1998 Vauxhall Vectra LS from UK and Ireland - Comments

Where do I start??

- Cambelt fell off when tensioner disintegrated, requiring a new engine at 40,000 miles!

- Passenger electric window refused to lift.

- ECU warning light kept coming on.

- Erratic idle, and kangarooed so badly in traffic it was almost undriveable.

- Flat spots.

- Failed to start on 9 separate occasions.

- Starter motor packed up.

- Immobiliser packed up.

- Wiper linkage fell apart.

- Stereo packed up.

- Information panel for radio / outside temperature / clock kept displaying complete garbage.

- Appalling seats and driving position caused a serious upper back and neck injury requiring £500 worth of chiropractic treatment.

I took this car over from a previous employee when I started a new job. I went into it with an open mind, and decided to ignore everyone's comments on what crap these cars were. Unfortunately, the catalogue of disasters I faced over the next 20,000 miles proved them all right.

The car was acquired new by the company, and was serviced on the button, regardless of cost. Yes, it was driven hard, but all the other cars on the fleet seem to take this okay. The Cavaliers on the fleet at my last company suffered much greater abuse, yet were much more resilient as well as quite enjoyable to drive.

The way I see it, the Vectra isn't built - it's chucked together using the cheapest possible components, and without a care for the poor sod who ends up buying it or driving it. There's no care gone into it, no sparkle, no love. It's just the ultimate example of the car as a domestic appliance, appealing on paper to corporate bean counters, and trading heavily on the good, solid reliability that the Vauxhall badge normally carries. The finished product is an underdeveloped, terminally unreliable dog of a car which, sweet engine apart, is fit only for the crusher.

To drive, it suffers from the usual Vauxhall syndrome. The 1.8 engine is sweet (when it is running properly), and punchy beyond what you would normally expect from a car of this size, but it rides terribly, understeers like a pig in the wet, and the steering has no feel whatsoever. The gearchange is notchy and clunky, and the long travel clutch is heavy. Even the brakes feel wooden. Did any human being ever drive this car during its development? If so, what kind of weird anatomy did they have to pass off these upholstered plank seats, and neck cricking driving position. I have a medical certificate to prove their failure in any case.

Plus points? Engine apart, it's a fast, quiet motorway cruiser which will sit at 85 mph seemingly forever. It's reasonably economical too. However, in this day and age, it should be capable of more, and it just isn't.

An almost criminal atrocity. Avoid at all costs!

Well said! I agree with all of the above! The Vectra is a pile of crap! It's OK to look at but driving is another thing. The steering is wooden, as are the brakes. The suspension could make the smoothest of roads feel like a rough farm track. It kangaroos when pulling away from rest and has loads of flat spots. Well mine does anyway.

I've had mine nearly 2 months now and am sick of it. The worst thing for me is the rattly dashboard. The interior feels like it was thrown together. The central locking doesn't always work. The paintwork is soft and it's starting to rust around the rear wheel arches.

To summarise the Vectra, it's a dull, boring soulless car that delivers zero satisfaction. I'll never buy another Vauxhall. That said my previous Cavalier was great. Much better than the piece of crap that replaced it.

Agree on the Cavaliers. I've had a mk2 and a mk3 and loved both of them. The mk2 especially - lovely engine and quite sporting handling as long as you didn't push it to the absolute limit. In any case, it was a much more pleasant car to drive than the heap of junk I ranted about in the review above. Also had an Astra and that was good as well.

I reckon the mk2 Cavalier is 10 times the car that the Vectra is, with the mk3 only slightly behind the mk2.

Obviously the R&D team blew the Vectra development budget in the nearest boozer! I don't know how else to explain how a company with such a reputation for solid build and engineering quality could get it so wrong.

Just HAD to add my thoughts regarding my 1997 2.0Di LS Vectra saloon!:

Fuel economy: 54mpg=marvelous!

Looks: Quite nice in `titanium` gold

Comfort: not bad for most journeys

Reliability: Absolute CRAP!!! - I have spent £200 on injector seal replacement at only 74k (FSH), the car is still not happy with causing me that grief, has been flashing the engine management light at me erratically ever since, and I have been told that `the software` is picking up air in the fuel pump, which is now slightly worn due to the seal problem (but still runs OK) - BUT... wait for it... the ONLY cure is to REPLACE the fuel pump costing £1,500!!! -FORGET THAT!!- I am now trading it in, and will NEVER buy another Vauxhall because the management system is badly thought out, and very unreliable as other people have now said since.

The question is, WHY change the electrics/mechanics of the renowned Cavalier? It was the reason I bought the bloody Vectra (which I have now owned for only 6 months!)

We have had four VV's, no real problems, never broken down touch wood. Had a V6, very nice indeed, all the extras, everything worked, but then the longest we ever kept one was 3 years.

Don't be so bloody cynical or everyone in Luton will be after you when they stop building them.. 2.2 engine whips ass, handling is not as bad as you make out, stop trying to be Clarkson and get a life.

I own a 1998 vectra di and I found it to be a fairly good car, but in saying this I have spent quiet a few euro's in keeping it going. first the air regulator valve went then the back bushings, my washer bottle packed in which I found was a nightmare to get to, the gear box is a bit clunky at times. But over all I enjoy the drive and it's a good looker of a car, but my advice is avoid the main dealers as I have had no end of trouble with them, do it your self or get a good local garage to do any repairs.

