of Jan 2012 and good riddance! It has always been serviced, oil levels checked etc., etc. In the two years I have owned it I have spent £1000’s repairing it. To start with the gearbox failed, traditionally third gear first and then totally failed. It was recovered to Vauxhall for repair, then three weeks later the brand new box failed. It was again recovered back to Vauxhall who tried to blame poor driving for the failure (but that’s another story). After the gearbox problems had been sorted, the clutch failed. The van had only done 60,000 miles at this point. After this everything ran smoothly for a while, until one afternoon, the turbo started to over run. In stand still traffic, the van started to pump over 6000 revs and the key wouldnt shut it off. The only way was to stall it, but by this time the turbo was cooked. I thought that this was the end of my Vivaro, however I had it repaired by a small company and not Vauxhall with their astronomical bills. 6 months plain sailing, shortly followed by the power steering pump failing. Re-booked back into Vauxhall, 3 days later and £400 lighter my van was returned to me. Not even a week later, I pull off the motorway slip road to be surrounded by white smoke and a very rich burning smell. All the oil from the power steering had leaked through the alternator, leaving it to slowly cook itself. I was told by an independent garage that this could and should have been cleaned to prevent it after the leak. Now the speedometer has packed up. ECU light comes on as you go over 50mph. This was the straw that broke the camels back. I will never own another Vivaro, or Vauxhall/Renault for that matter. Not only do the vans appear to be poorly constructed, not much can be said for the Vauxhall/Renault service centres. Back to Ford for me!!!

Kathleen, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Very good on fuel, driving at 60mph it achieves 47 to the gallon. Mine is a 1.8 LS.

Dan, Kent on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Own a 51 plate early 2002 vivaro di 1.9. Am second owner of the van and was bought off a friend. Gearbox went 2 years before I bought it for the first time. But at my expense have only had to replace track rod ends, break sensor, tyres, pads and disks and servicing. Has served me very well for the last few years. Drives like a dream. Can’t really fault it.

Nutty, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Movano

Vans with 250,000+ is common now. Our movano has 147,000 which isn’t bad but it costs a fortune every couple of months in repairs, clutches, gearbox, fuel pump, and loads of small problems; I have a fleet of 8 vans. I bought a 206 1.4 HDI 3 years ago on a 2003 reg on 67,000 its now done 206,000 all that has gone wrong is gearbox @ 193,000 and a small oil leak on a pipe which cost me £20 to fix, outstanding for a 1.4 engine returning 60MPG. A 2.2 engine should acheive a lot more in theory. I also have a transit connect 246.000 1.8 TDCI, only new clutch & alternator. The movano is a money throwing van and we are selling it soon and getting another transit.

Kevin, Northumberland on the Vauxhall Combo

I bought my combo in 2002 with 5000 miles on it. It’s been a good reliable van, I’ve only had to put a new oil pump on it because the useless dealer messed up when doing a cam belt. The only problem is they leak in water (common fault). Mine has the 1.7 diesel Isuzu engine, which is bullet proof and much better than the Fiat one Vauxhall use now. It has always started in the winter and has been spot on for me, having never let me down.

John, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Mine has experienced a failed EGR value a couple of times in its lifetime over the last 8 years of ownership (one previous owner). Cost about £100 a time to sort out, but it is unnerving when it goes, leaving the car sitting in the middle of the road! I’m now looking around for another car and it seems that the EGR value is a problem for new models and not only limited to Vauxhall. In retrospect, it has been a brilliant car, very comfortable and quite a speedy little drive. The automatic gear box is amazingly smooth. I still haven’t found any auto boxes that match the quality of ours. Fuel economy isn’t great (30-35ish mpg) on the auto however, but that is to be expected. The boot and cabin is fairly spacious although the back seat is a real squeeze for two kids in child seats and an adult.

Giles, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Combo

Bought the van from vanmonster which was fine initially and then the problems started with power steering and the steering rack. The steering was pulling off and juddering. Vauxhall could not find the fault with it... it cost me £1700 replacing various parts and still not sorted. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!

Fernando, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Movano

I bought my Movano 2 years ago when it had done 98,000 miles. It’s now done 143,000 miles and has been a very good van. It can carry loads of weight and has always been reliable. I think it looks good too, and the cabin height is fantastic, much better than a Transit etc... Fuel consumption is OK for a 2.2 turbo diesel although it does take a lot to fill the tank. The ride quality can be a little bumpy at times but isn’t as bad as my previous van, a LDV Pilot. The body work is actually in amazing condition and as I said it’s always been a reliable, well built van. Personally, I think that when it comes to changing it in a year or 2, I will stick with the Vauxhall brand.

pissedoff, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Juddering / spluttering / cutting out; EGR VALVES / COIL PACKS... IT IS NEVER ENDING... I had the car for 12 months and all was fine. I replaced the coil pack but still have problems. The egr valve was replaced then ran ok for about 3 months. Then the same cycle again. Even though I done a full oil / plugs air filter fuel, etc etc... I’m sick to death, there have been so many diagnostics and they show nothing. The first time the diagnostics showed up egr valve. My wife seems to have more problems than me though maybe because she revs it higher in the gears??? I will be selling it as soon as it is fixed. I don’t want any buyer to experience what I have so I want to find the root of this before i sell. GOOD POINTS - :0 BAD POINTS - NO POWER; FAILING EGRs; CAN’T SEE PAST FRONT PILLARS; SEATS UNCOMFORTABLE; FUEL CONSUMPTION; DONT BUY A PETROL ZAFIRA!

Michelle, Denbighshire on the Vauxhall Astra Convertible

I love my Astra convertible although I agree with Kerry that the visabilty all round is rubbish for a 5’ 4" female which is why as long as the weather is dry I drive with the roof off !!! My Astra also likes its petrol but that’s the price I pay for not being happy driving round in a 1000cc economy car.

J, Isle of Anglesey on the Vauxhall Omega

This is the best car in the world. It is shame that they are no longer for sale new.

Chris, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Absolute waste of time! After all the hype I bought a 2-litre diesel - it was OK for the first few months; the usual minor problems like a light staying on the dash, then when you went over a bump it went out again. Mine was a turbo, it was very quick when it finally decided to kick in, but boy did you nearly s--t a brick when you were overtaking, also I never prayed as much! Please be aware the starter went on me exactly 2 weeks after the warranty ran out, and it cost me £345 in a garage in Boston in Lincolnshire. I still have the receipt to prove it.

