Are Vauxhall Astra 1.6 reliable?

Are Vauxhall Astra 1.6 reliable?

Are Vauxhall Astra 1.6 reliable?

Hello all. I've just bought a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 from Halfords and having read some of the other posts I'm not quite sure whether to believe the previous owner. The car is 5 years old but I've heard that cars with these engines start to suffer from valve leaks at about the same time. If this is true then I'm in trouble as I was planning on getting my Astra MOT'd tomorrow. Has anyone else heard of this problem? Also has anyone else bought a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 from Halfords and found it to be unreliable? Thanks for any comments.

Many thanks for your reply. Yes I did find a thread on Vauxhall forums which said that valve leaks started around the same time for 1.6 models. I have a feeling that if I get a decent service history it will be okay but am worried that if I have to take it to Halfords in the end it will be full of problems. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks for your reply. I bought it from Halfords for 400 less than it was worth because it had been given a low mileage warranty. I was hoping that it was still worth something but now that I know it could have serious problems in the future I'm wondering what I should do.

I really don't think you'll have too many problems. When I bought my 1.6, I had exactly the same concern and took it to Halfords anyway and got a brand new gasket fitted. It didn't cost me anything, I was actually paying the difference between what I'd paid for the car and the price of the new gasket. This is because they gave you a free replacement, and the reason why it's free is because they want to repair the engines that are due for their next service.

I got a very good service, and although the engine is still a bit noisy, I'm fairly sure it's nothing to worry about. Of course, you could always pop it in to a garage for an oil change and they'll change the gaskets for you, and most garages will give a discount for multiple gaskets, and there's a chance that they'll even change the engine for you for free as well, depending on how well the gasket job was done.

I honestly think you won't have any problems.

What is the best engine in a Vauxhall Astra?

The Vauxhall Astra has been discontinued, but it remains one of the most popular cars to be made by Vauxhall. In fact, as you'll see below, the British car manufacturer has produced more than 2.6 million examples of this car in total. It's safe to say that the Vauxhall Astra has been a success. So, if you're looking for a car with a unique design, this Vauxhall is certainly one of the best options. But which engine has been used in this car? Let's take a look.

Vauxhall Astra Engines. In total, the Vauxhall Astra has had three different engines: 1.2-litre petrol engine 6-litre petrol engine. 4-litre diesel engine. All three of these engines have been very successful in the UK market. Today, we're going to be looking at the engines that have been used in the Vauxhall Astra.

The 1.2-litre Petrol Engine The 1.2-litre petrol engine was introduced in 1978 and was developed by Vauxhall. The engine features a cylinder head capacity of 815 cc and was available with either twin or four valves per cylinder.

In total, the 1.2-litre petrol engine produced between 55bhp and 61bhp. The engine also came mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission.2-litre petrol engine remained in production until 1991.6-litre Petrol Engine

The 1.6-litre petrol engine was introduced in 1979 and was also developed by Vauxhall.

Does the Vauxhall Astra 1.6 have a timing belt or chain?

2017 vauxhall astra 1.6 petrol engine problems

Will I need to replace these items on my car when it reaches 160,000 miles? Does anyone know of any other parts that could be damaged by a timing belt or chain breaking on an Astra or related models?

I'll start off by saying the problem I am having is that the timing belt/chain has completely broken with no warning. The tensioner has failed causing the piston to move away from the camshaft and the front driveshaft to contact the crankshaft as a result. It was noticed over two weeks ago and I've yet to get it fixed.

Vauxhall has no service network so my insurance company has no recourse in getting it repaired. I read your post and can see where you are coming from. For us Brits (and I say this from experience of driving through the Sahara) there is quite often a time delay between a problem being diagnosed by a mechanic or the vehicle owner and the problem being fixed. Vauxhall only have their headquarters in Belgium not far from Paris, which for an international company, is probably not very far. If you want to ask about the problem directly they may be able to answer your questions more clearly than on here.

I agree with the above. Having a chain break in the car will be very unlikely to fail at 160KM as well. But there is a chance of the chain snapping due to poor road conditions, or if you hit something. Most accidents should not cause it to break. As a note to do with your comment about poor road conditions or hitting something.

I am going to have a look at their maintenance manual and see if they say anything about timing belts or chain breakage and any known problems with these two items, plus some other parts of the car that might be replaced at the same time as the belt/chain. Thanks @Carmichaelb. I'm just hoping that a timing belt/chain failure wasn't the cause of the timing chain failure. I understand that cars can still run for many miles without a timing belt but they do recommend replacing them every 40,000 miles (if mine was running a few miles further than the 160,000 mark), hence why I believe a belt/chain has been broken as a result. If this is the case, then the front driveshaft will have also snapped and it'll need to be fixed under warranty.

What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Astra?

Costs for replacement parts are high and repairs are slow. It's probably best to avoid making unnecessary trips to your local Vauxhall dealer. If you do have a problem, it's best to get it fixed as soon as possible, or get it serviced by a reputable garage to cut down on the costs.

Do you need an air filter? Not in the least. Vauxhalls have large air filters that keep the air clean and should be changed regularly.

If you don't have an air filter, you'll also notice a loss in engine power. What's the average lifespan of a Vauxhall Astra? You can expect your Vauxhall Astra to last between 10-15 years. It's important to keep up with regular maintenance, as a small problem can turn into a major issue in no time.

For example, oil seals can dry out and leak which could mean a long-term oil leak. You may also need a new front or rear windscreen if you drive in heavy rain. What's the cheapest Vauxhall Astra for sale in the UK? The top Vauxhall Astra models are the Vauxhall Astra 1.6T, Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Zetec, Vauxhall Astra 1.2T and Vauxhall Astra 1.8Zetec.

There are also a number of Vauxhall Astra engines to choose from, including the 2.0 Tdi and 1.6T petrol engines.

When is the best time to purchase a Vauxhall Astra? If you can afford to wait for the price to fall and the model you want to buy has not yet been discontinued, then now is a good time. What model year of Vauxhall Astra do you need? As long as you're happy with the current version of the Vauxhall Astra, the model year of your choice will make no difference. A newer model of the Vauxhall Astra may give you better value for money, but don't expect a step change in performance. How much do you need to spend on a Vauxhall Astra?

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