Holden Problems

I agree that two weeks is too long to have to wait, the dealer’s workshop is poorly organized if he has to wait that long. I wouldn’t be concerned about driving the car of the light is not illuminated, if it comes on again, stop and turn the ignition off and on again. That might be enough to reboot the computer and keep you going. If it’s coming on regularly then certainly have the cause investigated.

You certainly haven’t had a good run with it. I have heard of transmissions being replaced, but not many, and I haven’t heard of widespread trouble with the other issues you have had.

You need to know the all-up weight of the trailer with the three horses all your gear aboard. The horses alone weight 1500 kg, and the float is going to be 1500 to 2000 kg, so you need a vehicle capable of towing 3500 kg. There are a number on the market rated to tow that load, vehicles like the Holden Colorado, Mazda BT-50, Ford Ranger, Land Rover Discovery etc. You also need to be mindful of the Gross Combination Mass of the vehicle when you're going to tow at or near its maximum rating to ensure you don't exceed it.

Larger wheels are used mostly for styling and image reasons, plus the fact that the carmakers can charge more for them. As for the ride, larger wheels go in tandem with low profile tyres, which ride harder and are less comfortable.

It does sound like it's an electrical or electronic problem, because when it happens the car is going into limp home mode, which is when you lose power. These problems are not unusual with today's cars, which rely so much on electronics.

WA uses the national Written-Off Vehicle Register (WOVR) and requires all written-off vehicles to be registered by the assessor. There are two types of written-off vehicles, Statutory Written-Off vehicles that can't be re-registered, and Repairable Write-Offs, which can be re-registered. To re-register a repairable write-off the car must pass safety and identity checks. I don't believe there is any requirement for a dealer selling a repairable write-off to advise the buyer of its status, although I think it's a little mischievous for them not to do so. The responsibility for checking the status is with the buyer. There's nothing wrong with selling a repairable write-off, they're often written-off because the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the car, and in some cases that's easy to do. I doubt that you have a case, but seek legal advice if you feel you want to pursue a claim.

It’s good that you queried the advice, because I think it’s poor advice. It’s not standard to replace the rotors every time the pads are replaced. The rotors should be checked for wear when the pads are changed, and they might well need changing if they are worn out, but it’s not the standard practice to replace whenever the pads are changed. Have the dealer show you that the rotors are worn out. As for the light bulb quote, it’s probably not too bad given that the dealer is probably charging you $150 per hour. Think yourself lucky that you don’t own a Mercedes-Benz, I’ve heard of quotes of $400-plus to replace a front park light.

You're a member of a large club. The Cruze was a dud back then, the transmission problems have been well publicized. Holden has been replacing transmissions at its own expense, so I would be hopeful that they will come to the party with your car. You are absolutely right that a major problem like this should not happen to a car that is so new and done so few kays. Keep calling Holden until you get an answer, and if it's in the negative, call again. You could consider getting a lawyer to send the company a letter demanding action.

It's an electrical or electronic fault that's causing your car to go into the default limp home mode. It's not possible to say exactly what is wrong, do that you need to take the car to a mechanic and have them diagnose the problem on their equipment.