[Timbo]

£140 for new rear brake discs, brake pads and hand brake shoes. Fitted them myself.


£30 for rear suspension arm links, fitted them myself.


£60 for a new clutch master cylinder, fitted it myself.


£120 for new front wheel bearing, fitted it myself.


£5 for new micro-switch for the wiper motor. I took the wiper motor apart and fitted it myself. Vauxhall will not sell you this part or do the work for you. They will sell you a new motor for £300 plus fitting.


Failed clutch £1000, sourced the parts myself and got the local garage to do it. Biggest saving was the flywheel, got one on ebay (LUK) for about £110, what a bargain. These are £800 from Vauxhall. Even LUK from a motor factors is usually around £250 to £300.

Car hit in rear outside our house, other driver did a runner. £350 excess, £400 for sorting out rust on tailgate and re-painting it and rust on drivers door and re-painting it.


£2000 for engine repairs after a collapsed bearing on a rocker-arm. A very common fault on the 2 litre diesel. One of the heater plugs had also failed, they could not get them out of the cylinder head so the head had to come off. Another common problem on the 2 litre diesel. Plus insitue they are almost impossible to get to.


£100 for new EGR valve, fitted it myself.


£12 for failed wiring plug to throttle body, soldered it on myself. Another common fault on the 2 litre diesel.


£100 on 2 air conditioning refills.


£20 for new air conditioning seals, changed them myself. Bolt corroded into air conditioning condenser. Could not get it out and eventually snapped. £98 for new condenser from Euro Car Parts. Fitted it myself and then £50 for yet another air con refill.


£55 for new front suspension arm. Got it when Euro Car Parts had a 55% sale on. Not fitted yet.


£20 for front brake calliper overhaul kit. Not done it yet. The seals are all split, so if it is not done soon the pistons will seize up.


I have never known a car need so much work in such a short space of time.


Needless to say we have now run out of money.
Edited by: Timbo

 

[Dave47]

Wow, even my 43 year old MG isn't that bad.Out of interest how old is it.
My sympathies

 

[Timbo]

Wow, even my 43 year old MG isn't that bad.Out of interest how old is it.
My sympathies <img src="http://www.antaraownersclub.com/forum/smileys/smiley19.gif" height="17" width="17" alt="Cry" title="Cry" />
 

7 years and 70000 miles

 

[Timbo]

What also really sucks is after the rear end damage was repaired someone else hit it on the rear corner damaging the new bumper and crumpled the rear quarter panel. And yes you guessed it they just drove off. It was a car park this time.Edited by: Timbo

 

[brianyamaha]

sorry to hear that you had to spend all that money on the car, I too spent over £1200 in 9 months of ownership has well as the poor fuel consumption.
so cut my losses and trade it in, brought a Nissan X-trail its 2008 2lt diesel 173bhp, what a dfferent car, only had it 3 weeks the money on fuel alone I have saved and it do's what it says on the can, not like Vauxhall claim.

Never again buy a Antara

 

[Grumps]

I have to agree I like my Antara and so far touch wood has been fault free but I think I would have sold it on well before I spent as much money as you have.

 

[proth]

HI Timbo

I need to change the Condenser on our Antara, did you have to remove the front bumper to get it out?


Cheers
p

 

[murphy1]

Like Grumps, I to like my Antara after nearly 12 months of ownership all I have had it back to the dealers for was a recall on the fan, and a new set of frontwiper blades after 4 months.

 

[Timbo]

HI Timbo

I need to change the Condenser on our Antara, did you have to remove the front bumper to get it out?


Cheers
p

No you don't have to remove the bumper. I removed both headlamps, bonnet catch, bracket for bonnet catch and wiring. Plastic divider panel by O/S headlamp, top section of grill and intercooler. The bottom mounting bolt for the condenser on the O/S is difficult to get to but just needs to be loosened, don't wind it out to far like I did. I used a 3/8 drive ratchet with extension and UJ joint to get to it through air holes in bumper. Get sone new M8 x 30mm flange bolts for the pipe joints in case they are corroded like mine were. I got some on ebay.

The top section of grill is a bit tricky. Remove the trim panel behind it, it's held in by 3 large plastic rivets. Once that is out of the way there are two pozi screws and two 10mm nuts holdibg it on. Even then there are tabs you need to prize upwards with a screwdriver while pulling the grill towards you.Edited by: Timbo

 

[proth]

Thanks, looks loike i will set aside a Sat to do the Job.

Cheers
P

 

[ChrisJ]

Timbo that's pretty shocking really. I have older cars on the drive with more than 3 times that mileage that haven't needed that much work. You have my sympathy.

However, one item caught my eye. Wheel bearing £120? Eh? Really? I've done more wheel bearings than I can recall, but I know I have never paid anything like that. Are these something special? Hand machined by Unicorns or something? That's staggering. For a mass producer of cars like Vx.

 

[Timbo]

Timbo that's pretty shocking really. I have older cars on the drive with more than 3 times that mileage that haven't needed that much work. You have my sympathy.

However, one item caught my eye. Wheel bearing £120? Eh? Really? I've done more wheel bearings than I can recall, but I know I have never paid anything like that. Are these something special? Hand machined by Unicorns or something? That's staggering. For a mass producer of cars like Vx.

You can't buy just a bearing. It comes with the hub and ABS sensor. It was non-genuine off of ebay. I didn't remember the exact price so I just looked it up, it was £74 so I was quite a bit over but still pricey none the less.Edited by: Timbo