Express Service at Citroen Duff Morgan in Norwich are very good. Mitsi main dealer in Norwich is not good, I’ve heard poor things for VW and Merc too. I once bought a salesman’s hack from a very prestigious Rolls Royce dealers when I was 19 (!), took my dad along drank coffee on the leather antique chairs while others were looking at the Bentley’s etc
Avoid ■■■■ fit, they snapped my wheel bolts last year on two wheels, claimed they were pattern, reckon the monkey had the torque set far too high.
I’m on my third vauxhall at the moment a 57 reg vectra 1.8 Sri. It will never set the world alight with power but it has never missed a beat. My wife has an 05 reg zafira 1.6 and apart from a sensor and 2 rear springs (common fault on Astra and zafira) that’s never missed a beat too. I had an Astra sxi on a 53 plate from 4 months old until it was 6 years old and apart from servicing it never cost a penny.
I have owned loads of Vauxhalls, there Diesel engines are bomb proof and before anybody pulls me up I know Isuzu made there older Diesel engines.
I have had corsa’s and cavaliers with 130k + and now have a Insignia CDTI 160 bhp estate. Just about to change it. I have had it from new and it has not missed a beat it’s 3 years old and has 66k on it.
The reason I think you feel there’s loads broke down is that the country is full of them so your going to see broke down.
Big problem with the new models is the DPF and it causes problems due to the car being driven like a fairy. I don’t have this problem as I drive it like it’s a rental
wired4smoke:
I have owned loads of Vauxhalls, there Diesel engines are bomb proof and before anybody pulls me up I know Isuzu made there older Diesel engines.
And the newer diesels are Fiat engines. Well my old Vectra C 1.9 cdti 150 was anyway. Not entirely sure if the engine in my new Astra is a Fiat one.
Had a 1.3cdti Corsa, one X reg Astravan, an 03 Astra and an 05 Vectra and never let me down apart from a few alternators and starter motors on the Astravan and Vectra
Currently got a 54 1.4 Fiesta but looking at swapping it for a 2.5 V6 MG ZT
mazzer:
Seem to notice a lot of cars broken down of all makes that are driven by Asians for the size of their community they do appear to make up a disproportionate percentage of breakdowns
The day I read this thread I saw a very confused looking Asian man in a black vectra on the A45 near Rushden who had broke down! He was stood next to a over heating car holding his rucksack, very odd.
I wonder if they don’t keep up with the servicing of the cars or something?
Vauxhalls were good up until they started mounting the (expensive) ecu on the engine. A fantastic money spinner for dealers no doubt, but a complete arse of an idea from an owners point of view. Have steered clear of them since selling the Zafira. (That had a replacement ecu too!)
2nd hand ECU can be got for £100 on average, hardly the end of the world.
No different then BMW and Mercedes when it comes to reliabilty, get a look at the breakdown surveys from What Car online or Warranty Direct. The vauxhall scores well compared to German marques.
And remember 1 thing they are a lot cheaper, and parts 2nd hand are for nothing in comparison.
drank coffee on the leather antique chairs while others were looking at the Bentley’s etc 
