2000 Vauxhall Zafira from UK and Ireland - Comments

I have a Zafira 2.2 elegance and at 56000 miles the timing chain snapped which resulted in a £1700 repair bill. I have read on other publications that other Zafira 2.2 have had similar problems due to the chain oil injector being too small, but I am not getting any satisfaction from vauxhall. I am preparing to take them to court so if there is any literature out there, please reply.

I have just bought zafira 1.8 2001 and I have noticed that fuel gauge fluctuate when tank in at 1/4.cars done 42000 miles. Does any body knows when to change timing belt on zafira.

Hi about when to change your timing belt. we previosly had a an astre whose ting belt broke at 42000 miles. this time we had our zafira one changed when we bought it. is due at 400000. so get it changed!

I have a Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 Lite 55 plate bought from new. The petrol indicator problem also goes from showing about a 1/4 tank one second to the petrol low light the next. I also recently have the screeching brake problem, and to top things of just today the car cut out on me with no warning whatsoever. I checked the oil and voila near none. But no oil low indicator showing on the dash. I ask what is the warning light for Vauxhall.. show only!!! As it stands there was a smell of burning under the bonnet and the starter doesn't turn over... I'll get it to a garage first thing but I fear the worst.

Hi, we've got a Zafira 1.6 Club 2000. I can honestly say that I'd gladly take a hammer to it. It conks out at every junction you approach, then has its own mind when to start back up again. The engine management light is on constantly, the fuel gage tells lies. (unless we have a fuel thief in our street) you park up with 1/4 of a tank and get in next day to an empty tank.. grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Also this air flow meter carry on... well were do I start?

We've changed that for £100, changed the coil pack (£100), changed the spark plugs, and it's still having a fit when it wants to.

SORRY TO ALL I'VE TUTTED AT WHEN BEING STUCK AT A JUNCTION.

It's going in for the diagnostic test tomorrow, and if that doesn't find a problem, we'll be having Zafira's funeral next week; all upset Zafira owners are very welcome.

Zafira cars... stubborn as mules, kangaroo petrol, disco lights on dashboard, and juice guzzlers. Apart from that they can be a whole lot worse; don't buy a Zafira, book a taxi.

I've got a Zafira 1.6 Design. From reading this site it looks like you lot already have the same faults as me: I have squeaky brakes intermittently (when not braking) My odometer light has gone out so I cannot see my journey distances etc, I had the cam/ belt replaced at its 3 year service and a few weeks later my aircon is gurgling/grinding loudly and appears to need regassing. I argued with the manufacturer and they profusely denied they disconnect or broke my aircon when they replaced the timing belt, does anyone know if I have been unlucky with the aircon or whether V to take the aircon pump off to get to the timing belt etc. I would really like to know as they have denied it despite them being the only ones who have touched it. And at my last 2 oil checks check my oil was OK, then needed in the region of 3 LITRES! Unreal. I am told these ECO engines drink oil... seems so!

Also I listen to FiveLive on AM and somedays this is unlistenable in my Zafira whilst in someone elses car on the same day same station it works.... I dont get it.

Any replies on the aircon situation gratefully appreciated...

Beat this. Bought a Zafira 1.6 comfort second hand private. 69,000 miles tidy looking car.

Was informed the timing belt had snapped and shown the repair bill for it. Had just been serviced and MOT'd. Incidentally the timing belt went 1 week after the service. So all told around £2,000 spent on the car.

Would I be right to assume I could travel 350 to 400 miles in the first week without any problems. Well no. After driving a 100 mile journey and arriving at my destination I had done 350 miles in the car since I bought it. The management light came on just at the end of the journey. Checked the oil NONE. Took 3.5 litres of oil. Drove another 30 miles, the car said no.

Now who do I fight? The guy who in good faith sold me the car. Or the garage that charged all this money for servicing and new cylinder head etc? Can the garage just tell me to go away?

The guy told me the garage gave HIM a six month warranty for the work they carried out (VERBAL). The cause of my problem though was more than likely NO OIL. Bottom line is, the oil warning light DID NOT come on the management light did and I stopped withing a few hundred yards. I WOULD RATHER BITE MY OWN HAND OFF WITHOUT ANESTHETIC THAN BUY ANOTHER ZAFIRA. I hope this is plain enough. Avoid.