Hamza, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The only redeeming quality I think through my rose-tinted glasses is the flexible seating; the ability to transform from a school bus to a DIY van without having to carry seats in and out of the house was brilliant. As for the reality of living with the Zafira 2.0 Td Elegance: new brake pads and discs needed all around 3 weeks after having purchased it from a Network Q dealer. New MAF, radiator, leak off pipes soon after. Rattles and creaks were a constant companion, the AA man became a familiar friend and the local Vauxhall dealership were "%7H*(&? - my previous BMW 3 series was cheaper to service at a BMW dealer and I got a BMW courtesy car too! The door check straps cracked away from the door and the power window motor died too... I feel too many painful memories coming back. I have vowed to never by GM or Vauxhall ever again. The oil consumption was very high and the fuel economy for a diesel was terrible - barely 30mpg. I miraculously managed to get to 40,000 miles and sold it... but we did have some great trips in spite of this.

Ash, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Avoid at all costs, gearbox is rubbish. Clutch and master / slave cylinders are not up to the job. Discs are hopeless, this van is no workhorse, it will cost you a fortune to maintain instead of earning you money. Buy a Mercedes, VW or Transit instead and you will be better off!!!

Ash, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Movano

Same problems as the dreaded Vivaro. Eats brake discs and gearboxes, clutches , slave and master cylinders are not up to the job. This van will cost you a fortune in repairs as opposed to earning you money. Avoid, and buy VW, Mercedes or a Transit instead!!!

Lance, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought my blue 3dr Vauxhall Corsa, 2002 plate 4 months ago. I haven’t had any problems with it except the fan belt screeching but had it tightened and was fine. Overall a very spacious car, big-ish boot, nippy car even though only a 1 litre - cheap on insurance and a very high spec. Great economical engine and I would recommend it, especially for younger lads and girls. It is really economical and ace to drive, smooth and clean. Would definitely recommend to buy used as I did but make sure you bargain... especially in this credit crunch!!

Kerry, Essex on the Vauxhall Astra Convertible

I find the astra convertible a nippy car to drive and a pleasure, although being a slender women and average height i do find the seats a bit of a pain being that they are tooo laid back due to being sports seats, it makes it harder for me to have good visibility all round. The sun visors are toooo little also so often i get blinded by the sun on bright days where i have no protection from the visors, infact they are so little it makes me wonder why they bothered putting them their. The car is a very stylish car and wonderful in summer but i do pay the price with visibility and lack of sun visors protection at all times.

Malik, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

i tnk tht car is fi9

Turner, Devon on the Vauxhall Vectra

I converted to LPG two years ago and pay 50p per litre with the same consumption and performance as petrol. My Vectra serves as builders van, trailer hauler and touring car Very reliable, cheap to maintain and a good performer.

Paul, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

The only thing wrong with this van is the fact that the gearbox, clutch and brakes are not up to the job. The gearbox has cheap bearings and at £1000 pounds a pop for a reconditioned replacement this can prove rather expensive. The clutch just hasn’t got the grunt for the job in hand so you can add a few more pounds to the running costs for replacement every 30,000 miles. The brakes just don’t last and the master cylinder is a bit suspect. So if you like spending loads on service and repair this is the van for you!!!!!!!

Colin, Suffolk on the Vauxhall Vectra

The Vectra handles well but is slow accelerating. I had problems with the cabin dials and knobs but the Vauxhall dealers have not been very helpful... Apart from that it is a decent performer but in hindsight I would probably have gone for a Mondeo.

Paul, Leicestershire on the Vauxhall Agila

A very practical little car, with that higher up mini-mpv feel, and very roomy for its size. A boxy shaped load-bay means it can carry a decent amount of stuff - better than many of its curvier supermini rivals! It’s economical to run and performance is reasonable - it pootles along quite happily at the limit on country roads and motorways. Yes, the ride could probably be bettered, but it’s fine for me. No air con - but heh that only adds to fuel consumption and what’s wrong with opening the windows! I haven’t seen the new more-rounded shape model yet - I just hope they haven’t sacrificed the roominess for looks!

Chris, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought my van 2 years ago second hand in good condition. Wish I had spent my money elsewhere. in the past 18 months I’ve had to have new master and slave cylinders, new clutch and the gearbox has just gone for the second time! Great van when it works but unfortunately it doesn’t work for long. At least I’m getting my money’s worth out of the RAC...

Louis, Kent on the Vauxhall Combo

What a great little van - 500 miles to one tank of diesel - fast, reliable, has only needed the oil and water topped up twice in 8 months. Cheap to insure, more than enough space in load area + spare parts are cheap and readily available. Would definitely buy gain.

Robert, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have had this van 42 months and what a nice van to drive when running ok !!!! At 35,000 the fuel pump went a £3,000 bill at dealers and now at 38,000 the gearbox needs replacing. I wouldn’t buy again - get a Transporter!

Colin, Conwy on the Vauxhall Vectra

The final incarnation of the vectra ’B’ has remained an average family hatchback in an un-involving sort of way. It does most things well enough and is probably as reliable as most other cars in its class. Other than regular maintainance the car has only needed one item due to failure, a coil pack after 5 years! On the plus side the car regularly returns a very creditable 43 MPG fully loaded on a good cross country run and on a personal note I like the BLACK (not grey,beige,cream or any other new fangled colours !) interior colour. The boot is a good size although this is obtained, I suspect, at the expense of rear seat legroom. Overall, this is a good but uninspiring motor suitable for anyone who is not actually a motoring enthusiast.

Chris, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have a 2002 Corsa Sxi 1.2 and I must say that it’s a good all rounder as this is my first car. Although the fuel consumption is rubbish, this car does 90mph on the motorway without much effort. Interior and exterior is great for the class and the price it was offered for when this first came out. Would like to see at least one cup holder by the gear stick rather than having to open the storage lid which has a cupholder in. Love this car and would like a diesel engine but they’re rare and expensive.

David, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Have just traded the Zafira in and am well rid of it. It’s had a new steering rack, new clutch, new rear seat belt, all parts of air con replaced, abs required attention and the final straw is the dreaded EGR valve problem. Our excellent local mechanic is at a loss as to how he should repair it; his diagnostic equipment gives a false report to do with the oxygen sensor. He advised us to get rid of it as he’s had these problems with other Zafiras. It could be a great car with excellent versatility but there are clearly issues with the EGR valve.

Robert, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Bought new in early 2003, been a brilliant little car with nothing major going wrong with it. Serviced annually though a main dealer. My only complaint is the paintwork - it is flame red, which as it gets older the metalwork is turning pink (the plastic is still ok), only a good clean and waxing every month keeps it sort of like the original colour. I will never buy a red car again especially a Vauxhall.

Vaughan, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Owned from 6 months old, gentle use 55,000 miles in 7 years. Seals failed in radiator leading to water in the autogearbox which wrecks it. Vauxhall have known about this manufacturing fault for years now and even have dealer instruction sheet. They have not acknowledged letter I sent a week ago. It’s an internal fault you cannot see and it’s not covered by servicing. Looking at the number of scappers with this fault on ebay, they have problem that could be worse than the Toyota issues. you can’t sell a car with a sealed for life gearbox and radiators that fail after 50,000 miles. They go at all different ages no Vectra auto should be bought at any price. Astra’s also doing it, how safe will the Insignia be?

