Holden Cruze Problems

It depends on whether you want a hatch, sedan or wagon and what variant you are interested in. You can find all of these options in our pricing guide.

I doubt that it's possible to swap the lease to someone else. I would talk to your lease company and see what the rules are for getting out of the lease.

The transmission in the Cruze has been a major problem, but it seems that Holden has accepted that it’s an issue in your case by offering to replace it. But to link the cooler failure to the transmission problem you need evidence, and you don’t have that. If you feel strongly that Holden hasn’t responded the way it should have you should take your case to the state government consumer affairs people.

The transmission is the same as the one being replaced. Will it be any better? Maybe.

It's probably easier to eliminate those that don't stack up, those being the VW Golf, Holden Cruze and Ford Focus.

All have transmission questions over them.

The best options would be the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai i30.

You need to mount a case for compensation with Holden’s Customer Care service (1800 033 349). It is a known problem, but you have to remember your car is six years old and the warranty expired a long time ago.

I would rule out the Cruze straight away, they have too many issues with reliability with them to be considered. The Elantra and the Camry are both good cars. Your budget should allow you to buy a 2014 Elantra, but probably won’t stretch to a Camry. You might have to go for a 2012-2013 Camry.

Unless you are buying a manual I would rule the Cruze out, the automatic is trouble in that model and not worth the risk. If you do but a Cruze I would choose the 1.8-litre engine. Others to think of are the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3, or Mitsubishi Lancer.

No a five-year-old car shouldn’t suffer such a major failure like that, but the Cruze does and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other owners asking the same question having suffered the same problem with the automatic transmission.

It’s a well-known and documented problem and Holden were once replacing transmissions free of charge. You could approach Holden’s customer assistance people (Ph: 1800 033 349) and ask that your transmission be replaced as a gesture of goodwill. The cost you have been quoted for a replacement transmission is about right, but be sure that you are getting a new transmission.

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.