Vauxhall Corsavan (2007 – 2015) Review

Vauxhall Corsavan (2007 – 2015) At A Glance

3/5

+Has the qualities of the standard Corsa with tidy handling and a neat cabin, designed as a van from the outset so impressively practical for a small vehicle.

-None of the engines particularly sparkle but the 1.2-litre petrol is best avoided.

Rather than simply a standard Corsa without rear windows, the Corsavan was designed as a commercial vehicle and was planned as part of the original Corsa product line up from the beginning. It has plenty of the strong traits of the Corsa - good manouevrability, a nicely laid out interior and tidy handling. 

It's practical too with a full-length flat floor and clever extra-long load security cover arrangement that make it one of the most security-conscious small vans on the market. It has a taller and wider tailgate than the previous model and an increased payload of up to 555kg, although the Corsavan is just bettered by the Ford Fiesta van for outright cargo volume,. In total, the Corsavan will carry a load of up to 0.85 cubic metres.

The engine line up majors on efficiency rather than performance. The mainstay is the 1.3 CDTi that provides decent enough performance and adequate torque, even when fully loaded. There's also an ecoFLEX version of the engine that is fitted with stop start, among other efficiency measures, which returns an official 83.1mpg and CO2 of 89g/km which is more than sufficient to keep even the hardest business head happy..

The Corsavan has proved popular with van users who do a lot of city driving, where its compact dimensions, good all round visibility and ability to park almost anywhere come to the fore. But it’s pretty adequate on long journeys, with the CDTi engine capable of cruising comfortably at the legal limit and offering decent refinement. The 1.2-litre petrol struggles a bit more at these speeds though.

Ask Honest John

I own a small florist - which van should I buy?

"I own a small florists and am after a van to do deliveries with. I'm after something stylish but doesn't need to be big. What do you suggest?"
Well, it’ll depend on how many miles you do. If you’re covering lots of short runs (in a town or city, for example) then you’ll want a petrol powered van. Otherwise a diesel, with a DPF, will not take too kindly to all of those short runs from cold and you'll be facing some high bills when it clogs up. Something the Vauxhall Corsavan, with a 1.2 petrol engine, would suffice. Or you could go electric, like the Volkswagen e-Load Up, but it’ll cost around £5000 more to buy. Alternatively, if you’re doing 15+ miles on a regular basis, we’d recommend the Peugeot Bipper. It’s larger, more rewarding to drive and also boasts one of the best MoT pass rates for a commercial vehicle.
Answered by Dan Powell

Two DPF failures in 12 months - can I take legal action?

"I own a Vauxhall Corsavan 1.3 CDTI, which has suffered its second DPF failure in 12 months. Vauxhall informed me that the first failure was down to me driving it wrongly. I had argued but was unsuccessful and paid £1763 to get it back on road. Now it has failed again (even after being used for long distances) and I'm very unhappy. Can I take legal action?"
Standard problem with this engine in Vauxhalls and FIATs, but FIAT won't acknowledge the problem. It's because in the pre-programmed 'active' recycle the engine puts too much fuel into the DPF. See: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ Then go to one of the solicitors listed and sue the supplying dealer not only to fix your van but to refund the £1763.40 you have already paid.
Answered by Honest John

My Vauxhall Corsa Van won't go into reverse gear - does it have a linkage fault?

"I've got a N-reg Vauxhall Corsa Van which seems to be having problems getting into gear. All the other gears are fine. I have tried several times pushing in the clutch, which eventually gets into gear. Do you have suggestions? I have looked on the web and it seems to be a common fault with linkages. "
Not sure I understand the statement "pushing in the clutch, which eventually gets into gear." Are you saying the clutch is worn, or that the idle speed is to high, or that the gear linkage is worn? If it is the linkage it may well be worn bushes or joints. It should not be too much of a job to repair.
Answered by Alan Ross

Is there a major fault with the DPF-equipped Mazda 6 diesel engine?

"The Mazda 6 diesel engine, from its first incarnation to the current model, has a new form of diesel engine with a diesel particulate filter. According to Mazda this can cause a warning light to come on from time to time, but driving for 10 minutes at more than 40mph is supposed to clear the problem. However, our car has suffered a catastrophic engine failure due to this and is a write-off due to the cost of repair. It was bought secondhand but has a full Mazda main dealer service history with most services undertaken before they were due. The internet forums are awash with people with the same problem and it affects new and old cars. It can also cause the engine to rev dangerously out of control, which happened to my wife on the motorway, or stall completely whilst driving along, which has happened many times. Mazda advise that the car needs a long run and should not be used on short journeys around town. It is a motorway car. Expert consensus is that the engine is not fit for purpose, but Mazda of course do not want to admit this."
This is well known and is covered in car-by-car breakdown on this site. On 2.0-litre Mazda 6 diesels with DPFs the DPF uses extra fuel injected into the combustion chambers to create the hear to regenerate. But if the filter is too blocked the fuel does not ignite and dribbles down the bores into the sump. Mazda 5 2.0 diesel owners are advised to check their sump levels regularly (it's in the handbook) because if the level rises too high from fuel oil, then the compression ignition engine can run uncontrollably on its sump oil and can only be stopped by force stalling it against the brakes or by cutting off its air supply. The problem is also common on the first Subaru Legacy diesels, the FIAT 500 diesel and Vauxhall Corsa vans fitted with the 1.25 FIAT diesel engine and a DPF. The Mazda 6 2.2 diesel uses direct injection of fuel into to the DPF itself with an ignitor to avoid this problem, as do later Subaru diesels.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Vauxhall Corsavan (2007 – 2015) cost?