Kia Sportage & Opel Astra common faults

Buford T Justice · 13-10-2021 11:19pm #1

My current shitbox is falling apart. I've sunk a chunk of money into it already and it's still going to take another €500 to get it right. It's an 07 and I'm thinking of cutting my losses with it.

Looking at a 2012 Opel Astra 1.3 CDTI with 248K and a Kia Sportage 1.7. Diesel 132 reg with 290K (High mileage I know)

As far as I know the astra is a timing chain, and I've been told that the kia has had regular servicing with a replacement clutch and reconditioned gearbox - I've not been told explicitly but as an ex rep's vehicle and the mileage I think it's safe enough that the timing belt has been done. Price is quite attractive too.

Can the boffins here tell me what the common faults are for these wagons and what I should look out for?

Thanks

13-10-2021 11:30pm

Wouldn't touch either with that type of mileage that is huge mileage to be buying at.

What's your budget?

bazz26 · 13-10-2021 11:43pm

How did you arrive at those two cars only, they are at different ends of the spectrum to each other?

Astras of that era are generally not great cars, the turbo on the 1.3 diesel can go and they are also prone to coolant leaks. They also tend to be gutless. With the Sportage the clutches are very soft and gearboxes do fail on them as you have been told. Both of those cars have fairly high mileage so you have to contend with normal wear and tear on diesel cars of that age and mileage also. I'd probably have the Sportage over the Astra but ideally I'd look at something else.

Buford T Justice · 13-10-2021 11:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118017161#Comment_118017161

Combination of factors, location being one of the primary ones. They're both in reasonable traveling distance. Both are commercial hence the mileage. Budget is maxing at around 4.5K. Sportage is at the top end of that and the astra is half that.

I don't do massive mileage and I don't really care about age / wear related marks - that's to be expected. I just need something reliable that starts when I turn the key and will keep going with a bit of maintenance here and there.

I have a 07 caddy that's failing the DOE on a few things along with emissions. The ecu has just failed and I've sunk €300 into a replacement and cloning and now i have an esp fault which the diagnostics is saying look left, look right, look left look right. Looking at another €500 to get it back right and I'm thinking it's not worth it for it's age.

bazz26 · 14-10-2021 12:10am

The problem is that at that age and mileage reliability will be down to the individual cars and how they were cared for during their life to date. There are no guarantees around reliability.

Buford T Justice · 14-10-2021 12:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118017225#Comment_118017225

True, but notwithstanding that there are cars that are just lemons from day one with common faults that you wouldn't touch with a barge pole. - Like the 1.6 caddy engine was a nightmare for injectors, that's kinda what I'm after.

14-10-2021 3:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118017236#Comment_118017236

I don't think anyone could comfortably recommend a vehicle in that price range that is going to be reliable. I definitely would not be going for either of the options listed above. You could easily spend your whole budget on that sportage and a few weeks in need another 500-1000E to fix it.

Best of luck.

AMKC · 16-10-2021 3:13pm

Maybe a Toyota or a Honda would be a better bet or even a Skoda if you can find one near you whitin your budget.

Kia Sportage & Opel Astra common faults

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