Faults:

Engine was replaced at 10,000 miles under previous ownership and still under warranty.

Since then, absolutely nothing other than a new exhaust and the cam belt changed at 50,000 (ie, 40,000 on new engine).

Can sometimes be a bit reluctant to start in the wet.

General Comments:

Mine is a yellow MTV special edition, bit of a girly hairdresser's car, but a real head turner - I have so loved owning and driving it.

Great handling, cornering.

Quick off the blocks and a really nifty little gearbox.

Much more comfortable than you'd expect and the boot, especially with the seats down, is very roomy - I'm a conference organiser and you wouldn't believe some of the loads I've managed to cram in.

Faults:

Nothing as of yet.

Fingers crossed after reading the other reviews that have been made.

Mind you if anything does go wrong I doubt that I will be that stunned, as I bet one tyre on my Lotus would cost more. So a nice cheap run around.

General Comments:

It's a lovely little run around possibly the best second car that I have owned. The performance is not that great, but then what can you expect from a 1600cc engine.

I can't fault the car on economy, it's fantastic.

The body styling is nice that is the reason that I bought the car, yet I would never buy another Vauxhall, it's the only one that I like.

I'd advise people to check very carefully when purchasing and don't rush in.

Check that the cam belt has been changed and check the history very carefully.

If the engine has had any problems then I'd advise you to steer clear.

Faults:

This car was bought as a present for my wife. It was a low mileage vehicle, made in 1995, first registered in 1997, but with no service or previous owner history. Enquiries revealed that it had originally been used by the British Army in Germany for 3 years.

Within 100 miles of purchase the engine management light came on, followed by the ABS light and then the ignition light, all within the space of 2 minutes. We stopped the vehicle and discovered that the battery was melting! A new alternator was fitted along with a new battery.

The following week the new battery burnt out - the manufacturers claimed that their battery was not faulty therefore it must be my car - a mystery. A replacement battery has been fitted with no further problems.

It also has a fault whereby the engine will cut out completely for about 3 seconds and then restart itself. Often happens when you are accelerating away from stationary. Very annoying (as well as dangerous!) and the garage have been unable to locate the reason for the fault.

Two days ago I was involved in a serious accident when I was side swiped and the car spun, hitting kerbs on both sides of the road. For some reason the airbags did not deploy.

General Comments:

However, all that said - the car is generally a pleasant vehicle to drive, visibility is good, the gearbox is smooth and fast and the road holding superb. Steering is precise and the brakes satisfactory. There is plenty of room for the front seat passengers and just about sufficient rear space for a car that is after all a 2+2. The boot is fairly large and carries all the shopping for a family of four.

My wife will certainly be sad if the car is written off after the impending examination by the insurance company.

Sc012d8353@blueyonder.co.uk.

Faults:

Less than a week after purchasing my car, it broke down. After being recovered, I was advised that there was a fault on the immobilizer! I took the car back to the garage I'd purchased the car from who said they would get a car electrician to look at it. I was told there was nothing wrong with it. A week later I had to be recovered again and this time I took it to a main dealer. The immobilizer did have a fault and was repaired. Luckily this was done under warranty.

A week later I had to be recovered again! This time the starter motor had gone! This was also done under warranty thankfully.

I broke down on the 23/12/02 on the M1, was told to lock my doors by a nice police lady until my breakdown truck arrived. All of a sudden the hazard lights stopped working and things started flashing on my dashboard (even though the ignition was off!). I had to call the police, who had to jimmy the door open with a screwdriver enough for me to squeeze the key through the window to let me out! After being recovered to my garage I was told that the tension pulley on the timing belt had snapped and it had completely wrecked my engine! It's still being repaired, and I have been quoted £1500 for the repairs. I've been told it's a common manufacturing fault with these engines!

The clutch and accelerator pedals have always squeaked loudly!

General Comments:

The car is beautiful looking with a very nice interior.

It has all the extras, electric sun roof, electric windows, CD player, ABS breaks, power assisted steering, alloy wheels, tinted windows etc..

An excellent way to lose £5000 in a year!