Holden Problems

There were two engines in the 2012 VE Calais Series 2. One was a 3.6-litre V6 Alloytec SIDI, the other a 6.0-litre Gen IV L76 V8.

Both cars meet all of your requirements, they have 5-star safety, they're comfortable, have a large boot, and plenty of power for overtaking. Either one would be a good choice, but if I were to be making the selection it would be the Toyota for reliability and resale.

Given that the warranty is going to expire in the coming year I would press your dealer to fix the problems that are causing you concern. They appear to have fixed the leaking radiator, but the air-conditioning and gearbox issues should be fixed. If the dealer cannot, or is unwilling to fix them escalate the problem by talking directly to Holden's customer service.

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.

With local production shutting down the big-car choices are getting fewer and fewer, but right now you can still buy a Calais if that's what you like. You can also buy an equivalent Falcon or Toyota Aurion. There are more expensive cars, from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi etc. that would suit, but they come with a much higher price tag than a Calais. Others you could try are a Skoda Superb, a Honda Accord V6 Luxury if you're prepared to give up a little in size, and there's also the Chrysler 300C.

Our enquiries with Holden weren't successful; all we got was a deafening silence. It seems they either don't know how it will work, or aren't prepared to tell us. Given the company's reluctance to talk on this matter I suggest you maintain pressure on the customer care people until they give you an answer.

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.

It all depends on the condition. If it were in good condition, with good brakes and tyres, and not requiring any major work it would be worth $1500 to $2500.

There are a lot of sealers and glues used in today's cars, so what you've got is common. You haven't been sold a bodged-up car.

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.