Vectra C 2003/4......What to look for when buying one!!!

[Charlie Croker]

Well folks ive been offered a 53 plate Vectra Elegance 2.2 auto 5 door hatch. The car is in great nick with only 70k on it with 5 months test but no tax. I think its cheap as chips at only £500. Is there any known faults to look for? Also is there anything in paticular that should make me walk away??

Cheers. Charlie.

[Bren]

Timing chain is the big one - did this on my mate's 2.2 signum (53 plate). Lack of oil changes causes rapid wear - on my mates the aux. chain had actually jumped teeth.However, it leaked so much oil he had'nt changed it for 80K.

 

Another biggie is the HP fuel pump - not cheap and fails regularly - some people have had 3 or 4 fitted to their car - like my mate also. He spoke to local VX specialist who explained that the pump's innards break up - garages then replace the pump without clearing the bits out of the fuel system - this means that the new pump is on borrowed time (in the same way a failing diesel pump can jam the stop solenoid - a garage will clear all the shit from the solenoid without investigating what caused the build up in the first place - a failing pump).

 

The 2.2 is reasonably powerful and economical but has too many weaknesses for me - I bought a 2007 CDTi.

 

Don't for get all the electrical niggles that go with owning a vauxhall.

[bub2006]

I own a 1.8 ls in a 03 plate. I was always told to steer away from the 2.2 engine. Not sure why but i think its to do with relatively low power and low mpg. Also i have heard the alternators on all vectras can start to be problematic after 100k. Ours is now on96k! We bought ours last year for 950. Quiet,well equipped and smooth. Mpg brilliant in ours too

[trigger]

I'm looking at one that's just arrived in my driveway at the moment, I'll let you know what I think once I've driven it!

[cort16]

They have really annoying indicators. I'd happily have a v6 one like Wuvvums though indicators aside.

[rover420]

I had a 53 plate 1.8 club which broke its cambelt 35,000 miles after having the full water pump, pulleys, cambelt changed. Main other problems I had were broken coil springs & the rubber grommet next to the pollen filter getting blocked with leaves. The water goes through the pollen filter, through the fan & straight into the passenger footwell. Came out to the car in Monday morning after not using it since Friday to find an inch of water in the passenger footwell. Buggered up the wiring and cost me £170 at the main stealer to have it put right.

 

A good car when it was going well but a right pain in the arse otherwise !

 

As previous post, the most annoying indicators I've ever had the displeasure to use

[binboy]

Hi I sell cars for a living, £500 is cheap but the Vectra C is not the best car around. They have loads of problems dual mass flywheel, timing chains on the 2.2, bushes, alternator, piston ring problems mainly 1.8. I would give it a miss if it was me, got offered a 55 plate 90k 1.8 one for £650 in the trade this week didn't bother with it as there never very good.

[Lankytim]

Isn't the 1.9 diesel any good then? I've driven a few and thought they were great.

[Albert Ross]

Right.... you ready for this? Road springs break. Bottom ball joints, (Part of the full arm, cannot be selectively replaced) Sticky brake calipers, uneven tyre wear, rear suspension upper arms bush failure. Corrosion on brake pipes, especially above the rear axle, heater resistor and control unit failure, play in steering rods (rack ends) early models suffer with leaking steering racks,) and the reservoir is under the offside headlamp, and to get to it, it's a bumper/headlamp removal... just to check the level properly) I would say you would be best to avoid it. They weren't great when current, but they're shit now. There's loads more things that fail on them.. I'm just skimming the surface. To answer TIm, no, the 1.9 is a Fiat unit... EGR failure, DMF Failure, waterpump and subsequent cambelt failure, on the 150 models the inlet manifold swirl flaps and actuator pack up, at a cost of £700...... alternator clutches and resistor failures (A Proper twat to get to aswell) turbos leak oil, gearboxes kill 5th/6th gear with the 1.9. Etc etc etc....

