My Holden Company Cars...oh dear!!

turbojetboy · 03-08-2010, 12:24 PM

Obviously I am a bit of a ford man, but I have previously had no real issue with Holdens.....until i was given a used 3 year old company car commodore that had just clicked over 100,000km. No end of trouble! Engine warning light problems, sudden and erratic transmission shift problems with associated fault codes, creaking and rattling, all from a car the was regularly dealer serviced. The trans faults where never fixed despite some big bills, so at 122,000km I was given a brand new Holden Colorado. That was wednesday night last week, driven exactly 15 km and bingo engine warning light on permenantly. Back to dealer next day, all day for new ego sensors. Got it back thurs night, dealer fitted bluetooth no/go and reverse camera rolling picture like and old tv with no vertical hold. Holden endorsed canopy leaking like Titanic from everyhere - in just some minor showers. Leave home Friday morning pull out of driveway, loud clunk and shudder throughout car. Stopped immediately and looked everywhere underneath - all looks ok. Rang my manager who is watching this car very closely as it is our first Colorado. Advised to take back to dealer again. Steering now totally lost self centering action - you have to pull it back to the dead ahead position! Also intermittent wipers no/go and interior light switch failed. Now it has been at the dealer for 2 more days with apparently failed bush in front rhs side rails.

All of this from a car that has done just over 100km. I have never seen anything like it and seriously doubt that this car is built to a reasonable standard. The dealership is of course bending over backwards but it is all too late, my fleet manager has told me this will be the one and only Colorado.

Holden quality..............I dont think so!

grandpa_spec_F6 · 03-08-2010, 12:55 PM

We had a VE work ute, the SV6 model, its done about 30 thou and already pretty shagged, decides to change when it wants to, not when it should.

Friends of ours has been crapping on about his work car, a holden wagon 08 model. No matter how fast you're going, the minute you apply acceleration, it drops back to second. This is quite horrific when highway crusing :S

Mr Hardware · 03-08-2010, 01:29 PM

Yes, I was given a VZ Wagon in 07 as a work car
three warranty claims before 6000klms.

But i bet there's heaps of B series owners who will tell you sob stories too

at the end of the day this is, at best anecdotal evidence
at worst, holden bashing

I don't think this thread should continue until some actual warranty claims per thousand stats can be produced.

EgoFalcon · 03-08-2010, 01:31 PM

Dads old company car (for that week) was a vy sv8 6 speed manual. Got it home fine. Next day go get some groceries, heard this ping sound and scraping. Stopped car, looked around, smoke blowing into the cabin... ends up transmission was stuffed.

Anti holden thread, love it.

Does this mean they concede and you get a ford company car?

sgt_doofey · 03-08-2010, 01:36 PM

Mate of mine has a Colorado for a company car. He works in the rural industries, so it cops a lot of rough treatment. (I.e. I've never seen it clean, inside or out) I don't think he's had any problems with it, but I haven't seen him for a while whilst I'm overseas.
You must have gotten one that was built on a Friday or Monday.

glavas · 03-08-2010, 01:51 PM

oh please every car has lemons. i can name a certin 1999 falcon that was a POS. isent a colorado just a izuzu?

GK · 03-08-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glavas

oh please every car has lemons. i can name a certin 1999 falcon that was a POS. isent a colorado just a izuzu?

From what I understand (which is from what I read in the Carsguide a while back), Holden and Isuzu parted ways a while ago with regards to their 4X4 units.

That's why you see Isuzu marketing it's own brand here now.

I could be wrong though, and am more than happy to have someone here in the know give the fully accurate picture.

GK

OzJavelin · 03-08-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EgoFalcon

Dads old company car (for that week) was a vy sv8 6 speed manual. Got it home fine. Next day go get some groceries, heard this ping sound and scraping. Stopped car, looked around, smoke blowing into the cabin... ends up transmission was stuffed.

Anti holden thread, love it.

Does this mean they concede and you get a ford company car?

Weird .. I thought the M6 was as indestructible as it was horrible to use ..

