Opel Vectra 1.8 Station Wagon – 2005 has run 504,442 km

Been in the family for fourteen years

The AutoWeek endurance test Vectra was a GTS (five-door) with diesel engine and automatic transmission. It wasn’t fast, but it was spacious and comfortable, so it was a real mile-eater. I toured Sweden with it, with the highlights: very few traffic lights and lots of trees. Colleague Stéphan Vermeulen took it from café-restaurant Klein Kalfje (Amsterdam) to snack bar De Koe (Lloret de Mar), culminating in ending up in the middle of a large forest fire. Now a contemporary with more than half a million on the clock appears in Klokje Rond. Owner Jasper Lanters took over the car from his father, who was the second owner (since 2009; gas was immediately installed upon purchase). The Vecta has been ‘in the family’ for fourteen years. Jasper now has a choice: continue with this German or look for something else? This inspection will provide an answer to that.

Where does this end?

“The reason for an inspection was that the alternator broke down,” says Jasper. “I wanted to know if there was more to come,” said the owner. A new connection was introduced in 2022. Last year a power brake hose broke and the car became too hot while driving. Jasper then had the fan replaced just to be sure. All very normal things, especially for a car that is eighteen years old and with half a million kilometers on the clock. But where and when does it stop?

The Lanters family does not consist of car freaks. “We all see a car as an object of use. It must be reliable, economically responsible and practical,” says Jasper. He comes from an entrepreneurial family from Limburg that is involved in climbing walls, i.e. designing and installing, with everything that entails. “We visit customers with the Vectra and we all actively participate in mountain sports. When you go climbing, you always need to be able to take a lot of stuff with you. That’s all possible with the Vectra,” says Jasper. Thirty thousand kilometers a year was very normal, because Limburg is not mountainous enough for the Lanters family. Then you have to descend a bit to the south.

Poor visibility

Joep Schuurman has now completed his test drive and the sturdy Vectra is on the bridge. Our judge, who just turned 39 the day before, would have liked a nicer birthday present. “I’m not very happy about this. The way the car feels when driving, this will result in a serious yellow laundry list,” he growls. On paper (Jasper has the maintenance history with him), the car has been maintained quite neatly, but as the inspection progresses, there is an increasing distance between what has been done and how the car looks. The condition of the headlights even makes Joep a bit poisonous. “If, as a driver, you already think that the light output is poor, then you are going to do something about it, right? You shouldn’t want this. This should never have been caused by an MOT. I can look into the headlight without any problem, the light output is so poor.”

Exciting adventures

Nice, an old station wagon with a lot of kilometers, but you sometimes find yourself with clenched buttocks along the way. “While driving near Karlsruhe on a hot summer day, the coolant temperature gauge went up. Before it went into the red, my buddy and I steered the car into a parking lot. Let’s cool down,” says Jasper. There was also… an ADAC car in that parking lot! That man was busy with two other cars, but also promised to take a look at the Vectra. “When he did that, he opened the radiator cap and the Opel threw out all its coolant. After that he no longer had time for us, because it was very busy with breakdowns. We were standing there!” Jasper decided to top up the Vectra with coolant, went for a drive, topped up some more and took a chance: continue driving home. Successfully. “After that I had the fan with switch replaced.”

The Vectra was also a total loss once. “My sister was on her way and was stuck in a traffic jam. In front of her was an Italian camper. At some point he decided to drive all the way to the rear. The hood and grille were damaged and the garage was not allowed to repair it by the insurance company because the costs exceeded the current value. We then settled for a lower insurance amount and had it repaired. That’s what you get with an older car with a lot of kilometers.”

Tired and worn out

However, everything comes to an end and as far as Joep is concerned, the end of this Vectra has now come. This pack mule and mountain goat is done with his tricks. The judge bumps into things from bumper to bumper. A combination of overdue maintenance, age and a lot of kilometers. Jasper no longer has to choose: continuing seriously with this Vectra is no longer an option. “I didn’t expect that there would be so much wrong with it, because I still think it’s a nice car to be on the road with. So I have to reset and make a plan.”

Maintenance history

The last few years:

• 501.145 September 2023 Fan
• 492,887 April 2023 Power brake hose
• 492,441 April 2023 Rear brake pads and discs
• 480.565 October 2022 Major service with injector cleaning, brake fluid, brake lines
• 468,926 May 2022 Link
• 451.794 August 2021 Service with radiator, rear right spring
• 428.080 November 2020 Service with timing belt, multi-belt, exhaust
• 407.664 March 2020 Brake discs, brake pads and brake caliper
• 399,200 December 2019 Fuel pump
• 394.819 October 2019 Service, rear brake pads, injector cleaning, alignment, brake fluid
• 356,642 October 2018 Service with MOT
• 335.557 May 2018 Heater motor lubricated, heating panel repaired
• 325,560 November 2017 Service, MOT, timing belt and tension roller, thermostat
• 317,569 August 2017 Battery
• October 2016 Major service, brake pads, brake discs, main spring
• November 2015 Major service, rear main spring, injector cleaning
• 229,791 Jun 2015 Reversing light restored

What is wrong with the Opel Vectra?

• Front wiper blades are mediocre
• Steering wheel is crooked when driving straight. Engine bounces when idling, so many vibrations can be felt in the car
• The air conditioning seems to hardly work or not at all
• Play can be felt in the drive
• Vibrations noticeable when accelerating, indicating worn drive shafts
• Shock absorbers are all completely worn out
• There is a lot of moisture in the car
• The clutch engages late/high
• The headlights are dull and provide very little light
• The headlight on the right is full of water
• The fog lights and the right side indicator are full of water
• The left side indicator is missing its glass
• The cover on the back of the right headlight is missing
• The coolant is below level
• The brake fluid reservoir cap is cracked
• The engine is leaking oil heavily in several places
• The front brake discs are rusted on the inside
• The right front inner CV joint is leaking
• Both tie rods have play
• The left front brake pad wear indicator wire is loose
• Both engine tilt supports are in very poor condition
• The mountings of the rear subframe are extensively rusted
• The rear brake lines were replaced at some point and were installed very poorly/irregularly

The opinion of Carrec Technocenter

“This Vectra is tired, worn and poorly maintained. I come across things that a mechanic should not deliver, I see a car that has been wrongly approved on more than one point and I see the high mileage and age. Get rid of it. Fuses. Now.”