2011 Vauxhall Insignia SRi Nav Estate 2.0 CDTi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Nice to drive

Faults:

EGR valve, coolant leaks, difficult gear selection, oil leaks, brakes, exhaust, and so on.

General Comments:

A great looking estate car, this Insignia is ideal if you have a large family.

Very spacious and comfortable interior. Seats are great, SRi Nav is a nice spec.

Great looking exterior also for an estate car. 2.0 CDTi engine is very strong, I have the 160 bhp version. Fast when you need it. Being an automatic though it blunts the fuel economy - getting 40 - 44 mpg at best, struggles for the claimed 50 mpg or more. Maybe the manual versions could get this figure. To be honest my old VW Polo was better on fuel, and it was petrol! I know this is a bigger heavier car, but for diesel it should be better.

Excellent to drive, especially lazy motorway cruising. But don't know if I'd buy another - these cars depreciate like crazy, very low value when older with a bit of mileage on them, plus I have had too many annoying issues, cheap enough to fix but not what I'd call a reliable car, and it is a looked after car, all oil and belt changes. But my mechanic tells me the oil pick valve can fail on these diesel Insignia's and seize the engine! I think I will be selling mine soon.

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

Review Date: 10th October, 2023

11th Oct 2023, 12:42

The gearboxes on these older Insignia's were a real pain, even the automatics had trouble as you mentioned, difficult/hesitant shifting or crazy gear changing as the unit goes mad when they get older. Probably not helping your economy either.

The manual M32 boxes fitted to most cars were the worst (early bearing failure); I'd take a chance on an older automatic though, so long as it drives OK; most just aren't worth fixing at this age and mileage.

In reply to 11th Oct 2023, 12:42

7th Dec 2023, 18:19

The gearboxes, both manual and autos in these cars are terrible, but on diesel models it's the oil pick up valve/seal you need to look out for, you'll get low oil pressure then the engine will seize if you do not switch it off and have a garage change the seal right away. Usually costs £400 or more, hence why a lot of early Insignias are getting scrapped now. Just isn't worth it at 10+ years old and higher mileage, as the reviewer mentions.

In reply to 7th Dec 2023, 18:19

13th Dec 2023, 12:43

The turbo pipe splitting is also a common fault on diesel Insignias, but only costs about £25 to replace and is an easy enough DIY job for anyone competent enough.

It's a really nice car to drive, we have had dozens on them in our taxi service, an economical car as well but far too many annoying little common faults, ultimately not reliable. Skoda Octavia is way better in reliability in our opinion, but is a very dull car to drive.

The Ford Mondeo is the middle ground of all cars in this class and probably the best option for anyone, taxi or private use.

2011 Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Needs a better gearbox, otherwise an OK car

Faults:

Exhaust, cam-belt, front suspension, brake discs and pads, ABS sensors, etc.

Biggest failure was the gearbox - at only 90,000 miles it started to whine in all gears, very common fault on this "M32" gearbox, the bearings wear out prematurely, cost nearly £1000 to put right!

Most other items were wear and tear, it hasn't been too unreliable. I keep it serviced on time.

General Comments:

Silver Insignia Exclusiv, very common but smart looking car.

Drives very nice and smooth, Exclusiv is a very basic spec - go for an SRi or Elite, this has electric front windows but that is about it. The interior is nicely styled though, and the seats are very, very comfortable. The car is quiet on the move, great motorway cruiser, which is what this car does most.

1.8 has poor performance and economy, feels under-powered especially accelerating up hill. Struggles a bit for 40 MPG - realistically is does 34 - 38 at best, not great by today's standard. I'd recommend a diesel, but have heard they are unreliable, but obviously have better performance and economy.

Overall just a pretty average car, that gearbox failure was the most disappointing, very common, just look up the M32 box in an internet search, pretty much every mechanic I talk to knows about how bad this box is. It's a shame really as this car could have been so much better, I can only recommend it if you find a used one with evidence that the box has been reconditioned and the car has full history and in good order at a good price; only then are they worth it, do not pay too much for a used Insignia at this age and mileage.

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

Review Date: 20th June, 2023

5th May 2025, 15:38

You actually did well to get 90,000 miles from that early M32 gearbox. My local mechanic has seen a hundred of these M32 gearboxes and some came in with as little as 35,000 miles on them needing all 8 bearings replaced. Problems with gear selection and the constant whine noise in 5th / 6th gear were the most common symptoms. The cost of repair/replace plus fitting was usually around £1000 or more!

A terrible gearbox, fitted to many cars of this era not just the Insignia. I believe the Alfa Romeo 159 and some Fiats used them as well.

Most six speed Vauxhalls had them, but later 2014 updated cars I believe were upgraded with bigger bearings in their gearboxes, plus better cooling lines, so it should be less of a problem in those later cars.