Kev, England on the Vauxhall Vivaro

Bought this model at 44,000 miles and it has run like a dream. Now approaching 100,000 and only replacing for the bigger model, Movano. Great van, great runner, has served me well.

Michelle, Hampshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Well our Dear Silverbelle, is no more but if we could have her back brand new we would. In just over 7 years, I broke a front spring on a big pot hole. The usual gear box linkage went. My biddy 1 ltr engine did 10 miles to the litre, 113,000 miles, never a day she didn’t start. Took her off franchase once for a service at 6 years, bloke put wrong oil in her which blew the oil pressure switch and somehow messed up the heater which i had to pay around £200 to repair. Been looking for a long time for a replacement car worth buying and been very diappointed and confused. I have driven for 23 years without a scratch but this year have been involved in 2 non fault accidents in the Corsa, she saved us twice. Fist time an idiot ran striaght into the back of the car doing about 35mph, caved the boot in, jamming the spare wheel in the holder. it was repaired. Six months later, a 17 year old with a car full of mates ploughed his saxo striaght through the traffic lights into the front of me, agin she saved us. She has now been classed a total loss, shame, i had just put new brakes on the front. This was a car for taking it easy in, she was never trashed, always serviced, never needed any top ups of oil. tyres did 35,000 a time. one exhust in 113,000 miles, original clutch. no major componants ever failed or replaced. A dream car. Dreading buying something new, have looked at alsorts, there is no joy in it, then try to buy something safe, theres ncap 5 and ncap 5, they vary enormously. Any way I shall plough on with reviews. Not sure I would buy another Corsa, read quite alot about steering failing on new models.

David, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Combo

I’ve had my van for five years now and only just started having the odd problems, but i do, do around 100 miles a day.

Namja, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have a Corsa and have had a few problems, like any other car, but it is well worth it even though it takes a lot of oil due to its 3 pistons and small engine. It gives 80 or 90 miles on a tenner and is a really good car. I think it is a great first car to keep your speed down and not get those six points in the first 2 years so I would recommend it for all you first time, new leaner drivers. I have to say we have three corsas in the family and they are, God willing, really good runners so far.

Steve, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I think I must have a different van to everyone else! I’ve have had mine 2 years done 130,000 miles, I bought it 40,000 mile on the clock. I’ve only ever had to replace tyres, ball joints and brake lights, power stearing pump also went but was a 70 quid fix. I have repaired a few of these gearboxes 200 quid for the bearings and a days job not to bad, but I have never had to do mine.I owned a Transit before this and a Vito and i would say it is as good as they were.

John , Lanarkshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

I have this van on an 02 plate. I bought the van because I used to drive the Trafic version for another company, which I thought was a fantastic van. After starting my own business I bought the Vivaro privately & after one week the turbo went, £1072 for a new turbo. Steering was wobbly after a few weeks so I replaced both track rod ends but steering is still the same. Luckily I haven’t had any problems with the gearbox. I am selling this van and I’m going to buy a brand new Vivaro; I have been assured that the issues with the earlier vans have been sorted, hope so.

Victoria, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I brought a Vauxhall Corsa in July 2008, it was 6 yrs old, which in my opinion in no age for a car. It was under 3 yrs finance and I have now decided to get rid of it because I have had nothing but the same old problems over & over again! First problem occured in Nov 2008, when my thermostat went, I would come out to the car early in the morning to a car that would just not warm up, then after that was fixed, I had an oil leak and found the orange warning light flashing, I took it in to find the head gasket had gone. In the April another oil leak occured, there was a fault with one of the valves. Then in July 2009, there was another oil leak, it broke down on the bridge of a busy road, the engine completely overheated even though there was water in it. Then a day after it came out of the garage, I had been shopping and it it made a funny noise when I started it up, the orange warning light flashed again, I took it to the garage, who couldn’t find a problem, after driving it to work afterwards and leaving it in the carpark for a few hours, it refused to start. When it went into the garage, I found out the head gasket had gone yet again, and petrol and water were leaking into the oil! Then in Nov 2009, the theomostat went again and the oil light was flashing, even though I filled it up with oil. Then in Jan the warning light came on, the temp gauge was going from cold to practically overheating, I have now found out the head gasket has gone again. Am far from impressed and wouldn’t touch another Vauxhall with a barge pole. Piece of rubbish, clanking, noisy and poorly built!

Joanne, England on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

Brilliant car, bought second hand but what a great buy, never had a problem with it, great on fuel and so easy to drive.

N, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Vivaro

THESE VANS SHOULD HAVE A WEALTH WARNING - DO NOT BUY. I had one with the company I used to work for, from new, and had loads of trouble: new gearbox, new fuel pipes, starter motor... the list is endless. Anyway, ended up taking redundancy and thought it would be an idea to take van, tools etc... Alright for about 3 months, then problems started, warning light came on and Vauxhall were clueless. I took it to Neil Harrod, the man’s a top bloke. The main fuse had gone, got that sorted. A week later I took it back, 2 injectors gone £250 each. I thought "f**k this" and sold it to the local garage.I heard that after he changed 2 other 2 injectors went. I wouldn’t have another if you gave me one, I did some research on this site and others, I spoke to a few mechanics, The Totota Hiace kept coming up so I bought a 53 plate - mint - and have not had one problem having already done loads of miles. BE WARNED - DO NOT BUY VIVARO, TRAFIC or PRIMASTAR.

Mike, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Combo

I’ve had 3 Combo vans now and been up and down the country. Very trustworthy vans.

Wally, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

Just bought 01, 1.2 Auto Corsa sxi. Love the car, drives great but I am now sitting here without it because it broke down on me today. While driving along the engine just cut out and it stalled to a stop. Why? Well the breakdown company said it needed to be plugged into a diagnostic machine to find the problem, more money and I have only had it for a week... Hope the garage can solve this minor problem.

Donna, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Corsa

This car is such a pleasure to drive!. I’ve always driven corsa’s since I first passed my test two years ago. The 2001 model is absolutely fantastic. But.. having said that i just found out my windscreen washers aren’t working on front or back? is this common? why does it happen?.

Andy, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Looking at some of the other reports the newer Zafira’s aren’t so good. My 2.2 petrol is gas converted and presently has 191,000 on the clock and is as comfortable to drive today as when new. There were problems at 45,000 and 83,000 requiring top end rebuilds but both were covered by warranty. Since then only had to replace one front wheel bearing assembly and an ERP valve other than normal wear and tear. Can’t believe so few people are on LPG. Presently runs at less that 10p/mile. Excellent towcar, workhorse and family vehicle.

Paul, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have had nothing but problems with this car - I have had 3 starter motors, the stereo has locked and I can not get the code. I had diesel leak back into the engine; I wish I had never got it - spent more time off road than on it. One word describes this car - C**P .

