Vauxhall / Opel Zafira (B: 2005–2014)

Vauxhall Zafira fires

There have been cases of Vauxhall Zafira B catching fire. According to Vauxhall this problem affects only right-hand-drive models without automatic climate control. If the car has a little “AUTO” button on the climate control panel, then it has automatic climate control, so it is not affected.

When I say catching fire, I don’t mean a bit of smoke. I mean a real fire that makes you leave the car and make you watch your vehicle get reduced to a smouldering wreck.

Okay, that is the worst case scenario. The intensity of the fires has varied, but there have been many cars that did completely burn down. See for yourself:

 

All Zafira B model years are affected, and there were 161 cases of fire between 2005 and 2015 in the UK. That’s when Vauxhall decided to recall all vehicles. A year later, in 2016, another recall took place for the same problem.

The first recall was an inspection of the heating and ventilation system, followed by a replacement of the blower motor resistor. In the second recall, new wax fuse resistors were fitted instead of the original soldered fuse resistors. The cars would also receive a water deflector to prevent water from entering the blower motor. If anything was wrong with the blower motor itself, it would also get replaced.

I bet this is confusing, so let me clarify. The blower motor resistor is what controls the speed of the blower motor. Inside the resistor module, there is a thermal fuse that protects the circuit from overheating. When the temperature gets too high, the thermal fuse blows and a potential disaster is prevented (blower motor stops working, current stops flowing).

The blower motor resistor sets the fan speed when the fan speed adjustment knob is set to ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’. When you set the fan to ‘4’, the blower motor resistor is bypassed. That’s why when the blower motor resistor fails, the fan only works when the speed is set to ‘4’.

These blower motor resistors tend to get hot, which is their normal mode of operation (higher resistance = more heat). It’s a bit of a primitive and inefficient method of controlling motor speed. By dropping the voltage to reduce the fan speed with a resistor, a lot of heat is generated in the process. Despite the lack of sophistication, that’s how it’s done in most cars, not only Vauxhall’s.

The blower motor resistor is positioned in the flow of air to the cabin because it needs to be cooled. The problem is that in the Zafira B, it’s located in front of the cabin filter and very close to it.

As you can see from the photo above, the thermal fuse is a strip of metal soldered under tension. When the temperature gets too high, the solder melts and the electrical circuit opens as the metal strip jumps away from the joint.

It isn’t clear from the photo, but there are three resistor coils made of wires of a different thickness (three fan speeds).

Any leaves and other flammable materials entering the car may come in contact with the hot resistor elements. In some circumstances, they can catch fire and ignite the pollen filter, which is just behind the blower motor resistor.

The question is why only RHD cars catch fire?

The resistor is located in front of the filter in LHD cars as well as other Vauxhall/Opel models. What’s also interesting is that the same blower motor resistor (part no. 13200646) is also used in left-hand-drive cars and even some Zafira A models. Besides, there were cases of Zafiras catching fire after the first recall when brand new, OEM blower motor resistors already had been fitted.

The answer is that the blower motor resistor itself is not the root cause of the problem. It is the source of heat, but something else must be causing the overheat conditions to make the car catch fire.

Vauxhall said that the fires were caused by improper repairs to the blower motor resistor. It definitely is a possibility and I will explain why in a second. They actually found the thermal fuses bypassed in some cars.

However, the root cause of the fires was the blower motor. Evidence of water ingress (corrosion) was found in the blower motors. A rusted motor that’s beginning to seize up draws more current. More current means more heat in the blower motor resistor. If the thermal fuse does not blow, the car is at risk of catching fire.

It is a possibility that the soldered thermal fuses (initial design) were not doing a good job of stopping the resistor from overheating. Fortunately, the wax fuse resistors fitted during the second recall should eliminate this possibility.

Here’s a summary of things that contributed to the Zafira B fires:

• A dirty cabin filter that’s full of combustible material (leaves, dead bugs, little twigs) in the close proximity to the hot blower motor resistor module. I probably don’t need to mention that the filter itself is made of paper.

• Water ingress damaging the blower motor. A rusted motor may not rotate freely. Thus, increasing the current and heat in the blower motor resistor. Evidence of water ingress has been found in Zafira B blower motors. This is what causes the resistor to overheat.

