1997 Opel Vectra CD review from Philippines
"A cold blooded car which is afraid of the sun"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
It is such a good car except that our climate here in the Philippines, during summer, reaches 34 degrees centigrade. Current models have been advertised to have an Asian driving package, but my particular model has problems with overheating which, in turn, caused problems with the air-conditioning and idling. In short, the car overheats and stalls in traffic. It has been an inherent problem ever since I got the car. The mechanics at the dealership simply refuse to acknowledge that the main cause of the problem is with the thermostat spring of the TV TCP (Thermostat Control Valve). It is set to 100 degrees Fahrenheit which is almost too late to cool the engine circulation. In temperate countries, this would be a perfect setting, but in tropical countries, this would simply be disastrous.
There was also a problem with the automatic transmission lever which jarred everytime it shifted. The dealer replaced it only after 21,000 km and fortunately it was still under warranty.
Then came the problem with the suspension which had a loud clanking sound. The roads in the city are not exactly prime. There are a lot of undulations as a result of the asphalt giving in to large loads and high temperature. Every time I go over those undulations, I would hear a clunking sound which is chassis or suspension related. They have changed the rubber suspension boots, but to no avail. The problem is still there and I think is more of a design problem than anything else.
My previous car, which was a Nissan Cefiro is still with me, but my wife is the one driving it and it does not have a single problem. The dual independent radiators handle our tropical climate with kid gloves. I hope that the dealership solves the problems soon. I have been an Opel fan since the days of the Opel Manta and Opel Ascona (which were both my previous cars). I just hope that Opel still has the same quality which it did with their previous cars and not suffer a heat stroke.
General comments?
This car is suited for cold climates, but once exposed to the tropics, suffers a heat stroke.
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A good car, but spoilt because of the spares situation in the UAE |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 Liter V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 128 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 48000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Nissan Cefiro |
| Date of Entry | 19th May, 2001 |