Holden Problems

There’s no reason to think the Hybrid will not last as long as a regular petrol vehicle.

Toyota has been making hybrids for many, many years and they have never shown any sign of being less durable or reliable then the company’s petrol models. The batteries are said to last the lifetime of the vehicle, so there’s reason to be concerned about that either. The thing with the hybrid is the higher purchase price. That’s offset by the lower fuel consumption, so the longer you keep the vehicles the greater the chance to recoup the extra initial cost.

The other thing to consider is that hybrids work at their best in stop-start city traffic, they are not so good out on country roads where the petrol engine comes into play more of the time.

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.

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.

If it is the well-known transmission issue then you could have a claim against Holden to repair or replace it, but if it isn’t you have no claim. You need to establish what the problem is, and you can then contact Holden, but until you actually know what the problem is you are in limbo.

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.