1996 Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.0 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Excellent value for money in a secondhand luxury car

Faults:

Idler valve needed replacement at 40,000 miles.

Handbrake requires constant readjustment which lasts only a couple of months.

Rear springs cracked at 50,000 miles.

Front brake disks warped at 60,000 miles.

Ignition leads needed replacement at 66,000 miles.

Glove compartment lock failed at 80,000 miles.

Front compliance bushes need replacement at 95,000 miles.

Rear brake disks require replacement at 95,000 miles.

Paintwork has chipped badly.

General Comments:

Acceleration is modest (2 liter engine and large body) but general performance is very acceptable.

Comfort, road-holding and general handling are very good.

Steering tends to wander especially on cambered roads or if it is windy.

Brakes have a rather long travel which takes a little getting used to. However they are very effective.

Headlights are atrocious, especially on dip which gives nearly no field of view.

Parts and labour (admittedly from a main dealer) are expensive and general level of servicing is poor with minor faults not found or corrected even when pointed out.

Engine noise is much higher than I had expected especially in the lower gears.

I have done quite a few miles in this car and general comfort and reliability have been good, let down by the poor quality of the main Vauxhall dealer service.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 30th September, 2002

1996 Vauxhall Omega CD 2.0L 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good value family car

Faults:

The front door loud speakers were worn out requiring replacement.

Slight oil leak from sump - new washer required.

A couple of dash bulbs require replacing.

General Comments:

I bought this as a replacement for an accident damaged GLS, it was the best condition Omega for £4000 in the area.

I have had very few problems with it the most serious problem cost £100 to fix - new loud speakers - I bought good ones.

Performance is OK, it is slow off the line, but pulls better at speed than the GLS I owned previously.

It was an ex company car so it has covered quite a high mileage, but at the last service before I bought it it had a new cam belt and rollers.

It has the usual Omega comforts, the trip computer is very useful and aids fuel economy, but it will not equal the economy of a 2.0l manual.

Some Omegas do not have a centre 3 point seat belt, so be careful when buying one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th August, 2002

29th Oct 2002, 10:13

Reliability - well the gearbox selector switch failed leaving me with 1st, 3rd and 4th.

Cost £380 to fix.

7th Jul 2003, 09:37

Now at 113000 miles - fitted with tow bar.

Tows a caravan very well.

1996 Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.0 16v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A good car ruined by cheap components

Faults:

EGR failed at 92000

Timing belt pulleys failed (noisy)

Sump gasket failed

Camshaft cover gasket failed twice

Both front lower suspension arms replaced as it was cheaper than replacing the bushes

2 track rod ends and rollbar link arm replaced

Oxygen sensor replaced at 100000

LCD display patchy

Various lights and switches no longer working

Rear coil spring snapped

Rear brake shoes broke apart

Front disks warped twice.

General Comments:

A good example of Vauxhall cost cutting!

A nice comfortable cruiser with the extra bonus of rear-wheel drive that is just too poorly built to be a viable option. I intended to buy a BMW 520 but was tempted by the prices of Omegas, now I know why!

Dealers are next to useless and don't appear to even know what an Omega is.

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

Review Date: 5th July, 2002

21st Aug 2002, 07:20

One good thing (about the 2.0 Litre anyway) is that the longitudinal engine layout does make for easy diy, but when you look at the list of failures I've had its just as well!

Following my original post, now at 131,000 miles the heater controls have failed and the indicator stalk has ceased to function!

1996 Vauxhall Omega CDX 2.5 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Avoid like the plague!

Faults:

Timing Belt lost tension, destroying the valves on one side of the engine.

Automatic Transmission Fault appears sometimes on the computer display, yet the gearbox SEEMS OK so far.

Pixels on the Computer display have stopped working making the display hard to read.

Brake Discs warped.

Several suspension bushings have failed.

Electric sunroof switch has gone faulty so the sunroof won't always close.

Heated seats have stopped working.

Trim items not very durable. Overall the car doesn't seem well screwed together, for example the heater vents are loose.

General Comments:

Surely most be one of the most unreliable cars on the market. I have heard many stories from other owners about just how bad these cars can be. It appears that my car is just typical of the breed.

Main Dealer service is lousy. The car needed a new ignition pack fitted, and of course being an Omega its not a simple job, it involves removing the wipers, linkage, fuel rail, windscreen shroud to list but a few as the ignition pack is buried in the engine bay. My Vauxhall dealer only realised this after removing the gearbox and the exhaust and trying to remove the ignition pack from underneath the car.

Ignition leads, which on most cars can be replaced in a matter of minutes take several hours to replace. And of course being specific to the Omega are extremely expensive. Costing 150 pounds as opposed to about 30 pounds for my last car.

The engine bay is poorly laid out, with the engine fitted far back into the car. This makes servicing and repairs very difficult.

In fairness the Omega is a spacious, well equipped and comfortable car. However reliability is terrible and I would not recommend buying one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd July, 2002

25th Oct 2003, 02:03

I totally agree with you from my own bitter experience.

12th Apr 2008, 10:39

I totally agree two this car should have not been made that's how much I hate it.