Zafiras ? Tell me about them...

[ShiteRider]

Check that the door electrics work, ie windows locks etc. They have a tendency to break wires were the looms from the door to the pillar go.

Not a massive job to sort out, just annoying.

[jonny69]

Her parents had an '03 one, 2.2 diesel and replaced it about 4 years ago after stellar mileage and because it was about to fall to pieces. Except it didn't. It's now with her brother and it just keeps going on and on despite various lights permanently lit and there really appears to be nothing wrong with it.

 

It's a bit of a van. Basic but bulletproof and you can abuse it. They used it for long fully-loaded trips into France and as a general workhorse for lugging lots of weight and detritus, which it is very good for. And it's huge inside for its footprint.

 

It is basic though, and not particularly comfortable. I know they had no clutch control between the lot of them but it was an awfully jerky drive as a passenger. Back seats are indeed uncomfortable. I seem to remember there being quite a lot of diesel smell but it could be a combination of ham-fisted filling and inefficient old 2.2 donkey motor, because it is known for being a very basic engine.

[inconsistant]

I preferred the old way when it was acceptable to cram 4 adults + 5 kids in a talbot horizon as long as the journey was just "going up the street" or "popping up down the road for ice cream".

 

 

We didn't need people carriers in the 80s. One night at closing time we got 11 of us back home in a Capri laser.

[Pete-M]

Firm I occasionally work for had 10 new 2009 Zafira CDTi 1.9s, They all went wrong, regularly, to the point where they were too scared to take them on long journeys. Eventually Vauxhall bought most of them back as they were unfit for purpose. Each of them had had around £3k of warranty work in the first year. They're not buying any more Vauxhalls.

 

Trim fell off, EGR valves, radiators (apparently made from cheese), DPFs, DMFs, turbos, gearboxes, wheel bearings, brakes (every 10k they needed front tyres and brake pads / discs), aircon regularly lost gas and the synchro was worn after 20k in the 6 speed boxes. The stupid U shaped handbrake meant that if you had anything plugged into the cig lighter socket it would be broken fairly soon and it's little spring loaded cover was one of the first things to break, and if you had a Costa Coffee cup in the cup holder you couldn't use the handbrake. The handles to get the rear row of seats used to fail regularly and getting out of the rear row of seats is damn near impossible if your surname isn't Korbut.

 

To give them some credit, on the rare occasions when they'd work they didn't drive terribly. Usual Vauxhall dozy steering response and nasty gearshift but when they're not full of people they can be hustled about reasonably well. The pedal positions are atrocious, I'm 6'2 with fairly long legs and the throttle pedal is on almost exactly the wrong angle to be comfortable on a long run. The 1.9 diesel is crap on fuel in comparison to most modern diesel stuff, I rarely saw more than 44 mpg on a run from them, closer to 35 around town. That's pretty awful for a modern diesel car of the size - I averaged 61 mpg in a (much larger and nicer to drive) 2.0 S Max diesel on a run when the Zafiras couldn't beat mid 40s.

 

I'm no Vauxhall fan, but the Zafira CDTi really isn't a good car. Good idea, badly put together from cheap bits by people who've blatantly never driven a car from the 21st century.

 

I believe the petrol engined ones are a lot more reliable, and that the Mk1 isn't as shit as the Mk2.

[the judge]

I had a tdi Touran. I had it 5 years and I cant remember anything I could or couldn't recommend. it was a decent,useful car,but thats all I can say. Beige ville!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My ex next door neighbour is on his third Zafira 2. All three have been perfect and he's getting the new one soon. A colleage has an 07 plater and it's fine. How odd.

 

Compare that to a mate's 13 plate VW T5 that has spent 4 weeks in a dealer workshop. It's back there now having a new steering column. The manager at my local Enterprise likes V'halls as they're rarely any bother.

[twosmoke300]

The 2.0 dti engine is a blinder. The pump can fail but not really vauxhalls fault (bosch)

My theory ref pump failure is that people don't change the filter correctly ( as demonstrated in this month's cm mag on a Laguna ,and yes I did tell them) or people putting up with poor starting caused by leak off or injector seal leaks and the pump running dry.

[dollywobbler]

I like the styling, but having travelled in the back of one, even the Sirion feels comfortable by comparison. Shite seats and a crap ride.

 

A friend had a Zafira 2 new. It spectacularly caught fire and that was the end of that.

[Hendry]

I did mean to mention in my earlier post that all Vauxhalls with the 1.9 CDTi are unreliable heaps, think the 1.7 CDTi in later Zafiras is fine though

[eddyramrod]

When I worked in the Care business, I drove a few Zafiras that were issued to assorted "clients" on Motability.  All were 1.6 petrols (the OP's specified preference IIRC).  When they're right, I have no quarrel with them.  They seemed a bit basic, but I expected that, knowing the management wouldn't lash out on high specs.  The first one, a mk1, had a tendency to drop into Limp mode for no visible reason.  One of the mk2s felt like it was going the same way, so I alerted the supervisor.  Never heard what happened about that.  Interior plastics can be a bit fragile, which appears normal these days.

 

I don't think they're anything special, but that works both ways: if they're not shatteringly good, neither are they shatteringly bad.  If you do end up considering a diesel, I can't help, never driven one.

[Twiggy]

Thank you for all the comments gentlemen, they are all appreciated. Plenty for me to think about ! Perhaps you`ll see me at Shitefest Cymru in one..............

[gtd2000]

I have one. The 1.8 is just about acceptable so a 1.6 would be evil.  It uses a drop of oil, i.e 2 litres in almost 2000 miles.

 

I didn't realise that Vauxhall had a 2-stroke engine these days?

[gtd2000]

One of my pals had a Zafira for a good number of years (51 plate) and as far as I'm aware, it only had trouble with the coil packs?

[Timewaster]

Zafira sez I IS NOT A VERGIN

Actually I have my suspicions about my Zafira driving mate who bought it so his elderly parents could get in easier.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I didn't realise that Vauxhall had a 2-stroke engine these days?

My mistake, doesn't use quite that much!

[Shep Shepherd]

I drove several Zafiras when I worked as a car delivery driver in 2002. They felt like high-rise Astras.

[dieselnutjob]

our 806 HDI has been pretty reliable and is now at 230000 miles and does about 38mpg