I read it in the magazine "Behind the wheel", it turns out that everything is not so bad. Maybe someone will find it useful, I'll leave it on the forum.
With the advent of the new Opel Astra, the previous model with the factory index H, still in production, received a prefix to the name: Family.

Opel Astra H

Buying a new car is a pleasant, but very expensive business. Those who want to save money are looking for cars in the secondary market - it's cheaper here. To make a successful purchase, you need to know what to pay close attention to.
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

Rewinding the mileage on the Astra is relatively simple, just replace the instrument panel with a fresher one. Do not rely on the odometer reading! Better compare the mileage with the marks in the service book by asking the dealer to check the authenticity of the MOT against the database. At the same time, order a complete diagnosis - it's not so expensive compared to the price of the "pig in a poke" itself. By the way, there is an unspoken rule: if the specialists find only flaws honestly named by the seller, diagnostics are at your expense, and if there are hidden defects, the “forgetful” seller pays. You just need to agree on this in advance.
The Opel electrician contains many electronic units that communicate with each other via a multiplex (CAN bus) - in domestic conditions this makes troubleshooting difficult. And they happen. Either the ceiling light will light up for no reason, or the immobilizer will no longer recognize the native key. As a rule, it is enough to remove the terminal from the battery for a couple of minutes, and everything will return to normal.
More often than others, the CIM module of the steering column is buggy: you press on the horn, but it is silent. Other buttons located on the steering wheel also sometimes do not work, while the audio center may stop responding to its own controls. At an early stage, the defect was random in nature, so for a long time it was not possible to establish the cause. They changed the module under warranty, soldered the contacts, assembling one block from several - it did not help. As a result, we came to a simple and reliable solution: in 2009, a steel U-shaped bracket was introduced, which compresses the body halves and provides reliable contact. For reference: the price of such a piece of iron is only 8 rubles.
It will not be cheap to make a new key to replace the lost one - 5700 rubles together with the firmware (this is the name of the process of "acquainting" the key with the immobilizer). In this case, you will definitely need a personal car card (Car-Pass) - take care of it like the apple of your eye.

musculoskeletal system

There were many engines installed on the "asters", but only the Z16XER and Z18XER (respectively 1.6 and 1.8 liters) took root in our market. They have a timing belt drive, so if in doubt about the authenticity of the mileage, replace it immediately. Until recently, the belt resource was 150 thousand km, but recently it has been officially reduced to 120 thousand km. We change rollers without hesitation.
The ignition module, which is inserted directly into the candle wells with its leads, delivers the most trouble. Over time, the ends crack (this happens with a careless replacement of candles), and then, consider, they arrived. Another reason is the untimely replacement of candles. According to the regulations, it is necessary every 30 thousand km, however, it happens that the central electrode by that time is significantly shortened due to erosion, which causes the spark gap to increase. Accordingly, the breakdown voltage increases - and the module burns out. We recommend checking the spark plugs at every maintenance (15 thousand km) and adjusting the gap. It is not out of place to carry a spare module with you, and in a reliable package so that it does not split while flying around the trunk.
The resource of the air conditioning compressor is unpredictable: some copies serve 150 thousand km without complaints, others fail even on a new car. In half of the cases - due to a break in the winding of the switching clutch. Replacement does not always help, because a new node may well turn out to be with the same defect. Therefore, it is advisable to “ring” the winding with a tester before buying.
The diode bridge of the generator usually burns out due to an oversight by the owner himself: he damaged the right mudguard of the engine compartment somewhere in the rut and did not change it in time. Through the hole, dirt flies straight onto the generator, clogging its insides. Of course, both the unit itself and the V-ribbed belt that drives it cannot withstand it.
On cars manufactured in 2005–2007 with a 1.8 liter engine and automatic transmission, the engine cooling radiator combined with the box heat exchanger created serious problems: due to the destruction of the partitions, the oil was mixed with antifreeze. If such a cocktail is highly undesirable for a motor, then it is deadly for an automatic machine! In those years, a recall campaign was carried out to replace radiators, and in advanced cases, complete boxes were also changed. Later, they began to be repaired, for which the manufacturer accredited a number of third-party companies that work on an official basis to this day. They do not sit idle, because even with a working cooling system, the resource of the machine barely exceeds 160 thousand km. Mechanical boxes serve about the same amount, regardless of the version (there are five of them), as well as the clutch.
Two types of steering racks were installed on the "asters" - with an electric and with an electro-hydraulic amplifier, and in various modifications, which even experts lost count of. Some mechanisms please with adequate effort and clear feedback on the steering wheel, others, to put it mildly, not so much. The main claims against EGUR: even a serviceable unit does not work perfectly, and sometimes fails due to overheating. Well, at least it doesn’t steer where it pleases! To return the mechanism to working condition, you need to wait until it cools down.
Regardless of the variant of the amplifier, we carefully monitor the steering rods: by 60 thousand km, play is already noticeable in them (they are replaced separately). Tips are unlikely to require attention up to 150 thousand km. In the front suspension, the support bearings of the struts are called the conditionally weak link - they get clogged with dirt and begin to crackle. As a rule, dirt penetrates during a sharp rebound, for example, when driving off a curb, when the seal does not have time to work out after the rack parts going down, leaving a gap-loophole. Moral: "speed bumps" are better to push at low speed.

