2006 Vauxhall Vectra SRi 150 cdti from UK and Ireland

Faults:

ALL fine... Read below though!

General Comments:

Love this car, had one before, many comments on this site mirror my own... but this car has a problem which is driving me mad & I hope someone out there could advise..

At speeds of between 75-90 mph, there is a slight vibration felt through the steering wheel, nothing major now, but enough to distract from the driving pleasure.. my previous SRI did not have this!

All the obvious attempts to rectify have been addressed, All FOUR wheels have been off, tyres checked for obvious fault, tracking, balancing, front swapped for rears etc etc.. numerous times.. but with no cure!

I have taken the car to various dealerships, as only 3 months old, each time the answer is.. " nothing wrong".. but there is!!.. I feel embarrassed to keep pursuing

The car has not been kerbed, thumped from the underside or anything like that.. but the steering "juddering" is there, but only when I drive it!!

I am used to the Vectra "C", I have owned many, & I appreciate and except the SRI has lowered suspension and a firmer ride, but none have exhibited this vibration... and I ain't making it UP!

Ideas anyone??

Paul!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th March, 2007

27th Mar 2007, 02:02

Try www.vectra-c.com. They're very knowledgeable.

31st Mar 2007, 01:14

150 CDTI 16V very quick, plenty of torque, excellent MPg and effortless driving, but the non existent suspension and over hard ride does not make up for the excellent handling capabilities.. the balance is not quite right, and makes this car a pain to live with on a day to day basis! Interior quality, space, build, audio and navigation all first rate though!

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2006 Vauxhall Vectra CDTI 1.9 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Large, bland, economical family car

Faults:

The car has started to vibrate in fourth gear, especially at low revs.

Cracked windscreen caused by stone chip.

Slow puncture offside front.

General Comments:

The car is one of those standard company cars.

The cruise control comes in handy on long journeys or where there are a lot speed cameras.

Acceleration is fairly good for a diesel, probable because of the six speed gear box.

The gearbox is fairly clunky, but it is a heavy diesel car.

I get about 52mpg and about 600miles to the tank so fuel consumption is pretty good for a car of this size.

The only thing that lets it down for me is that the seats aren't very comfortable on long journeys and the lumber support seems to 'creep'. I have to adjust this every 200miles or so to feel any benefit. Maybe I should replace the car with a new spine!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd March, 2007

2006 Vauxhall Vectra SRi ( nav ) 150 16v cdti from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Exceptional all rounder!

Faults:

Slight frustrating steering wheel vibration between 70-80mph, but apart from that, all fine. Still almost new.

General Comments:

Solid build with a air of quality makes this car a pleasure to live with. I needed a family sized motor which didn't advertise I had a young family and required a bit of fun too!

Cdti diesel is both effortless and quick and strangely out performs my previous 9-3 with same engine unit.? Torque and power amazing for a 1.9, 6 spd box helps return 50mpg + on motorway runs, whilst balanced sport set up on this Sri provides comfortable reassuring handling on the fast twisty A roads.

Cabin quality and comfort all excellent, to be honest, a notch up from my Saab in my opinion!.

Loads of room coupled with vast boot (hatch), accomodates the entire family with ease and comfort.

Ride firm, but not hard or harsh, noticeable road noise at motorway speeds though.

Equipment levels, audio system and Nav all 1st rate.. plenty of "Kit" and subtle body kit styling all very pleasing on the eye without obvious boy racer statement.

I found this car hard to beat in the market, considering it's price, a true family quality mile muncher which provides a fast fun sporty driving experience when asked of it!

Just wish my dealer would acknowledge the slight steering wheel vibration though.. had the tracking,wheels and tyres checked twice now & can't find an obvious problem.. anyone else experiencing this or can offer advice?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th January, 2007

31st Jan 2007, 02:02

It's a process of elimination, but Vectra's are known for being hard to balance right.. and most quick-fit centres don't seem to get it right. From my own experience, what I assumed was vibration coming from a front wheel turned out to be a back wheel.

Source for following information:

http://www.forum.vectra-c.com/

One approach is to:

1. Get the tracking sorted.

2. Swap the wheels (rotate front to back etc).

3. Balance the front wheels.

Many people using wheel balancers haven't got a clue how to operate them properly. With even the most basic digital balancer, they need to be calibrated once a month or so. A good tyre depot keeps a wheel they know is perfectly balanced, just for this.

They should always input the rim width and the size of the wheel being balanced. They should then select whether they are using knock on weights on the rims, or self adhesive weights. This is done on the control panel.

A good fitter will balance to 0 grams. A bad fitter will balance to +/- 5 grams, which is within tolerances. The biggest single mistake that is made is counter balancing. They add weight where told to do so by the machine and check the wheel. They then find it still isn't balanced, so they add more weight where told to do so etc etc. They end up with weight everywhere. A good fitter will move the original weight a fraction around/in/out on the rim and will achieve perfect balance. Watch next time when your wheel is balanced, and see which category your tyre fitter falls into!

Good luck.

1st Feb 2007, 04:21

Many thank's!!.. Watch this space, will be interesting to see if my local VX main dealer gets it right!

4th Feb 2007, 08:02

Update... All sorted and now all fine, as it should be!.. up to 130mph (ssshhh) with no hint of a wobble, vibration or judder. Thank's to the lads at "National tyre" centre, Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield who, incidentally, balanced the front wheels to "0" grams as you suggested a good fitter should, and found to be +15 grams out on the n/s/f.. no wonder I was having problems. Shame on two Vauxhall main dealers, I won't mention, who failed to diagnose this correctly, and insisted there was no fault!!.. my thank's again for the advice.

4th May 2008, 17:44

I love my Vectra, I call her Vicki.