Vauxhall Combo known problems and what to check
What goes wrong on a used Vauxhall Combo, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides and what to check before you buy one.
The 2008 Vauxhall Combo
Too few Vauxhall Combo cars first registered in 2008 had an MOT during 2025 for reliable MOT figures. There are no known faults on record for this year in the UK buying guides we use, so the rest of this page covers the Vauxhall Combo as a whole.
What to check on a 2008 car
- MOT history
Check the reg below: its MOT history shows what has been failed or advised, and whether the mileage adds up.
- Service history
Look for regular servicing and receipts for big jobs like a cambelt or clutch.
- Finance and write-offs
MOT records don’t show outstanding finance or insurance write-offs. A history check does.
- Test drive
Listen for knocks over bumps, check every warning light goes out, and make sure the gears and brakes feel right.
Other years
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
202620252024202320222021202020192018201720122011201020092008200720062005
What usually goes wrong with a Vauxhall Combo?
Known faults reported by owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Most apply to certain years or engines only, so check which the car has.
- Cars registered 2018–2026 · 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol
Timing belt that runs in oil (PureTech petrol)
The 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech petrol engines use a timing belt that runs in the engine oil (a “wet belt”). It can break down early and shed rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some also burn too much oil. Stellantis now covers earlier engines for belt and oil-burning problems for up to 10 years or 112,000 miles, as long as the car has been serviced on schedule.
At the viewing: Ask for a full service history showing the right oil, and when the belt was last checked or changed. Check the oil level on the dipstick, and that no oil-pressure or engine warning light stays on.
Source: Parkers: Stellantis wet belt compensation, and the cars at risk, Stellantis: compensation policy for earlier PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 engines (7 May 2025)
Questions to ask the seller before buying a Vauxhall Combo
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- When was the timing belt last checked or changed, and has it had the right oil at every service? Is the car still within Stellantis’ extended PureTech cover?
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at a Vauxhall Combo?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score