H E L P !

My opinion Phil, it's not the best built car for sure but only on things like final finish on trim etc you have to expect this I guess as it's no Audi or Merc, NEVER pay the full book price I pushed and got over 6k off and it wasn't a pre reg but I am sure was a showroom display for a short time.
DPF -like you I read hundreds of stories on this and many other Internet forums, these filters are not truly maintenance free you do need to be prepared to take the car on good run at least monthly and when it starts a regeneration drive it until it finished, you can't pick the time it does this so yes sometimes it's not convenient to be driving up the bypass but this is your part in maintenance of the DPF.
End of the day you can read horror stories about every car I am sure and you tend to always read the start of an internet thread about somebody's disaster, you rarely seem to find a conclusion,possibly because once the issue is sorted people stop writing.
Personally I have a 2013 Exclusive, just turned 6000 miles, I drive 8 miles to work and the same back everyday with a good run each week on the bypass or motorway, the car regens regular and I set the trip to give me an idea of when, touch wood no DPF issues so far. It tows the caravan well (only reason I got it) was as cheap as a top end Corsa, you can't ask for much more in my eyes. If you want it get it go for pre reg no miles so you know how it's been driven early on and bargain hard...

I've had my car for almost a year now, and I've never had any problems with the DPF. Most people do not have any problems. That's not to say that the VX DPF system is perfect.

In normal driving, that isn't always stuck in slow moving rush hour traffic, you should get an automatic DPF regeneration cycle about every 500 miles or so. I get one about 520 on average. If the car is unable to complete several of these automatic cleaning cycles, there is a well documented routine to go through to force a cleaning cycle. This is printed in your manual.

There are generally2 or 3 reasons why people have DPF problems.

First they fail to understand how the system works and don't look out for the warning signs of problems before they cause actual problems which can cause the car to fail and require expensive repairs.

Second, if you only drive short distances or are constantaly in heavy slow moving traffic, this can cause the DPF cleaning cycle to happen more often, and the DPF warning light can come on more frequently. This can have a significant affect on your MPG as the DPF system uses extra fuel durng a regen cycle to raise the exhaust gas temperature in order to burn off the trapped soot. I believe this would be the case with most modern diesels.

Third, there have been a few reports of pressure sensors which control the DPF cycles becoming defective and forcing regenerations when they are not really needed. This is quite unusual, but is something to bear in mind.

As for the car itself, I really enjoy driving it. It's comfortable, fast when you need it, stable in corners - as long as you are not too stupid about these things and to my mind is really quite well put together. The MPG is not the best in this class of car, but it is a big car and is really getting a bit old in design now. There is supposed to be a new version of the Antara coming out in the next few years which has a more modern engine with better fuel consumption.

Like all modern cars, there are a few minor quirks which will either drive you mad or you wont even notice them. The position of the SatNav and the lack of a spare wheel are a couple which irritate me.

On the whole though, I can honestly say this isone of the best carsI have ever had. So I suppose it's up to you to decide if you can live with the DPF and can put those negative reports about it out of your mind. I can condidently say that the majority of people on this forum have no significant problems with the DPF system.

So good luck with your choice.

Ivan said:

I think, as someone said here, the problem usually is not the filter but the driver  

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Sorry have to disagree the problem is the poor design of the DPF system rather than the driver . It seems the antara is incapable of passively regenerating probably due to the filter position being too far from the engine block and therefore tends to run cooler than more modern Diesel engine designs . Background regens are the norm on the antara other vehicles are capable of regenerating without the need to inject fuel into the exhaust .
I too run a second car for local driving the antara is used on long runs and very rarely for town driving yet it has proved problematic . I no longer use 6th gear after being advised against it by the supplying dealer and regularly find myself driving the long way home in order for the regen process to complete . I think older 2.2 Antara's are already starting to exhibit problems even at reasonably low mileages . I certainly wouldn't expect to be having the problems I have been having at 22,000 miles , maybe at 70-80,000 miles but not at 22,000 miles ( the cars not even had its first MOT yet !) . I will be interested to see what path vauxhall take on future Antara's , but as things stand I wouldn't consider buying another ....

