Used Vauxhall Adam review and buying guide (2013 to 2019): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Vauxhall Adam should you buy?

There's no stand-out year to hunt for: the Adam was sold from 2013 to 2019 as a single model, and the evidence against it is thin rather than clean, a few recalls and a handful of owner reports. So the choice comes down to the individual car and, above all, whether its recall work was done. Don't take the short list of complaints as proof it's trouble-free.

The recalls fall across most of the run. Steering checks cover cars registered from February 2014, and a later recall swapped steering racks from a faulty batch. The sunroof recall reaches cars built up to 2016, and a handbrake recall covers 2016 and 2017 cars. A car from any of those years is worth considering once dealer invoices or stamps show the work was carried out.

Space settles more than the year does. The rear seats are cramped and the boot's small, so it's really a car for one or two people. Nothing in the recalls or owner reports points at 2018 and 2019 cars, but that's a gap in the evidence rather than a clean bill, so judge a late one on its condition and paperwork like any other.

Which Adam engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

There isn't an engine or gearbox you can call the proven safe pick, because beyond one owner's report nothing points either way. None of the engines is quick and the Adam isn't much fun to drive whichever you choose, so don't hold out for a bigger engine expecting a livelier car. Let condition and history decide it instead.

One owner's 2014 car with the 1.2 70PS petrol had its engine fail at 22,000 miles after water got into the oil. That's one car rather than a pattern, but it's an easy thing to check: pull the dipstick and look under the oil filler cap for milky, creamy sludge, and pass on any 1.2 that shows it.

What should you check when viewing a used Adam?

The recall paperwork matters most. On any car registered from February 2014, ask for proof the steering inspection was done, and check whether it was also caught by the later recall for steering racks that could snap under heavy load during slow manoeuvres. Then turn the wheel from lock to lock while parking and listen for knocks or clicks from the front.

If there's a glass sunroof, ask what was done under the 2017 recall for panels whose bonding could fail and let them come away. One owner who bought new in 2014 had to chase the work and was then told the first repair was only a temporary measure, so get dated invoices for everything done. On 2016 and 2017 cars, ask whether the handbrake lever was replaced under recall and check it holds the car on a slope.

Spend a few minutes on the electrics. One owner's September 2014 1.4 had its radio, Bluetooth and other electronics fail from a year later and keep failing, behaving almost like a flood-damaged car. Pair your phone, run the radio, try every switch and lift the carpets and boot floor to check for damp.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Vauxhall Adam cost to run?