Irfan, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have the Vauxhall Zafira 51 Plate 2001 model 1.6 Club. I have the same cut out problem which makes the car untrustworthy and unreliable. Vauxhall should do something to remedy its effects.

Ian, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Corsavan

This van drives just like a car, which I guess it really is. Be warned though, this is not what you need if you need to transport a lot of goods from A to B, the space is limited. A real fun drive though, very nippy and great at cornering.

Dave, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I have a Zafira 2001 1.6 16 valves and it has had loads of minor and major problems but the one thing not to do is go to the Vauxhall you got it from. Mine was used and it has 7500 odd miles on it but way before that it still had loads of problems. I took it to Vauxhall and they said it was the egr valve and one day my wife was picking our son up from school and the engine blew up. She pulled over with no power steering, shouting get out to my other son and daughter - it was the starter motor. We STILL have it and now there’s a problem with the acceleration. It is like a tractor and when you’re at about 60mph and brake (which is what my wife had to do on a motorway) - it cuts out! Don’t buy a Zafira!

Paul, London on the Vauxhall Astra Coupe

What more do you need? It has everything. Wouldn’t sell it even if I won the lottery. Future classic car. This is not a car for snobs though.

George, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Zafira

The car was 3 years old when I bought it with just 27K miles on the clock. Ex mobility. Nice looking car, love the ease at which the rear two seats fold into the floor. Just have ongoing issue with the car and that is the ’Engine light’ has been lit for three and a half years. Two months after I got it it appeared, took it back to the garage who used computer diagnostic, apparently nothing wrong so they reset the on-board computer management system. A month later it appeared again, took it to Vauxhall and was charged £60 plus VAT and same diagnosis (nothing wrong) and resolution (reset computer). A month later it was back on. Having checked the handbook it said if the light is flashing you need to take it to the garage, as it was not I have continued to drive without any problems. DOWNSIDE at 30-35 mpg it is a very thirsty car. OK if like me you don’t do excessive mileage.

Paula, Huntingdonshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

We have had our Zafira for five years now, it was three years old when we got it as an ex mobility car. I had to pay to have a three year warranty on it. Just before this expired I had to have the EGR valve replaced and one of the back doors was not locking. A year later I had the sane problems many are having with the loss of power when you go over 40 miles an hour. After three mechanics looked at it and bypassed the EGR valve, the problem was not fixed. I went back to Vauxhall who took it in for the day to find that it was the wires leading to the EGR valve that needed replacing. The engine management light did nit come on after this and touch wood, it has been driving OK since. My back door also is not good as the metal bracket has come away from the door, must be a weakness there. Hope this helps.

Rob, Wiltshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

It is a nice all round car, room in the back seats and boot. They are cheap to buy and fix (if you don’t touch the Vauxall dealers, they will rip you off). The 1.8 LS is under powered but there is hardly any noise when driving at 70mph. They come in ranges like box standard, posh, and sports. Just watch out on the electrics, that is Vauxhall’s worse problem. The basic ones are the best to buy due to less electrical things to go wrong.

Martyn , Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Omega

This is our 2nd Omega, its a facelift 2.6 MV6 auto. These cars are totally under-rated in my opinion. Neither of our Omegas have ever let us down in 3 years of ownership. The 2.6 MV6 is great fun to make progress in, it loves motorways and twisty B roads alike. Very well specced, inc cruise control, traction control, climate control, electric everything etc etc etc........ Perfomance is brilliant, especially when the multi-ram intake system comes in at 3500 rpm........Left many a hot hatch behind....... Looks lovely too in light green metallic and a joy to own. My car is 8 yrs old now but still looks modern and smart on its standard 17" alloys. Take proper care of it with regular services and genuine parts and an Omega will last years and years and years, V6 is bulletproof.......... Overall.........Highly recommended.

Alfie, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Nothing but problems. Apparently from 2005 they are better. If you do buy one make sure you have a healthy bank balance for all the EGR VALVES you will need to replace!!..... SHOCKING!!

Andy, Ireland on the Vauxhall Combo

Hi lads and lasses. I own a 2001 (old model) Opel Combo and I have to say it’s a great little workhorse indeed. I bought it back in May ’10 with 158k miles on the clock with a full test and it has ran like a dream ever since. It now has just short of 170k miles on the clock and I plan to spend a few quid on it to keep it tip top. I recently changed the oil and filter and air filter and was delighted to learn that the van had burned no oil whatsoever from it’s last service (of coarse I always keep an eye on the dipstick! :) ) Next I plan to change the fuel filter and glow plugs, one of which seems to have reached it’s sell by date. I have, however, a few issues with this particular van. First off, it seems to be particularly heavy on front tyres. The current set have lasted me just 4k miles :( Second, she seems to overheat at random times for no reason. I have had the radiator and head gasket checked, neither of which are giving trouble. If anyone can advise me on either of these matters I would greatly appreciate it. Other than that I cannot recommend these vans enough. Granted, they are much more basic than the rival Caddy and even Courier, yet brag more loading space and can match the most economical diesel engines mile for mile. They are also a much cheaper second hand buy and will reward you with equal if not better reliability. I plan to keep mine for many more years to come and advise anyone in the market for a small van/economical commuter not to overlook the faithful Combo...

Andy, London on the Vauxhall Omega

What a car, and after owning the 3.2 Mv6 before this. All I can say is if you want pure luxury, this is the one with extra possible including sat nav.

Dean, Sussex on the Vauxhall Combo

Mine had 56,000 on the clock when I bought it and is now on 146,000. I have had it 7 yrs and have found it to be the best all round purchase of car or van I have ever made. I have just bought a 4yr old 1.7cdti and I hope it’s half as good as last van, which has only let me down 3 times in those 7yrs. I would highly recommend the Combo.

John, Somerset on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

I bought this car when it was 3 years old with 22,000 miles on the clock. I kept it for 7 years it never used any oil between services. I towed a 4 berth caravan and trailer with it drove to the south of France and did Lands End to John O’Groats in it. It never cost any money for repairs and went though all its MoTs with no work required. I had it serviced by my mate every year and bought 3 sets of tyres, no brake parts, cambelt changed at 8 years. The brake light bulbs don’t last long. I traded it in for a 1.8 Astra Estate design auto at 3 years old with 17000 miles on the clock. My mate will service this car too as he is a self employed mecanic.

w, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I had my car from a dealer. Since I had the car had no problems at all. I recommend changing the oil, all filters in 20000 interval or even less(10000) as this will make the car run more smoothly. The manual mentions to change filters and engine oil miles). This may cost some more money but in the long term you will not have a problem with the valves,DPF..ETC Last thing, try to service your car with a Vauxhall Dealer, more expensive but more efficient.

Nick, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Astravan

3000000 Miles on the clock, still drives well, getting 90 miles on a tenner, no rust and pulls well, big thumbs up Vauxhall.

