Yet Another Innocent Victim

I am another victim of the spare wheel theft from Vauhall Zafira.

I was parked in Staines Two Rivers shopping centre car park yesterday and on returning to my car noticed that it "didnt quite look right". On looking under the car I realised that my spare wheel was not there, I had no idea that this is a common problem until checking the internet later.

I rang my insurers who didnt think it was worth reporting to the police, rang my local vauxhall dealer who probably get loads of these calls daily, the guy I spoke to was as helpful as a chocolate tea pot. I asked for a price for a new spare wheel and he asked me if I would be needing a tyre. Im not quite sure but I dont think he was listening, what use is a spare without a tyre on it??

I bought this car because of vauxhalls high emphasis on security, and the guy on the phone has just told me that it will cost me approx £200 to replace it and I should really have a lock put on it, dont know about you but I think I will play safe and put it in the boot!!

Surely Vauxhall need to admit that there is a fault with this design, my manual clearly states that you need to release the hexagon bolt in the stowage compartment floor. If a wheel can get nicked in the middle of a shopping centre next they will be taking them off when you are stopped at traffic lights. Anyone know who to contact at Vauxhall??
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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.