[BIGJOCK]

Car was an essential buy following birth of my 3rd child 2 years ago, the zafira fitted the bill and had best power delivery out of all of it's rivals. very practical car and easily takes 3 kids in the back row with all their crap in the boot. Sadly my car is not driven hard and does not do many if any motorway miles, therefore it is now on it's 4th egr valve! luckily i have a 4th year's vx warranty but once that's up I shall be punting it as this car is not designed for start stop/school run type usage.

 

[numerouno]

I'm in much the same situation except my warranty run out november! and the problems keep coming, hoped to get 5 years at leastout of this car but its going to be an expensive struggle hope vx scrappage schemeis still going as thats all its for!!

 

[Ben]

Having a third child was the reason why I got a Zafira as well. Loads more room in the back for 3 seats compared to my Suzuki Vitara.

 

[black zaf]

seems the zaff is being bought for the same reasons by everyone, got mine as having a 3rd
i wanted a bit of power but not pay to much with a opp to play with the car after looking around the zaff 1.9 cdti sri ( 150 ) seems to be the best
i very happy with the car

plus it can wee some bad boy racers off.

 

[sri150diesel42years]

Yup -to all the above, got my sri 150 for same reasons as everyone else. Great engine, and very practical. Sport seats aren't designed for long distance comfort though. I find them very short in the squab (not enough support under the thigh), especially if you are tall like me.


Otherwise have managed about 36 - 37 mpg, covering mostly a-road and motorway miles in Wales (so quite hilly), so not bad for it's size and weight.

No problems with EGS sensor, or particulate filter, but then again have done just over 30 thousand miles in two years, on mostly longish trips.

Downside - not very reliable - Complete alternator failure at 46000 miles (just outside of warranty).This is apparently a common fault with ALL VX diesel alternators, expect little sympathy from vx either (plus a bill for £460 inc. vat to replace on my 56 plate)

. This was very scary, as it failed on a dual carriageway - no power steering at 70 odd mph - the power steering is electrically actuatedrunning directly from the alternator, as opposed to "old-fashioned" hydraulic pump operating from an engine drive belt.

Expect to go through front tyres approx every 6 to 7 thousand miles if you drive enthusiastically too. Bridgestone Efficient Grip seem to be doing well at the momentcompared to the Goodyear eagles it had last set. Avoid Avons - these seem to wear down very fast on the inside edges.

Last, but not least - beware any gearbox noises - mine started grumbling in 6th gear at 70mph last Friday, by Tuesday, after very little use over the weekend this developed into whining in 1st and 2nd gears, plus 5th and 6th gears very noisy indeed, and finally jumping out of gear by the end of the day. Managed to get it to transmission specialist by driving very slowly in 3rd and 4th gears.

Diagnosis - failed transmission bearings at 53000 miles! - This has lead to half the teeth on 6th gear cogs beingsheared off. Garage reckons it's at least the 50th (no exaggeration - sorry!) one he's seen this year - he even had two just like it on the bench when I got there with exact same problem. Apparently it happens to the 120 and 150 hp diesels equally. Expect a bill for at least £650 plus vat. Mostly seems to happen around the 50k mark.

Again - expect no sympathy from Vauxall.

My only consolation with this is that with their new 100k warranty, this is going to cost them a fortune.

Overall - a huge shame. It was a great car when it worked properly, which was most of the time - plenty of power to put the boy racers in their place when required, and held the road well. Mines been a black one - in my opinion best colour, but as it also has the panoramic roof, (really useful storage), it has on occasion been mistaken for a taxi!

So sadly will be looking to px for an S max at earliest opportunity when it comes back from the garage! - Anyone interested? - all the serious problems will be sorted by the time it comes back!!

FSH, and all bills included!

 

[MK_Hatter]

I know I am replying to a post that was made a while ago, but you might want to think about what potential problems you will get with an S-Max or indeed any other car, before deciding against keeping or buying a Zafira.

I see hundreds if not thousands of people complaining about every make
and model of car that has ever existed, just do a google search and you
will know that Vauxhall are no different to any other car maker and have issues. The trick is to find a car you like that has the least issues or where you can clearly see the issues are related to misuse or poor maintenance.

