2002 Vauxhall Vectra Reviews - Page 2 of 4

Rear Suspension Bushes

Air Bag ECU

Electric Power Steering Pump.

The car itself is very good value and an exceptionally comfortable drive.

The only real problem has been a recurrent fault with the air bag control unit which the dealer found difficult to fix. The car was returned on several occasions before it was finally fixed. This was at no cost to me although warranty had finished.

The spring controlling the cruise control broke at about 12000 miles. You can live without cruise control which is just as well as the entire pedal assembly has to be replaced. I was told that this is very expensive although mine was replaced under warranty.

I also had problems with the brake wear warning light being on constantly. The main dealer had the car in five times and was unable to repair the problem. I used an independent garage who fixed it for ten pounds. Guess who I use for my servicing now?

The car gearing seems very high which means it is quiet at high speeds. The down side is that you can forget about pulling away in second gear. At high revs there seems to be plenty of power, but it is gutless at low revs.

My car was fitted with Bridgestone tyres. I found the handling to be absolutely appalling. This went away when I changed to Dunlop. To be fair to Bridgestone they did respond to my queries very quickly, but the tyres had been disposed of so they could not investigate the problem. I really did find the handling to be absolutely dreadful, bordering on dangerous, which spoilt any enjoyment of the car to start with. I must have had a bad batch or something because they have a good reputation in F1.

Oil Warning light kept coming on when travelling at steady 60mph for approx 5 miles. Took forever to discover the fault which was a computer malfunction apparently. Rectified and no problem now.

Cruise control doesn't operate unless both clutch and brake have been activated - no one seemed to know that at the dealers.

Chose the Vectra primarily to tow a caravan. Has been outstanding. Tows a 1300kg van with no difficulty. This year travelled 4500 miles in Norway over all terrains and coped wonderfully. The bonus was that it returned almost 34mpg for the overall journey which was outstanding.

The cabin size is excellent, plenty of room for 5 adults and the boot is cavernous.

Hear a ping from the rear suspension. Had a bush replaced, but still get noise. Anybody with same problem, it's driving me mad?

Slow off the mark, but great on the motorway.

Loss of power, and engine management light on. fixed itself after turning off engine.

There is a clicking like knocking sound from the rear roof area, when the car is being driven. (Its driving me mad). Anybody had this also or know what it could be, Thanks.

I like the way the SRI's sit on the road. like the Styling.

Windscreen wiper linkage failed leaving only the driver side working (luckily). The dealer took weeks to get the part in to repair it, during which time the weather was bad, lots of rain.

Knocking from suspension mountings. I had to keep taking the car back to the dealer before they eventually fitted a factory modification. It hasn't done it since.

Interior light switch failed leaving the light turned on. As it was winter, this was a nightmare when dark outside. The interior light is big (as there is only one in the SRI - stingy) and is therefore very bright. Again it took ages for the replacement part to arrive with the dealer.

One headlight bulb has needed replacing.

Passenger vanity mirror light failed. Only a minor issue, but a failure none the less.

I had an old shape Vectra CD 2.0 DTI before. As soon as I drove this 1.8 car I was disappointed with the performance. As I had been used to the turbo kicking in on the diesel engine (albeit producing only 100bhp) in the old car, the acceleration (or lack of it) from this 1.8 125bhp engine is poor. It's a big solid car and needs a 2.2 minimum. Even now after 60,000 miles, it still frustrates me that I have to rev it hard to get it to move quickly.

The SRI exterior styling touches make this car stand out from the rest of the range. The darkened light lens, the deeper bumpers, those 17" alloys under lowered suspension give the car strong road presence. My car is finished in distinctive Nepal Yellow metallic and gets heads turning especially when clean.

The handling is very good and brakes are excellent. The electronics that keep the car flat in corners and under braking are state of the art. Your really don't appreciate how sophisticated they are until you drive an older car for the day that doesn't have the modern electronics.

Unfortunately the 5-speed gearbox is not great. It's a bit notchy and the through between the gears is too long and the lever too tall. Vauxhall could learn a thing or two from my wife's Audi A4. The short gearshift is still smooth and precise after 85,000 miles.

The interior of the car is generally good and hard-wearing. The Cabin is big, roomy if a little bland. The Sports seats are supportive, but don't sit low enough in the car for my taste.