written by on 26/05/2013
Bought at Auction (BCA), Meriva Enjoy 1.6 petrol for £5,800 04 plate @ 18 mts old and 18000 miles on the clock. yes, I had the problem selecting gear at around 45000 miles but fixed (simple)for £130 inc parts/labour. Apart from this, service intervals at 20,000 mean running costs are low and the car fitted all I could have wished for, A. for the price and B. from a real world point of view, with a low initial cost. I could load three kids with gear or a fridge to be recycled with ease. Not in luxury but in comfort and without a care that the bike has scratched the side panel, because it was a bargain for a nearly new car. I am just about to change my car, guess what BCA again, Meriva SE 1.7Dt new shape, 18mts old 12K miles less than £7000. excellent value. Thanks Vauxhall.
written by holtes on 22/05/2013
brought my meriva 04 second hand about 5 years ago gear box kept failing had to keep jump starting it from other cars powered steering has failed on me 4 times and for the last 5 weeks it has started cutting out on me i have had a new battery £75 fitted i have had a diognostic test done £44 no faults found i have had another test done £15 which said the fuel relay sensor needed replacing £50 and it still cuts out on me i have been told by non mechanics it could be the lambda sensor,the manifold absolute sensor etc etc etc since having this problem i have read a lot about this rubbish car and a lot of people have got the same problem and its not just merivas its a lot of vauxhall cars, the powered steering has even been on watch dog cant sell my car with this problem and cant afford to buy a different one with out selling mine first my advice is DONT BUY A MERIVA
written by on 17/04/2012
I dont a car and will never go for a meriva as me and my grand dad who owned the car was going round a corner and the power steering failed we ended up crash and the car is not drivable not only that but the airbags did go off and the passenger seatbelt which i was in did not work and i ended up hitting the dash board this car is a protental death trap please beware of what can happen as we are very lucky to have both walked away from the accident it might not mean you do the same DONT BUY THIS CAR!!!!
written by on 30/03/2011
My wife and I bought a 2004 Mervia Enjoy on a whim. We were in a dealership in Cheltenham buying a Corsa for our eldest daughter, 2004 reg, with 25K on the clock. Traded in my Nissan Primera against the Mervia which had about 37K on the clock. Apart from high fuel consumption (29-31 mpg) I don't really have any problems to report. I find the high driving position enjoyable, and generally the car is comfortable. All seems to be working fine. I did have a couple of near misses with the visibilty, but now tend to lean to the left to get a better view round the column. The other comments on this site are scaring me though, and if I had read them previously I may not have purchased the car. I have a year's warranty, so if any thing is to go wrong I hope it is in the next six months. By the way, my daughter's Corsa has developed a very noisy squeal, which we think is that alternator. Unfortunately she only had three months warranty!
written by kezcumbria on 28/03/2011
i bought this car from a dealer it very practical but the breaks are always getting looked at by mechanics and the 3rd gear keeps cutting out whilst driving for no reason,it is very dangerouse and hate having to put my children in it,as soon as i have the cash to get another car that will be the first thing to do on my list.
written by on 23/10/2010
Very disturbing as the electronic power steering is starting to play up and as i bought it private i have no warranty so could cost me a bit, i have a 2 year old and a bit scared now of travelling as i go down A66 and A1 quite a bit. The vision is also poor at the colums to the side and i find fuel consumption high. Just wish now i had read the reviews before i bought the damn thing as i cant afford another car now not sure what im going to do the only good thind thing is it is nice and high especially with my bad back
Written on: 13/06/2012
yes i also bought one which has a power steering problem..i have been told that this is acommon fault with them -if thats the case why are Vauxhall not responsable for rectifing the fault.My local garage is talking about 800/1000pounds to fix it(i think hes taking the p..s) yes we will put it on comp to find faul at £55 pounds a go every time you take it in for a fault -big or small-soon mounts up. I have looked on internet for spares not much about. Will find some thing and fix it my self. I quite like the car overall.