• Cheap, substandard blower motor resistors used to repair dead fan controls. Low-quality aftermarket parts may be more likely to overheat, and the thermal protection may not work correctly. I think that it’s likely that some cars burned down because of such parts.

• Idiot car mechanics refusing to buy a £30 part and bypassing the thermal fuse to get the fan controls to work again (yes, they would start working but without overheat protection). Some cars definitely burned down because of this. This is what Vauxhall found in some cars that they inspected.

• It is a possibility that there was a problem with the OEM thermal fuses (these caught fire as well).

• Right-hand-drive Zafira B cars have a 40A electrical fuse for the blower motor, while the left-hand-drive cars have a 30A electrical fuse. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Perhaps this also contributed to the problem.

To sum up, the blower motor resistor is the source of the heat that ignites the car, however, the overheat conditions are caused by a corroded blower motor.

Notice that the second recall addresses all these things:

• blower motors were replaced if any damage was found

• water deflectors were added to prevent damage to the blower motors

• new, improved thermal fuses were fitted

Now for the final question – why are only RHD cars affected? I can’t tell for sure, but it’s most likely due to differences in the water drainage between RHD and LHD cars. It seems that RHD cars are more likely to have water in the blower motor than LHD cars. Luckily, this was rectified as part of the second recall.

I think that Vauxhall did a good job of finding the cause of the problem and implementing a remedy. However, it all happened after many cars already burned down. In 2018, a criminal investigation was launched because of Vauxhall’s late response.

As for the cars with automatic climate control – they were not affected because they have a different blower motor resistor (90512510). See the photo below. Notice that the resistor elements aren’t exposed, so they are less likely to ignite anything.

 

Would I recommend a second-hand Zafira B?

No.

In my opinion, cars that went through the second recall are now safe. However, “car catching fire” should not even be a thing, no matter how small the risk.

 

If you already own a Zafira B, here’s what you should do:

• Make sure that it has been fitted with the new thermal fuse and water deflector as part of the second recall. Contact the Vauxhall/Opel dealership to find out. This fix is done free of charge.

• Visit this web page in a few weeks to find out if the criminal investigation leads to anything new. I will keep this page updated.

• Replace the cabin filter regularly.

Here’s why you shouldn’t forget to replace the cabin filter:

M32 gearbox bearings

Some Opel/Vauxhall Zafira D models are fitted with the infamous M32 gearbox. A typical problem with this 6-speed transmission is bearing wear. In particular, the 6th gear bearing.

When this bearing starts wearing out, the gearbox becomes noisy when driving in 6th and 5th gear. If not fixed, this problem leads to total gearbox failure (a hole in the gearbox).

The M32 gearbox is used in so many vehicles and bearing failure is so common in high-mileage vehicles, that I’ve dedicated a full page to the M32 gearboxes.

Follow the link above to learn more about the symptoms of bearing failure, the solution to the problem and how much it costs to fix a dying M32 gearbox.

 

The M32  gearbox is used in the following Vauxhall Zafira B models:

• 2.0 Turbo (Z20LER, Z20LEH)

• 2.2 Direct Ecotec (Z22YH)

• 1.7 CDTi (Z17DTJ, Z17DTR, A17DTJ, A17DTR )

• 1.9 CDTi (Z17DTH, Z17DTJ, Z17DTR)

IDS+ shock absorbers (CDC)

Some Vauxhall cars are equipped with Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which a type of active suspension. As the name implies, it actively changes the damping stiffness of the shock absorbers, depending on the road conditions.

It can improve handling in certain situations, like braking or cornering, and soften the suspension when stiff damping is not needed. From first-hand experience, I can say it works quite well.

The CDC is an optional extra in the Zafira B and it’s a part of the “Interactive Driving System Plus” package. You can recognize a car with the CDC by the IDS+ icon appearing on the dashboard when you turn the ignition on. The icon should disappear a couple seconds after you turn the engine on. If it stays on, there is a problem and the system isn’t working (the suspension gets set to hard damping).

The system is cleverly designed, but at some point, the shock absorbers will need to be replaced just like in any car.

