Holden Cruze Gearbox & Transmission Problems

No, it's not normal, but the Cruze has a problem with the automatic transmission and you are not alone. Take the car to a Holden dealer and have them assess it for you. If it does need a new transmission ask Holden to do it at its expense.

You have a very strong case to argue that Holden should repair your car at its expense, but you need to have it assessed by a Holden dealer to determine if that is the problem. Holden won’t repay you the cost of having it repaired by your mechanic. It’s important that you take it to a Holden dealer.

NOTE: We contacted Holden asking for a response, which is still coming. Nina Kaur hopes Holden might still come to the party and help with the repairs on her car.

From what we've seen there is unquestionably a problem with the automatic transmission in the Cruze, for which we hope to get more information from the company.

We have also seen Holden replace or offer to replace transmissions in cars when owners complain. Any owner who believes they have a problem with the transmission in their Cruze should report it to their Holden dealer.

UPDATE: Nina Kaur went ahead and had her Cruze's transmission repaired before approaching Holden. Her mechanic blames a broken wave spring in the 3-5-Reverse clutch, which led to extensive damage to the transmission. Nina has handed the report and the invoice for repairs totaling $4972.00 to Holden with a request for compensation.

Our advice to Cruze owners having problems with the automatic transmission in their cars is to report it to the dealers and request assistance in the form of a replacement transmission.

UPDATE2: (24/6/2015) Holden has now agreed to reimburse Ms Kaur for the full cost of repairs, despite the work being undertaken by a third-party mechanic. 

Take it to a Holden dealer and have it assessed. If the gearbox is found to be faulty, as I suspect it is, then you are justified in asking Holden to replace it at their expense.

NOTE: As a result of receiving a number of reports of transmission problems with the Holden Cruze we have contacted Holden for assistance in getting to the bottom of it. Once we’ve heard from Holden we’ll post any update here.

UPDATE: When asked about Holden's policy of replacing automatic transmissions in the Cruze when owners report them as giving trouble, the company's Director of Communications, Sean Poppitt gave us the following response.

"We are addressing each customer on a case-by-case basis, there's no single fix to the (automatic transmission) issues you've brought to our attention. For those unfortunate customers who experience problems, our Customer Care team are assisting them case by case, and we'll work with them to find a resolution."

Our advice to Cruze owners having problems with the automatic transmission in their cars is to report it to the dealers and request assistance in the form of a replacement transmission.

Strictly your car is out of warranty, but because there have been a lot of problems with the Cruze transmission it would likely be fixed by Holden at its expense. If you haven’t already take the car to your Holden dealer to be assessed, and if it’s found that the transmission needs to be replaced approach Holden with a claim to have them do it.

NOTE: We contacted Holden asking for a response, which is still coming. In the meantime, Danielle Warland tells us that Holden has agreed to replace the automatic transmission in her 2010 model Cruze. This will be the second time the automatic transmission has been replaced.

From what we've seen there is unquestionably a problem with the automatic transmission in the Cruze, for which we hope to get more information from the company.

We have also seen Holden replace or offer to replace transmissions in cars when owners complain. Any owner who believes they have a problem with the transmission in their Cruze should report it to their Holden dealer.

UPDATE: Cruze owner Danielle Warland has updated us with the latest news on her troublesome car.

"I got my car back last week after taking a week to fix. I did find out that Holden uses reconditioned transmissions. The gentleman at Holden advised me that me that the old one will be stripped back and rebuilt; no wonder they don't last. I have now decided to sell my car as it has been five years of hell with one issue after another and a lot of money spent."

Our advice to Cruze owners having problems with the automatic transmission in their cars is to report it to the dealers and request assistance in the form of a replacement transmission.

Holden’s response is entirely appropriate and you should do as they have suggested and get the car checked by the dealer, so the cause of the problem can be determined. If you don’t do that you won’t have any claim for compensation, but if you do, you can rightly ask Holden to fix the car for you at its expense. It’s not the only case we’ve heard about, and Holden has replaced a number of transmissions with problems like the one you describe.

NOTE: As a result of receiving a number of reports of transmission problems with the Holden Cruze we have contacted Holden for assistance in getting to the bottom of it. Once we’ve heard from Holden we’ll post any update here.

UPDATE: When asked about Holden's policy of replacing automatic transmissions in the Cruze when owners report them as giving trouble, the company's Director of Communications, Sean Poppitt gave us the following response.

"We are addressing each customer on a case-by-case basis, there's no single fix to the (automatic transmission) issues you've brought to our attention. For those unfortunate customers who experience problems, our Customer Care team are assisting them case by case, and we'll work with them to find a resolution."

Our advice to Cruze owners having any problems with the automatic transmission in their cars is to report it to the dealers immediately and request assistance in the form of a replacement transmission.

Holden's customer service line is: 1800 033 349

Glad to help but just sad you're not the first — or last — person who has needed CarsGuide help to get justice after a Cruze auto transmission failure.

I am convinced Holden has a systemic problem with the Cruze auto but the company refuses to admit it. Still, it is quietly replacing gearboxes at no cost and getting owners to sign confidentiality documents so they cannot reveal details.

Your problem sounds like many others reported to CarsGuide. You should immediately request a replacement via both your Holden dealer and Holden headquarters in Melbourne.

Your problem sounds like many others reported to CarsGuide. You should immediately request a replacement via both your Holden dealer and Holden headquarters in Melbourne.

They should go immediately to Holden HQ at Fishermans Bend, as they are far from alone and Holden has been quietly replacing automatics in a number of cases I have reported. This is another one.