302 XC · 03-08-2010, 02:22 PM

So a company car thats been flogged to death with 100K on clock has problems
Now you wonder why most company cars are unloaded before 100K
Where wife worked a sales rep had a new car ,it was in panel shop every 2nd week within first 12 months
It had 3 complete spray jobs and endless repairs within 60K
Sold the car and sacked the salesman

irlewy86 · 03-08-2010, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

So a company car thats been flogged to death with 100K on clock has problems
Now you wonder why most company cars are unloaded before 100K
Where wife worked a sales rep had a new car ,it was in panel shop every 2nd week within first 12 months
It had 3 complete spray jobs and endless repairs within 60K
Sold the car and sacked the salesman

Yeah, funny how vehicle problems can be fixed by changing the driver.

I can think of 2 fleet cars which had nothing but troubles until the employee moved on. Then all the problems magically disappear overnight.

duaned · 03-08-2010, 03:28 PM

I can see someone pegging this thread over at the LS1 forums!

turbojetboy · 03-08-2010, 03:29 PM

I just want to point out that the Colorado has in no way been thrashed, mild driving only on city bitumen. So if you want to delete this thread.....fine. I look after my cars - all of them to a very high standard - so if some of you think that these sort of problems are ok and I should just suck it up then thats your perogative - me however I see this is a shamefull display of a car built in third world country to a third world standard. I dont want it back.

grandpa_spec_F6 · 03-08-2010, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EgoFalcon

Dads old company car (for that week) was a vy sv8 6 speed manual.

Oh great .... I JUST bought one of those 2 weeks ago!

Does these really well though -->

Quote:

Originally Posted by duaned

I can see someone pegging this thread over at the LS1 forums!

FYI, I'm a member of LS1 as well ;)

Assassinbm · 03-08-2010, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

So a company car thats been flogged to death with 100K on clock has problems
Now you wonder why most company cars are unloaded before 100K
Where wife worked a sales rep had a new car ,it was in panel shop every 2nd week within first 12 months
It had 3 complete spray jobs and endless repairs within 60K
Sold the car and sacked the salesman

Mate I think you will find OP stated 100.0 kms, looks like a Friday arvo car to me!!!

GK · 03-08-2010, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assassinbm

Mate I think you will find OP stated 100.0 kms, looks like a Friday arvo car to me!!!

Spot on. 100 kilometres not 100,000 kilometres.

He got a lemon for sure!

GK

Franco Cozzo · 03-08-2010, 07:35 PM

We service a fleet of 70 utes for an airconditioning specialist who work on building sites, anyways the Rodeos/Collorados are always the ones that come in with the most problems, but then again they have the absolute crap thrashed out of them, probably by multiple people. (Some of those people questionable, we often come across porn mags in the car).

We also get the BF/FG eGas Falcons come in with problems like wheel bearings giving up and dead catalytic converters.

So i guess its how the car is treated. OP must have got a lemon.

**Giant Cranium** · 03-08-2010, 07:47 PM

whats wrong with porn in the car?
It does not make him a bad person or driver!

on the other hand every brand of car can get a dud every now and then.

i got a workmate hilux 4 weeks ago with 27 ks on it and it had rattles and brake shudder. now has 6000ks and cant wait to hand it in and get my commo ute in a month

irish2 · 03-08-2010, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

(Some of those people questionable, we often come across porn mags in the car).

So you being a questionable person remove said 'porn' for personal toolbox?

JimNiki · 03-08-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

(Some of those people questionable, we often come across porn mags in the car).

so you're telling us that both car and driver are flogged!

Bucknaked · 03-08-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glavas

oh please every car has lemons. i can name a certin 1999 falcon that was a POS. isent a colorado just a izuzu?

+1. I've had more ford lemons than my Holden lemons. My XR5 had a faulty gearbox and with 300 k's on the clock when the problem first occurred. 26,000 k's later and ford agreed to a new gearbox.

Lemons come all brands. I think people like to bag the opposition when ford cars are as bad, if not worse than holdens.

302 XC · 03-08-2010, 08:40 PM

Wow,
Some of you guys say the OP car has only 100.oo KS
maybe should reread the OP
100,000Ks 3 years old !!!

Any new car could have problems,
I bought a brand spanker 2005 V6 courier and needed rear wheels bearings and didnt even have 5,000 ks on it !!!
Yep new bearings before first service !!!
99%++ of company cars are flogged to death
Its amazing how people tread things when its not there money buying it

GS608 · 03-08-2010, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Wow,
Some of you guys say the OP car has only 100.oo KS
maybe should reread the OP
100,000Ks 3 years old !!!

