1997 Vauxhall Combo reviews

Vauxhall Combo 1.7 diesel 1997

I bought the van second hand showing 85,000, within 12 months I have replaced the alternator £85, starter motor £120, gear linkage £140 (Vauxhall only, 3 bits of metal with plastic ball joints!) brake servo £40 (scrapyard), handbrake cable £20 and last but not least clutch £75...not mentioning the usuals, tyres brake pads etc., all of these replacements done by myself; thank God I didn’t need to take it to a garage, the bill would have gone quantum! The ONLY thing going for this heap of tripe is the mpg, 55 average soooo many common problems as indicated by a web search. The starter failed because the alternator failed, put too much amperage through the starter, blew the armature and brushes, the alternator fails because the oil pump is attached to the back of it, restricting airflow resulting in over heating, this causes the relay to blow also; no one really knows for definite where they are located, not even main dealer, apparently they moved them around a lot, usefull! When the alternator fails it causes allsorts of electrical troubles because it produces waaay too many amps and volts, burns a lot of things out, handy thing to happen when its a common problem :/ The clutch was a nightmare to change, practically had to dismantle everything, it took 5 days dodging weather, was NOT impressed! The pressure plate showed little wear but was seriously cracked on removal the gear change mechanism is also a common fault, I have read reports of them failing as low as 20,000 miles but Vauxhall, God love them, will sell you a part to rectify the junk they fit as standard. Overall my impression is this vehicle was designed and assembled by a octodextrous retarded squid, constructed from the cheapest materials resulting some how in extraordinarily expensive replacement parts. If you have loads of money and want your local garage to do a roaring trade, buy one of these. I know for sure I wont touch any Vauxhall with anybody elses barge pole ever again :) lesson learned.