Is the 2007 Vauxhall Astra gearbox known for failure?

We own a 2007 Vauxhall Astra 1.9 SRI CDTi diesel. The other day I heard a rattling noise in the car and, by the time I got home, I was struggling to get it into second and fourth gear. The garage has said that I need a new gearbox, as there is a large hole in it. The warranty ran out in March. I have done 70,000 miles. Surely the gearbox should not have gone so soon. It will cost £15,000 plus VAT to fix. The garage have suggested contacting Vauxhall to see if they will pay part of the bill. Has anyone else had this problem and were they successful in getting Vauxhall to pay out? We don't want to add more money to the bill.

Asked on 5 August 2010 by jayandbev

Answered by Honest John
Exploding transmissions are quite a common VAG fault. I don't remember this happening with the six-speeder on the Astra, unless it's the same gearbox.
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