Faults:

We purchased this car in the summer, and I am a mechanic so checked everything over. I wasn't aware of an engine oil problem, but coming home one night, the management lamp came on and it lost power. I checked the oil level, and it did not register on the stick. I topped it up with about three litres, and then monitored its loss. There are no leaks and no apparent oily smoke, it's not in the coolant, so being a mechanic, I thought of the breather system, and lo and behold, the whole breather system was blocked with gunge and hard material. I cleaned it all out, serviced the car, and now the oil consumption is negligible as it should be.

My advice is get the breather system cleaned, and change the oil and filter every 10000 miles or once a year using semi synthetic 15/40. 20000 mile intervals is too long.

General Comments:

The car is very good, other than the oil problem. It does all that we need it to, and is comfortable.

Faults:

Had this car for about three years. Great little car except for bad starting.

Discovered that the cheap skates at Vauxhall have gone from a pumped fuel system to a ridiculous vacuum system, which completely air locks at the slightest air leak, and as it's under vacuum, you can't tell where it's leaking, unlike a pumped system where you can see the leak. Most common leaks are the bleed off pipes from the injectors. It's also worth noting that with this arrangement, should you run out of fuel, then you are totally screwed as there is no way to re prime the system without going to a garage.

Anyway, I've decided I want to be able to use the heater plugs to assist starting; unfortunately they are controlled by a temperature sensor that disables them at anything above freezing. Does anyone know how to bypass this so the heater plugs can work when I want them to?

General Comments:

Very clever design, pity about the stupid fuel system.

Faults:

A few months after buying the Zafira, the EGR valve need replacing.

Ten months later the new EGR valve needed replacing. I was told that a new engine could cure the fault, but there was a 10% chance that it wouldn't, as it would be the same engine type. I had a replacement valve, and was told that the guarantee was void as this was a manufacturing fault on some of the 1.6 engines.

It is 7 months since the last valve, and again the car is stalling and losing power, once on a very busy roundabout.

I love the car, it's versatile and comfortable and goes well apart from the EGR problem. So many others have this problem, so why doesn't Vauxhall admit the fault and help the people who have brought their product in good faith.

General Comments:

The Zafira is a brilliant family car, comfortable, and if the EGR fault could be rectified, I would always choose a Zafira, but I would not recommend the 1.6 or buy another.