Owner PeachorLemon_Archive    Posted in Vauxhall Zafira   Comments 0

We have owned our Zafira from new and it has now covered 67,000 miles. It is definitely a lemon In the first year I found that the car was leaking water - One leak in the bulkhead the other in the side windscreen that took two journeys to the main dealer to repair. Lift the cover over the VIN plate in the drivers side footwell and feel the carpet underlay to check yours The car cuts out intermittently - the problem appears to be debris getting past the air filter and clogging the chamber where fuel & air are mixed. If you follow the trunking from the air filter to its end, open the large jubilee clip, lift off the trunking & open the butterfly value. A local dealer says that they use a "sticky ball on a string" to drop into this chamber to pick up debris and hey presto the stalling problem is solved Unfortunately the water pump needed to be replaced when the timing belt was changed. Of course the original requirement was for a belt change at 40,000 miles with belt, tensioners and pulleys to be changed at 80,000. Now belt tensioners and pulleys are changed at 40,000 and one local dealer routinely quotes for the water pump replacement too I too have been caught out parking nose first on an incline with a low level of petrol in the tank - apparently the fuel pick-up in the tank is in the wrong place. Dont let the fuel go below 2 gallons The rear brakes were binding when the car was new and then developed an annoying squeak somewhat like a stone caught in the calliper. At 60,000 the left rear brake calliper jammed but the dealer changed both rear callipers having originally quoted to replace only the defective one The latest saga was the alternator light coming on followed immediately by failure of the power steering. Another visit to a main dealer and unfortunately the alternator has failed The drivers armrest between the two front seats no longer stays in position Toyota build quality it aint The car could do with a 6th gear when cruising at motorway speeds. My car will pull comfortably from 40mph in 5th. Fuel consumption increases dramatically when you exceed 60 m.p.h On the other hand the interior layout of the car is excellent and when it drives it drives well and is comfortable. I have taken the car on 2 European trips of over 2,000 miles each and the "your electronics are banjaxed" light illuminated at the end of both trips although the light went out and the car covered the remaining 500 miles to return home My verdict 4 lemons; one being deducted for good layout in a relatively small space.

PoL Comment: Excellent comment and tips, thanks, PoL.