Holden Caprice News

Law firm Maurice Blackburn has launched a class action lawsuit against General Motors Australia and New Zealand.It alleges faulty transmissions were fitted to “hundreds of thousands” of Holden Commodore and Colorado models, with owners possibly getting a pay-out. The gearboxes in question are codenamed: GM 6L 45, 6L 50 and 6L 80, along with their derivatives. They were sold in new vehicles between January 1, 2011 and December 24, 2024. Models include the Commodore VE and Commodore VF also in Ute, Caprice and Calais guises. Some versions of the Colorado ute and its derivatives — the Colorado 7 and Trailblazer — also used the automatic transmissions. Maurice Blackburn’s class action “alleges that the transmission systems in the affected Holden vehicles are defective due to a design fault in the Torque Converter and Torque Converter Clutch.” “As a result of the alleged defect, the affected vehicles have a propensity to experience various problems including intermittent transmission shudders, excessive vibrations, harsh gear shifts, leakage of Automatic Transmission fluid, accelerated degradation of the components of the transmission system and greater servicing requirements. “The class action alleges that General Motors failed to comply with the guarantee of acceptable quality under the Australian Consumer Law and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct. ”The class action is open to those who bought new or used vehicles affected. It is also open to those who have sold their vehicle or who own a vehicle, and those who have not yet experienced any issues. Maurice Blackburn is seeking to recover compensation from General Motors Australian New Zealand for loss and damage on behalf of the consumer. A GM spokesperson told CarsGuide, "GM does not comment on ongoing litigation."GM stands by its commitment to achieving the best outcomes for Holden customers."There is precedent for transmission-related class actions, with one being brought against Ford’s ‘Powershift’ dual-clutch transmission in 2016. The case evolved into an ACCC matter and Ford was ordered to pay a $10 million fine for its handling of the situation.

Australians used to be spoiled for choice.

The number of Holden employees working at the Elizabeth factory on its final day was just 945, with 800 workers having already departed following the end of Cruze production last year.

A government tender awarded to an Australian company was later taken away and given to German carmaker BMW last year.

Some car brands are more open than others; some owners are in the dark. Australia is on track to post a record number of vehicle recalls this year. It has already eclipsed a 10-year high.In 2004, about 776,000 cars were recalled - so far this year, the figure is more than 800,000 and looks certain to surpass the 855,000 in 2001.So are cars becoming less reliable or are manufacturers more concerned about being sued for negligence, and so being more open about problems with their vehicles?The answer to both questions is yes.As car companies drive down costs, they outsource more parts that can be bought more cheaply due to global economies of scale.For example Japanese company Takata makes airbags for most leading car brands. But when something goes wrong, it's monumental.There is currently a global recall of 16 million cars from nine brands - including about 100,000 in Australia - because Takata airbags could inflate with excessive force and potentially spray shrapnel at occupants. So far, the fault has been linked to at least four deaths in the US.General Motors, meanwhile, recalled 2.6 million cars in North America because of a faulty ignition switch that could turn off the engine and disable the airbags. So far the fault has been linked to at least 27 deaths in the US, according to Reuters.US authorities found General Motors executives hid the fault for almost 10 years. Senior staff involved in the scandal have since been sacked.Recalls are in the spotlight in Australia because Holden - possibly spurred by the investigation into the parent company's handling of the ignition switch recall - has been more open than it might have been in the past. Holden's 13 recalls so far this year is more than any other car brand in a calendar year and more than half of these relate to Australian-made cars.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The next highest on the local list are Jeep (nine recalls) and Toyota (seven). Some Holden recalls, such as a faulty windscreen wiper, may seem overcautious. Some, however, are disturbing.One of the latest recalls was issued because manual transmission versions of the Holden Trax compact SUV and Barina small car can unintentionally 'bunny hop' and then stall if the driver bumps the key when it is in the ignition - even in the off position.Authorities argue that safety is safety, though the definition of 'safety' is open to interpretation. Despite the tough wording, recalls in Australia are still voluntary.This is why some brands don't issue a recall and instead divert the repair work to a 'dealer service campaign'.For example, Hyundai Australia last year voluntarily called 227,000 cars to dealerships to replace a faulty brake light switch in eight models, representing most of its range. News Corp Australia exclusively unearthed the fault the year before.But the company stopped short of calling it a safety recall because the Federal Department of Transport advised the consumer watchdog that the brake light switch fault was "not a safety issue".Hyundai has previously shown a reluctance to recall.In November 1998 it refused to recall 46,000 examples of the Excel even though several were found to have a welding defect that could lead to the collapse of the front suspension.In words eerily similar to the brake light issue, Hyundai claimed at the time it was "not a safety issue".An NRMA technical report said of the Excel's suspension: "In extreme cases the right front wheel and drive shaft can become detached and jam the wheel in the housing." The Federal Government threatened to issue a compulsory recall - which it had never done - if Hyundai did not take action. Despite the seriousness of the fault, and the tough talk from government, Hyundai issued a dealer service campaign.Holden may be more transparent now but it too has recently avoided at least one serious recall. It insists there is no local recall required for a faulty ignition switch despite 46,000 export versions of the Australian-made Commodore and Caprice being recalled in the US earlier this month. In doing so Holden has avoided what would become the biggest recall in Australian automotive history as it would involve approximately 432,000 Commodores made since 2006.Holden engineers insist the GM ignition fault in the US does not affect Commodores in Australia because the position of the key is different.The risk of faults increases as cars become more complex and incorporate more parts from outside suppliers. Furthermore, the handling of recalls differs from brand to brand.Would you rather buy a car from a company that is more open about its faults and more likely to fix them quickly?The alternative is to hope for repair work under the guise of a 'dealer service campaign' - but that is contingent on taking the car back to the selling dealer rather than an independent mechanic.Federal authorities need to provide a clearer definition of what constitutes a safety recall to make the response more consistent across all brands.For now, some car brands are more open than others in this respect and some car owners are none the wiser.

