Review
Despite praise being heaped on the car for its qualities as a motorway cruiser, a battery warning light that continues to come on intermittently, despite it spending weeks with a dealer, has clouded our view of the car.
The problem was first noticed in late February and Sycamores Vauxhall in Stamford decided a replacement dashboard panel was needed.
The part had to come from Germany and the car spent two weeks in the garage before we asked for it back and then another 10 days before the part arrived. No courtesy car was offered and they didn't ring us once to tell us what was going on – we had to ring them.
The part eventually arrived and the garage collected the car to carry out the work. It was then delivered back to Fleet Towers.
Despite its long stay with the garage, I'm afraid the problem of the intermittent battery warning light returned and the car has been booked back into the garage for the problem to be resolved.
We phoned on a Wednesday to report the recurring fault and the garage couldn't accept the car until a week later. For a busy fleet manager, this could cause a problem.
Although the car may well be safe to drive despite the warning light problem, there is always concern at the back of the driver's mind that it could lead to a more serious fault and possibly a breakdown.
It is a shame because, aside from the niggly fault that has turned into a major period off the road, the Signum has the makings of an ideal fleet car. It is comfortable, roomy and has a quiet engine.
The interior may be sober but it nevertheless has an upmarket feel that should please the more serious-minded driver.
We'll let you know how attempts to repair the fault get on.
Company car tax bill 2004/05 (40% tax-payer): £138 per month
Figures based on three-years/60,000-miles
