2012 Opel Zafira Family 1.8 petrol
Summary:
Never again a car with an automatic transmission
Faults:
Most importantly, the gearbox broke before reaching 50,000 kilometers. Is this normal? Not to me. Zero reliability.
The cooler gaskets degrade, causing oil to mix with the coolant in the expansion tank.
Over time, or due to the use of unsuitable oil, the camshaft actuators (Vanos/VVT system) begin to fail. The main symptom is a rattling noise (resembling a diesel engine) upon cold start and a loss of power.
Another headache.
The electronic thermostat tends to get stuck open or closed prematurely, causing temperature reading errors and overheating.
Cables running inside the rubber boot to the rear doors can break due to repeated flexing. This causes the central locking system to fail or the rear power windows to stop working.
General Comments:
The car itself isn't anything extraordinary. To me, it's just a bigger Astra—more comfortable, given the type of car, but not much more than that.
The positive thing about the car is that it handles well and is comfortable to drive; you don't really notice that it's an MPV—in the city, it feels like any other car, making it easy to park and drive normally.
As for the engine, it wasn't bad per se, nor did it give me any major trouble; however, in city driving, it tends to consume significantly more than the manufacturer claims (they always lie about fuel economy).
I’ve already mentioned the transmission, a horrible monstrosity that caused me endless problems until it finally broke down (which, ultimately, was the best thing it ever did). It was the first automatic car I owned, and it will obviously be the last, unless they stop making manual cars altogether.
I thought it would be a reasonably reliable vehicle, but it disappointed me. There were too many problems considering the price I paid for it.
I sold it with a new gearbox; I hope the current owner can enjoy it and avoid the headaches I had.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 9th September, 2026