Problems with opel mokka

What I'm going to tell you now is about my experience with my new Opel Mokka X.
But it is unfortunately extensible to other models of the Opel brand.
Problems that you should be aware of if you are considering purchasing one of them, since this brand has always been very trustworthy, not being so its performance in recent years.

There was a time when Opel cars were very good.
I had a brand new second-hand Opel Kadett car, with a double-barrel carburettor. That was a machine.
Now Opel cars are also good cars, in terms of mechanics.
But their new futuristic strategies are leaving a bad taste in the mouth.
They are more concerned with business than with their customers.
They are manufacturing things badly.
And they are selling cars with poorly finished accessories and functionalities.

I know, because I bought an Opel Mokka X, and later I found out about the community on the website "Club Opel Mokka".
Imagine what it is like, the forum is as new as the Opel model itself. And it has more than 2,200 members, more than 3,000 topics, and more than 80,000 messages.

My first contact with Opel dealers

The first dealer tried to sell me a petrol Opel Mokka for 19 thousand euros with hardly any extras.
Over time I discovered other dealers doing the same for a much higher price.
I saw some rather strange things in the commercial aspect. And to make matters worse, the gentleman at the table told me that this car did not have a petrol filter. Oh my God!

Searching for Opel cars on the internet, I came across a website that searched for the cheapest cars in dealerships.
That's when I realized that each dealer goes their own way.
I have seen a dealer selling an Opel Mokka X just like mine for 24 thousand euros.

I contacted an Opel dealer in Leon, because for a much lower price they were selling me a new Opel Mokka X with almost all the extras.
I wanted to remove the GPS navigator option, but the salesman insisted a lot because it is quite worth it (according to him)

And I traveled to Leon to bring my car.

First contact with my Opel Mokka X

I was really looking forward to it, really wanted to see it, really wanted to touch it!!!!
Well, like any other guy who buys a great car, hahahahahaha

The salesman didn't seem to have much experience, he didn't even know if my car was diesel or petrol. I told him "if you look at the rev counter you can tell the difference."
I asked him If it had an alarm, he said no, I said that I thought it did.
Finally he argued that if it had an alarm it would have a sticker on the window.
And finally it did have an alarm (it is activated by closing it with the remote control twice)

First use of the Opel Mokka X and its totally useless GPS navigator

I take the car out of the dealership, with the tank in super reserve… What a nice detail.
And as they say, I take the road and blanket.

From Leon towards Badajoz, we got on the "Silver Route".
We ate an exaggerated number of Km on a very bad national road, fed up with passing islands with their respective yield signs.
And suddenly we see a sign that says "Highway to the left", and the navigator says "Go straight".
We stopped for a moment to analyze the problem, and the problem was that the navigator had no record of any nearby highway.
Sorry for the expression -> WHAT A BALLS!

If we look on the web or the forum "club opel mokka" We see that the GPS is not worth buying even if they pay you.
And it is a real shame that most people have bought it on the advice of the dealer.

They didn't even think about updating the maps, and in the end Opel has taken action due to pressure from a user and the OCU -> https://www.clubopelmokka.com/threads/mis-problemas-con-el-mokka-y-para-que-sepais-como-reclamar.125

The historic Opel scam (which affected many Opel Mokka users)

In case you haven't heard, something happened a few years ago on a large scale, and it was a complete scam.
Opel announced for the Opel Mokka, a multimedia system, which was compatible and connectable with Android phones and iPhones.
They also said that this multimedia audio system had a store of installable applications.
Even many users say that the brand itself and the dealers promoted it, and that the catalogs made mention of this technology.
But nothing could be further from the truth, after the pasture the audio system was not compatible with those phones, or applications or anything.
(Maybe they should have called their multimedia system, multishit system…)

It was like this Just like that, and so blatant, that a movement of many users together with the OCU, formalized a lawsuit against Opel.
But finally Opel promised changes for the following browsers.
So Opel got away with it and nothing happened.

A presenter explains it to Radio Andalucía:

Another joint petition for signatures (explaining the reason)

Petition for signatures in the Opel scam

This affected several Opel models. Opel Mokka, Opel Insignia, Opel Meriva, Opel Astra, Vauxhall.

Now the new Opel models, the multishit@ does connect with your smartphone.
But forget about applications and usability.

