I am a motability customer and have had my Zafira for 5 weeks and the spare wheel has already been stolen

I ran over something that ripped my tyre last nighte at 9.30 pm. I called the AA to change my tyre as I am a disabled driver. The AA were great and came in 20mins, but because they discovered the theft I had to wait for a tow truck to get me home. I finally arrived home at 12.30am exhausted.

This morning I contacted Lookers at Star city B'ham Vauxhall dealer and was told I would have to pay for a new tyre and for my lost spare wheel. I wasn't told of the other poor folks in the same position as myself. They did tell me about the lock but said I would have to pay for it and fitting. I was also told it would be cheaper to claim off my insurance so I did.

Royal Sun Life insurance directed me to a garage in B'ham - ATS to do the job. I waited all day for the garage to ring me with no luck, so I called my insurance again for their direct number and got through only to be told that because I am a disabled driver and I need an automatic courtesy car, I would have to wait til next week, as they didn't have an automatic courtsey car to loan me. I said I couldn't wait until next week as I have no way of getting around without my car and I would have to go somewhere else. I rang the insurance company again and explained my situation and then they told me that ATS had been trying to call me as they had made a mistake and did have an automatic, but it would be Friday before they could loan it to me. Amazing how things can happen when I wanted to cancel!

By now i was very upset and crying as it was all too much for me. They said it would be next week, Tues or Weds before I could get my car back. After that I called Motability as they have apparently helped other customers with a locking system that can be fitted on the spare wheel cage and it was then I found out about this happening to other people. They said I would have to pay for the lock, £37.50 and they would send it through the post for me to fit. I refused the offer. I then emailed Vauxhall about my problem and told them I had been a customer for 15 years. I explained my situation and my finances to the customer services and 20 mins later they called me and agreed to cover the cost of the lock and fitting, because I am on income support.

I am very happy with this outcome and feel that it is important to let other motability customers know the outcome.This mornning I called Lookers for the second time to speak to their mobility manager about the terrible ordeal I have had along with the indignity of begging for help and I am still waiting for the call back. I have rung them 4 times today to no avail.

The insurance company also told me some Citroen cars have the same problem. Its bad enough having all this awful situation for anyone,but even more so when the person is disabled as we rely on perhaps more help in these situations as we are at their mercy. Today has been a night mare for me, has actually made me physically sick with the upset and very weepy. I know its not just me, there are hundreds of motability customers, and able drivers right now in my position through no fault of their own. It's costing me £125 to replace my wheel and the tyre and when you are on income support it can be very upsetting to be in this situation - financially and where you can't win.We are always the losers while these car manufacturers make billions.Until I get the lock fitted I will keep my spare in the back of the car with my wheelchair.The Zafira is a popular car for disabled folks. It is well thought out with all it's fittings and dimensions except for this one very important issue - a car won't run without its wheels! Good luck to you all.

All stories are published anonymously. Thank you to all who contribute!
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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.