Hi Jason - you may like to have a look at the Honest John website for an anal ysis on the Vectra
My thanks to Cliff for introducing me to this wonderful source of info.
For ease I repeat the info here:-
Source:- Honest John website
"Still only a three star performer in 2001 NCAP crash safety tests. Clutch replacement remains a five- to-six-hour job involving engine removal instead of the simple half-hour job it was on the Cavalier. Stodgy handling with severe understeer of early cars not entirely cured even in the 1999 improvements. Styled door mirrors give limited view. DI 16v has undeserved reputation as an oil burner. What actually happens is that oil collects in the 16v head and takes a long time to drain back to the sump. Dip within an hour of stopping and you will get a falsely low reading leading you to overfill with fresh oil. But engine also seems to have a genuine oil consumption problem. Apparently, the bores were machined with too high a gloss. Running-in oil has been used to attempt a quick fix, has been known to cause other problems. Vauxhall/Opel will not accept liability because it would mean expensive repairs to most 2.0DI and 2.2DI Vauxhall/Opel models. Several pressure groups are emerging to try to get Vauxhall/Opel to take responsibility: www.zafirauk.tk and www.peachorlemon.co.uk 2001 model year ex-fleet cars which have been subject to 20,000 mile oil changes will not be as good a second-hand buy as cars which have had their oil changed every 6 months or 7,000 miles at most. Plug leads deteriorate and are ridiculously expensive to replace. Whole dash needs to come out to replace odometer bulb. DIs seem to need new mass/airflow sensors every 36,000 miles. Timing belt and tensioner changes re-scheduled from 80,000 miles to 40,000 miles on engines which have them. Timing belts on 4 cylinder 16v engines also drive the water pump which can shed its impeller blades and seize, throwing off the belt, so best to change water pump too. Tensioner bolt which passes through oil pump also prone to fracture, leaving belt untensioned and apt to fly off. Internal roof stiffener bars on estate models can become unglued due to heat and cold on the roof and cause a rattle. Best tyres for older non-sporty Vectras are Pirelli P6000s. Best for new SRis and GSis are Yokohamas. Front suspension can wear prematurely. 15th from Bottom of 100 models for reliability in Auto Express 2002 survey. See 'What to Watch Out For' for a lot more faults. Clarkson was right first time. Now suffering corrosion of area around rear door latches. Franchises will repair under 6 year no perforation warranty, but only if service history is stamped up with corrosion inspections by Vauxhall franchises. Starting to get reports of water pump failure throwing off timing belts on 2.0 litre 16v petrol models. Noise from rear of car which sounds like wheel bearing noise is usually due to uneven rear tyre wear. Gearbox problems now beginning to emerge on late 1.8s. 2.2 16v petrol engine has been known to snap its timing chain due to the lubrication jet becoming blocked, possibly as a result of running on dirty oil due to extented oil change intervals. Ignition control unit of 2.2 petrol engine is prone to burning out. Repeated a/c compressor failures are common and using the a/c once a week does not seem to prevent this. On diesels, older F18 gearbox prone to fail and by 2005later e F23 gearboxes were failing too. I cannot recommend these cars. Only 88% breakdown free in 2003 Which survey. 28th from bottom out of 137 models in 2003 Top Gear survey. Only 89% of cars up to 2 years old breakdown-free over previous 12 months in 2004 Which? survey. 2004 Which? quote: "Disappointment on wheels. A slightly depressing driving experience and woeful build quality."
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