Holden Problems

Take it to a mechanic or an auto electrician, who will be able to sort it out for you.

Holden does have a responsibility to support its products with parts and service for a reasonable time, particularly for a car like the VE, which is relatively new. Consult the people at Consumer Affairs about your concern and ask them to approach Holden on your behalf.

It’s a common problem for us as we get older, but there are no sedans or hatches that have the sort of higher driving seat that you want. The best option would be a small SUV, such as a Holden Trax, Toyota C-HR, Ford Kuga, or Suzuki S-Cross.

Those early Barinas were prone to oil leaks. I guess that you have had it repaired before, but without success. If it's fixed properly it shouldn't leak, but it could be that it needs a better sealant, or the surface of the rocker cover might need machining flat.

No, I wouldn't, the kilometres are too high for comfort. The car is nearing the end of the road, and you're likely to have problems with it going forward.

The used Captiva does appear to be great value, but their shaky reputation for reliability would lead me to consider other options. The Territory would be a better bet, but they are known to have electrical and front suspension issues in the long-term.  If you're after an SUV, a seven-seat 2006-12 Mitsubishi Outlander is smart buying at the moment, but if you're just after the seven seats, I highly recommend taking a look at a 2008-13 Kia Rondo. These represent excellent value at the moment. Hope that helps, and keep us posted with your progress.

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.

For starters Holden is not shutting down. What it is doing is stopping local production, so there won't be any more Commodores built here in the future. Holden is committed to continuing in the Australian market selling cars it imports from Asia and Europe. Parts will continue to be available for the Commodore well into the future, and there wont be any change to quality of the service you receive from your Holden dealer.

Go back to the dealer and ask to see the results of the test, so you know what they are, and whether or not they reflect the results you get. The average you are measuring is crazily high if it's correct. It's not at all normal, which suggests there is a problem, possibly with the engine management system, which needs further investigation.

It's annoying that this should happen, but I doubt that Holden would cover it. It's one of those things that can happen with age.