Any new car could have problems,
I bought a brand spanker 2005 V6 courier and needed rear wheels bearings and didnt even have 5,000 ks on it !!!
Yep new bearings before first service !!!
99%++ of company cars are flogged to death
Its amazing how people tread things when its not there money buying it

no maybe YOU should re read it mate, he got rid of the commodore and got a brand new COLORADO with all these problems and only has 100 KM on it!

302 XC · 03-08-2010, 09:05 PM

Oh my bad
Vision got blurry when the word HOLDEN was mentioned
So only read the first dozen or so words

turbojetboy · 03-08-2010, 09:09 PM

Lets get this straight, the commodore was nealry 3 years old with just over 100,000km when serious problems with electronics and transmission set in. The Colorado had just 15km - that right 15 km (and 45km pre deliver giving a total of 60km) when it started to all go wrong. I had it for just 20 minutes! Having said all that the car is back in my hands after 3 days in for repairs which included replacement of suspension bushing, ego sensors, bluetooth, camera screen and wheel align etc. The car does seem to finally be in good shape. Fingers crossed.

Cabbage · 03-08-2010, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbojetboy

I just want to point out that the Colorado has in no way been thrashed, mild driving only on city bitumen. So if you want to delete this thread.....fine. I look after my cars - all of them to a very high standard - so if some of you think that these sort of problems are ok and I should just suck it up then thats your perogative - me however I see this is a shamefull display of a car built in third world country to a third world standard. I dont want it back.

This is a public forum and this is your experience so you should be allowed to share it. Forum members are smart enough to weigh up the posts and make their own minds up about different vehicles/topics.

Rastus · 03-08-2010, 09:34 PM

I drive a base model RA Rodeo Diesel 4x4 Twin Cab and it'd been a great rig. Runs pretty cheap, has towed as well as been loaded up & towed massive loads (Roof Trusses -Timber), and the only thing other than servicing that's been done to it is a set of shocks. It's done 250k+ now.
I guess some things could've changed since the introduction of the Colorado, but it is basically the same vehicle. I love driving it, puttin around like "Farmer Bob"
The boss's LX8 Adventra on the other hand, damn, what a bucket. There's always been something wrong with that. Cruise control, brakes, sensors, steering rack, suspension, and now finally a blown auto. (reverse dissapeared unless revved, and 1st & 4th had funky noises. Bands maybe?
Regularly serviced. Anyway, she's stuffed.
As others have said, every brand can have lemons.

Franco Cozzo · 03-08-2010, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irish2

So you being a questionable person remove said 'porn' for personal toolbox?

No no, its a bit sus though leaving it on your passenger footwell when you know the car is going for a service.

drew`SEVNT5 · 03-08-2010, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GK

From what I understand (which is from what I read in the Carsguide a while back), Holden and Isuzu parted ways a while ago with regards to their 4X4 units.

That's why you see Isuzu marketing it's own brand here now.

I could be wrong though, and am more than happy to have someone here in the know give the fully accurate picture.

GK

Holden Colorado & Isuzu D-Max = Same car, same factory, different headlight/grille/bumper.

I get given D-Max's every 30,000-odd-kms as my new work car (I do 1000-1500km a week) and there fine. The front guards seem to be made out of paper tho, dents very easily.... If it were my sorta car, im sure id love it.

JimNiki · 03-08-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Wow,
Some of you guys say the OP car has only 100.oo KS
maybe should reread the OP
100,000Ks 3 years old !!!

Any new car could have problems,
I bought a brand spanker 2005 V6 courier and needed rear wheels bearings and didnt even have 5,000 ks on it !!!
Yep new bearings before first service !!!
99%++ of company cars are flogged to death
Its amazing how people tread things when its not there money buying it

you are correct in that I wouldn't feel comfortable buying an ex fleet car as you never know how it has been treated.

I always tried to look after my 06 outlander company car as I had it in the back of my mind that one day I'll pay the 12k residual and keep it for the Mrs.

Anyway, as luck would have it, I got retrenched a month ago and now I'll be stuck with it for another few years... at least it's got one more year on warranty on it... The other guy who got given his walking papers on the same day was a manager with a calais of similar vintage. He didn't take it for 22k cause the gearbox was on it's way out...

Franco Cozzo · 03-08-2010, 11:11 PM

I do have to say though, the Collorado is a real nice ride, it bounces over everything.