What can I say, I was looking on the web for a solution to the faults I'm having with My Vectra 1.8 LS arctic 1997 bought from a dealership 2 WEEKS AGO..

Keeps cutting out at corners etc, dangerous because of loss of power steering etc... what a shed. NEVER NEVER buy another Vauxhall.

I have a Vectra Artic 2 and although it has been reliable it is a very uncomfortable car to drive, it took me ages to find a comfortable seating position. I also find it lumpy to pull away and the gear change notchy.

"the handling is not as bad as you make out". Er, okay. Do yourself a favour and borrow a Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 406 or Citroen Xantia. Then you will see just how wide of the mark it is. Unless you never push the car in corners, or aren't bothered about fun in which case it is probably adequate.

Although there is absolutely no excuse for such dreadful reliability in this day and age, I can accept that in isolation, the Vectra is probably fairly OK. Although it almost crippled me, it goes, stops and steers smoothly and quietly which is exactly what a car should do, and it IS a great motorway cruiser (as I acknowledged in my review). But that is all it does. It's like the kid in school that everyone knew should have got straight A's, but made do with C's rather than make any effort to excel. It meets standards rather than making any effort to exceed them. It's an appliance.

And I'm not trying to be Clarkson. I would just hate for people to be suckered by the (rightly) excellent Vauxhall name and end up with this horrible pile of crap which IS bettered significantly by any rival. The fact that the company car market has collapsed and Vauxhall hurried out the replacement says exactly who it relied on to buy the things in droves. Private buyers spending their own money flocked elsewhere, and that is fact.

I recently purchased a Vauxhall Vectra SRI and was really happy with it. It was first registered on the 16/07/1999,When I brought the car it had 65,000 on the clock I had it serviced in line with the manufactures schedule at 69,857

Upon having it serviced I looked at the schedule to see when I need to change cam belt and it appeared it needed to be changed at 80,000 or 8 years, So I did as the manufacturer states and only had service which was required about 120 miles later my cam belt breaks and now my car has a £900 bill to be repaired. Anyway it appears Vauxhall knew that there was a problem with the belts, but failed to tell the general public of this hence resulting in my cam belt breaking. When I approched Vauxhall with my complaint they said "As of the 01/12/01 all cambelts must be changed at 40,000 or 4 years my car was serviced by a Vauxhall dealer on the 08/01/02 and it appears they failed to change the belt. In the process I have not been made aware of this fact and was going to have the belt changed at 80,000 as stated. Who is to blame because Vauxhall have 'moved the goal posts' as I feel I am a victim and nobody out there wants to help. I feel Vauxhall are to blame for a design fault, but will not stand up and admit it, therefore I am left to foot the bill for Vauxhall's poor design. Please leave comments if you have had the same problem as I feel there must be people in the same situation. If we all speak together maybe someone will listen!!!

Re the previous comment I put my car in for service May 02 at 50,000 to a Vauxhall dealer who drew my attention to the revised schedule for timing belt replacement so it looks like failure was your dealer rather than Vauxhall.

If you feel your dealer has let you down and they haven't responded properly to your complaints contact the consumer association 0845 307 4000.

I got my vectra 1 year ago on finance so have been stuck with it. Where do I start I needed new drums which you can only get from a Vauxhall garage for £150 each have had it on the computer to find out why it has a flat spot so many times bad back if you don't get it to start first time you will be there half an hour after trying now my dif has smashed in the gear box which is only £1500 for a recon box off of Vauxhall so it is time to say good bye for ever to the Vectra and good ridens (Thank you Vauxhall)

Vectra 2.2 SRI 150, This car is superb in every way, it will cruise all day at 120mph no probs, I treat this car with a lot of respect and it seems to repay me with reliability, so am I doing something wrong? I never park in one space next to other cars if I can help it,i drive down nearer the end of the car park away from the idiots who open their doors without giving a sugar about your motor. I change the oil and filter even between vauxhall main services i. e every 6 months, so why is my engine so reliable? I don't know. I don't park right by a curb and and scuff the alloys, I park with care and save the alloys, thus they still look mint. This car gives me between 36-40 mpg which I think is superb. I got rid of my Renault 19 16v which was extremely quick considering it had 135000 when I got shut of it. I changed the oil on this religiously and the engine NEVER let me down, but everything around it did from time to time, but this 2.2 seems bulletproof and even has chain driven camshafts, so you lot out their, spend a little bit more and get quality rather than your 1.8 LS rubbish and maybe you will have a few nicer things to say...P.S this motor looks as wicked from behind as my old 16v Renault.

Remember 2.2 150 "ITS WICKED"

Help! Recently acquired Vectra 2.0DI and am at wits end. Seems to have problem starting from cold and can't suss out if this is due to engine managment system or fuel system problem. any ideas? Or should I keep on expleting as I spend about 5-10 minutes turning the engine over until it reluctantly fires over? Think the grease monkeys will draw in breath between teeth sharply and offer to bankrupt me for this one!

Most cold start problems on diesels, assuming they just occur when the engine is cold, are down to duff glow plugs. A tell tale sign is reluctant starting when it does eventually fire up, accompanied by a cloud of crap out the exhaust.