It's rare for car prices to go up these days but Holden has broken ranks. Price rises are more than rare are in Australia today. Or should that be less? In any case, we have all become much more familiar with price cuts than price rises as 67 brands battle to shift cars and make money down under.The sales slowdown over recent months means there has been far more dollar dealing, from special prices to run-outs on cars that still have many months to live, with no sign of widespread pressure to lift the bottom line.There is an occasional upward change but it's generally just a slight shift to coincide with a new-model introduction.So, when Holden makes an across-the-board move to raise prices - although the slow selling Volt escaped - it makes news.To provide some perspective, the last Hyundai increase in showroom stickers was $2000 on April 1 for the i30 Tourer, a move that came because the baby wagon is made in the Czech Republic. And it only applied to a single model."The increase was, unfortunately, a necessary one," says Hyundai spokesman, Bill Thomas."Generally, price planning is very much a long-term game, so we don't usually react to exchange rate fluctuations."If we did, we'd be altering prices every day."So, how does Holden justify its increases? "Pricing is made up of a range of factors," Holden spokesman George Svigos says."It's not on everything but it's not specific to imports or locally-made models. Commodore has gone up." Svigos says he is limited in what he can say because Holden cannot be seen to be trying to influence or manipulate the car market.That's unlikely with an upward push, which is in total contrast to its recent boost to warranty and servicing costs. "Holden is not trying to push the industry. It's more an accurate reflection of its recommended retail pricing," Svigos says."There is always competition and always someone doing a deal." So, does that mean Holden is just doing some paperwork, perhaps as part of a global change at General Motors, without expecting any genuine change to its transaction prices in Australia?"We continue to offer great value across our whole range. It's not like we're an expensive product. We're not Hyundai, but we're not Mazda or one of the premium brands," says Svigos."On pricing, there are a range of things to look at, from RRP to drive-away prices, special offers, factory bonuses, cashbacks..."CHOICES HOLDEN CAPRICE: 4/5 PRICE: From $54,990ENGINE: 3.6-litre V6 LPG, 180kW/320Nm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed auto, RWD THIRST: 12.1L/100km THE LOWDOWN: Standard LPG engine, 6.0-litre V8 as an option: says everything about the people who are buying the Caprice. It's mostly chauffeur drivers, or people who worry about the price of petrol, but who want all the luxury you can get in an Australian-built car. The Caprice is great and will be sadly missed.HOLDEN BARINA SPARK: 3.5/5 PRICE: From $12,890ENGINE: 1.2-litre 4-cyl, 59kW/107Nm TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive THIRST: 5.2L/100km THE LOWDOWN: The cheapest Holden is cheap to buy, service and run. Cabin quality is not the best, the engine is not the best and the four-speed auto is not the best - but it's still a car worth considering if you're on a tight budget.HOLDEN CRUZE: 3.5 PRICE: From $19,890ENGINE: 1.8-litre 4-cyl, 104kW/175NmTRANSMISSION: 5-speed man/6-speed auto, FWD THIRST: 7.0L/100km THE LOWDOWN: The Cruze got off to a slow start in Australia but later changes at the factory in Adelaide and in the car itself have made it a better drive and better to own. It's still not a serious threat to the Mazda3 or Volkswagen Golf, but it's solid and sensible.SECOND-HAND HOLDEN COMMODORE: The first Commodore in 1978 was a winner, the latest one is the best Australian car of all time.Somewhere in the mix there is sure to be a pre-owned Commodore that ticks the boxes for most people.The big Aussie six might be thirsty, unless you go for LPG, but the rest of the package combines lots of space with affordable prices. A sporty Commodore, from the SV6 right through to an HSV hero, is also a top drive and incredible value against anything from Europe with similar grip and go.