I have a 2001 1.8i 16v Zafira Elegance, done 73k miles. Since buying car have had to replace drivers armrest mechanism (which jammed at 45 degrees whilst travelling down the motorway), alarm siren, and a faulty thermostat. The windscreen wipers decided to get wrapped together shortly after a wiper blade replacement during a routine service (although the dealer did rectify this without any further charge).Recently a rear electric window packed up, and having been quoted £400 by same local dealer to rectify fault I will be leaving it locked out of use from now on! These problems are over and above normal wear and tear items like tyres and exhausts, and I feel are the result of poor build quality, as they are things that have never happened with any of my previous cars.

Hi.

I have a 1.8 2001 Y plate Zafira (Elegance). It has 145K miles on it and I have had no issues what so ever. It does use oil, but in all the write ups reviews I have read they mention that it uses more than the average car, so regular checks have occurred and no problems.

I bought it 4 years ago with the arm rest hanging off, but have never got round to fixing it. Doesn't get used any way.

I would buy another one if it wasn't for the cost of fuel and tax.

Hello

Sorry I cannot agree with many comments so far, as I have had two Vauxhall Zafiras, and both worked fine and never broke down on me at any time.

At the moment my 55 reg 1.6 Zafira has done 40.000 miles and is due a new cam belt, yet I have my oil changed every 6 months as the car is used around town quite a lot and I have bought two new tyres and that's IT..

The car starts every time in any weather, but the only problem I did have was with the air con losing its gas, yet this was done by Vauxhall AFTER the 3 year warranty for free and cost them in parts and labour, not me as I have always had the car serviced at the Vauxhall dealer in my area, and I have found them to be very good indeed.

Soon I will sell/part exchange this 55 reg Zafira for a new one as I have no qualms about the Zafira at all and can recommend them to anyone who wants an economical 7 seater. I say economical as it is the best in its class when it comes to using fuel. My current car is a 55 reg Zafira 1.6 Life A/C, so please take comments made in the light they were intended, but good servicing one thinks is the key for many things to be prevented... look after your car and it will look after you..

Previous poster; insp means service due or if you can't afford it, unplug fuse 13, switch on, switch off, plug it back in and that clears it.

Timing chain has just gone on our 2.2 51 reg Zafira (2001) - 49,000 miles. We have been told £1400 to repair. Check the Telegraph Honest John website. This is a common fault on Zafira's of this age. Our car has had regular services throughout our ownership and we bought it new although it was an import from Holland. We will be fighting this all the way with Vauxhall. It was only serviced in October and according to the Honest John website, this is a common problem which Vauxhall are aware of so surely we should have been warned it would need replacing.

Honest John website says that Zafira 2.2 was modified from March 2002 to overcome timing chain lubrication problem. The problem was caused by an undersized oil spray nozzle which got blocked, starving the timing chain of oil. Interesting...?

Bought a 2004 1.6 Zafira Ecotec petrol car. 84k, Vauxhall service history. It was a bad mistake; after only 200 miles the engine management light came on, needed an EGR valve and lamba sensor, then engine rattle top end, no oil warning light, needs a complete set of tappets, costing over £1000.

Top tip; buy a Japanese motor.

I know the Zafiras have the clever seats, but for less money you can buy a 5 or 7 seat Mazda Premacy - which do not suffer from all of the faults described on these threads.

Clever marketing over the years mean the Zafiras are the default MPV in the sector, but the less well known Premacy seems a better bet. Our 74,000 mile 2003 Premacy has never had issues - as a cash-strapped family man, the thought of spending £1000s repairing an older Zafira horrifies me.

I have owned a 2000 Zafira for the last 5 years and found it to be a good car over the 68k miles, however it does suffer from the Vauxhall syndrome; uses oil, had the EGR valve renewed, faulty fuel gauge readings, and yesterday the mileometer went blank.

I blame Vauxhall for these faults as they are all well documented; when are they going to listen to their customers?

I have just replaced my 04 Corsa because of a series of well documented problems, and will not buy another Vauxhall until they improve and fix their faulty designs.