Kev, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

I’m the second owner from new and currently have 160k on the clock. This car does everything I have ask of her, she can pull a large caravan at ease on motorways and will drag a trailer. I have moved house with it, carried railway coach buffers in it, dogs and pensioners without any problems. I love her as she is always fun, never boring to drive,  and is comfortable on a long run without stops. She holds the road and loves a good A road or motorway and is equally at home on a bumpy road. The fuel economy works out at roughly 10 miles per litre, a little more when on the motorway and A roads. On the motorway I won’t let her go over 85mph, as it’s then she starts to drink juice. In town she will drink the juice as anyone would expect on stop starting. The Astra G is the last of the pure breed of Astra and as such has the purity of the original design, with simple easy to reach and use controls. A good vehicle, in both modes of saloon and estate.

Ian, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Wonderful car. Bought from local Ford dealer in 2005 at 55,000 miles. No problems at all until 103,000 miles when engine management light occasionally came on while driving - garage read fault code off ECU log and replaced camshaft position sensor (£30 + £30 labour). Now drives as new again. Very economical - lowest I’ve had around town with its ECO diesel engine is 28mpg, but any runs over 5 miles once its warmed up, I get 50mpg easily. Brilliant for load-carrying - takes 8ft. x 2ft. sheets of loft boards with tailgate shut, large upright freezers, sofas, you name it - it takes it! Saves a fortune in delivery charges. 105,000 miles now and still cheap to run. Essential to change engine oil before each 10,000 miles is up, otherwise you are almost guaranteed to have problems with clogged-up EGR valves & turbos - a buggered turbo will set you back £800+.

Alan, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Omega

Similar problems to Patrick Mitchell - CD radio failure, drivers door lock-multiple failures, front brakes overhauled, left cylinder head oil leak, self-levelling rear suspension shot. Despite all of that, it has only broken down once in 7 years, due to a fan belt idler gear failure. I bought it to travel regularly between Lincolnshire and Berlin. Its ability to sit on cruise control at 110 mph on the autobahn makes the journey bearable, if not fun. It still raises a grin when I floor the throttle at 125 mph, and it changes down a gear, and it will show its rump to many a BMW. This is the best car I’ve ever had, and I’ll keep it until it dies but, due to the fuel consumption, I have to run a second, economical car, which is also a Vauxhall.

Chuck, Dorset on the Vauxhall Vectra

Have had 2 years trouble free motoring. Excellent flexible gearbox, brakes to match and reasonable economy. Interior as good as Mondeo and good sized boot. Handling as good as any in class especially off motorways...

Patrick, Berkshire on the Vauxhall Omega

Fantastic load lugger, and very practical and comfortable. Particularly good motorway cruiser, which is essentially what I needed. Fuel economy is appalling (realistic 70MPH motorway driving delivers around 23MPG, dropping to 18/19MPG on urban drives). Lots of bells and whistles on this model but during the 4 years I’ve owned it I have lost count of the number of niggles and faults, which have been surprisingly expensive to fix for a Vauxhall: - Cambelt sensors changed - Front door locks broke and replaced twice (could not unlock car with key, brute force, or anything, had to climb in from the back!) - Vauxhall dealer told me they have redesigned the solenoids and locks three times and still can’t fix this known fault! - Alternator @ £230 for a re-conditioned unit! - Shreds front tyres so got through plenty of those - Stereo developed several intermittent faults including jamming CDs inside it - Auto box kept sticking in 4th gear. Vauxhall said need new ECU but WD40 on the ECU connector sorted it - Front brake wear sensors shredded 3 times (and Vauxhall dealers don’t have a clue which ones to give you as replacements, I had to take several versions each time and bring back the ones I didn’t use) - Two lots of front disks, 1 lot of rear - Front suspension/steering nearly collapsed at 6 years old - Front subframe mounts rusted through to the point that the car almost became permanently un-MOT-able .. and the list goes on! Great, large, comfortable car when it works, expensive when it goes wrong, which is frequently. Unfortunately that will be the last Vauxhall I will own!

Colin, Rhondda Cynon Taff on the Vauxhall Zafira

I no longer have my safe and 100% reliable Zafira due to my own fault. I was driving through a double lane country road heading up hill to a right hand turn at night time , a car came towards me with its full beam on in which case dazzled me, before I knew it, I hit the banking to my left and my Zafira rolled , lucky enough I was wearing my seatbelt and the airbag worked otherwise I would not be writing this report. I suffered minor injuries so this is why I say that Zafira’s are the best of m.p.v vehicle.

Alex, Surrey on the Vauxhall Corsa

Handles very well round corners and is very nippy; get a lot of problems with the windscreen wipers and washers - front and back. All in all a pleasure to drive.

Ian, Nottinghamshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Like everyone says Vauxhall should do something about the quality of this car. Well maybe they are. Crawling to the government for a multi billion hand out to keep producing these heaps of c**p. DO NOT BUY ONE!

Brad, England on the Vauxhall Combo

I got this van a while ago, the 1.7 diesel. It struggles up hills and won’t go faster than 65 mph on the motorway unless there is a slight incline but... very reliable and decent average fuel economy.

Daz, Gwynedd on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve just bought a used Comfort 2.0 dti Zafira. All ok but sometimes cuts off and the service light comes on , its regains power once the light goes off. Has anyone had the same problem?

Vicky, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

We brought ours ex mobilty in 2004, it was 4years old and had 12,000 miles, bargin at time. We spent 6 months searching for the right family car trying all and sundry on the market; we are both tall so we needed comfort and leg room as well as space for kids, we kept coming back to the Zafira. It is a great family car, our 3 wheeled pushchair fitted in and still left room for shopping and family stuff. She has been a great work horse and has come in useful when we have needed 7 seats. we have looked after her but silly things are now going wrong, air con broken, driver door won’t unlock automatically, wheel bearing, front spring clicking, heater dodgy, light at front.

Antony, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

After buying the car in 2001 I have been driving up to 6000 miles per year and have had no trouble with this car. The boot is quite small but I regularly took another person scuba diving around our country. The car is regularly serviced through a local garage to keep it in top trim. I would recommend the car to anyone for a good type of small car.

Leeann, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Got the Zaf at 3 years old, ex-mobility. Fantastic reliability it has never let us down. I bought it with 24k on the clock and it’s now just passed 60k after 7 year of ownership. It’s had 1 trackrod end 4 tyres and an as new radiator. Just had to put a full exhaust system including cat converter in so 7 years motoring with about 1000 quids worth of parts is pretty good. I must admit that it’s a bit under powered and drinks petrol and oil a bit more than my Corsa 1.4 Sri, but my Corsa can’t take my family in the comfort that my good old Zaf can.