Holden is recalling 25,000 Commodores because the seat could wriggle loose.

Nascar racer Jeff Gordon was the star for a viral video ad last year in which he donned a disguise and then took an unwitting car salesman for the scariest test drive of his career.But some media called BS on the hit video, saying it was faked. Chief critic was Jalopnik's Travis Okulski who claimed Gordon was not behind the wheel, and every person who appeared in the video was a paid actor.However Gordon's now had the last word and some sweet revenge, setting Okulski up -- with the more than willing help of his friends. The critical writer is lured from New York down to the southern state of North Carolina, where Gordon picks him up in the guise of an ex-criminal taxi driver - driving the US Chevrolet Caprice version of our own Holden Caprice.Cue a mock police car, an abandoned factory and some white-knuckle action accompanied by a soundtrack of Okulski pleading to be let out of the car. Directed by the same team as last year's video, this one turns into a great payback -- and Okulski takes it with class when the prank is outed.He attests on Jalopnik: "I can say with total certainty that this second ... test drive ad is unequivocally, one hundred percent, totally, absolutely real."Watch the desktop version of the Race driver's revenge on car journo video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Holden has announced pricing and details of its new WN Caprice and Caprice V models, before officially going on sale with the VF Commodore range on June 1.The big news for Caprice buyers is a price drop of $10,000 for both new variants, with the Caprice listing at $54,990, and the Caprice V now topping off the Holden range at just $59,990.These price reductions follow the significant price reductions across the new VF Commodore lineup, as Holden aims to increase its share in the Australian new car market.Significantly the WN lineup drops any petrol V6 option, with the Caprice now fitted exclusively with the 3.6 litre LPG-only engine, where the the WM II Caprice was available with a petrol-only 3.6 litre V6 for a $3000 cheaper ($61,990)entry price.The flagship Caprice V remains exclusively available with the 6.0 litre petrol V8, with both engine options reflecting respective market demands.“The vast majority of private buyers opt for the V8-only Caprice V flagship, whereas the LPG-only Caprice is designed to better suit fleet buyers,” Holden’s Craig Cheetham  told Carsguide.   Exterior changes over the previous WMII Caprice models are minimal, with the Caprice gaining the 18 inch alloys and extra chrome detailing previously fitted to Caprice V, and the Caprice V gaining the same 19 inch wheels fitted to the VF Calais V.On the inside, a version of the VF Calais V’s new interior design has been grafted into the WM II’s VE-era body, with new front seats, dash, door trims, and centre console bringing a significant aesthetic leap over previous versions.Both models benefit from a suite of new safety and technology features introduced with the VF Commodore range. The $54,990 Caprice comes equipped with leather trim, proximity key, eight-inch satnav screen with MyLink integration, along with Auto Park Assist, Blind Spot and Reverse Traffic alerts, front and rear parking sensors and reverse camera, electric park brake, hill assist, trailer sway control, and remote vehicle start.The $59,990 Caprice V adds Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, colour heads-up display, deluxe leather trim, sports steering wheel, Bose nine-speaker audio, an electric sunroof, and a new rear seat entertainment system, with the Cadillac SRX-sourced unit moving the twin DVD screens from the headrests to the seatbacks.“We think we’ve made a smart investment in our long wheel base models. Caprice has always been an extremely well designed, well-proportioned large car and the all new interior is particularly important to customers in this segment,” Holden’s Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, Philip Brook said. “Holden has added the features and advanced technology that customers would only expect from prestige brands to Australia’s own large luxury car.”This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

