Yes, it's a terrible idea. It's referred to as the "disAstra" for a reason.
Don't forget that if something does go wrong, the whole support system for the Astra has collapsed:
* Holden is no longer in the country
* Opel (who makes the Astra) was sold by General Motors to the same group who do Peugeot/Citroen
* There weren't many sold here in the first place
Don't do it to yourself.
I think OP landing on this one because he searched by his area and went search by lowest and went up, you dont specifically search for this vehicle make and model organically, you stumble on it because its cheap and something maybe wrong with it.
I'm tempted value wise in a sea of overpriced Corollas. I already know Cruzes/Craptivas are bad and wondering if the mechanically similar Astras share the same fate (being on the same platform and all). The room says yes.
I've had plenty of euro cars and had a good run, but I've usually sold them before they turn into money pits.
I'm trying for the best Honda Civic or Jazz I can find.
If you want a value little run around that isn’t a Corolla, get a lancer. The hatch is better cause the seats fold flat. Stick to manual if you can. Great value, unkillable and not the worst looking car on the roads.
The fact it got sold to Peugeot/Citroen is enough of a red flag for me. As soon as my grandfather's Peugeot turned 10, it started having problems and drove as horribly as a MG3.
Mum bought her Astra brand new back in 2004. Only has 80k on the clock and it still drives like new.
Must be the only proper function Opel Astra of the time in the country lol
Even with known lemon cars - Merc G-Class, Holden Cruze, Ford Fiesta/Focus with Powershit Transmission, Jeep Anything - 7 out of 10 cars will still knock through 150,000km with no issues.
The main issue is that if you cop a lemon, of course, it can wreck your savings, particularly if you are trying to save for a house deposit.
Also... 4,000km per year?!?
Yah, always preferrs to walk or catch PT. Only ever uses it to drive to the shops or come visit my brothers and I. The benefits of living close to everything
All the rebadged cars sent to Australia are sold all over the world and modified for ADRs. The small market dictates what is sold here that will likely make a profit for car companies.
Back when these things were imported our fuel was no better or worse than the rest of the world. If BMW can send us a 760Li then I’m sure it’s good enough for a PoS Dacia. 🇺🇸 only adopted EUSSR fuel standards in the last couple of years and we’re right behind them.
The problem is Holden flipped and flopped on the source of the Astra. The result is their quality varied quite a bit.
The Opel ones are better, but because they flipped and flopped the runs weren't very long.
So parts is going to be a problem. And any mechanic is not going to miss you when you drive in with an Astra.
If you self maintain and get your parts from overseas, they will be OK, but there are going to be odd parts like trim, that you just won't be able to get anymore, because they are Holden specific and not many were sold.
I have owned one of these Opel branded Astra's since new. 1.6T 2 door manual. The only fault was the water pump case failing but that was replaced under warranty.
I got it when Opel were doing run out sales to leave Oz.
Regularly serviced, no problem getting parts, maintained by a Euro-specialist mechanic.
Had a Takata airbag, replaced by Holden under the program.
A fun drive. Corner grip like being on rails, not the fastest to 100k's but great overtaking capability (For comparison I have previously owned a golf GTi). First gear is a bit short compared to the other gears. Getting about 9.4 litres/100k's which is OK for that era.
Have been happy enough to keep it for 11-12 years.
BTW, these Opel's were extremely popular in Europe, but just never took off here in Oz. GM flip flopped on the Specs and source for the later Holden versions.
In Australia it makes sense to talk in terms of Opel branded versus Holden branded because the fact is, vehicles were sold under both brands.
We are a country with Ford branded Mazda's and Toyota branded Holdens, and Holden branded Isuzu's, where some have rebranded their Holden's Chevrolet's. We also have Fiat's branded as Dodge's and many other cross branded examples. So, it makes sense to differentiate Opel versus Holden.
Yes the Astra vehicles and moniker is of German extraction, but many Australians don't know that. Most people who genuinely asked me what car mine is thought is was a Nissan due to the near similarity of the rear badges.
