28th Feb 2008, 15:50

I've got a 03 plate 1.6 Zafira with around 40,000 miles. Uses a lot of oil and begins to, as someone else put it, 'chug' especially in 3rd/4th gear. Soon after, when braking and changing down gear all the lights come on and the engine stalls.

This apparently is the EGR valve again...

...however, I've also been told by the mechanic who 'knows' a man that the the EGR valve packing in is just a symptom. The actual problem is that the piston rings are shot. Apparently, for 1.6 zafiras at least, this is a noted problem after as little as 25,000 / 30,000 miles and is likely to cost in the order of £1,000+ to fix. Eek! Toyota next time round.

29th Feb 2008, 14:30

Zafira 1.8 1999 with only 40k miles

Very enlightening website. My "previously perfect" car started cutting out at low revs about a year ago. Sometimes the light comes on, sometimes not.

Been into Vauxhall and other garages on & off for the last year trying to get it resolved. I'm now declaring the car dangerous, as it has started to cut out on roundabouts, going around corners and in traffic on the motorway.

So far, it has cost a fortune in replaced parts; camshaft sensor, Throttle body, lambda sensor, mass air flow sensor.

I have also spent fortunes having the EMS checks done (often with nothing to show)

I really need to get some advice - there is very little I have not tried. Have I got any chance of Vauxhall taking this seriously? or should I bin the car now? - a shame because the car has been a perfect people carrier in every other way.

Main dealer seems to be at a loss. I would be interested in knowing the contact details for General Motors as per a previous posting.

2nd Mar 2008, 10:46

General Motors Customer Service Number is 0845 090 2044. Let us know how you get on.

9th Mar 2008, 01:59

This all makes interesting reading and at least I know I am not alone in having problems. We have a 1.6 02 Zafira and It is so unreliable. EGR has been replaced about 3 times, Had the coil pack replaced and is serviced once a year. It really lacks any oomph and is extremely sluggish. Roughly once every couple of months it gives up and we need to have to have the EGR replaced. (Garage have started to clean it now). Won't take it to a Vauxhall garage as use my local one. Seems Vauxhall just dismiss this as such a common fault that Its not a problem. Yet its cost us over £1000 in the 2 years we have had the car. I can honestly say this has put me off getting another Vauxhall ever again in my life.

14th Mar 2008, 09:00

I've got a 51 plate zafira 1.6 club. It's an absolute nightmare.

The engine management light came on in December last year and the car was loosing all power. I took it to a garage and had the coil pack replaced.

In Feb this year the light came on again but this time had little or no effect on the running of the car. I took it to the garage and the fault codes showed the coil pack again so they replaced it again but the light wouldn't reset. Other faults showing were wiring or the ECU itself. After further diagnostics they said it was the pin inside the ECU so I needed to go to Vauxhall. I rang them and they said they needed to do their own diagnostics (at £60) and they would fix the fault it showed, which would have been the coil pack. after having 3 in a couple of months I knew it wasn't that. I also know my mechanic quite well so I trusted him when he said it wasn't the coil pack as he had tried 3!!

I decided to send the ECU off for repair. When the place I sent it to got it they couldn't find a fault with it so sent it me back. When I put it back on the light had gone out and the car was running like a dream.

However after a week the light came back on. It has gone off and come back on a couple of times since this in a three week period. When the light is on the car is a bit sluggish at slow speed and going up hills but nothing major. It's absolutely fine on long straight roads. When the light goes off it runs fine.

Does anyone have any idea what it might be or how I can get the light to stay off? I just want to get rid of the horrible thing!!

25th Mar 2008, 18:53

Having owned a Zafira Elegance now for 8 months, I too have experienced many of the problems mentioned. After just 2 months, had the ECU replaced (under warranty thankfully) because of lack of power. Airflow meter replaced also. Engine management light has come on several times since.

Have had total exhaust replacement and recently had lambda sensor replaced.

All was fine for 3 weeks.

Now light is on again. Engine starts but will not throttle and revs drop right down. No loss of power when up and running now, just problems getting it started.

In addition, temperature gauge rarely comes off cold.

I have always driven Vauxhall without fault, but judging by this site, Zafira owners seem to encounter similar problems.

26th Mar 2008, 17:12

David Douglas; don't buy a Vauxhall. If you have a Zafira, GET RID ASAP; you only end up spending pounds and pounds on these heaps of JUNK.

29th Mar 2008, 08:03

After reading the comments on this site I was dreading the worst as my zafira had loss of power and kangerooed for first few minutes of driving. Wasn't prepared to pay dealership 70 quid to maybe find fault, luckily mate of mine knew some of the lads at dealership and they said that it would be the mass airflow sensor. I was bit worried that I would buy the part and not fix the fault.

The sensor cost 60 quid and my mate fitted it for a tenner. I could have fitted it myself as it looked really simple but just wanted the job doing asap. Once the sensor was fitted it ran like a dream.

Hope this helps.