Written on: 05/02/2012
Main dealer replaced steering column free of charge and no aggro. Don't worry!!!!!
written by on 20/06/2010
enjoyed this car at first, very practical however the reliablity of vauxhall's is terrible.Having previously owned a corsa. Visibility at the A pillar is downright dangerous. Had to have two gear selectors replaced.Car now cutting out for no reason whilst driving. Had problems with the indicators and flasher unithad to replaced. Air con problems. Fuel consumption poor - Be very wary of buying this car , I guarantee you that you will regret it
written by on 08/10/2009
this is the most unreliable car that I have ever owned in over fifty years of motoring.the electronics (auto gearbox-hazards-dashboard information )and much more have all failed- on average every thousand miles.the auto box failed again 4-10-2009-no foreward or reverse could be engaged.vauxhall has refused to either take the car back or extend the warranty. It is my intention to publicise my utter disgust with both the meriva and Vauxhall's response- in every possible way.Expect to see B Bentley's complaints on television,in the papers and car magazines for years to come. Vauxhall will rue the day that they refused to help a valued customer. Please spread the word, we must stop any more unreliable Meriva's from cluttering up our roads.
written by bum76 on 28/09/2008
My wife really likes the Vauxhall Meriva as it's easy to get in and out of (she has minor back problems) and it has a high driving position. Before buying I had a few concerns having read the reviews online but in the end we bought a 2004 Meriva Enjoy on a 53 plate with 37k on the clock for a little over £3000, with a full Vauxhall Service History. Our Meriva came with Air Con and Centre Arm Rest plus various little storage places and food trays on the back of the front seats. Meriva has a raised driving position that gives good forward visibility however the large A pillar is restrictive on long sweeping bends and at junctions/roundabouts, so be prepared to make more checks for traffic in your blind spot. The car feels larger on the inside than it looks on the outside and has plenty of useful storage space. I have found the Meriva to be comfortable on long journeys however it is noisy at motorway speeds and can be buffeted in high winds more than average due to its high sides. Fuel usage averages 30 mpg around town. On a recent round trip of 120 miles on the motorway this improved to 35 mpg, and I was being careful not to be too heavy with the right foot. This is comparable with the 8 year old Astra LS I traded in for the Meriva. I have the misfortune to live in an area surrounded by speed bumps and Meriva hates them - trying to throw me through the roof if I dare to take one at more than 8 mph. Despite careful driving over the bumps and going out of our way to avoid them, 4 weeks after we purchased the car the offside front suspension coil failed leaving us with a hefty bill for a replacement. The jury's out on the Meriva for now and we'll see how the next few months go.
written by Liz Yates on 15/09/2008
Wouldn't touch another from a great distance! Blind spot is a definate and all the subsequent faults with exhaust valves and electronic transmission etc we have had in the last five years!
written by Malhugs on 06/01/2008
My wife loves the car and its size is ideal for small super practical transport. Our 1.6 could do with a 6th gear as the motorway legal limit means high engine rpm and noise. Overall though it has to be "thumbs up", its just as shame that what could be a great car is let down by the visibility issue.
written by maxij on 06/08/2007
Would not recommend the Vauxhall Meriva.
written by willong on 20/03/2007
I went for the Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy 1.6 16v because of it's raised driving position made it easy for the wife to get in and out and because of the flexible rear seating gave fantastic load carrying ability for such a small car.
However I had a new clutch fitted after 5000 miles, and when I sold it at 15000 miles it needed another clutch.
Also I found the double A pillars caused severe blind spots which made it more and more nerve racking at roundabouts and level crossings. I lost count of the number of times I did not see approaching cars and pedestrians.
written by mcclory on 14/03/2007
This is a mechanically unreliable vehicle. In 40 years of motoring it is the worst car I have ever owned.
Written on: 15/09/2008
We also own a Meriva 1.6 Enjoy and we wouldn't touch another with a barge pole. In fact, in view of the trouble we have had, I wouldn't buy another Vauxhall! We have also had problems with an Exhaust Valve. We kept taking it back to Vauxhall whilst under warranty and they could find nothing. When the warranty ran out I took it to our local independent garage and he found not one but two faults immediately. After much arguing with Vauxhall they eventually agreed to pay for the repairs. However, we now have a problem which has been ongoing for years and which no one seems to be able to put right. When we go on a long journey at speed (say down a motorway) and then come off and travel at a slower speed the car starts to judder and my Husband has to fight to keep the engine running. We have been put in many a dangerous position where we have come off a motorway and come to a roundabout only for the car to cut out and obviously cars behind think we are going to go and we don't because we are restarting the engine. I have looked in the manual and this seems to be an electronic transmission problem as the relevant light comes on when the engine has stalled. However, despite having told this to Vauxhall on several occasions they still "can't find anything wrong". It was the first new car we ever bought and I can't imagine ever owning a bigger heap of rubbish!
written by markleedawson on 07/02/2007
Don't buy the Vauxhall Meriva if you want a reliable car - ours has a bad habit of cutting out and every time we have taken it back to the garage they replace an exhaust valve. A few months later the same problem returns. The car is very dangerous - cutting out on the motorway in the fast lane! CANT WAIT TO GET RID!
written by clogheen on 07/11/2006
There is a blind spot which is down right dangerous when going round roundabouts or corners but that is the least of the problems I have had with this Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy 1.6 16v car. Since I bought it, it has been in the shop 7 times, all with the same problem and each time I have been assured it is fixed.....no chance, it's in again today. I am now on first name terms with The AA Drivers.