Simon, Germany on the Vauxhall Astra Estate

Now up to 125k miles, 11 years old, still going strong and has never let us down. Ideal workhorse for the young family in estate form. Aircon packed in this year - not the end of the world, £700 repair so we haven´t bothered. 1.8 16V engine brisk enough, could be slightly higher geared IMO. Wound it up to a GPS indicated 127mph on the Autobahn last year. The front end goes a wee bit light over 120mph. The Astra G is a cracking underrated car. Get one!

Paul, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

This car has so much going for it, the 2 rear seats are a great idea, its cheap (ish), runs OK, loads of space... Bought mine second-hand about 8 months ago, its only done 38k, full Vauxhall dealer history, even had GM washer fluid... BUT, its also had a coil pack, head gasket, thank %^&* for warranties! Blew an inlet manifold... then there is the poor MPG (partly my fault, should have got the 1.8...) You can’t get two child seats in the back with a passenger... Can’t disable the air bag (Vauxhall went crazy at the thought...) But overall its so much better than the Scenic I had before, cost me 4x as much as I paid for the car on repairs.... Shame Galaxy’s are so expensive to insure...

Paul, Derbyshire on the Vauxhall Frontera

Cannot fault this car, big family sized 4 x 4 estate, smooth powerful engine, cheap to buy and returns 25mpg all day, everyday. Fantastic for towing caravan, very torquey engine and fuel economy not really affected by the additional weight. when the right pedal is pressed with gusto, this car will out run various hot hatches and will certainly make the sporty boys blush with embarrasment. This car does not get the praise it deserves, irrespective of the engine it has. We are so impressed with the cars, we have 2 the second is a 2.2 16v Sport 3 Door model. Again a great little 4 x 4 with plenty of go and looks the part. The Sport is a convertible too, it returns about 28mpg and is cheap to insure. If you get one that has been looked after and serviced regularly, you will have a reliable workhorse thats worth every penny.

Mike, England on the Vauxhall Omega

This was the second Omega I owned and it was a joy to drive. Despite being an older version of the MV6 I owned before, it was just as good. The interior felt a little dated, but everything worked and nearly everything was electric! It put newer cars to shame. The engine was fabulous and despite not being the most potent by todays standards; (it was used in the Carlton) it was more than enough to despatch the wannabe boy racers. Never had a moments trouble with it and it was rarely cold; it was used everyday. I could not have asked for a better car. It looked great with the Irmscher kit, it went like hell and never caused me a headache. I loved the heavy body and the rear wheel steering as it made you appriciate the joy of driving a powerful car such as this. Such a shame I had to sell it due to my other half not liking big cars. They really do not make them like this anymore. Pity.

Jamie, England on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought my Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 GLS for £300. I find it to be a good car; its comfy, it looks nice in and is quite nippy but the only thing that bothers me about Vauxhall’s is that there is always something going wrong with them. My manifold studs have just snapped and I have got to get them drilled out but I think the car is worth sorting out so I will get everything done to it. Normally if something goes wrong with a car I just sell it and get a new one but I want to keep this one.

Nigel, Dorset on the Vauxhall Vectra

Very easy and comfortable to drive on motorways and country roads alike. Acceleration is very good and the sport switch is useful at the lights. I used to drive a Ford Focus Zetec but find the Vectra more driver-friendly as I am now disabled.

Anthony, London on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

The Astra is the best car i have owned No trouble for 9 years...I service it every July the parts costs about £25 and that’s it for another year I’m 68 years and have been driving since I was 14 years old........

Craig, Sussex on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

A very good car that has never let me down in 8 years.

Ricky, Aberdeenshire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Hi there. I have a Vectra 98 2.0 tdi in good condition but the airbag/seatbelt light came on the dashboard the other day, I have disconnected the wires under boths seats in the front cleaned them and reconnected them but the light is still on. any suggestions please?

Rhys, Northamptonshire on the Vauxhall Tigra

I’m happy with the car overall, it looks smart - and is nippy - apart from some of the body work its great but I feel it’s not very good on fuel. I will get 300 miles to £45 of petrol and I don’t drive very fast, I maybe accelerate a bit sometimes but not all the time. Does anyone have the same problem or know how they could help me? Thanks, please email rhysholland7@hotmail.com

Kim, Devon on the Vauxhall Omega

The Omega is a great car to drive, very comfortable if you are on a long journey, front chairs go up or down. Very spacious legroom in the back and a big boot. The Heater heats up in seconds and gets very hot quickly.

Wayne, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I’ve only recently purchased this vehicle so haven’t done many miles, however, so far I find it a very good drive!

Ian, Wales on the Vauxhall Combo

I bought the van second hand showing 85,000, within 12 months I have replaced the alternator £85, starter motor £120, gear linkage £140 (Vauxhall only, 3 bits of metal with plastic ball joints!) brake servo £40 (scrapyard), handbrake cable £20 and last but not least clutch £75...not mentioning the usuals, tyres brake pads etc., all of these replacements done by myself; thank God I didn’t need to take it to a garage, the bill would have gone quantum! The ONLY thing going for this heap of tripe is the mpg, 55 average soooo many common problems as indicated by a web search. The starter failed because the alternator failed, put too much amperage through the starter, blew the armature and brushes, the alternator fails because the oil pump is attached to the back of it, restricting airflow resulting in over heating, this causes the relay to blow also; no one really knows for definite where they are located, not even main dealer, apparently they moved them around a lot, usefull! When the alternator fails it causes allsorts of electrical troubles because it produces waaay too many amps and volts, burns a lot of things out, handy thing to happen when its a common problem :/ The clutch was a nightmare to change, practically had to dismantle everything, it took 5 days dodging weather, was NOT impressed! The pressure plate showed little wear but was seriously cracked on removal the gear change mechanism is also a common fault, I have read reports of them failing as low as 20,000 miles but Vauxhall, God love them, will sell you a part to rectify the junk they fit as standard. Overall my impression is this vehicle was designed and assembled by a octodextrous retarded squid, constructed from the cheapest materials resulting some how in extraordinarily expensive replacement parts. If you have loads of money and want your local garage to do a roaring trade, buy one of these. I know for sure I wont touch any Vauxhall with anybody elses barge pole ever again :) lesson learned.

Peter, Ayrshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

When my Vauxhall car is running it’s fine, unfortunately it is plagued with constant faults. Suprisingly the auto box is fine (which was my worry) so best just with a list of the fun time I’ve had with my Zafira b 150 diesel: All wiring towards back doors breaks in two, dealer had it twice, independant once, now I’ve just taped it together - common fault. egr valve been at dealers 3 times, egr cooler broke but here a commendation as dealer did a temp repair, which works. dpf filter, yes all to be replaced, alternator now gone too,must be nearing £3000 in 2 years! So summing up, do not go anywhere near this model. I will never ever entetain Vauxhall again. Best fun was when dealers told me after I spent £1200 pound on it it was fine and road tested etc, I got 50ft before hitting limp mode. Run run away from this car, well at least you know it’ll not catch you cause it’ll be broken.

