Holden Cruze 2009 Problems

It used to be the case that you could simply, quickly and easily check a car’s transmission fluid by looking at the transmission dipstick. In the case of the Holden Cruze, that’s not the case and clearly, the manufacturer doesn’t want anybody unauthorised attempting to check the fluid level. That and the fact that a transmission without a dipstick is cheaper to make.

Without a dipstick, the fluid level is set when the transmission fluid is changed as part of a service. The transmission when refilled is then warmed to a pre-determined temperature and a small bung removed from the side of the transmission near the driveshaft. If the level is correct, there should be a drop of two of fluid leak from this hole. Clearly, this is not a job for the home mechanic, but that’s how a workshop does it.

On the diesel-engined Cruze, the fuel filter is located in front of the driver’s side rear wheel, under the floor and next to the fuel tank. You may have to remove the plastic under-floor panels to gain access to the filter. In the petrol version of the Cruze, the filter is located in the driver’s-side rear wheel arch and, in either case, you’ll need to get under the car to change them, so make sure the car is safely supported.

You could try for a goodwill payment from Holden, but I doubt that you would have any success. Your car is 10 years old, it’s done 200,000 km, and you bought it second hand.

It sounds like it could have the dreaded Cruze auto transmission problem. Take it to a Holden dealer, or an automatic transmission mechanic and have them check it.

The 1.8-litre manual is a solid, generally reliable car compared to the automatic, which is know to be troublesome. Obviously, it doesn't have a turbo, which can also be troublesome.

Do not buy a Cruze, or buy a European brand. They will prove costly. It's best to go for the cars that are well proven over many years. The Lancer is a good one, but so too is the Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 or 3, or Mitsubishi Colt.

Go back to the dealership you bought it from and ask them to repair it, and seeing that it is a common problem with that model suggest they approach Holden to cover the costs of the repairs. It’s hard to say what your chances are because you bought it secondhand, but you did buy from a Holden dealer, which makes me a little more optimistic about your chances.

You're on difficult ground having bought the car secondhand. If you'd bought it new you would be well entitled to expect it to be repaired by Holden free of charge. Unfortunately, being secondhand, the normal warranties don't apply and you're effectively on your own. Still, I would persist with getting Holden to come to the party with at least part of the cost of repairs. After all, it is a known problem that has affected lots of Cruzes.

Take it to a Holden dealer and have them assess the transmission for you. If your mechanic is correct and the transmission does need to be replaced request Holden to do it free of charge. The transmission in the Cruze of that year is known to be faulty, and Holden has replaced many without charge.

Go back to Holden and attempt to convince them that they should replace the transmission free of charge. They sold you a transmission that is faulty and in my view they should replace it without charge. If the Customer Care people refuse your request, go to the CEO of the company, it has worked for other owners with this problem.

Update 17/7/2015: 

Ms Alyaseri has informed us that after contacting Holden boss Mark Bernhard directly, Holden has agreed to cover the cost of a new transmission.