Holden Problems

There have been problems with the HVAC system in the VF, and it's not just a noisy minority. Holden issued a service bulletin (13-SU-02) in 2103 for a software update for the VAC control module, but the jury is out on whether it really did fix the problem.

Check out the reports and comparos on our website where our road testers have consistently praised it in its class. I can only back up what has been reported, that it has decent fuel consumption, 5-star safety, and is well tuned to our roads.

You appear to have been given the run-around. Take the car back to the dealer and ask for a meeting with the service manager. Ask him for an explanation of what has happened and why, and then try to get a commitment to fix it, at their expense. You could also complain to the Motor Trade Association of WA about the work that has been done, they might be able to help you. You could also seek the advice of the WA Consumer Affairs Department, and as a last resort seek legal advice.

If you believe they have appeared while the car was garaged you have to look at the possibility of something, or someone, rubbing against the car. It could be while they're moving past it, perhaps carrying something that's rubbed up against the paint. If you cover the car while it's garaged it could be the cover rubbing on the paint, perhaps due to wind blowing through the garage.

You're getting into the Colorado at about the right time, when they've done around 100,000 km. If you're going manual check the clutch, that's a bit of a weak point, but other than that go for the best car you can find. One thing to focus on is wear and tear from use as a work vehicle. Look at damage in the bed, dents and scrapes on the body from being worked hard on the job site. Overall they're a pretty good thing.

Yes, it can be rebuilt or replaced and an automatic transmission specialist would be able to do that for you. Cost for the job would be around $2000 to rebuild or replace the transmission on a changeover basis.

It sounds like it's not running as it should, and is perhaps in need of a tune-up.

Regular 91-octane unleaded is the specified fuel for your car, but you could also run it on E10 ethanol or Premium unleaded as well.

The problem with the timing chain is well documented, and would have come to your attention had you researched that model before you bought it. It's not a safety issue, hence no recall, but Holden did revise the timing chain in an attempt to fix it. Call Holden directly and lodge your complaint, but I doubt that you would have any success on a car that is now seven years old.

Do not buy a Cruze, or buy a European brand. They will prove costly. It's best to go for the cars that are well proven over many years. The Lancer is a good one, but so too is the Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 or 3, or Mitsubishi Colt.