On each occasion the problem starts with the battery light coming on, then the speedo stops working, at that time it is a matter of luck when I turn the engine off as to whether it will go again.
If you need a reliable car do not buy this, go to Auction and get one for £250, you will have more chance of continuing earning a living and staying calm.
written by bbkaran2000 on 08/04/2006
The Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy has a bouncy feeling. As a driver I often feared that it might go out of contol at corners (but it never did!). The electrically powered power steering doesn't help either. Poor visibility and poor clutch precision are something the buyer needs to be happy about before buying the car. If you want to check all these features you need to test drive the car in the city traffic (not on the motorway).
I am struggling to list the good points here. Mainly because all good points come only if you make extra payments. Like A/C, extra storage spaces etc.
These are standard in competitors models. This makes the car less value for the money. I suppose it is relatively easy to park, but if you are reverse parking on a sloping uphill, you are going to have to work the engine really hard. It has an economical fuel efficiency. Looks compact, but has enough space inside.
Finally, if you are buying a nearly new Meriva from a dealer, like I did, you need to be very careful about their 'Network Q Waranty'. They (Exeter Vauxhall Dealership) claim they check over 100 features before delivery. In my case after the delivery I spent next three months visiting their service department to fix something or the other. I realised that they actually did not check anything, but happy to fix in the first 12 months if you are prepared to spend your time and energy.
written by stuartparker on 30/11/2005
Don't buy the Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy, a pillar restricts view at roundabouts & junctions, dealer service terrible, too many problem, by 10K miles, car has has new radiator mounts, poly v belt, poly v belt tensioners, water pump, power steering belt & idler.
Written on: 08/09/2006
Sorry but Stuart needs to learn to drive this car. The pillar he talks of is there for very sound reasons (safety) in my view. All cars have their blind spots (even RR) and one needs to learn to move one's head accordingly. He should have tried some of the old flat screen models of the '50's that I have driven.
Written on: 29/09/2010
I can't understand the "power steering drive belt" comment. The Merivahas all electric power steering?!
written by suedevenish999 on 20/09/2005
Love the Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy to look at and for its practical side, but it has had a few problems and we've only had it 3.5 weeks. So much for Network Q's checks.
Written on: 13/10/2005
What a surprise to read your Meriva review. My July 2004 Meriva 1.6/8V has only 9000 miles on the clock and a burnt out clutch. Total bill from Pentagon (Oldham) £683.15. According to local Dealer and Vauxhall it is just 'Wear & Tear'. 'Customer Care' from Dealer and Vaxhall stops there! I have had Vauxhalls for many years (Corsa) and never a clutch problem. Vauxhall say - 'but Meriva pedals are in different positions to the Corsa'??? Why did they also change the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder??
Written on: 11/04/2006
So... It is not just me having trouble after the well advertised and promised 'Network Q warranty'. After couple of weeks of ownership, I had brake pad problems. So much for 'Network Q checks'. The funny part is that the service department never told me what they did it to fix it. Did they put new pads? Did they put old pair of pads from another car that would last for few more months? Who knows. The only answer I received was 'it is all fixed'. Anyway I am not waiting to see how long these pads are going to last. I got rid of it.
Written on: 14/10/2005
Hi, we got ours from Network Q and they paid, seems you were treated very harshly! Apparently according to our dealer - fairly common problem with Merivas!
written by Graham Hagan on 28/07/2005
I took delivery of this Vauxhall Meriva Enjoy 1.6 16v People carrier 3 months ago and I am enjoying driving this model. The driving position is ideal. I am 6.2ins tall with a bad back, the driving position for me is extremely comfortable. The interior space is "tardis" like. The car has a great build quality and I am sure that it is built to last. The performance is adequate and the engine has loosened up since it was bought. I have read user comments that the forward visibility is compromised by the windscreen pillars, up to this point I am aware of this, but have experienced no problems.
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Grandad Mick's Comment
Written on: 03/12/2010
I know exactly how you feel. Only had our used Meriva a few months & started to have problems with the powered steering. Like yourself, no warranty & no cash to have it sorted. After seeing the Watchdog report I took it to our local Vauxhall dealer & they ran a diagnostic test which showed a problem with the steering rack. They ordered a new one & fitted it completely free of charge. The cost would have been over £1,000. Might be worth your while taking your car into your local Vauxhall dealer too.
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<br/>Mick