Buying a used VX220: what to check and what to ask

The checklist was compiled from the forum by a buyer, then added to by other members. The thread's title says VXT (the Turbo), but most of the list applies to any VX220. It doesn't tell NA and Turbo apart, apart from one note about window seals.

Paperwork and history

• Service history done at the right intervals and fully stamped. The checklist gives the interval as 10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, even for a car that only does 2,000 miles a year. One mechanic questioned that, and the thread doesn't answer. The same list also mentions a service at 1,000 miles, then every 12 months, with optional extra oil changes.
• A full car data check. There are lots of Cat C and D write-offs about with sellers not being honest. The author found two while looking and nearly bought one.
• Chassis number. There is a plate at the bottom of the dash on the passenger side, visible through the windscreen. There is also a sticker near the driver's door catch, and the number is stamped on the chassis, which you can see by looking through the driver's side front wheel. Ask for the build number (the last four digits of the VIN), which you need for the data check and to look up the car's history.
• Logbook, spare key, stereo code and alarm code. The list wonders whether there is such a thing as an alarm code.
• Photos of any damage (big stone chips, scratches, damaged panels).

Recalls and fixes

• Recalls. Check that all recall work was done. The list asks specifically about the Vauxhall safety recalls for the ABS and the airbag.
• Water splash guard. Later cars have a splash guard under the engine cover, which stops water getting into the spark plug holes. It could be retrofitted free of charge then, and is very worthwhile if the car will ever be rained on. One owner’s car had damp plugs, and the “remedies” (distinct from recalls) were the water cover and the idler pulley, neither done when he bought it.
• Warranty work. Ask whether the car has been in for warranty work, for leaks or anything else, and whether the clam has paint bubbles.

Walk round the car

• Bodywork: look closely for splits, cracks and bad resprays. A few stone chips are normal, especially on the front clam of older cars, but be wary if the car is too clean.
• Wheels mark easily, so good ones are a plus. Tyres: fresh ones are a bonus because they aren't cheap, and all four should be the same code and brand. Ask how much tread is left on the front and rear.
• Trim: the 2006 warranty didn't cover broken trim in years 2 and 3. The window mechanisms are a weak point, so test them. The gaps between the glass and the door seals can be adjusted fairly easily (see adjusting the windows). Later NAs should have the upgraded Turbo window seals.
• Brakes: have a good look at them. They aren't expensive, but they may need replacing. Check the brake fluid level and colour.
• Driver's seat: look for wear and tears, which it picks up easily, and for play in the runners. Most VX seats move a bit and squeak and creak under acceleration and cornering, so a little movement is not by itself a fault.
• Soft top and hard top: ask about the condition of each. The list also names the soft top cables, which can snap (see the soft top cable repair).

Engine, front and rear

• Warm it up and check it reaches temperature and the fan comes on. Ask at what temperature the fan cuts in.
• Coolant and oil levels. If they are spot on, it is a sign of a good owner. The coolant should sit at the seam of the bottle when warm. The dipstick has a yellow end.
• Rear: check the condition of the expansion bottle, any water in the boot, and the plugs and coil pack for water ingress.
• Front: check the radiator and the hydraulic pipes, which the list says are perished on some cars. Look at the hoses around the brake servo too, which it says perish every couple of years from UV (see the brake servo hose guide).
• Other items the list names: the engine mounts (replacement guide) and the exhaust heat shield.

Known weak points (from the 2006 list)

The list names these as weak points, all of them warranty jobs:

• headlight internals corroding
• splits in the coolant header tank reservoir return feed
• the alternator belt slipping, which needed a modified pulley

One owner’s car, which had all the niggles others talk about (damp plugs, a squeaky fuel pump and a coolant header tank problem), was fixed under warranty. All were minor, but would have been costly to pay for.

Releases and controls to try

• Boot and engine cover release: down behind the driver's seat. Reach behind and to your right if you are sitting in it.
• Front bay release: reach down into the passenger footwell and under the dash. Pull it towards the passenger side, not up towards you, or it will probably come off in your hand. It is easier to stand outside and reach in.
• Check that the heater controls rotate smoothly and that the heater works. Ask whether the "sock mod" has been done, which stops flies and stones being blown into the driver's face. Check the screen washer works too.

Kit that should come with the car

• The locking wheel nut key. The list marks this as important.
• The tyre inflator aerosol.
• If it has a hard top, the soft top should be in the boot or on the shelf behind the seats, in a black drawstring sack with its two plastic supporting rods and the laminated fitting instructions. The hard top's laminated fitting guide and the Torx tool for fitting it should be in a big black velcro bag in the boot. The list says it would be expensive to buy these separately.
• Geometry: the list says only "GEO", which probably means to ask when the alignment was last checked.

Questions to ask the seller

• What is the build number (last four digits of the VIN)?
• Has it had the Vauxhall safety recalls for the ABS and airbag, and any warranty work for leaks or paint bubbles on the clam?
• Any trackday use?
• What condition are the soft top, and the hard top if one is sold with it?
• Do the boot and bonnet releases work without problems? Do the heater controls work fully, and is the heater effective?
• Has the seat got wear or tears, and do the runners have play?
• Does the radiator fan work, and when does it kick in?
• Is the locking wheel nut key there?
• Dates, mileages and places of servicing? Is there full Vauxhall service history during the warranty period?
• Any warranty remaining, accident history or outstanding finance?
• Who was the previous owner, was it a demonstrator, and how many owners has it had? Is it garaged regularly?

Track use, and where to buy (opinions)

• Don't be put off by track use. It is what the car was designed for, and most owners who track theirs are very particular. One owner would rather buy a tracked car from a dedicated owner on the forum than a Sunday car from Autotrader. His advice is to say where you are and go and meet an owner.
• Warranty and dealer (2006). One buyer chose a Network Q dealer warranty rather than the original one, and was glad of it. His advice was to find out whether the "remedies" were done, and to buy from a garage near you or at least near a Vauxhall dealer who knows the car, because claims through a dealer four hours away were treated as slower "away claims" and not every dealer could do the work. That was 2006 advice about new-ish cars.