When the time comes to replace the shock absorbers in your Vauxhall Zaira B equipped with IDS+, you will be looking at around £350 for a new CDC shock absorber. If you want to replace all four, that will be £1500-2000 if you include the cost of fitting.

Luckily, there are other options. You can have the shock absorbers reconditioned for half the price of a new one. There are companies that specialize in these kinds of jobs.

Another option is to bin the CDC shock absorbers and fit standard shocks for a fraction of the price. Once the original shocks are removed, the CDC must be disabled in the car’s computer to get rid of the IDS+ light on the dashboard.

Easytronic transmission failure

The Easytronic is an automated manual transmission. While I’m not a fan of this technology, the Easytronic is one of the better automated gearboxes used in mass-produced cars.

The gears and the clutch are operated by three electric motors. There are no hydraulics (apart from the master & slave clutch cylinders), which makes this transmission simpler and more reliable than Fiat’s Dualogic/Selespeed automated gearboxes.

The Easytronic is pretty much the same thing as the Durashift EST transmission used in the Ford Fiesta Mk5. Both gearboxes have nearly identical clutch actuators and gear selector motors (just in a slightly different arrangement to accommodate different manual gearboxes).

While the Easytronic is a light-weight and efficient gearbox, do not expect it to be as smooth as a conventional automatic transmission because it doesn’t have a torque converter to cushion the gear changes. It is, after all, a manual gearbox with actuators attached to it.

When buying and test driving a car with the Easytronic gearbox, look out for the symptoms of malfunction:

• Flashing “N”  or “F” letter appearing on the dashboard instead of the gear number

• Car refusing to start (blown brake light bulbs may cause this too)

• Clunking noises when changing gears

• Excessively hard gear changes

• A sensation that the clutch is slipping (worn clutch)

• Juddering when taking off from a standstill

• Car dropping out of gear while driving

• Car refusing to engage gear when trying to take off from a standstill

While the Easytronic is reasonably reliable, below are the two things that you should know before buying a used Zafira B with this transmission.

I. If the transmission fails, you will have a problem (unless you can fix stuff yourself).

The Easytronic uses brushed electric motors to operate the gearbox.

The brushes in these motors will eventually wear out, and the transmission will stop working – it’s one of the most common reasons for Easytronic failures. Replacing the brushes is fairly easy and inexpensive if you can do it yourself, or when you find someone experienced with these transmissions. They aren’t common though, so it may not be that easy.

If you go to the dealership instead, they will most likely offer to replace one of the actuators for something like £1000. If they don’t replace the right component the first time, there goes another £1000.

Trying to fix a faulty Easytronic box is often expensive, which is the norm for automated and dual-clutch transmissions. This is unless you can diagnose problems yourself or know a garage that’s experienced with these transmissions and can fix the actual problem (as opposed to replacing half of the transmission). They are actually fairly simple once you understand how they work.

 

II. The Easytronic has a standard dry clutch, which is a consumable item, just like in any manual transmission.

The Easytronic cannot creep like a traditional automatic transmission because it doesn’t have a torque converter. Taking off and crawling at very low speeds is achieved by partial clutch engagement (slipping), which makes it wear.

Don’t treat it a like regular automatic gearbox because it’s not. You should always let the clutch engage fully in 1st gear when you are crawling in traffic. Also, don’t use the gas pedal to stop the car from rolling backwards on an incline.

The bottom line is this:

If you’re mechanically inclined, you can get a used Zafira B with the Easytronic transmission. If you’re not, it may be expensive to fix if it fails.

The only engines that had conventional automatic gearboxes were the 2.2L petrol and the 1.9 CDTi diesel cars.

These automatic transmissions experienced radiator failures in the Vectra C, Astra H, Zafira B and other Vauxhall cars from those years. The transmission oil cooler is integrated with the radiator in these cars. There have been cases of coolant leaking into the transmission oil circuit. If not caught quickly, the result is total transmission failure.

It looks like none of the automatic Zafira B models is a good choice as a second-hand car…

2.2 Direct Ecotec (Z22YH) – fuel injection problems

The Z22YH is Vauxhall’s first direct petrol injection engine. It is based on the Z22SE, which had a bad reputation for snapping timing chains. Fortunately, the Z22SE was updated in 2002 and this update was carried over to the Z22YH. Therefore, you should not have any major problems with the timing chain in the 2.2L Direct Ecotec (hopefully).