Kim, Warwickshire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I bough a Vauxhall Meriva 2 and a half years ago, upto now the car has been very reliable, and the diesel very economical. I took it on the motorway, 70 miles into my journey the car revved loudly, and lots of smoke came out the back of the car exhaust. I pulled over to the hard shoulder as soon as I could, took the keys out of the ignition and the car still carried on revving, even louder. I thought the car was going to blow. Roughly 10 secs later there was a click from the engine and everything went silient. The garage said that the turbo is at fault and could of damaged the timing chain. The thing is the car is just over 3 years old, and just passed the warranty. I never expected anything like this to happen, but I was told that the type of engine the Meriva is fitted with is prone to problems happening.

Tracy, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought this as an ex driving school car with 13,000 miles on the clock. It has now donw 130,500 miles on the original clutch, has never broken down, and always starts - except one time when I left the radio on for 4 days and the battery went flat (I was on holiday). A great little car, she’s starting to show her age now with rusting but her engine starts up every time and still sounds and runs sweet. I’ve never had any major repairs or problems, just normal running costs; services, exhausts etc. I would recommend to anyone as a reliable, economical, easy to drive, easy to park, good all round visability (unlike some of the later models), fun to drive brilliant little car. I’m dreading the day I have to trade her in because she’s got too much rust.

Jennifer, England on the Vauxhall Corsa

Because its an older model, it doesn’t have central locking, which is bit annoying when trying to get 2 toddlers into car and stop them running into road! The build is poor and ’clanky’, also the boot lid doesn’t fit very well, causing rain water to get in.

Lindsey, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Tigra

Cracking little car but whilst driving speed increases the noise inside the car becomes unbearable, to the point that whilst travelling over 40mph it is even difficult to speak to your passenger without shouting.....this is the first Tigra I have owned so advice would be welcome if this is common in the sport version or if further problems are due???? The noise is only noticable inside the car for some reason.

Graham, Sussex on the Vauxhall Tigra

A great sporty car from Vauxhall. Great fuel economy on the 1.4 with rapid exceleration make this a cheap fun drive.

P. J., County Tyrone on the Vauxhall Meriva

This was the first brand new car I ever bought. Apart from the ’blind’ spot on right front corner of window I really loved it. The tyres lasted a long time and I love the interior space. It’s great for carrying large items and has great storage. This year however, my EPS light went on and remained on. I could hardly drive the car and felt really unsafe. A part from the Vauxhall dealer cost £600. Now my EPS light is coming on occasionally. My Vauxhall dealer believes it might need a new pump. After researching on the Internet I discovered that the EPS is a common problem with the Meriva. I am now very disappointed in Vauxhall’s attitude towards the problem and hope they will rectify it. All the reports of the EPS problem indicate that the Meriva can be dangerous if this EPS fault continues.

Billy, County Down on the Vauxhall Meriva

With a baby on the way, the Meriva seems like the ideal buy, with plenty of boot space and cabin room for all the essentials and more. I was more than impressed at the beginning. However after a few months driving, the novelty wore off. The front pillars are a real hazard and you have to stop and lean forward at every junction. As you soon learn, by not doing that you are taking your life in your hands. Fuel consumption poor with 30 mpg, the air conditioning is poor, indictors do not automatically turn off which is maddening. Numerous brake lights bulbs replaced. Problems with the ABS braking. Would never buy another Meriva or indeed a Vauxhall. Would-be parents, think very carefully before buying this car.

Mark, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Omega

Well folks my 2.5TD Estate has done 140,000 miles and is 17 years old. Never broken down once but of course it has been maintained through the years. So it has had a set of new wishbones and new front discs, 2 windscreens and new rear shocks and shock absorbers but that doesn’t add up to a great deal in 17 years now does it? It will easily exceed the speed limit in the UK and will turn over 100 miles/hour on the Autobahn even today. And generally on a long trip I get 37 to 38 miles to the gallon. It is a terrific car and my only beef with it is the build quality of the interior is not as good as the rest of the car and it does feather the front tyres no matter how many times I get the tracking sorted. However, I love my car and I have driven a lot of newer inferior ones. Great shame they don’t still make it. Great Engine.

Jen, Hertfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

I’m in love with my little, bright green Corsa. It wasn’t a car I’d ever really fancied before but my husband bought this one then decided it was too ’girly’ for him, so I ended up with it. It’s a dream to drive, easy to handle if a little heavy on the steering since it doesn’t have PAS. The pedals are close together but that was easy to get used to. The boot is surprisingly roomy and easily takes a weekly shopping load. Overall a nifty little car.

Carl, England on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Handles like a go kart!

Wendy, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Omega

Great sound, love the hidey hole.

Declan, England on the Vauxhall Agila

The first impressions of the Agila are very good, with a tall seating position and easy road viewing - and it can carry a lot of gear in the back once the back seats are let down. However, the Agila is simply awful, it looks awful, it handles like a doube decker on marmalade wheels, the interior is poor, and the engine noise at high speed would ensure no passenger gets a good rest. The Agila is very underpowered, especially if you decide to go for a model with air con and use it! You might as well climb out and walk up the hill... The power outlet is dreadful, even when your ragging the engine to try and get power out of it. A perky 1.2? Yes, in some cases, but god only knows why they didnt design it for five people in comfort with all that head room. Also, it’s the image of Suzuki’s Wagon R... which suffers the exact same problems - surely one should have looked at the other and considered their options? They even went as far as using the same design on the brand new models which Suzuki have renamed the Splash. The Agila was clearly not designed with aerodynamics in mind as its acceleration rate is disgraceful, and if the car is brought onto the motorway, the noise that the engine makes at 50mph alone is unbearable. It would be easier to handle a lion in a slaughter house then this car - if any corner is taken at any remote sort of speed, the car leans more then a dodgy referee... The steering is very heavy considering its only a very small car, which I will now elaborate on. The boot space can only be described as stupid - who the hell would design a boot that can barely hold four shopping bags wide? And as far as interior quality is concerned it’s pathetic, you can use chrome interior handles, but it doesn’t hide the fact of how bare and plain the car’s interior is. And the fact that dealers at the time charged extra for a centre rear headrest is an absolute joke! The gearstick looks like something out of a bus, and if anyone would select a red colour for the car are just looking for the Postman Pat jokes. That also goes for people who bought yellow or, as Vauxhall like to title it, Spearmint Silver, which is just turquoise. Buying a higher rank model will not help any situations as far as quality is concerned, if you buy roof rails it will sound like a pigeon quire sitting on the roof. Simply awful...