The front sensors are most often to blame for the failure of the anti-lock braking system, and they cannot be replaced separately from the hub. Less commonly, the hub has to be changed due to bearing wear. Both of these are costly. There are no complaints about the rear hubs.
But rear shock absorbers often sweat; but this does not affect the effectiveness of their work - you can not rush to change.
ASTRA: LOGICAL FORECAST

The cost of maintaining the base model, although higher than that of some competitors ( ZR, 2011, No. 12 ), but remain quite acceptable. The sports modification of the OPC does not lend itself to such an accurate forecast, since here a lot depends on the driving ambitions of the previous owner. Of course, in general, these machines get much more, especially in terms of brakes and clutches.
The Zafira V compact van, built on the basis of the Astra N, has a similar list of diseases, but problems with the engine radiator and strut support bearings did not affect it, since there is a different set of components and assemblies, and some suspension parts are also reinforced. Therefore, when you are convinced that machines built on the same platform suffer from the same birth defects, know that this is not always the case.

We thank the Armand company in Gostinichny proezd (Moscow)
for assistance in the preparation of the material.


The paintwork of the body as a whole is not satisfactory, however, in some cars of 2005–2006, rust appears on the trunk lid and lower door flanging. Tarnished chrome is common. All the buttons on the steering wheel of this car still work without failures thanks to the ingenuity of the owner - he pulled the halves of the body of the CIM stalk module with bandage rubber. A smart alternative to the branded U-bracket! In the rear suspension with an H-shaped elastic beam, we focus on shock absorbers: by 100 thousand km they can leak. Brake pads are enough for 60 thousand km. Pay attention to the solid plastisol coating of the bottom - it perfectly resists salt.
The most popular Z16XER engine: we recommend checking the spark plugs at every maintenance and adjusting the gap if necessary. Be careful with the ignition module: the product is quite fragile. Some dealers advise flushing the nozzles at every maintenance, but you need to make a decision wisely: if there are no complaints, you should not climb into an established mechanism. Front suspension: ball bearings are riveted to the levers, which is reasonable on this model: the resource of the supports, silent blocks and the levers themselves (due to fatigue cracks) is approximately the same - under 180 thousand km. Brake pads wear out by 30-40 thousand km, discs last twice as long. The clutch for turning on the air conditioning compressor is not famous for its reliability: an open or interturn short circuit of the winding is possible. It is not difficult to replace it, since there is an automatic tensioner for the V-ribbed belt.
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE MODEL COST OF INDIVIDUAL WORKS AT DEALERS, rub. COST OF ORIGINAL SPARE PARTS, rub.
ESTIMATED COSTS FOR THREE YEARS OF OPERATION (75–150 thousand km), rub. Opel Astra H