Holden Problems

You’re buying a used car, it’s not new, so you have to expect some wear-and-tear issues. The older the car, the greater the wear-and-tear, and the more likely it is to have suffered mechanical failures or even a crash. That means you have to thoroughly check the car before purchase, and you have to rely on the honesty of the vendor. If the car has had clutch problems it should be recorded in the service book. It’s the same with the others you’re looking at, check them thoroughly, and if you’re uncertain have an expert check them for you. Of the three others you are considering I would avoid the Passat as a potential money pit, and go for the i40 in preference to the Commodore.

It’s not possible to say that you won’t have any problems with the Colorado, and there are a lot of people who have had problems of all sorts with it. If you’re unsure, don’t buy it.

Yes, there’s no reason to be concerned about buying a Commodore of that age and kilometres.

The problem with the Cruze transmission is well known.

You have done the right thing by registering your concern with Holden, and it has responded by telling you a diagnostic check is needed to assess the situation with your car.

Pay the $135 for the test, and providing it confirms the problem I would expect Holden to replace the transmission at its cost.

Go to a suspension specialist like Pedders and they should be able to help you with shock absorbers, suspension bushes etc. to improve the ride. You could also talk to a tyre expert about tyres that might be more comfortable.

Earlier models were trouble, but the later ones appear to be reliable. I wouldn’t be concerned about signing up for it.

A conventional automatic transmission is the one that we have been used to in cars dating back to the 1940s.

Holden introduced its first automatic in 1961 with the EK model. A conventional transmission is one with a torque convertor between the engine and transmission so provide smooth easy drivaways. It basically disconnects just above idle speed so the engine can idle, but engages again when you accelerate away.

The transmission uses fluid to operate the various clutches inside the transmission for smooth shifting. The conventional transmission has proven to be very reliable over the years, but it isn’t the most efficient in terms of fuel consumption, particularly when compared to a manual gearbox. Engineers have been trying for years to make a more efficient transmission that has the smoothness of operation and the efficiency of a manual gearbox.

The two most successful have been the CVT “Continuously Variable Transmission) and the dual-clutch transmission, such as VW’s DSG and Ford’s Powershift. The CVT is designed to keep the engine revving at its most fuel-efficient speed by continuously varying the gearing.

To do that it uses a system of pulleys and a belt. It seems odd when driving it because the engine sounds like it’s revving its head off at a constant speed instead of climbing and dropping as it would normally do. The CVT was first used on a small DAF car in the 1970s, and picked up by Volvo when it took over DAF. It took a long time to develop the transmission, particularly the drive belt, to be used on anything other than a very small engine. Those problems have largely been fixed, but you’re correct that Nissan, and also Honda, had troubles when they first used the CVT.

The dual-clutch transmission is really a manual gearbox with two clutches that operate in synch with each other, one releasing one gear while the other engaging another gear. VW, Ford and Holden have had a lot of trouble with it, mostly related to the clutch packs, and the electronics.

It should be noted that both the CVT and the dual-clutch auto are more fuel-efficient that the conventional automatic, and both now seem to be largely trouble free.

I wouldn’t rush into selling it, I would get a second opinion on the turbo, and I doubt his prediction of further problems down the track as a result of replacing the turbo.

At 161,625 km the Captiva is still a relatively young car, and should still have a few years of service left in it. Instead of the Captiva, consider a Mazda CX-5, Kia Sorento, or perhaps a Nissan X-Trail.

It’s hard to know how Holden has managed to largely get away with this problem.

Ford was heavily fined by the ACCC for what is a similar situation. An automatic transmission of any sort should not fail to the point of needing to be replaced in 70,000 km, and in my view should be replacing them at no cost to the owner. The fact that your car hasn’t been serviced by a Holden dealer should have no bearing on the problem. It is a dud transmission and Holden should accept full responsibility for it. Talk to the people at the ACCC and get their advice on the approach you should take with Holden.

 Both have a 3500kg towing rating, so will tow most caravans with ease, but you also need to be aware of the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and Gross Combination Mass (GCM) and make sure you don’t exceed them when loaded.