Andrew, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Vectra

Can’t fault it. Owned for 4 years now. Cheap to run, comfortable and ultra reliable. For those that want a car that drives like a BMW or Audi ... buy a BMW or Audi and pay 3 times more for it than the Vectra. This car is a fraction of the price so ... don’t expect more than you pay for and you will be well rewarded. Mine is now at 55,000 miles with only servicing and tyres to pay for (and timing belt). Had a Jag S Type before this - it cost far more than the Vectra and was THE most expensive and unreliable car I’ve ever had. Also had an Audi before that - nothing but trouble and expense from that too. So the Vectra is highly recommended in my book.

John, Staffordshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

I’ve not long since bought my Zafira 2 litre dti. It was running fine until the other day when my turbo stopped working all together and at 60mph a light is coming on the dash of a car with a spanner through it! This only comes on at 60mph and if I allow the mph to fall below that then it then goes out again. I’ve changed my airflow meter and this hasn’t made the slightest difference. If anybody can help me with advice to fix this problem then please email me jhn_blick@yahoo.co.uk. Many thanx.

Charlotte, Worcestershire on the Vauxhall Zafira

Bought this car and have nothing but problems for the last 18 months. Car keeps juddering and loosing power. We have had 3 air mass flows, 2 egr valves a new throttle body, a new new coil pack as well as other small bits like plugs and the car is still juddering and has no power. Been to Vauxhall on a number off occasions and they haven’t got a clue. This car has cost me an absolute fortune on repairs. I wouldn’t recommend this car to anyone. Apparently the juddering is a common problem with these yet they are still producing the car without trying to rectify the problem.

Dan, Norfolk on the Vauxhall Zafira

After 70k service I drove off garage forecourt and power steering pacted up. Was this checked in service I wonder? Garage said they would not charge to rectify problem then when car came back they wanted £200.00. steering had been fine before service, are garage at fault? Please could someone help, thanks.

Ken, Cambridgeshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Good car all round.

Joshua, Essex on the Vauxhall Corsa

I have owned this car for around three months now and it is absolutely fantastic. It drives superbly well with only minor wheelspin and torque steer in first and second gear. It picks up speed even at top end with huge agility and precision, I have a few minor issues with bits of trim coming loose but it only needed resticking and was fine. The interior of the car is brilliant with nice recaro bucket seats and leather steering wheel and everything is where you expect it to be. The boot is quite small but still okay. I fit all my shopping plus my mates in so suites me fine, the only downer is the insurance, which for me being 20, is almost £2,000 but come on, it is a 1.6 turbo after all. So all in all, I give it 5/5 on driving, 4/5 handaling, 4/5 trim, 5/5 interior, and 5/5 on looks.

Lee, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Meriva

I have a young family and needed a car that is the size in between a normal car and a MPV. The Meriva is just about perfect as it is the same size as a Vauxhall Corsa in width and length but is built higher to afford the room that is traditional with Vauxhall's Zafira. My wife also finds that she has increased visability and a greater sense of safety. She was also concerned about parking a larger vehicle but has found that this is not a problem with the Meriva. This is an excellent choice for a smaller family and the Meriva also looks very pleasing on the eye.

Adam, Cornwall on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

The Vauxhall Astra 1.9 CDTI is well equipped, economical, fast and has a good standard specification. As an all round package it is hard to beat.

Sarah, Devon on the Vauxhall Corsa

I bought the Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi mainly because I liked the look of it. However, I feel safe driving it, found it to be extremely reliable and with it doing approximately 50mpg it has also proved to ve extremely fuel efficient. In short, it looks, good, drives well and is a very economical drive.

Allan, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

This is a fantastic car, it really does deliver everything that Vauxhall say it will, no surprise that it was What Car? car of the year 2007. It drives smoothly and the engine just gives you that little extra when you need it, very responsive. Great car, would recommend to anyone.

James, Cardiff on the Vauxhall Corsa

My Corsa is now 5 years old and I must say that it has been a pleasure to drive for that period. Although it might now be time to upgrade it will be a shame because this has been a great car, cheap to run and extremely reliable.

Paul, Denbighshire on the Vauxhall Zafira

This car is exceptionally roomy, even with five children in the back. It has some clever space storage ideas and the flexibility of the seating makes life so much easier. Drive wise it�s very solid and smooth and very economical. The driver�s area isn�t very exciting but it�s very practical, which is what you want in a vehicle like this. I�m very pleased with it.

James, Northumbria on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

I’ve had this car now for 5 months now and am very pleased indeed. The engine has a great sound to it and the handling is superb. No complaints so far.

Brad, Essex on the Vauxhall Meriva

OK car, have 3 kids, aged 7, 5 and 1, and find it a bit a squeeze when all in, no real pick up from the off but is quite good on the old mpg. Very reliable, but again, not as big on the inside as looks from the outside.

Norma, Bedfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Hated it, poor handling, clumsy, unresponsive, like driving a small cardboard box.

Derek, Inverness-shire on the Vauxhall Combo

nice drive space

Fernanda, Surrey on the Vauxhall Astra Convertible

nice one

Gary, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Vectra

Very pleased with my Vectra. Very smooth drive, on both long and short journeys. Handles really well and all the space you need in a family car.

Paul, Fife and Kinross Shires on the Vauxhall Vectra

Handles like a dream on back roads, drives with total ease on motorways, evan when fully loaded. Most comfortable seats than any vectra and cavalier ive had before.

Briony, Gloucestershire on the Vauxhall Agila

They say you get what you pay for and boy is this car cheap! Awful.

Mary, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Corsa

Bought the latest Corsa a few months ago and it’s a big improvement on the earlier models. Spacious and attractive, ample power and refined, an excellent car.

Gavin, Lincolnshire on the Vauxhall Movano Tipper

Excellent little van, just what I was looking for. I use this for my landscape gardening business so it the 6 months I’ve had it it’s taken some fair knocks and heavy loads and performs brilliantly. Cab is reasonably comfortable and so far has been 100% reliable.

Dave, Lancashire on the Vauxhall Vectra

I bought my Vectra nearly new and saved a lot on the list price. This is an affordable family car with plenty of space. Comfortable, but not the sharpest drive in its class.

Gina, London on the Vauxhall Corsa

Cheap to run, cheap to tax at only £35 per year. Very economical. Very good build quality. Generally speaking a great buy.

Andrew, Oxfordshire on the Vauxhall Astra 5-Door Hatch

I’ve driven Astras for 15 years. My 2007 model 1.6 Club is the best yet. . Fabulous drive, refinement & quality.

Arnold, Yorkshire on the Vauxhall Antara

I’ve not had my Antara long so can’t give it top marks...yet. So far it has delivered on every level with a very smooth and comfortable ride and excellent mpg for a car of it’s size. It looks more stylish than a lot of 4x4s out there and is priced very well for the market.

Peter, Cheshire on the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Asbolutely amazing car, very quick and well built. Unfortunatuly I live in an affluent area and was targeted and subsequently car jacked 6 weeks after i bought it... so its probably not the best car to buy unless you carry a 12 bore in your glove box.

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