Gearbox problem Vauxhall Astra
Discussion
Looking for some advice, I bought a 2010 automatic Astra about 6 months ago , it went into limp mode on Friday I took it to my local Vauxhall dealer and they tell me it needs a new gearbox at a cost of £6275 !!!!!! The car has only just done 30,000 miles
I'm rubbish with car stuff but they have found metal shards in the gearbox and Vauxhall are saying they have no idea how they got there and are hinting at driver error !!!
Appreciate any info/help
Many. Thanks
Shona
I'm rubbish with car stuff but they have found metal shards in the gearbox and Vauxhall are saying they have no idea how they got there and are hinting at driver error !!!
Appreciate any info/help
Many. Thanks
Shona
Look for some goodwill from vauxhall given the low miles. Technically out of warranty so they are not obliged to offer anything. However, that price for a new gearbox is just daft. Look up Gloucester road gearboxes. They are very good and it will be less than a third if the main stealer price quoted.
Goodwill will generally only be considered for 1st owner vehicles if the vehicle has been serviced within the dealer network and to schedule. If it is then you have a chance especially given the low mileage. If you are willing to contribute then the manufacturer would usually contribute a greater share.
You can PM me to talk about options. Where are you based?
You can PM me to talk about options. Where are you based?
Shona said:
Looking for some advice, I bought a 2010 automatic Astra about 6 months ago , it went into limp mode on Friday I took it to my local Vauxhall dealer and they tell me it needs a new gearbox at a cost of £6275 !!!!!! The car has only just done 30,000 miles
I'm rubbish with car stuff but they have found metal shards in the gearbox and Vauxhall are saying they have no idea how they got there and are hinting at driver error !!!
Appreciate any info/help
Many. Thanks
Shona
Where was the car purchased from? Vauxhall, an independent or a private seller?I'm rubbish with car stuff but they have found metal shards in the gearbox and Vauxhall are saying they have no idea how they got there and are hinting at driver error !!!
Appreciate any info/help
Many. Thanks
Shona
I spoke to the technician at Vauxhall who did the diagnostic testing on it, and he said he had No idea how it could've happened ??? Vauxhall customer services will be speaking to him tomorrow to see if he thinks this is a manufacturing problem, good luck with that one as he doesn't have any idea on how the metal shards could've entered the gear box.
I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
I spoke to the technician at Vauxhall who did the diagnostic testing on it, and he said he had No idea how it could've happened ??? Vauxhall customer services will be speaking to him tomorrow to see if he thinks this is a manufacturing problem, good luck with that one as he doesn't have any idea on how the metal shards could've entered the gear box.
I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
6cylGolf said:
Most probable is that the seal between engine coolant and gearbox oil has perished in the shared radiator. Allowing engine coolant into the gearbox.
Good point, many cars were subject to a recall with this issue. Could be worth checking to see if this vehicle was in the affected range although this should have already been checked at this stage.Has the radiator been changed? If so was it a genuine part?
Has any gearbox work been done?
Has the vehicle had any leaks?
Has the coolant level dropped significantly or discoloured?
Was there any warnings or strange noises prior to the failure?
Lastly join Masterfit service club, vehicles over 3 years old are entitled to 25% discount on parts and labour. Its free to join and you also get a £25 voucher too. MOT's are also done at half price too.
Metal shards in gearboxes are normally pieces of gear teeth/bearings/synchro rings/other mechanical parts.
Assuming it's been maintained as per the manufacturer service schedule, it's reasonable to expect a much longer service life than 4 years and 30k!
What kind of gearbox do these things have? Conventional torque converter auto, CVT, robotised manual or DSG-type?
Assuming it's been maintained as per the manufacturer service schedule, it's reasonable to expect a much longer service life than 4 years and 30k!
What kind of gearbox do these things have? Conventional torque converter auto, CVT, robotised manual or DSG-type?
Edited by Jonny_ on Wednesday 19th November 07:24
Shona said:
I spoke to the technician at Vauxhall who did the diagnostic testing on it, and he said he had No idea how it could've happened ??? Vauxhall customer services will be speaking to him tomorrow to see if he thinks this is a manufacturing problem, good luck with that one as he doesn't have any idea on how the metal shards could've entered the gear box.
I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
As has already been pointed out radiator issues did cause auto transmission failures on some cars. On this car the engine coolant radiator is effectively split in two with half the cooling capacity given up for water cooling and half for transimssion cooling. Internally some were known to fail and this is a possible cause of your issues, its worth raising this point with your retailer.I am the second owner of the car
Based in Cheshire
These auto gearboxes generally give very little trouble, its a old design that has served Vauxhall well for many years and can be traced back to previous versions of the Astra. It really is odd for this just to fail. You must determine the root cause.
I'm based in South Yorkshire so not too far if i can save you a few quid. Dont give up on the Vauxhall option just yet though.
Jonny_ said:
Metal shards in gearboxes are normally pieces of gear teeth/bearings/synchro rings/other mechanical parts.
Assuming it's been maintained as per the manufacturer service schedule, it's reasonable to expect a much longer service life than 4 years and 30k!
What kind of gearbox do these things have? Conventional torque converter auto, CVT robotised manual or CVT?
Old school torque converter. No gears or synchro ring to be concerned with here.Assuming it's been maintained as per the manufacturer service schedule, it's reasonable to expect a much longer service life than 4 years and 30k!
What kind of gearbox do these things have? Conventional torque converter auto, CVT robotised manual or CVT?
The radiator hasn't been changed they have said it's ok
No gearbox work has been done yet, it went into limp mode 3 weeks ago I had a diagnostic test done and they said it was the No 1 coil that had gone but as it was an auto they had to replace the coil pack
No leaks and hadn't actually checked the coolant level
I purchased the car in April and it had a service prior to me collecting vehicle , it has been serviced by Vauxhall main dealer since new
No gearbox work has been done yet, it went into limp mode 3 weeks ago I had a diagnostic test done and they said it was the No 1 coil that had gone but as it was an auto they had to replace the coil pack
No leaks and hadn't actually checked the coolant level
I purchased the car in April and it had a service prior to me collecting vehicle , it has been serviced by Vauxhall main dealer since new
Shona said:
Thanks everyone for all your help and info so far, just waiting on Vauxhall delivering their verdict !!!
Anyone know how long roughly it would take for the gearbox to get like this ???
Typically an (non-abused) auto gearbox should last as long as the car, at least for 10 years, 150k.Anyone know how long roughly it would take for the gearbox to get like this ???
Good luck with Vauxhall, they're not usually the best at this sort of thing (customer service, repairing out of warranty items, even in-warranty items sometimes!).
Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff