1995 Vauxhall Omega CDX 2.5 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A poor quality car

Faults:

A lot of thrashing from the "Top End" of the Engine. - No oil circulating around cams. Removed sump and drained oil - ONLY 1.5litres of oil (should be 5.5) - For some reason a wrong dipstick was in the car??? - now severe knocking from one of the engine banks.

Auto transmission Judders when taking up drive from standstill.

Digits on the computer display are failing, making it harder to read.

Sunroof switch faulty.

Passengers heated seat stopped working.

Nearly every suspension bushing has failed.

Front brake discs have become warped.

Water pump has started to leak.

Oil leaks from the engine.

Paint starting to blister on door tops and arches.

General Comments:

I bitterly regret selling my 1990 Ford Granada Scorpio 2.0i, which had racked up 196,000 trouble free miles, and still used less oil than an Omega with half the mileage, Plus it felt faster than the omega 0-60ish.

The Omega has excellent potential, but sadly will never be fulfilled due to terrible quality and reliability problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th January, 2002

25th Jul 2002, 05:13

Sounds like you bought a lemon! Did it come with any service history? Sorry to hear of so many problems, but I think you were unlucky.. certainly the cams/hydraulic lifters can clatter a bit when starting up, till the oil gets round the system, but 1.5L of oil??? how could an incorrect dipstick cause this? I don't think the dipstick was the cause, perhaps an oil pump fault or neglect?

Electrical problems always something of a problem for older cars, however should be easy enough to fix with a haynes manual, some fuses and a meter. Water pump problem sounds like you better get your timing belt replaced, including the idling pulley and pump before its too late!

I bought my Omega GLS 16V 2L as a 99T just a month ago with 89K on the clock. Being a fleet management vehicle it had a fully stamped service history every 10K, I rang the last garage to check if the timing belt and pump had been changed which was confirmed. So far only changed the front pads and had all wheels balanced for a smoother ride - touch wood!

Simon (SVPworld)

1995 Vauxhall Omega CDX 2.5 V6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Leave well alone!

Faults:

Engine management unit constantly shutting down.

Timing chain snapped causing complete destruction of the engine.

Rear driver's side wheel arch internal cover fell off.

Air conditioning never getting cold.

Internal ventilation never adequately clearing the windscreen or side windows.

Heater failing causing passenger compartment flooding.

Internal fittings breaking or falling off.

General Comments:

This has been the worst car I have ever owned, the build quality is appalling.

It has constantly broken down with very high repair costs, and very few garages will take on the repairs as they are very complcated vehicles to work on.

A comfortable long distance cruiser, when everything is working correctly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd January, 2002

25th Jan 2002, 06:43

You bought a car with 130,000 on the clock, you've done another 30,000 and you wonder why it's broken? lol I bet you didn't even have the chain renewed when you bought.

I cannot stress enough to people, when you buy a new car that has done more than 60k, HAVE THE TIME BELT/CHAIN RENEWED!

Because even with a service history, you never know when or if it was replaced, or what sort of abuse it has taken.

5th Jan 2004, 15:32

A 1995 Vauxhall Omega requires a change of timing belt every 35000 miles. This would have been well overdue at 130k and would account for this problem.

1995 Vauxhall Omega CDX 2.5 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Spacious, safe, comfortable cruiser - good value

Faults:

Headlight connector fault.

Battery drained.

Starting after being left for 2-3 days.

General Comments:

Extremely comfortable, the best seats I have had, better than Saab seats.

Good ergonomics.

Auto box changes down too eagerly, you cannot accelerate without it changing down, not the ideal with a diesel engine, otherwise the gearbox is superbly smooth.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th September, 2001

22nd Sep 2001, 19:09

1995 Omega 2.5 CDX petrol. Ex company car. 120.000 miles and full service history.

I have an advantage. I would not normally cover more than 3,000 per year. I hate driving. Sometimes the car is stood for a week or more. No starting problems. Recently did a special 500 mile round trip at 58mph both ways. No problems. Smooth as silk on four Goodrich tyres.

Had to replace a boot light bulb. Spend more time polishing and cleaning it than driving! Use lots of WD40 in every nook and cranny. Recent oil change cost £16 including filter. Everything on this car works. Top paint coat not too good. Comfort excellent.

Spent £45 on petrol for a 500 mile round trip. Had some to spare.

The cigar lighters and ashtrays have not yet been used.

How long will my luck last? Had a 3.6 Jag prior to this which is better on consumption. Would buy another Omega. I paid £3,250 for my Omega. A big car with high mileage. Nobody seems to want them. I hope my eye for this bargain proves something positive. Expect to keep it for a while. It is a good idea to shop around for servicing as prices can vary a lot. Don't entrust the Omega to someone who knows nothing about them.

Gerry... Shipley.