With a long and illustrious history in the South African market, Opel, as a brand, can best be described as a marque that enjoys fluctuations in popularity, with models such as the Kadette, Astra and the popular Corsa Lite still being common sights on local roads while the newer models from the brand are less ubiquitous. Are the Opels expensive to repair, though? We have some data that will answer that question.
Related: Related: Opel Zafira returns to Life
Opel now shares many of its components with the likes of Peugeot and Citroën, and it is difficult to determine the exact costs of each model when it comes to repairs and maintenance since each dealership has different labour and parts price rates. The Opel brand also does not register high sales volumes locally, meaning that there are not enough customers to survey and determine with accuracy, however, there is the AA Spare Parts Guide, which will help us today.
The 2021 AA Spare Parts Pricing Guide
The AA Spare Parts Pricing report is an incredibly useful tool, as it allows you to compare the cost of ownership with various products across several segments with models that they compete with.
The cars in the AA Spare Parts Pricing Guide were evaluated in 3 departments: service parts, maintenance parts, and body repair parts. Service parts relate to the standard service consumables, while maintenance parts are the long-term ownership items that require periodic inspection, maintenance or replacement, and body repair parts indicate how much it would cost to replace body panels in the event of a collision.
In the latest (2021) report, only one model from the Opel range is featured in the comparison tables, the Crossland 1.2 Elegance in the "Compact Family" section of the guide.
Related: Are Opels safe cars?
Opel Crossland 1.2 Elegance
Looking at the servicing costs of the Crossland, things don't look great, with the Opel's basket totalling R9 127.34, making it the second most expensive to service behind the Mazda CX-3, however, the anomaly in the pricing for the Crossland is the pollen filter, which is listed at R1 898.47 whereas the next most expensive pollen filter is R401.33 in the Kia Seltos. This leads us to believe that there is certainly scope for a more affordable pollen filter, which would make the Crossland similar in terms of servicing costs to the likes of the Peugeot 2008, Haval Jolion and Kia's Seltos.
The maintenance parts section reads similarly to the servicing, with the Opel being the second most expensive to maintain, with a basket price of R28 155.29, second only to the Kia Seltos. Both the Kia and Opel suffer from the same issue, expensive front brake discs which are roughly double the cost of the likes of the Haval Jolion and Peugeot 2008. The Opel also has costly front and rear shock absorbers, meaning that once out of warranty, aftermarket options for the shocks and brake discs will reduce the cost of ownership for Crossland owners.
The body repair section sees the Opel as the second most expensive again, with a total of R143 571.72, with the most expensive being the Kia Seltos at R148 096.62. The Opel is around R37 000 more expensive in the department than the most affordable model, the Mazda CX-3. This means that overall, the Crossland is the second most expensive model to maintain, with the Seltos being the costliest and the CX-3 is the most affordable.
Verdict
Only one Opel was used in this comparison and therefore, we cannot paint its entire range with the same brush, it is still interesting to compare it with key rivals in what is one of the fastest-growing automotive sectors in the country. If your Opel is out of its service plan and warranty, places such as ASAP Spares may be able to save you money when it comes to various parts, while independent RMI mechanics with a good reputation may offer better labour rates, so shop around.