Common issues with the S-Max just after warranty expires:

ABS Pump fails with risk of fire
Turbo blows
Alarm System going off at any time for no reason
Windscreen Wiper electrics fail

Just to name a few. How shocking is that?

We all get extended warranties on our mobile phones, washing machines and our laptops, yet we complain when an alternator goes at 50K when we did not take out an extended warranty, why?

I know some people are genuinely unlucky with their Zafira, but most of the issues listed on this forum are on older cars, some older than 10 years. Ive had my 2.0 DTI for 10 years and it has never failed an MOT or had anything replaced other than brakes or tyres. The only issue I have with it is failing to start on cold mornings, which is no big deal.

Also a lot of problems are down to driving style. Ive lost count of how
many Zafira owners have needed new gearboxes and clutches, but maybe you
want to take a look at the way you are changing gear and engaging the
clutch?

Problems on the newer models are mainly around the DPF and EGR valves. This happens because the owner did not take the time to research the car before they purchased it and did not take the time to look up what a Euro 4 or 5 car involves. If you look after your car and give it the attention it needs then you wont have a problem.

There are too many people who rush into the dealer, purchase the car, drive it away and believe they will get years of problem free motoring by only changing the oil and water when they need to. For most of you this will be the second biggest investment you will make every 5 to 10 years, so why are people so slap happy about it?

Taking it into a garage and expecting the muppets in there to know what to do is also a big mistake, especially main dealers. They are generally ignorant to most problems and only want your money, so forget it. Either seek advice from forums like this or take out a decent warranty.

The Zafira is a great car, very reliable when looked after, comfortable and fun and I would rather buy one than any Ford, VW, Peugeot/Citroen or similar rubbish.

Also be aware that the CDTI engines are a joint Fiat/Alfa/GM venture, so all GM cars including SAAB will have the same issues, but if you do your research, look after your car and get the right warranty then you wont have a problem.

Regards

Stuart

 

[pacco beaky]

If its not too late I have a solution for you.
You all need a remap and a blocking plate. Cost is about £450 I have had it done on my two of my 150 1.9 engines and worked a treat. What it does is changes when the car does a regen and the plate blocks the hole which covers the smaller hole in the EGR valve which has the gases recirculating through it at idle and low revs and that is what blocks it up. The remap is needed to stop the management system detecting a vacuum in the EGR valve created by the plate which then brings the management light on on the dash and puts the engine into limp home mode and cuts the turbo so no power. Oh and the up side is about 10% better fuel economy and oh did I mention another 50BHP!. I have had this done to 2 cars now and never had the problem back. Loving the power.

 

[Black sri 150]

I found out the 6 speed gear box failures have been found to be down to the wrong torque settings being used by vauxhall in the factory when made ! They were too tight and wore the bearings out allowing the gears to chew themselfs to death !

 

[Das78]

Hi there.
Am in need of some help i've brought a zafire 1.9cdti sri (150). Since buying it I've had new duel mass fly wheel and clutch done new drop links front and rear engine mounts a master slave new shockers and springs. And just recently the turbo intercooling pipe. And for some strange reason there doesn't seem to be any power there when driving it's as tho am driving a normal 1.9 engine. I've had full service with all new filters and oil change. Does anyone have any ideas to what it might be. Thanks

 

[Keith Peberdy]

Hi there.
Am in need of some help i've brought a zafire 1.9cdti sri (150). Since buying it I've had new duel mass fly wheel and clutch done new drop links front and rear engine mounts a master slave new shockers and springs. And just recently the turbo intercooling pipe. And for some strange reason there doesn't seem to be any power there when driving it's as tho am driving a normal 1.9 engine. I've had full service with all new filters and oil change. Does anyone have any ideas to what it might be. Thanks

You have probably sorted this by now but it sounds like it could be the swirl flaps not opening. There are kits available for the repair but it looks like a bit of a faff fitting them which probably means removing or replacing the inlet manifold.