2001 Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Comfort S.E. from UK and Ireland - Comments

Faulty Engine Management System resulting in bad starting and engine cutting out after starting.

Anti-stall device on management system results in over-revving on de-clutching for gear changing and speed surging on deceleration. A singularly patronizing and positively dangerous device whose sole object in life seems to be an insatiable desire to mate with the vehicle in front (sometimes a Toyota!)

Very poor build quality resulting in severe and distracting rattles and buzzes from dashboard. Very annoying knocks and rattles from both offside and nearside door mid-positions.

Interior trim material of inferior quality leading to becoming easily marked.

Paint quality inferior, scratches very easily.

Serious problem encountered with reliability and safety of Jack supplied with vehicle. Vehicle "rolled off" jack sideways whilst jacking rear on solid level ground.

Windscreen wipers are set up for left hand drive.

Hand-brake has to be pushed off manually; return spring futile.

De-misters useless without air-con.

A Vehicle which promises to deliver so much, but marred by poor to non-existent Dealership support (i.e. they just do not give a stuff about providing after sales service) apparently with the consent of Vauxhall Technical at Luton.

The dealership which attempted repairs to this vehicle on it's last return to them namely 5 of 5 at that time had it for 2.5 weeks and travelled 500 miles to give the thing back with all faults still prevailing, plus damage to the bodywork for which they denied responsibility.

The vehicle is currently with Vauxhall Technical at Luton following an RAC report on it detailing the build quality problems (knocks rattles and buzzes) which the Engineer found within minutes of the car being driven.

This makes the 6th return of the vehicle during the period of ownership,

and at date 11-10-2002 it has been at Luton for 4 weeks and no sign of it's return and no explanations as to progress with the faults, if any.

Is this the way to treat customers???

(With any luck they have lost it!!!)

Now that's a good review, like you (probably) the only thing I will ever regret in the last years is not getting another Honda.

My Civic VTi did 80k miles in its first 3 years (I had it for 3 years) and didn't miss a heart beat - it was 100% reliable, even when the rear exhaust box expired after 2.5 years the Honda dealer said that's a bit soon have another free, and that was before the 3 year warranties.

Update on progress:

Vehicle returned Friday 18th October.

A number of items were changed on the engine management side resulting in (so far) much improved starting.

Doors appear to have lost their tendency to knock and rattle.

Dashboard, I'm not yet sure as I am so paranoid I hear all sorts of funny noises; sometimes to the point where I forget to concentrate on the road in front. Still, it proves the braking system is A1.

Vauxhall also returned the vehicle with a full tank of fuel.

If Vauxhall Technical could identify and fix the problems it speaks Volumes about the incompetence of the dealership. (Although it did take 5 weeks)

In the future I think I will stick to Honda.

Thanks very much for your comments. My wife wanted to buy a Zafira and this has been my final argument: I had the very same Engine Management System on my 1992 Opel Frontera Sport 2.0i -- and I heard a few other Astra/Frontera users describing the same issue (I mean heard physically, it was pre-Internet era). In these 9 years, I had time to change jobs twice, get married and have a child... but looks like Opel/Vauxhall didn't have time to fix the problem. Shame on them.

I'm sorry to hear of these problems with your Zafira, I've had mine for 18 months and 26,000 miles without a problem, I've also got a brilliant dealer. I think that you have been very unlucky. Honda do make good cars I think the Stream sounds interesting,

Dear Sirs.

I have a Honda Stream. Although I'm generally happy with the car - I would'nt rush to buying one. We been back to Honda to get a safety problem fixed (Safety recall) in 6 months of owner ship - that does'nt fill me with confidence.

The other factor to be aware is different dealers are quite different. When I been waiting in the Cardiff dealership everytime I'm there it "seems" as if everyone there has a problem with their honda and they get very rude service back from honda "its not our fault" type of responce. I was very surpised after reading that. I've owned a toyota for 7 years with no problems, but after seening the dealers reponces I'm not sure I can expect the same from a honda.

Shame you had so many problems with your Zafira. We had an early 1999 model 1.8 and although it rattles slightly at times and the surging and cutting out at junctions annoyed us, our dealer managed to upload a newer map into the ECU and transformed it completely.

Apparently our 1999 model was 14 updates behind where it should have been and although we sold it (for another Zafira) a couple of weeks later, I really regret not getting the map changed earlier.

Our newer model Zafira is brilliant. No squeeks or rattles, really well screwed together and smooth and perfect to drive. It looks like they figured out how to make them eventually.