2001 Seat Alhambra S 1.8 20VT

Summary:

Spoiled by a series of faults

Faults:

Heating/ventilation module stopped working.

Anti roll bar bushes replaced for excessive play.

Top suspension bushes replaced for excessive play.

All ignition coils have been replaced.

Windscreen wipers stopped working as mechanism seized.

Air-con doesn't blow cold air.

Glove box lid falls off when opened.

Various bits of trim have fallen off

Fuel pump relay replaced twice.

Rear loudspeaker in door doesn't work anymore

General Comments:

For what is a big and heavy car, the performance of the Alhambra is very good in turbocharged petrol form. However, this is certainly paid for at the pumps; around town it struggles to do 23mpg. Even on a long run, the best I have ever got is about 30mpg.

I have always found the car comfortable, but then I don't have to sit in the rear row of seats where it can be a bit tight, and with the rear seats in place, there is hardly any luggage space.

What has spoiled the ownership experience for me, is all the faults and that it failed both its first and second MOTs. I have also found servicing expensive, and that the break down of costs just states "serviced in accordance with manufacturers service schedule". I like to know where my £400 is going!

Considering the car is targeted at families, the cloth trim marks extremely easily, and really isn't very hard wearing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th November, 2007

6th Feb 2023, 15:44

Oh I agree with this alright. We had a couple of similar vehicles in the family, during the late 1990's - a VW Sharan and Ford Galaxy. OK to drive and comfortable, but reliability was poor on both vehicles. I believe the Alhambra is just a re-badged Seat version of these same cars.

2001 Seat Alhambra SE 1.9 turbo diesel

Summary:

A waste of road space

Faults:

Turbo packed up.

Heated seats melted cushioning.

Buttons fell off.

Heater packed up.

Cooling system packed up.

Leaks.

Door mirrors faulty.

Windows faulty.

Rear heater box packed up.

Brake problems.

Cruise control broke down.

Computer changed over to left hand drive.

Many electrical problems.

Alarm problems.

Starting problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th July, 2004

14th Aug 2004, 04:27

I have a Seat Alhambra with less than 20 000 miles. The story so far. Engine has jumped the timing and required substantial work. Battery has packed in. The driver's door electric window packed in requiring the replacement of the full mechanism. The Air Conditioning has now also packed in. I thought I was buying a quality people carrier which would last my wife a good ten years as she is a low mileage user. Best of all, Seat Ireland did not have the courtesy to respond to me email complaining about the timing problem and my loss in confidence in the engine after the repair.

Seanmcivor@supanet.com.

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2001 Seat Alhambra TDI SE 1.9 turbo diesel

Summary:

A spacious economical people carrier

Faults:

There was an interior light missing from the new car as soon as I got it home. They simply stole one from another new car when I went back!. The service indicator came on after 1000 miles. These items were all marked as checked in the pre-delivery report they gave me!

My Air Con failed at 15,000 miles. The main dealer simply re-gassed it and charged me £70 "as it's a consumable". It was no better so they gave me my money back and said it was the pump that had failed. Needless to say I went to another main dealer who tells me that they have major problems with the air con seals and theres no guarantee it will be fixed quickly.

The rubber peeled off the interior door handles very quickly and they were replaced at the first service.

The dash rattles.

General Comments:

The sports suspension on the SE model is a very hard ride. Its standard on the car.

Seat dealers seem to be very small and the level of service is suspect. I hate turning up at these places and not finding a place to park anywhere near.

Very good fuel consumption.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd September, 2003

27th Mar 2006, 06:26

Update March 2006. Car now 4.5 years old and done 42K Miles. Still running very well with no major mechanical faults. Air con was eventually fixed under warranty although parts took 6 months to arrive. Dealer says it needs a cam belt at 40K whereas the manual suggests 60K. Guess there have been early failures. Interior trim falling apart and cannot blame children as its mostly in the front (gear knob broken off for second time, plastic peeling off door handles for second time). Seat dealer in Epsom closed down so moved to small family dealer near Guildford. Very good service there so far.

Would I buy another SEAT? Probably not.

2001 Seat Alhambra SE 1.9 TDI

Summary:

The people carrier to have if you need one!

Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong with the car. The connection pipe between the Engine Pre-heater and the exhaust was loose, fixed by Dealer at service.

General Comments:

This is a very good car let down by poor quality of interior trim.

The ashtrays have broken (rear doors) and the front glove box fell off when opened.

On the plus side the TDI diesel performs very well giving an average MPG of 42. The seats are very comfortable and the climate control keeps the cabin (including rear seat passengers) cool.

The sports suspension makes the car a pleasure to drive.

The service from the dealers has been excellent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th January, 2003