2012 Vauxhall Insignia SRi Nav 2.0 CDTi

Summary:

Economy, power and style!

Faults:

Oil pick up seal replaced. Famous issue.

Turbo boost pipe split, cheap and easy repair.

Not much else, car was bought used with full history and the cambelt had already been replaced.

General Comments:

White 2012 Insignia, what a gorgeous looking car for the money.

It drives as good as it looks. Very smooth and can be very fast if needed. But take it easy and you will see well over 50 mpg. Taken care of, the 2.0 CDTi can also be reliable. Be aware at this age and mileage there are a lot of abused Insignias out there.

SRi Nav gets plenty of electric features and very comfortable sports seats. I love being in this car.

You can get these cars really cheap now but do your research there are a lot of engine and transmission combinations and each come with thier own quirks. But find a nice Insignia and you have a great car for a nice price.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th October, 2026

2012 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 1.8 petrol

Summary:

Sleek mediocrity

Faults:

Clutch, thermostat, and there is some rust on both front wings. All acceptable at the age and miles.

General Comments:

White, black window tints, unmarked 18 inch wheels, lowered sport suspension... What a looker, shame the rest is mediocre.

I can only agree with many reviews on here. The Insignia is a fantastic looking car. It drives very well also. However, there is no denying the car has low value on today's used market at the age it is. And to be fair, there are some common faults across all models. But.. it makes up for all this with fantastic value for money. I paid very little for mine, and service and repairs have been cheap.

Also, this 1.8 engine is not the best choice, power is non existent and it struggles for around 33 mpg. I'd go for a more powerful diesel if buying again.

Don't get me wrong, the Insignia is fantastic, just be careful buying a cheap one at this age.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 10th September, 2026

15th Sep 2026, 15:27

You are right - at this age they are only worth considering real cheap.

I had a couple of Insignias as company cars back in 2009 - 2012. We had a 2.0 CDTi which was the best to drive - economical and powerful. But thank God we got rid of it at a few years old - it was already showing signs of serious wear in the clutch and gearbox and there was an oil leak at only 29,000 miles.

I wouldn't take a chance on any of them now (cars from 2009 - 2016). Far too likely to be a money pit. You are better off with the much improved Insignia Grand Sport from 2017 onward. We had a couple of those in 2019 and they were much better cars, even at higher mileage.

2012 Vauxhall Insignia SRi Nav 1.4T petrol

Summary:

Avoid after 100K miles

Faults:

Gearbox, clutch and flywheel, oil and coolant leaks, turbo, and now I have the timing chain rattle.

Plus all the usual wear and tear parts replaced, brakes, suspension, etc. Exhaust seems to be made of cheap metal, rots out earlier than most cars I have had before (replaced twice!).

General Comments:

Good points about this Insignia - fantastic looking car, really, a work of art. If it had anything but a Vauxhall badge on it people would notice it more. Lovely sleek lines, coupe like despite being a family 5 door hatch. 18 inch alloy wheels on SRi models are among the best I have seen. Nice to drive, smooth and comfortable, and lots of space. Radio has a quality sound. Cheap to buy and running costs like insurance and tax are OK and comparable as any car in this class. Does an easy 38 - 40 mpg, good for petrol in a large car.

Bad points? Where to begin. First of all, Vauxhall were uninterested in my problems, so I had to find an independent mechanic. This car is unreliable at higher mileage. I bought this one with very reasonable mileage and full service history and continued to look after it and it still fell apart as it aged. Was OK the first couple of years, but now is a disaster that needs scrapped, it is not worth fixing. I bought this one on the strength of a company car 2009 Insignia 1.8 Exclusiv I had years ago, it was lovely and smooth also, but was near new at the time and never gave any problems. So thinking this 2012 1.4T SRi model would be a nice step up I bought it in 2020. But my God avoid any of these Insignias as they age, I have heard the diesels are even more unreliable at higher miles!

Overall just disappointed. Back in the day I had a Vauxhall Cavalier that made it to 170K miles no problem, but this Insignia would take a tonne of repairs to get it even close to that mileage it seems, what a step backwards Vauxhall!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th May, 2026

25th May 2026, 22:10

I'm surprised with the 8/10 rating for performance.

The 140 hp 1.4 Turbo is generally regarded as gutless for the sheer girth of the Insignia.

In reply to 25th May 2026, 22:10

1st Jun 2026, 15:42

The 1.4T is marginally better than the old 1.8 petrol though, regards performance and economy.

Any of the popular 2.0 CDTi diesels is a safe bet for decent performance, but do have their reliability issues as the miles rise. Good MPG though. The later 1.6 CDTi are best avoided at high miles as although very economical, it needs a timing chain change which is an engine out job.

Bi-Turbo models very rare and offer good performance - but also expensive specialist care and maintenance.

I know this car very well, but I didn't write the original review, but it doesn't surprise me the reviewer here had problems with the gearbox (they pretty much all have crappy gearboxes both M32 and F40 codes). I drove a VXR model Insignia once - which if I was writing a review I would give a solid 10/10 for performance! It is quite a different car from your regular Insignia's! But guess what was the death of it? Yes, the gearbox started whining and crunching gears and needed a recondition at a mere 90,000 miles. I broke it up for parts and made more money than I would have fixing it or trying to sell complete.

For me the Insignia will be remembered as the Vauxhall that was ALMOST a great car - it fixed the dullness and dreary image of the past from cars like the Vectra, but never quite could cut it in longevity or reliability unfortunately, which is a shame as it was otherwise a fine car, good looking and good to drive.

View 2 more comments