Phil S said:

How well do the leather seat bases hold up, do they suffer from sagging leather, or are they on par with other makes?

Just looking at the brochure I picked up in the showroom, 2014 issue 1, and on the back page is a sticker saying that they have revisedfuel consumption figures and the website shows that they have revised the figures downward... seems they may be bowing to pressure on inaccurate figures! Not that it is only Vx who are guilty of this!

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I had a Volvo XC70 before I got the Antara. The leather seats in the Antara are holding up better than they did in the Volvo over the same time scale. There are a couple of creases on the door side of the drivers seat, but I am a big guy, and I would be surprised if any leather seat could survive my backside totally unscathed for long.

The published fuel figures aren't innacurate as such, it is just that those figures are determined in controlled conditions on a rolling road. They are supposed to be only used for comparrisons between cars and not taken as an indication of real-world driving.

There is supposed to be a new EU standard for MPG testingbeing introduced which it is hoped will more accurately reflect real world driving. It might be the revised figures you are seeing is something to do with that.

Edited by: Inchindown

Rd57chad said:

Ivan said:

I think, as someone said here, the problem usually is not the filter but the driver

Click to expand...

Sorry have to disagree the problem is the poor design of the DPF system rather than the driver . It seems the antara is incapable of passively regenerating probably due to the filter position being too far from the engine block and therefore tends to run cooler than more modern Diesel engine designs . Background regens are the norm on the antara other vehicles are capable of regenerating without the need to inject fuel into the exhaust .
I too run a second car for local driving the antara is used on long runs and very rarely for town driving yet it has proved problematic . I no longer use 6th gear after being advised against it by the supplying dealer and regularly find myself driving the long way home in order for the regen process to complete . I think older 2.2 Antara's are already starting to exhibit problems even at reasonably low mileages . I certainly wouldn't expect to be having the problems I have been having at 22,000 miles , maybe at 70-80,000 miles but not at 22,000 miles ( the cars not even had its first MOT yet !) . I will be interested to see what path vauxhall take on future Antara's , but as things stand I wouldn't consider buying another ....

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I wouldn't disagree with you about the design of the VX DPF system not being ideal. I think this might have something to do with the fact the DPF system wasshoehorned into a car which was not designed to have one. In fact the Antara does not even need to have one fitted at all, as it was type approved before the DPF systems became mandatory.

Having said all that, my previous comment did not intend to imply that everyone who had problems was because they did not understand how the DPF system works. Whilst a lot of the problems people have had may be caused in that way, I also mentioned one of the other ways in which problems could arise, namely faults with the exhaust pressure sensors.

If, as you say, you are having DPF problems when you think you shouldn't, this may be being caused by the sensor fault, or some other fault. As Grumps said this type of fault has proved difficult to get put right as some dealers seem to deny the possibilty of this type of fault. Yet we know from members on here that some of them have had new sensors fitted and found that corrected their problems.

I don't have any problem using 6th gear. I travel mainly on A roads with 60 mph limits, and I always cruise in 6th gear with the revs just over 1500. Never had any problems and it has not caused any difficultis with the DPF system. I haven't done as many miles as you yet, so this may be something I have yet to experience.

If I were in your place, I would definitely be harrassing the dealer to get something done about your problem.
Edited by: Inchindown

Rd57chad said:

SJG , in regard to the position of the DPF according to the schematic drawing I have found it is located further back after the flexi coupling underneath the car ? If you search for part number 96629318 on google you can see its position , no wonder it won't passively regen and needs an active cycle to clean it !

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That's very interesting.

I always thought the DPF was in that general area, but I've never managed to find a genuine drawing before. It definitely helps illustrate why passive regeneration would likely not work on the Antara DPF system.

Lets hope they use a better design in the new Antara model when it comes - If it comes.