What you are likely to have problems with, is the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel pressure regulator. These are the two typical problems with the direct injection system in these engines. There have been cases where car owners had these parts replaced multiple times.

Let’s start with the fuel pressure regulator. It is not that big of a deal when it fails because you can buy a new one for around £100 if you shop around. Replacing it isn’t difficult or time-consuming.

The fuel pressure regulator was updated as of engine number Z22YH11768200 (15 September 2009), so hopefully, they won’t fail anymore.

A failed high-pressure fuel pump is a more expensive problem. There are three rubber diaphragms inside the fuel pump, and they are what typically fails.

It is possible to replace them, and you can sometimes see them sold on eBay. Replacing the diaphragms is a cheaper alternative to replacing the entire high-pressure fuel pump for a few hundred GBP. Please be aware that if the pump is disassembled, it needs to be refilled with oil.

The first pumps were made by Siemens and had a terrible track record for longevity, as I see it. The failing pumps were later replaced for those made by Continental. These are considered to be more reliable. However, even the Continental pumps fail occasionally. Their design (rubber diaphragms) is the same.

The symptoms of a fuel injection problem in the Z22YH engine are as follows:

• warning lights illuminated (check engine light or service light)

• P1191 error code stored in the car’s memory

• “Limp Home” mode and loss of power

• engine misfire when accelerating

• rough running engine

Apart from fuel injection issues, you may also experience problems with the swirl flaps in early cars. The symptoms of swirl flaps getting stuck are:

• illuminated check engine light

• error code P1112 stored in the system

• reduced engine performance.

The swirl flap design was improved in 2007 (part numbers 24437715 and 93171601).

 

Conclusions

While the swirl flaps and fuel pressure regulators have been improved, the problems with the high-pressure fuel pumps remain. It seems that the change of suppliers (from Siemens to Continental) did not completely eliminate the problem of failing diaphragms. Therefore, I don’t recommend getting a car with this engine.

The Z22YH was the first of a kind and a test bed for direct petrol injection. With the new technology, came new problems, which is the natural order of things.

I think that you should consider the 140 PS 1.8L, which is more reliable and nearly as powerful (15 PS difference). It’s also a more common engine, which means that it will be easier to service.

The port injection system in the 1.8L does not require any maintenance, except for a new fuel filter every couple of years. Also, the 5-speed gearbox that comes with the 1.8L is a better choice than the 6-speed M32 mated to the 2.2 Direct Ecotec.

1.9 CDTi – swirl flaps (Z19DTH engines)

The 1.9 CDTi was an engine designed by Fiat and General Motors (mostly Fiat) when the two companies formed a partnership. In Fiat cars, this engine is known as the 1.9 Multijet. “Multijet” stands for multiple fuel injections per combustion cycle.

The Z19DTH engines use swirl flaps in the intake manifold in order to improve emissions. There are two types of intake manifolds that were fitted to these engines. Here’s a brief description of the manifolds and how they can fail:

1. Plastic manifold with spot-welded, stainless steel swirl flaps. Failure mode: the main cause of flap failure is increased friction in the flap mechanism from the carbon build-up in the intake manifold. Carbon build-up is a byproduct of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). EGR systems are commonly used in modern diesel engines to improve emissions. The metal swirl flaps often keep working without any indication of a problem until the spot welds give up and a flap gets detached. It can then enter the engine causing severe damage. An ingested flap can take out valves, a piston, damage the cylinder walls and even the turbocharger.

2. Aluminium alloy manifold with plastic swirl flaps. Failure mode: the flap bearings can wear out from increased friction when the carbon build-up in the intake manifold becomes severe. Once the bearings are worn, they may develop an air leak, allowing the boost pressure to escape. Also, the flaps can simply get stuck before the bearings wear out. These plastic flaps are the lesser evil as they don’t break off.

The Z19DTH has the safer aluminium manifold with plastic swirl flaps. Stuck or leaking swirl flaps manifest as rough engine running, reduced fuel economy and reduced power. The “Check engine” light may turn on.

