Holden Problems

You’ll be waiting quite a number of years for the value to climb to any degree, so if you’re selling it it’s probably best to get out of it now. But if you like it why not keep it and enjoy it? But if you do, keep it for those special days and don’t drive it daily.

Remember though, you have to keep it in pristine condition and well maintained, so don’t park it and forget about it.

Yes, it does.

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.

I suspect it's not actually firing when you first start it, and it's the computer shutting it down when you try again. It could be that when you take the key out and go through your locking and unlocking procedure you are in effect rebooting the computer. It could be a problem with the computer.

The Mazda3 and Holden Astra are both good alternative choices, but you could also consider a Toyota Corolla or Kia Rio or Cerato.

I can understand your anger at receiving such a rude response, and your desire to register it with Holden. It's best done through direct contact with the company, and the Holden Customer Care (1800 46 465 336) is the best place to start. Being Christmas it might take a little longer for them to respond.

The VN Group A was a special run of Commodores to homologate the car for racing. They’re now collectable and worth $37,000-$45,000 depending on condition, kilometres etc.

There was a mid-model update released on the Rodeo late in 2005. It’s probably relating to that.

The cost including a new alternator should be $1000 to $1200.

A ticking noise is often a sign of a problem with the starter solenoid. If it were the neutral start/safety switch, you wouldn't hear anything because there would no power getting to the starter.