My personal conclusions about the Opel Mokka X petrol

Mechanics

Perfect, the car reaches 150km/h in the blink of an eye.
The 140hp is often not noticeable because the control unit is very intrusive and does not let you use the engine as you please.
Interestingly, many people comment on the Mokka forum, something I already noticed I have no idea about it.
The car accelerates more with the cruise control setting than with the pedal fully depressed.
But it doesn't detract from the engine's efficiency, it behaves well in any circumstance.

Consumption

The consumption is very reasonable, in the city without abusing it can consume between 8 to 9 liters.
I think it's quite reasonable for a 1400 kilo car.
On the highway the consumption is so good that it's comparable to a diesel car, an average of 6 liters.
And if you get serious about consumption and you step on it lightly and don't go over 100 km/h, you can get 5 or so.

Stability and comfort

Excellent.
The only drawback is the noise with the wind and the engine. It's probably because of the size of the chassis.
The engine noise is not unpleasant, it sounds sporty, but when you have music playing you would wish it were quieter.
The damping is very good, although stiff, and very firm in the corners.
At 150 km/h, the car does not notice the excess speed.
On a night route on the highway, I got behind a parcel delivery man, at 178 km/h, and the Opel Mokka X did not seem to cost him much, without vibrations, at reasonable revs.

Electronics

Here is the great shortcoming of what Opel calls technology.
The electronics in this car are greener than an Italian pepper.

Electronic faults that I have detected in this Opel Mokka X:

• GPS.
  The performance is comparable to a Chinese tablet from 2006.
  The maps do not conform to reality or to the past.
  You can't put pois, forget about radar warnings.
• Voice recognition.
  I'll define it quickly. It's a shame.
• Hands free.
  No complaints, works pretty well.
• Hill brake assist.
  I'm not supposed to have that option.
  I don't have the button to activate or deactivate it.
  But sometimes the car stops on an inclined plane and stays braked for 3 seconds.
  And on one occasion the screen showed me something like «hill brake assist… activated»
• The configuration of starting with the climate control on/off/last state, does practically what it wants.
• Automatic defogger.
  Nobody knows what function it performs.
  What many of us know is that it uses the climate control even if it is a sunny day and there is no fogging.
• Automatic rear wiper?
• Distance sensors.
  They sound many times when there are no obstacles.
  Especially the front one.
  Where is the cat?
• Automatic screen brightness.
  It cannot be put in manual, and sometimes the brightness adjusts to dark conditions in full sun. Luckily I don't use the car's GPS.
• On-board computer.
  Not relevant to the list of faults.
  But it's a shame that having such a large central screen, with so little functionality, and not having put there the view of various parameters of the car.
• High beam assistant (the automatic high beams)
  Well, as many have said, "risk of a fine."
  The high beams react very slowly, they come on late and they go off late.
  Many times cars pass by that dazzle you unintentionally.
  In the end you turn them off because it's not viable.

Audio

The audio quality is pretty decent with the basic equipment.
You'll enjoy some good bass.
But the volume is really low.
So that, forget about taking it to the party.

The MP3 player is quite basic, and it is not very fast.
There is no equalizer, only 3-level adjustment, low treble and etc.

In short, the multimedia issue, which is audio + GPS, because there is nothing else.
Seriously, do not expect any frills or to see car data on this large screen, and it also shows almost no RDS information.
Well, it is so bad that the community I told you about, the Opel Mokka X forum, there are already a few who want to extinguish the guarantee to change the Opel multimedia for other Chinese models.

Wifi

Hold on, there are curves ahead.
The announcement of the return to the future.
This one. Do you remember?

Nice scene of 2 groups using the wifi of an Opel Astra.
But what the ad doesn't say is:

• The wifi is subject to a 4G data rate. In reality it is a router-modem.
• The company that manages said data rate is none other than Vodafone's friends.
• The prices of the Vodafone rate in your brand new Opel are quite abusive.
• If you don't like Vodafone, Vodafone coverage is bad in your town, or your company can make you a better offer. You're not on a roll, the car only accepts Vodafone connections.
• And don't think there's a hidden SIM card somewhere, not at all.
• If you decide not to use the Vodafone plan, you're left with Wi-Fi broadcasting while you travel, and although you can deactivate it, it reactivates itself.

