The humble Vauxhall Astra has long been a favourite of ours here in the UK, and that’s part of why it’s such a common staple of our online vehicle auctions right here at RAW2K. Given the widespread nature and longevity of this make of car, it seems fairly inevitable that various iterations have suffered their fair share of issues over the years - some of which have cropped up more often than others. Here, we’ve summed up some of the most notable (and sometimes dangerous) problems that can often occur with Vauxhall Astra salvage cars, along with the easy fixes that you can do to get your Astra back out on the roads as soon as you can.
Faulty handbrake
The problem
We’ll start with one of the most critical issues on our list, which centres on the handbrake. Some Vauxhall Astra models manufactured between September 2009 and May 2010 suffer from an issue where the mounting of the handbrake cable can come loose from the support bracket, which means you can’t use the handbrake.
Why it’s an issue (and what the solution is)
You’ll need your handbrake if you’re planning on driving and parking anywhere but a completely flat surface. Unless your handbrake is operational, parking on a hill is absolutely out of the question - you can all too easily end up with a dangerous runaway situation, in which your car rolls down the hill at terminal velocity and crashes into whatever (or whoever) is at the bottom. Thankfully, the issue is relatively easy to fix - you just need to replace the mounting or the support bracket itself.
Gear linkage problem
The problem
On some older Vauxhall Astra models, you might find that it’s difficult to switch between first, second or reverse. This is often due to a gear linkage issue - essentially what’s probably happened is that a plastic ball joint has popped out of the linkage, which affects the lower gears especially.
Why it’s an issue (and what the solution is)
Well, it’s a matter of driving comfort for starters - you’re probably going to be lurching back and forth a lot if you’re struggling to change gears between first and second, or neutral and reverse. Most importantly though, it’s also a matter of safety. If you lurch forward or backwards unexpectedly while parked, this sort of sudden and unpredictable movement drastically increases the chance you’ll hit a pedestrian or another car, since you’re not in full control.
It can also be a problem at speed - if you’re struggling to get up to speed while you’re merging onto a motorway, other drivers may have to suddenly move around you, which again increases the chances of a crash. Finally, all the revving at lower gears can end up shortening the lifespan of your car. You can fix the problem by installing a new gear selector linkage - you can do this yourself if you’ve got the tools and experience, but if not then it’s probably a job for a professional mechanic. Don’t have a crack at it and hope for the best!
An ineffective mass air flow sensor
The problem
You may well notice this one even before the engine warning light comes up on your dashboard, as you’ll probably feel the engine struggling as you’re driving. If you find it’s ‘choking’ or lurching frequently, it could be a gear linkage problem like the one we described above, or it may well be something to do with the mass air flow sensor.
Why it’s an issue (and what the solution is)
A combustion engine maintains a very delicate balance of fuel and air in order to operate properly, and if anything upsets that balance then it can have immediate - and sometimes catastrophic - effects. The mass airflow sensor essentially regulates how much air the engine takes in, so if it’s dirty then the air/fuel mixture can quickly become too rich or too lean, which ultimately can cause the Vauxhall Astra to - excuse the jargon here - run like a bag of spanners. Happily, the fix is once again very simple - most of the time the mass air flow sensor can simply be cleaned, but in the worst case scenario you can replace it.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of issues that a Vauxhall Astra can suffer from, of course, but should give you a decent headstart in dealing with some of the most common issues. And if you’ve got experience in fixing up vehicles to ‘flip’ them for a quick profit, you’ll find lots to love in our online vehicle auctions right here at RAW2K. We’ve got makes and models from some of the globe’s leading manufacturers, including not just Vauxhall, but Ford, Peugeot, Renault and others, too. Why not take a look around, and see what you can find?