To fix the swirl flaps, a new intake manifold is required, which is fairly expensive. Another option is to remove the swirl flaps altogether, which has a minimal impact on the engine running. There are swirl flap removal kits available on the market. Please be aware that removing the swirl flaps will increase emissions and is probably illegal – it depends on the country you live in.

1.9 CDTi – timing belt (Z19DTH engines)

According to the manufacturer, the timing belt in this engine needs to be replaced every 100,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first. In my opinion, this is very optimistic. I recommend getting it replaced not later than 60k miles or every 5 years, whichever comes first.

The water pump must be replaced at the same time as the timing belt, otherwise, it can seize and cause the timing belt to snap. It’s actually the water pump that is the weak point in the timing belt drive and the first part to fail.

Summary of problems & additional information

• There have been 161 cases of Vauxhall Zafira B catching fire between 2005 and 2015. According to Vauxhall, this problem affects only right-hand-drive models without automatic climate control. Vauxhall recalled all affected cars in 2016 to eliminate the fire risk. The fires originated in the blower motor resistor. Hey, at least we now know what the model designation stands for – it’s B for Barbecue.

• The Opel/Vauxhall Zafira B shares parts with the Astra H. Therefore, replacement parts are widely available and relatively inexpensive.

• IDS+ shock absorbers are expensive to replace when they fail. Luckily, their life expectancy is good.

• The following engines were mated to the problematic M32 gearbox: 2.0 Turbo, 2.2 Direct Ecotec, 1.7 CDTi and 1.9 CDTi. The M32 gearbox was updated in 2012 so if you’re planning to buy a Zafira B with the 1.7 CDTi engine, definitely get one with the updated gearbox. Other engines were discontinued before the M32 received bigger bearings.

• The automatic transmissions experienced radiator failures in the Vectra C, Astra H, Zafira B and other Vauxhall cars from those years. The transmission oil cooler is integrated with the radiator in these cars. There have been cases of coolant leaking into the transmission oil circuit. If not caught quickly, the result is total transmission failure.

• As for the Easytronic transmission, it’s not bad but it might be expensive to fix when it fails because it isn’t common. Not many garages have experience working with them, and going to the dealership with a faulty Easytronic gearbox will most likely result in a large bill.

• The 1.6L and 1.8L naturally petrol engines are simple and reliable (and a bit boring). The only thing to look out for is camshaft adjuster rattle after a cold start in cars with variable valve timing  – the 1.6L 115 PS and 1.8L 140 PS engines. Read this article about timing belts for a more detailed explanation.

• You should avoid the 2.2 Direct Ecotec engine for two reasons – problems with the fuel injection system (mainly the high-pressure fuel pump) and the M32 gearbox.

• Click here for an article that might help you decide if a modern diesel engine, like the CDTi, is the right choice for you.

• I believe that most diesel Zafira B models, except for the earliest cars, had diesel particulate filters (DPF). If you are looking at buying a diesel Zafira, get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decoded to be sure. You can also check the label on the B-pillar (driver side). If the number inside the little square is 0.50 then the car has a DPF.

• The 1.9 CDTi comes in two flavours – the older 8-valve engine (100 PS Z19DTL & 120 PS Z19DT), which would be my choice because it doesn’t have any stupid swirl flaps and can be remapped to 170 PS if that’s your heart’s desire. Then there is the newer 16-valve engine (150 PS Z19DTH), which I consider to be less reliable because of the swirl flaps and a weak water pump.

• The 2.0 Turbo engine is a good unit with potential for increasing power. I’m not sure why I’m writing about engine tuning on a web page about a minivan, but continuing the topic, the 200 PS Z20LER can be remapped nearly to the power output of the 240 PS Z20LEH from the Zafira VXR/OPC.

• The Z20LEH can obviously be remapped as well, making the Zafira  VXR/OPC one of the fastest minivans on the road. The 240 PS Z20LEH is a stronger engine – it has forged internals, oil jets that cool the underside of the pistons, a larger turbocharger, higher flow injectors and a stronger clutch.

Petrol engines – specs & performance figures

Diesel engines – specs & performance figures

Petrol engines – technical details

Diesel engines – technical details