Holden Astra Problems

That she got 80,000 km out of a set of rotors is good going, so I wouldn't be concerned that they needed replacing. If you wanted to check that they were actually replaced you could measure the thickness and compare it to a new rotor. As for who pays, it depends on how long it has been since the service. If it's only recent then you stand a chance of having the dealer pay, if you've let it slide for a while before reporting it there's no chance the dealer will cover it.

I would first question the need to do some of the work he is saying is urgent, and would suggest you have another mechanic check the car for you. If you are in the RACQ you could have them check it for you, at least to give some peace of mind.

It sounds as though there could be a problem with the belt, perhaps it hasn't been installed correctly, and the timing is now out. The best course would be to take it to a Holden dealer and get them to sort it out.

Trust me on this, and take a test drive in a Skoda Superb. It's a silly name but it's in that price bracket and it's a truly great car. It will also have similar cabin space to your Commodore.

You don't normally see a water pump leak until you remove the timing belt cover, which is normally done when changing the camshaft timing belt. You don't say what work the dealer was carrying out, but perhaps the leak was discovered in the course of that work. That it was changed in 2009, almost four years ago, has no bearing on the issue, it may well be leaking again.

Get it checked to make sure it is a sensor and not a problem with the airbags. It would be horrible to find out the hard way that there was a problem with the airbags. Before you can start claiming against Holden you need to establish what the problem is. Perhaps it is something that Holden should fix, but you won't know until you find out what's actually wrong.

Your local brake specialist can advise on the amount of wear but with so few kilometres in that time you could be fine. The owner's manual will give you the answer on the timing belt but look at the time and not the number of kilometres covered as belts deteriorate even with little driving.

First you need to make sure you have all of the documentation relating to your claim, and hopefully supporting it. If the dealer won't come to the party take your claim to the Motor Traders Association of NSW and ask for their advice. You could also consult the Department of Fair Trading. Failing that legal action is always available to you.

I can understand your frustration, but it's a fact of life that cars do break down, and once the warranty has expired it costs money to fix them. It sounds like you have an extended warranty, so that should cover you for the cost of repairs. If you want to persist in chasing Holden you might be able to get part payment for the cost of repairs as a goodwill gesture.

This is a difficult one; there is no right or wrong answer. The car is four years old, and things do go wrong, even on cars that have only done a few kilometres. I can sympathise with you and generally I believe that components like the heater motor in your case should last longer than they sometimes do, but cars are machines and they don't always go smoothly. I would recommend that you contact Holden's Customer Assistance Service and lodge a claim for compensation. In the normal course of events I would expect them to offer you, at best, part compensation.