1996 Vauxhall Omega Elite 3.0 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
A superb sports saloon
Faults:
The self-levelling rear shock absorbers were ruined when I bought the vehicle. Turned out to be cheapest to buy a new set from Vauxhall for just over £80 for the pair - which is actually quite reasonable.
A water leak when purchased caused by a faulty heater matrix bypass valve. Dealers said it was a head, but I did the inspection myself and bought a new valve for £18.
Brake disks needed doing.
The starter motor needed replacing at 178,000 miles.
General Comments:
A superb car and it handles better than many small cars.
The automatic transmission is superb and is almost always in the right gear.
The engine is a gem and it simply pours out power at any speed - right to the red-line.
The interior is very comfortable and the climate control works very well. The heated seats all round the car are very nice in winter!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd June, 2001
8th Jan 2002, 15:07
I too had the heater bypass valve leaking, lots of lovely steam pouring out of the bonnet when exiting the M62 just coming out of warp 7! The effect was good! I got mine for 20 quid from Lookers in Wallasey, Merseyside, fitting took 20 minutes.
8th Jun 2002, 10:27
Bought the 1998 model for a fair price. Handles like a dream, and plenty of power when you need it the most.
Faults so far include a blown dash bulb and a message appearing indicating there is a problem with the Xenon range adjuster. The message when acknowledged does not reappear after 15 minutes as stated in the manual, and so far there has been no problems.
As for the dash bulb, a Haynes manual and a spare bulb will do the trick.
28th Aug 2001, 13:06
I had the same water leak, and it was the same part - a heater by-pass valve (only on aircon models) though I had to pay £26 for a new one!!! Where did you get yours from???
Apparently it is a common fault.