I recently upgraded my Zafira, and so was surprised when I found that the spare wheel had been stolen

the RAC advised me this was a regular occurrence. So, on collecting my new Zafira I asked the dealership (Browns of Loughton) what they were doing about it. They recommended the K-Lock be fitted - just an extra £60 - I'll have that then I thought. 3 weeks later and I notice that not only has the wheel gone, but the lock as well, leaving no damage to the car at all!

Now, Vauxhall say speak to the Insurers, Browns of Loughton say that the lock was installed correctly and is the Vauxhall recommended lock, that they cannot guarantee against theft and it's just a real shame! In fact they admitted that brand new cars with the most sophisticated alarm systems still get stolen! Why can Vauxhall not put the spare internally as with other models?

One word of advice - take your spare off, put on a cheap spare which will get you 50 odd miles and save the spare in your garage.

All stories are published anonymously. Thank you to all who contribute!
ADD YOUR STORY HERE

The Zafira is a good all round family car

Based on the Vauxhall Astra chassis, there are quite a few similarities between the two cars, such as the general driving ride and the quality of the car as a whole.

There have been a few problems that general users have seen with the cars, such as:

• The engine cutting out when idle.
• The In car radio not functioning correctly.
• A squeaking noise from the brakes after only 10,000 miles or so use.
• Spare wheel thefts.
• A necessity to keep refilling the oil on diesel models (1 litre every thousand miles or so).
• Small storage space.
• Strange engine noises which can not be located or fixed.

Saying this, however. The car is very practical and does have some very good points. The innovative ?Flex 7? seating system makes it very easy to switch the car from 5 to 7 seats without too much hassle.

Other nice features include easy access to the car thanks to the wide opening doors, ideal for families with small children, and an anti-stall device. Designed to stop the car from stalling a low revs.

The car is generally very good and although a minority of owners have had some problems, it represents extremley good value for money and provides a great means of getting the whole family from one place to another.