2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel than on all cars registered in 2012.

• Engine oil leaks2.1× usual
  Vauxhall Zafira

  12.6% All 2012 cars

  5.9%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.6%, against 0.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £80–£600 our estimate

  At the viewing: Look under the engine and where the car is usually parked for fresh oil. Ask whether the leak has been looked at.

• Coil springs1.6× usual
  Vauxhall Zafira

  13.4% All 2012 cars

  8.4%

  Failed outright at MOT: 6.6%, against 3.8% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanic

  At the viewing: Look behind each wheel for a snapped spring coil, and listen for a clunk or twang when turning the wheel lock to lock with the car stopped.

• Individual direction indicators2.5× usual
  Vauxhall Zafira

  7.2% All 2012 cars

  2.9%

  Failed outright at MOT: 3.1%, against 1.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

• Steering swivel joints6.9× usual
  Vauxhall Zafira

  4.8% All 2012 cars

  0.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 1.2%, against 0.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

  At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

• Battery6.8× usual
  Vauxhall Zafira

  3.4% All 2012 cars

  0.5%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £80–£200 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the car starts cleanly and there are no warning lights once running.

Common 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

• Tyres
  41% of testsRough price £70–£150

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Suspension
  39% of testsRough price £120–£400

  At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

• Brakes
  35% of testsRough price £150–£350

  At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

• Lights and electrics
  30% of testsRough price £10–£80

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

• Oil and fluid leaks
  14% of testsRough price £80–£600

  At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  10% of testsRough price £15–£250

  At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Known faults on the 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

• Heater blower resistor fire recall

  All engines

  The heater fan resistor can overheat and start a fire. The first recall fix wasn’t always done properly, so cars were recalled a second time.

  At the viewing: Check every fan speed works. Ask a Vauxhall dealer to confirm both recalls were done.

  Source: Haynes: Vauxhall Zafira common problems (2005-2011)

• Stalling and not restarting (1.9 CDTi)

  1.9 CDTi diesel

  The diesel can suddenly stall and refuse to restart, usually from a faulty fuel pressure regulator on the high-pressure pump.

  At the viewing: Ask whether it has ever cut out, and check for warning lights.

  Source: Haynes: Vauxhall Zafira common problems (2005-2011)

• Sticky gearchange and scraping noise

  Manual gearbox

  Third to fourth can feel sticky and there can be a scraping noise between fifth and sixth. Fixing it means taking the gearbox out.

  At the viewing: Change through all the gears and listen for scraping at around 2,000rpm.

  Source: Haynes: Vauxhall Zafira common problems (2005-2011)

• Starter that runs by itself

  All engines

  Water getting into the engine control unit can make the starter run when it shouldn’t.

  At the viewing: Make sure the starter stops as soon as the engine fires.

  Source: Haynes: Vauxhall Zafira common problems (2005-2011)

• Wrong fuel gauge reading

  All engines

  A software fault in the instrument cluster can make the fuel gauge unreliable.

  At the viewing: Compare the gauge with the trip computer’s range.

  Source: Haynes: Vauxhall Zafira common problems (2005-2011)

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. Have both heater resistor recalls been done by a Vauxhall dealer?
2. Any recent work on the engine oil leaks? (Flagged at MOT 2.1× as often on the 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel as on other cars the same age.)
3. Any recent work on the coil springs? (Flagged at MOT 1.6× as often on the 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel as on other cars the same age.)
4. Any recent work on the individual direction indicators? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the 2012 Vauxhall Zafira diesel as on other cars the same age.)
5. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?