Vauxhall Astra needs new gearbox- only 17,000 mileage

ayesha265

Hi,

Really hoping someone can help with this!

I purchased my 2011 Vauxhall Astra (1.6) last year April from Car Giant. Prev. user was disabled so only did 10,000 mileage. We've had it just over a year and car is only at 17,500 mileage. It started showing 'service vehicle soon' message on dashboard. So we paid £130 to have the vehicle fully serviced. Message continued to show and two weeks ago car started jerking and slowing down when driving at 30mph, so we took it to a Vauxhall specialist who did a diagnostic and confirmed car needs a new thermostat, as previous one was leaking. Forked out another £160.

'Service vehicle soon' message had since gone but car still jerky and slowing down. Was taking it back to Vauxhall specialist today and it broke down right near his garage. He helped move it up to his garage, did another diagnostic and said it looks like I need a new gearbox (which he cannot deal with as it's an auto).

So, my question is, is it really fair that in just over a year of having a newish car, that we have hardly driven, we are potentially going to spend over £1k on a new gearbox? Can anyone advise if this is just bad luck and we will have to cough up, or if it's worth complaining to anyone?

Many thanks,

Ayesha

jase1

Good will is very unlikely to apply to a second owner, and the Vauxhall lifetime warranty also only applied to the first owner.

Unfortunately I think you'll just have to cough up. Car Giant *might* decide to be generous, but I can't see it happening.

tberry6686

Try taking it to another garage. Your Vauxhall specialist decided that it was the thermostat (which will have no connection to the diagnostics and so cannot set the service light on) leaking. The chances are there was nothing wrong with the thermostat and it was either the cover not tightened properly or the thermostat gasket/O ring needed replaced - roughly a 20 minute job and about £10 for parts (if the thermostat failed either the car would be overheating or not getting up to temperature - nothing to do with it slowing down and jerking). Their diagnosis of it being the gearbox failing sounds iffy to me - more like they don't have a clue but have managed to rip you off for some cash so just want shot of you before you realize it.

Find a recommended independent for diagnostics - does not need to be a vauxhall specialist as the Astra is a common car that all independents will see regularly.

facade

The 1.6 "automatic" is a "triptronic" gearbox, which is basically a normal manual gearbox, with a ferociously expensive electric actuator bolted on to work the clutch and gear lever.

When they fail, usually refusing to start, with the gear display either blank or showing F, the actuator has to be sent away for repair- must be a very simple common fault, as it only costs around £130. (plus removal, storage & refitting costs nearer £400) Vauxhall want thousands for a new one. and it has to be programmed to the car, which is why the original has to be sent away.


Can't see how a faulty gearbox can cause slowing down, unless the clutch is worn out and slipping, from 10,000 miles of manoeuvring and hill starting.

As above, take it somewhere who knows these units, or try joining one of the Vauxhall forums, and post your question there.

bigjl

I must admit that I thought the 1.6 Astra was a proper Torque converter box in 2011 as isn't that the later shape?

A colleague had the previous shape Astra 1.6 and that had one of those stupid automated manual boxes, it wasn't that bad but certainly not my choice.

First order of business is to get the vehicle checked by a competent Garage. Preferably a Vauxhall specialist with the proper diagnostics.

If the current Garage thought it was a thermostat and now thinks it's the gearbox then they are either clueless or incompetent.

I should add that if you do need a new gearbox it isn't going to be £1000.

If you have full Vauxhall History you might be able to get a good will payment towards the repair.

£160 for a thermostat?

Really?

Sometimes if the tale seems to tall it is indeed a tall tale.

AdrianC

jase1 wrote: »

Car Giant *might* decide to be generous, but I can't see it happening.

A year and a half, and 7k miles, after they sold it?

Not. A. Hope.

It's also a year and a half out of Vauxhall's warranty, and doesn't sound as if it's been serviced to schedule, so I very much doubt there'll be any goodwill there.

I can't quite figure out how a "leaking" thermostat would cause the car to jerk and run out of power - unless it was running out of coolant, or the coolant was spraying everywhere so comprehensively it was getting in to engine-bay electronics. In which case...

bigjl

Just had a quick look at a couple of Astra 1.6 Autos (2011)

And I don't think it is an automated manual.

They usually have a different type gearknob. The ones I have looked at have a standard Auto gearknob.

It is also a 6speed so I would think it is more likely to be the same Autobox as fitted to Zafiras for years, actually a pretty reliable box, never heard of one breaking at my previous workplace, and they had several hundred Auto Zafiras.

bigjl

facade wrote: »

The 1.6 "automatic" is a "triptronic" gearbox, which is basically a normal manual gearbox, with a ferociously expensive electric actuator bolted on to work the clutch and gear lever.

When they fail, usually refusing to start, with the gear display either blank or showing F, the actuator has to be sent away for repair- must be a very simple common fault, as it only costs around £130. (plus removal, storage & refitting costs nearer £400) Vauxhall want thousands for a new one. and it has to be programmed to the car, which is why the original has to be sent away.


Can't see how a faulty gearbox can cause slowing down, unless the clutch is worn out and slipping, from 10,000 miles of manoeuvring and hill starting.

As above, take it somewhere who knows these units, or try joining one of the Vauxhall forums, and post your question there.

After some double checking I am fairly certain that the Autobox fitted to the 1.6 in 2011 is a traditional TQ one.

facade

Never seen a late one, so I stand corrected.:o

As the triptronic was so awful, not a surprise they went back to a proper auto.

There will be a gearbox ecu that controls gear selection and lock-up, (probably placed where it can fill up with water ) so they can read fault codes easily enough, again these can be repaired.

Normally a torque converter auto is reliable as long as it hasn't been overheated, the fluid goes brown and smelly if this is the case.
Otherwise faults are usually sensors.

Marktheshark

On the six speed Auto they attempted to save a few pence and use an oil cooler built in the radiator .
The system works using a dividing strip in the normal radiator.
This fails like all daft ideas and the auto fluid and water then mix, the car begins to run hot and the autobox starts to lose pressure and slip gears.

To the plug and fit only main dealers the solution is new gearbox when really it needs a new radiator, the gearbox fluid flushing at least twice and it should be good to go.


The same box does hundreds of thousands on every other car its fitted to, vauxhall managed to completely and utterly begger it up, just like they do !.
You see many six speed VX autos for sale with low mileage as its new radiator every 15-20k.

facade

That is useful, as I like autos, and might have been tempted by Vauxhall. I suppose you could tell by checking the fluid, except they likely saved another 50p by not fitting a dipstick, and claiming the gearbox is "sealed for life"- it is, as it breaks for want of checking the level, then its life is ended