1999 Vauxhall Omega Elite (old model) from UK and Ireland - Comments

"Boot opens too far"

That must be a first-time ever complaint.

I have a 1999 omega 2.5L. I would agree with the original reviewer who stated that the steering was vague, but you do get use to it. I previously owned an jaguar xj40 which steered much better despite a huge amount of power assistance. My main problem with the car is that parts are expensive and only dealers seem to be able to carry out repairs and parts always take too long to arrive. I bought my omega because I thought it would be cheaper to run than the jaguar. The fuel economy is better, but everything else is worse.

I have a 1997 3.0l elite that has a passenger front wheel that seems to do what it wants under braking, when I'm turning left on full lock, foot on brake pedal turning steering left seems juddery, it's a mare at mo! I'm gonna try the toe in/out straight on... any other ideas!!

I own a 1998 Irmscher MV6 estate with 140k on the clock (50k of it is mine), and love it, and have had the 2.0l 16v as well.

The handling is pin sharp, and very very chuckable, but the Factory fitted Irmscher front end does make quite a difference, including it being approx 30mm lower.

Things that have gone wrong: fog lamp wiring in the air dam needed cleaning, new air filter, and replaced the cam cover gaskets because they were leaking. Worn out wheel bearings and lower wishbones, front shocks and track rod ends. All normal wear and tear for a high mileage car.

Rear wheel arches have no liner, and need to be waxoiled to stop rust forming on the inside of the lip and permeating the paint.

CAMBER WANDER: lower wishbones and steering idler arm, classic omega wear and tear - don't muck with the toe-in/out too much as it will cause horrific understeer when you need it most...

The camber angle is quite critical to prevent "self steer", and worn wishbones will cause this to wander.

The slack in the steering under lock is due to the tie bar (it's a steering box, not a rack) rotating around the worn balls on the track rod ends/steering idler/control arm.

Will also cause wander in a straight line.

On the TDI, front shocks are V. important as it is heavier even than the V6...

The 2.0 16v auto refusing to turn over is a common problem, the selector switch in the auto box has a habit of dying, making the box think that its in something other than neutral/park and hence refusing to turn the engine over.

The 2.0 is underpowered and over stressed, not really much good in the car, but will last if nursed. the V6 is pretty much bombproof fundamentally, a few ancillaries could be a bit more reliable. Cam belt needs religious replacement, as the idlers will eventually break down, trashing the engine if the belt slips/breaks etc as per most cars these days.

Not unusual to see 200k+ miles on these V6's.

Parts are cheap, but Vauxhall branded labour is expensive, and occasionally rubbish.

If you are competant as a car owner, or know a local friendly garage with access to the Vauxhall owners network, then you can pick up a real bargain and run it for many happy years!

Hi all, I have just bought a 1999 omega with 212K on the clock, it's a 2l 16v automatic. I bought it cheap because the computer kept saying " Automatic gearbox Check " this meant that the car stayed in 3rd or 4th gear, when I'd re-start the car, all was re-set for a while. I noticed that the box was leaking oil from the sump, I have tightened all of these, but I'm failing to find a place to top up the box. Does anyone know how to do it??

I bought 1995 3.0 auto Elite on 168,000 miles about 2 years ago now and would recommend one to anybody. I spent money initially to sort out the cam cover and distribution pack. At the same time I had the cam belt replaced. The car and initial work cost me less than £1500, and I can safely say that its the best £1500 I have ever spent. Still imposing from the outside and a pleasure to sit inside. With the leather, and the extras on board it is a joy to drive "truly executive motoring at a fraction of the cost". I've covered 30,000 miles now, and look forward to the next 30,000 in my bargain investment.

I have an Omega 2.2 CD (petrol) auto second hand. Soon after I got it, the gearbox failed and went into error mode on the LCD screen. The gearbox was replaced but it's still happening... the gearbox guys have changed switches, topped up the fluid, and now they don't know what to do!

Any thoughts? I am no car expert at all and I am stuck with a car that revs high and loses power because of this error happening, seems to be losing it's gear placement or something...

(I am Kim Kaze on Facebook)