We’re riding shotgun – literally – in Holden’s latest export hope, the US police version of the Caprice, which has made it all the way from Adelaide to America.There are two giant shotguns jammed between the roof and the floor, strapped to the driver’s seat.Even though there is a giant computer screen and keyboard between me and the firearms, I’m too scared to make a wrong move in case I bump something.But I’m in safe hands. I’m surrounded by guns. And if these rifles aren’t enough to protect me, sergeant Don Tetzloff has a pistol strapped to his belt. And back-up is a radio call away.After 18 years and more than half a million sales of the Ford Crown Victoria to police, the US cop car business is an open market.Ford axed the Crown Victoria late last year, sending Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet scrambling for a chance win some of the 50,000 to 70,000 police car orders annually.A little over a year after the big Ford’s demise, no clear favourite has emerged – but Holden is right in the thick of it. And after a slow start, sales are starting to climb.Holden won’t supply figures because it’s Chevrolet’s jurisdiction. But according to sources in the US, after 1200 sales in the first 12 months or so, there are now more than 6000 Holden Caprices in police hands across North America.To put that in perspective, that’s roughly five times more Caprices than are sold in Australia each year.In automotive terms this is our Australian Idol making a high profile appearance on an international stage. In the course of its duties, Holden’s “Police Caprice” has already made a number of US TV news appearances and at least one Hollywood movie cameo. There are also a couple of Holden Caprices based at Los Angeles Airport, and about 200 were ordered by Detroit police, to patrol the heart of Motown. Talk about selling ice to eskimos...Critics of Holden’s ambitious export program say the Caprice doesn’t stand a chance because it’s Made in Australia, and police equipment used across two decades in the Ford don’t fit in the new kid on the block.But the police agencies in North America we spoke to said those were “non issues”.“The roof lights fit, the computer fits, we just need to get a new mount for the computer terminal and a new back seat, and that’s it,” says Mike Fujita, who has fitted out six Caprices on his police fleet at Walnut Creek in northern California. He says he has more coming.The ramp up of sales has been slow because police departments across North America have stretched out the life of their cars in an attempt to save money in lean economic times. Some agencies now run their police “cruisers” for five years or 100,000 miles (160,000km), at which point they’re junked or sold for as little as $2000.Each car is replaced one at a time, and there are more than 1800 police agencies across North America who individually select the cars their officers drive. So there are no bulk orders in the thousands.But as the word among police spreads, the popularity of the Caprice seems to be gaining momentum.“Some of the bigger guys don’t like it because the seat’s a little smaller than the one in the Crown Victoria,” says officer Sean Dexter. “But that suits me, that means there’s always a Caprice available.”Other officers say the Caprice can get to urgent jobs quicker. “The Caprice just feels better glued to the road, and on the freeway you leave the other officers in the dust,” said one.“There was enough of a difference in power and performance that we had our officers do driver training and requalify for the Caprice,” says Tetzloff.But back to our ride. When we set out to do this story we imagined dark alleyways, graffiti and gangs. Takedowns, pursuits and possibly a shoot-out or two would surely follow, just like they do in the movies.What we got was neat, upper-middle class of America, with one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.Walnut Creek is about an hour’s drive east of San Francisco and, coincidentally, just 15 minutes from the port where the Caprices dock after their journey across the Pacific.In these parts, rather than walk around a corner and be confronted with gang members, we were more likely to be killed by kindness.The only dangerous weapon the public seemed to carry was fast food that one day might give them a heart attack. The biggest risk to police here, it seems, is a paper cut.“It’s a nice part of the world,” says Tetzloff. “We have our problems but it’s true to say some of younger officers leave because it’s not busy enough. I guess you could say that’s a good problem to have. It’s a safe community.”The last time a gun went off was by accident – as an officer was emptying a firearm. So no shoot-outs today. Or the next, it would seem.After four hours on the beat, and not a single ticket to be issued (the sergeant didn’t even hand out a warning, so well behaved was the community), we headed back to the station.In the underground car park is a fleet of Ford Crown Victoria “black and whites” in various condition and age, all due to be retired in the next few years.If the early reactions to the Caprice are a fair indication, there’s every chance that each of those Fords will become a Holden over time. The half price Holden CapricePolice in North America pay about $30,000 for a Holden Caprice – less than half the RRP in Australia. But it’s not the same car, and there are no luxury appointments apart from air-conditioning. The seats are vinyl, the floor has a rubber cover (not plush carpet) and it comes with the basic Commodore dashboard. The one that got awayThe Chevrolet Caprice is not available to the public in North America, it’s a government-only purchase. But in August 2011 an enterprising Chevrolet dealer in Maryland found a loophole that allowed him to sell the police-only model to the public – and there was nothing the long arm of the law could do about it. At least 13 vehicles are believed to have escaped the government-only net. General Motors lawyers have since changed the wording of the contract it has with dealers, to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The next chapterThe Holden Commodore will once again be sold in North America from late next year as a high performance V8 sedan. The Chevrolet SS is due on sale in late 2013 but it will make its debut as a Nascar at the Daytona 500 next February, putting the Commodore in front of one of the biggest sporting audiences in the world. After the successful Monaro export program in the early 2000s, Holden exported the VE Commodore as a Pontiac in 2007 and 2008 but was phased out in 2009 after the brand was axed in the wake of the GFC. At a glanceHolden CapricePrice: $69,990Engine: 6.0-litre V8Transmission: Six-speed automaticSafety: Six airbags, five-star rating0 to 100km/h: 5.5 secondsEconomy: 12.3L/100km