Holden Commodore Problems

It comes down to the age of the car. A 2010 VE SV6 could be bought for less than $20,000 and it will do everything you want. If you want a later model then perhaps look for a less expensive model. A regular Commodore will do everything you want, it just won’t have the badges.

For starters, the extra warranty is from the dealer who sold you the car, it's not from Holden, and so it's not a factory warranty as such. I generally don't believe these extra warranties are of value; dealers sell, or occasionally give them to you to make more money or to sweeten a deal. The Holden factory warranty is sufficient to cover whatever might occur in that first three-year period.

Auctioning it, parking it on the nature strip with a "For Sale" sign in the window. In my view none of those are the best way to sell your car. The best cars of this type sell by word of mouth within club circles, the cars that don't scrub up well with the people who really know these cars end up in auctions. Contact HSV and Brock clubs and tell them about your car.

I think you’re comparing apples with oranges in comparing these two cars. But to try and give you a guide I would say the build quality of the Aurion is a little better than that of the SS. I would also say the Aurion’s V6 engine is of a higher quality and standard than the SS’s V8, and would use less fuel, but I would say that both are equally drivable and practical in city traffic. My feeling is that the SS is an emotional purchase, the Aurion a safe one.

We quote the RRP because CarsGuide is a national publication and the on-road costs can vary quite a lot throughout Australia. The exception is when there is a national "drive-away" price for a launch car or when we are writing about a special edition or promotion on a car.

For a V8 auto ute I would definitely go for the Holden. Ford has given up on developing the Falcon but Holden is still committed to the Commodore and keeping it fresh and relevant.

WA uses the national Written-Off Vehicle Register (WOVR) and requires all written-off vehicles to be registered by the assessor. There are two types of written-off vehicles, Statutory Written-Off vehicles that can't be re-registered, and Repairable Write-Offs, which can be re-registered. To re-register a repairable write-off the car must pass safety and identity checks. I don't believe there is any requirement for a dealer selling a repairable write-off to advise the buyer of its status, although I think it's a little mischievous for them not to do so. The responsibility for checking the status is with the buyer. There's nothing wrong with selling a repairable write-off, they're often written-off because the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the car, and in some cases that's easy to do. I doubt that you have a case, but seek legal advice if you feel you want to pursue a claim.

It's the old story; it's either a problem on the fuel side or one of the spark side. My inclination is to check the fuel pump, Commodores had problems with the in-tank pump, and I'm thinking it's not supplying the fuel.

A Hyundai i20 for the daughter, because it's cheap and reliable; a Mazda3 for the mother, because its a great secondhand buy and ideal for her needs; and Holden Commodore for the father, because it's a great drive and the V6 is surprisingly economical.