Used Vauxhall Insignia Hatchback 2008 - 2017 reliability

Diesel versions of the Vauxhall Insignia feature a diesel particulate filter, so ask the previous owner whether the car has been driven on the motorway regularly in order to allow the filter to regenerate. Otherwise, you could be looking at a costly replacement if it clogs irreparably

Gearbox problems have also been known to affect manual versions of the Insignia, so take a test drive and make sure that the transmission changes gear smoothly, that it doesn’t resist you when you try to slot it into one of the gears and that there are no untoward noises.

To date, there have been three recalls affecting this shape of Insignia. The most serious of these included the replacement of the driver’s airbag module, which could separate from its mounting and fail to operate correctly. This affected cars built before November 2010. Another recall concerned the replacement of one of the estate model's boot lid gas struts, which could weaken with time, causing the boot lid to drop suddenly when opened, affecting estate models built between July 2008 and March 2015. Before buying, it's worth checking that any recalls your car may need have been carried out using the DVSA website.

Diesel Insignias have been known to suffer from dual-mass flywheel issues, which can be very expensive to fix. Look out for noise or vibration from the gearbox area, or a judder from the clutch when you try to engage it.

The Insignia doesn’t suffer from many other major issues but is prone to more minor, niggling problems, such as electrical gremlins and quality glitches.

It isn’t the best, but neither is it catastrophically bad. The What Car? Reliability Index gives the Insignia a below-average score, although Vauxhall as a whole ranked pretty well in the most recent customer satisfaction surveys.