Holden Problems

Holden hasn't announced a final date for the closure of the Elizabeth plant in South Australia. All it has said to date is that production of the Commodore will cease towards the end of 2017.

By negotiation. There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to getting out of a car you're unhappy with, you just need to stick to your guns and be determined to see it through to the bitter end whatever that may be.

You will get great value and a classy car in the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The CR-V also goes well and is slightly better value than a RAV4.

If you are not sure about the van you're buying then back out of the deal while you have the chance. The next time you decide on a van have it checked by a mechanic.

Transmission troubles are common with the Cruze of that vintage, and you're right, it will be expensive to replace the transmission. The only thing you could try is to contact Holden and see if they would come to the party and help with the cost of repairs, given that it is such a common problem. While saying that I don't fancy your chances of getting any help.

No, it's not normal. Holden recalled a number of Trax SUVs in 2014 for problems with the ignition barrel. Although the recall doesn't specifically mention then problem you are reporting I suspect it could be related.

You need to get it fixed, without doing that you car is seriously devalued. I would approach Holden, either through your Holden dealer or directly through the company's Customer assistance service and try and negotiate a deal to have the gearbox replaced.

It's not decided if Holden will bring in the new Malibu post-2017 when it stops production of the Commodore. It's been touted as a Commodore replacement, but there are other options the company is considering. Local production of the Cruze will come to an end, but the car will continue as an imported model. Whatever happens Holden will continue to support both cars with parts well into the future. You should feel confident that you can buy either one and not be left with an orphan.

Two choices that get The Tick from me are the Toyota Camry sedan, which can be quite punchy with the 2.5-litre petrol engine and is great value, and the Kia Sportage SUV with turbo diesel.