Air conditioning

In my case, it is a dual-zone air conditioner, so the performance is average, not very typical of a large car or one with high performance. (I have seen a Nissan Micra cool more)
It heats up well, but the cold is not very generous.
I am especially struck by the 2nd nozzle.
The nozzle to the right of the steering wheel.
The air blows there, it goes directly to the steering wheel. It is difficult for it to hit anything else. If your comfort depends on that nozzle, it is better for the co-pilot to blow on you.
I cannot understand how the engineering of this century has placed a nozzle there so that it can only blow on the steering wheel.
So that the air conditioning, without being too good, also brings design problems.

With the new Opels we have free radiation

Returning to the subject of wifi.
We have a modem router emitting wifi
Where?
It doesn't matter, no matter how far away it is, the cabin is small, it bounces all the waves, it is close to your knees, your brain.
I mean, when there is already advice, even medical, that recommends us not to bring the mobile phone close to our head, to turn off our routers at night.
Tachan!!!!!!! And I have to put up with a wifi that insists on being present.

It's reported to Opel, without response.
And in an official workshop they told me "It is a known fault, we also remove some wifis from customers' cars, and we see that the next time they start it up it is reactivated"
I suggested that he directly remove the module and keep it, and he replied "if we cancel the code an error code will appear and the problems will be greater"

It's not that I have any problem or special sensitivity with wifis.
But one thing is to be a whiner, and another is having to put up with a wifi inside such a tiny room, being a wifi that I don't plan to use for anything.
What's the point?

First inspection

Bad experience.
It's incredible how people treat other people like products or animals.
I took it to an authorized official workshop near my area. Its name is "mobile 5".
They returned it to me with paint stains all over the chassis, with a dented door, and with a strange large metallic stain.
The person in charge of the workshop argued that all this did not happen there, and that the metallic stain seemed to him to be the mark of a pigeon poop.
I passed the complaint to Opel Customer Service, that the several times they had to call me, they have not done so.
A month has passed since then and I am still waiting.
The person who was handling my case can no longer be located and they have assigned me a new file number.

And what do you say about the deception with the Opel On Star service?

As if the deception with the multimedia system was not enough, now they are taking away the Opel On Star system.

Functions and utilities of the Opel On Star service

• Remote assistance on demand from the vehicle's integrated telephone
• Automatic assistance from GPS location to send to authorities and/or emergency assistance if the driver has a collision and does not answer the phone
• Assistance to the poor GPS navigator where most locations do not exist on the map of the same
• Remote location and immobilization in case of theft
• Manual function for the user: Location of the vehicle from a mobile phone (very useful when you forget where you have parked the car)
• Manual function for the user: Opening and closing doors (useful if you think you have not closed the doors after having parked the car, or if you need to give access to the interior of the vehicle to someone in a safe way) Remote)
• Manual function for the user: Lights and horn signals to visually locate the car when you are looking for it.

Where is the deception in the theft of the Opel On Star service?

Well, obviously many people have bought the car counting on that service.
Many people have even paid more than 1000€ for implementing this system in their Opel car, because at the time of purchase of the vehicle this service did not exist.
And this service has now simply flown away, without taking into account that thousands of customers have been left without this service that they had paid for.
End of 2020 (on December 31st itself), end of the Opel On Star service.

The fact that in a serious accident someone assists your life remotely, already justifies very well the selection of this brand.
And if in addition to that they can immobilize and locate the car in case of theft, it would already justify more than enough that it cost even three times its usual cost.
So that the acquisition of this system separately was more than justified, and the purchase of any Opel car was more than justified in order to enjoy this service.
Because the risk on the road is something very serious, it should not be something secondary, nor should it be allowed to be played with through deliberate deceitful marketing.

To date, it is still not known what the response of justice will be, if there is one and little can be expected from it.
But there is talk that customers could be compensated for depriving them of a service that was implicit by law in the acquisition of the vehicle, and for being the clear motivation for choosing this brand.
Thus that other brands could also accuse them of unfair competition.

Substitute for this service?

While the Opel brand has no other interest than to continue innovating and manufacturing new things for its new customers, there are similar services in products dedicated to this.

In this case, only for the remote car location service, these examples can be useful:

Would I buy an Opel again?

Probably not.
I have tested a low-end Opel Corsa and its electronics were spectacular compared to this Opel Mokka X.
I love Kia, Toyota, I would look at and compare any other.
Especially before the I would look at forums and perhaps rent the car that I think is most appropriate for me.
And if the Opel Mokka X is the chosen one, I would take it with the right electronic features, without GPS obviously, and I would try to negotiate the "start" of this wifi transmitter.