[Cavcraft]

Oh yeah, I drove my 1.9CDTi through a puddle once for a laugh and everything went wonky. The car was sort of stuck in a weird cruise control mode type thing and wouldn't really accelerate.

Happily I sold that car to a World Cup Final Champion of Champions Knob Weasel. I sincerely hope it exploded a few days later.

[andrew e]

I killed a 2008 cdti last year in an inch deep puddle (there's a thread on here somewhere). A miserable driving experience, awfull headlamps and indicator stalks, but a great motorway cruiser nether the less.

[Charlie Croker]

Jeeeeez.lol. I'm gonna have a proper look tomorrow. I've go to admit though i didnt know there was so much going wrong with thease.

So the 2.2 petrol has a chain then?

I am seriously thinking of just putting the money into mine over the next month or so........better the devil you know??

[wuvvum]

I've actually not found the indicators to be as much of a PITA as I was expecting. Switching them off manually can result in them flashing in the other direction if you're not careful, but then the Scenic did this as well, despite having conventional (albeit hyper-sensitive) stalks.

 

Otherwise, my 3.2 is the only Vectra C I've ever driven, so I can't comment on what other versions are like, but mine's not a bad steer really - certainly a lot better than a B. Only electrical fault on mine at the moment is that the demister fan doesn't work - not looked into the reasons why so far. I agree though that the headlights are shit, especially on dipped beam. But then mine has HID headlights - every vehicle I've owned with HID headlights they've been shit.

[andrew e]

Wuvvum, dependant on how much you gave for the 3.2, it might be worth more in bits - leather seats normally break the £200 barrier, as do the big brakes off the 3.2. The HID's have a value, throw the alloys in too

 

The C isn't all bad, if your a boulevard cruiser, but if you like the bends [pun]steer clear[/pun]!

[Pillock]

For £500, if it only lasts the MoT out before taking a trip over the bridge, it doesn't sound like the end of the world. Depends if you need transport urgently - it's not like a Vectra is on anyone's bucket list is it!

 

 

Is it??

[Split_Pin]

Is it a 2.2 Direct? Aren't those some kind of wierd shit that have absolutely no similarities to the regular z22se?

 

The 2.2 chains can slip or snap if they haven't received the enlarged oil jet modification.

[wuvvum]

Wuvvum, dependant on how much you gave for the 3.2, it might be worth more in bits - leather seats normally break the £200 barrier, as do the big brakes off the 3.2. The HID's have a value, throw the alloys in too

 

The C isn't all bad, if your a boulevard cruiser, but if you like the bends [pun]steer clear[/pun]!

Sadly mine's ex-Plod, which means pov spec - no leather or aircon. Should have the big brakes though still - I haven't checked yet. I actually paid £410 for mine, but then I had to pay £117 on top of that for the tax and I had to go all the way to Poulton-le-Fylde to get it, so it probably owes me nearer £610 now. If it fails its MoT dismally in November though I'll keep what you've said in mind...

 

I actually don't think that the C corners too badly, although as with many modern cars that's more a function of sheer grip than any innate handling ability. It certainly doesn't have the fluency of a Mk3 Mondeo. It is a bloody good motorway car though - although I do wish it had cruise control.

[RichardMoss]

Q: Vectra - what to look for?

 

A: A Mondeo

[rover420]

I thought all vectra c's came with cruise control. My 53 1.8 club had it, I think it's a common fault for the cruise control to not be working. I seem to remember the fault was something to do with the clutch pedal return spring. Was one of the things I actually didn't have a problem with on mine

[trigger]

This one I've got has cruise, no idea if it works though.

[Cavcraft]

Q: Vectra - what to look for?

 

A: Anything except Mondeo

 

Just fixed that for you.

[Albert Ross]

Bravo Sir! I was about to do the very same. Vauxhalls are shit, but Mondeos are more shit than the shittest Vauxhall.

[Bren]

In a sense they are all shit when they ceased to be run of the mill family cars and instead manufacturers turned them into things that were too complicated for the own good.