My son is thinking of buying a nearly new Vauxhall Insignia but he has heard of problems with the particant filter if only short journeys are frequently made and it is very expensive to replace. Is this a known problem?
I had a Vectra and had a similar problem where the light didn't come on and the car lost power, but I think it's a similar issue with many cars as often we are restricted to low speeds on many roads these days.
The advice is to drive at over 30mph and at over 2000 revs for 15 minutes or until the warning light goes off and it will burn off...which doesn't seem very good for the environment and not convenient if you've just got home.
After the garage checked it out and changed the bits (no charge) it worked well ever since...until today...when I sold it.
This is made out to be more of a problem than it really is. Provided you can drive down a road at 50mph for 5 miles about once a fortnight you are ok. What is important on cars with particulate filters is to use correct manufacturer spec oil.
Go onto a rally field and see how many towers actually tow with a Vauxhall and those that have will tell you of the constant problems. They have a bad reputation in more ways than one and certainly not much of a towcar in comparison to other competitors. The Skoda Octavia is certainly a much better towcar for performance and reliabilty which also returns good fuel consumption.
always find it hard to understand the constant negitive comments on vauxhall's, all new diesel cars have DPF and ALL WILL HAVE SAME PROBLEM is doing constant short journeys
yes they do go wrong but again so do all other cars, and you may here of more problems because there is more sold but if THEY WERE SO BAD VAUXHALL WOULD NOT OFFER A LIFETIME WARRENTY
for value for money i for one think they are great ( as someone who has repaired them for over 20yrs and is now also selling them )
Tbf, Vauxalls have had a bad reputation since since Victors that rusted away as you watched.
If a diesel car with dpf is used continuously in an urban environment within a 30mph limit then eventually the light will come but very few cars live like this, most get a run a couple of times a month & this will be enough for regeneration. It is important a fully synthetic low saps oil designed for use with dpf is used.
Vauxhall for me to. To be honest if you do have a diesel and just tootle around on 30mph roads everywhere then you get whet you deserve really when it comes to the DPF, as it states what must be done to keep it operational in the manual.
Here's my story in a bit more detail as I was pushed for time last night. I went to the Vauxhall dealer near me and said I wanted a 2 litre Insignia diesel. He asked me about the useage. I told him about my 35 mile return journey to work on good roads - now I wanted to tell him about towing and the other long journeys we make now and again, sometimes for work, sometimes not - but before I could do that there was that inward gush of air between the teeth that only car dealers can do! "Oh, you should read up on DPFs" he said. "What are they" I asked? Oh, best Google it really. By now the close on 30 grand I had for a new car (I wanted the top of the range sports tourer, automatic) was starting to cling to my pocket, screaming "don't give me to him, if this is what he's like now, imagine what he's gonna be like after you've parted company with me". I went home and Googled said DPFs and established that in reality, the way I was going to use my car wouldn't be a problem. I wasn't going to go back to Vauxhall though! I went to Ford with a view to buying a Mondeo or a Galaxy. I mentioned the DPF thing to the salesman. "Oh, we've never known any problems and the mileage and journeys you are planning" (for he had asked and more to the point, had listened) "shouldn't present you with a problem. And, if it did, well you will have a warranty and we'll do any work that needs doing as part of that". I bought a Ford which I have to say, 3,000 miles later I am very happy with.
Since then, someone I know very well who drives cars between dealers for British Motor Auctions has told me that one of the most problematic cars they pick up is the diesel Insignia and the problem I hear you ask - DPFs!
Quote: Originally posted by Claydoncamper on 27/3/2012Since then, someone I know very well who drives cars between dealers for British Motor Auctions has told me that one of the most problematic cars they pick up is the diesel Insignia and the problem I hear you ask - DPFs!
Yes they will fail if not used properly, this is what people do not understand.
I've had a couple of Vauxhalls in the long distant past and got very good service from them
I had a hired Insignia diesel estate for a couple of days last week to go to London and have to say that I would not want to buy one. It's only redeeming feature for me was that it was an auto and this was very smooth. I didn't like the jiggly ride, the almost total lack of places to put things - phone, sunglasses etc. and the fact that you had to climb down into it and then climb back out. The hire company man said that all their Insignias get front and rear damage because they "stick out" both ends and people miss-judge their length. The access to the rear load area is over a very long lip. The door mirrors were a funny sort of triangular shape with no upper outer corners and it was very easy to miss seeing a vehicle along side. The tail gate window is also very small and with a solid head rest to the centre rear seat it was not easy to see behind
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Topic: Vauxhall Insignia Diesel