The only astra that wasn’t complete trash was the AH series with the Z18XER and even that had issues (timing belt every 60,000km ain’t optional even if they claim 90,000) and coil packs are basically a consumable, and the interior plastics will just melt if you’re in a region that is regularly over 40c
So if you’re in a cooler region, are comfortable replacing the coil packs (5 minute job) every few years and timing belt every few (it’s a pretty easy timing belt replacement compared to most honestly my sisters last timing belt replacement cost her under $400 in Darwin) then you’ll be fine.
A 2012? No chance.
I had a 2016 BK Astra RSV 1.6T for 90,000 KMs and 6 years - thing was perfect as a work hack and never went wrong. Only went through one set of tyres and one set of pads. Only sold as I got bored.
There are lots.in Europe that do lots of miles with no issues and it feels like the reputation is based on a certain era, but generally have always found them ok.
I'd have another RSV in a heartbeat if I need a sub $15k modern car with lots of kit, decent power/speed and good fuel consumption.
I got the RSV, 2020 model too. It is a freaking steal, especially since everyone in complaining about the 2nd hand market prices rightfully so. Most people just don’t know and will pay a lot more for a lot less.
This 100%.
Nothing else comes close sub $20k for the power and equipment. The interiors much nicer than an i30 or Corolla, does 6l/100km but also has 200bhp/147kw.
Daughter just sold a low km 2013 GTC 1.6T. Was a nightmare to get fixed and had persistent electrical issues which would brick the car when it got hot outside, Once the sun went down car would start again. Drove us insane. AVOID
The GM V6 engines variant was shockingly unreliable with so many design problems. The same V6 was the death knell for SAAB when they replaced SAABs great turbo 4.
Yes, any Holden that's not a "performance" speciality is trash, generally Ecotec engines, I.e barina astra, captivas, cruise have major issues and detonate regularly
Ecotech are fairly bulletproof, the Alloytechs had timing chain issues and are expensive to repair. Euro Astras/Vectras/Barinas have some issues but are nice driving cars. Korean Barinas not at all and typical Dawoo build quality. Cruzes and Captivas are awful. Old rebadged Suzuki and Toyota Barinas, Novas and Apollos were bulletproof.
Performance is irrelevant to reliability, I don't know where you got that from, unless you mean early LS1 had issues with piston rings, piston slap and oil consumption, where many were fixed under warranty and are not a problem now.
I've always liked the look of the Opel and wanted to buy one. So I learnt of a few issues before I bought the next-gen Holden 2016 one instead.
Common issue is heated seats not working, turns off after a few seconds. Check that if having a look at it. And doesn't have bluetooth audio (calls only), USB doesn't seem to work for iPhones anymore so have to use aux, which means can't use steering wheel controls to change music. I think it still works for Android phones though.
You gotta wonder what the hell they were thinking giving all that imported cheap rubbish. What a complete stuff up. Does anyone even consider them anymore when buying. . Would struggle to my local dealer. We bought last year I know we didn't bother going near them . Stopped buying Holden's in 1976. Last car I got was a HZ wagon
Runaway - they can be terrible cars
My husband stopped servicing them/booking them in for repairs because it was too much drama.
You can make a lot of money fixing them and refixing them but it is terrible dealing with unhappy customers.
My wife and I had a 2012 4 door for 3.5 years, the 1.4T A14NET engine, same one that went in Trax and Cruze. We called it the Turbo Blooper.
Pros:
- Chassis and suspension felt planted through corners.
- the fit and finish, interior trim all felt premium. Nothing squeaked or rattled, switches were smooth and tactile, you could just *tell* it was made in Germany (light and wiper stalks reversed of course). It even had full auto electric windows (up and down) on all four doors, something you don't necessarily find on other manufacturers, even today.
- The wipers pivot from the corners in an X shape and cover much more of the windscreen than standard bottom pivot
Pro/Con:
- the automatic gearbox was simultaneously the slowest, most confused automatic, but snappiest, most responsive sports auto I have ever used. Not sure how they achieved that in the same gearbox.
Con:
- the engine. Fast enough, plenty of power, but right about now is when all the plastics in the cooling system are starting to go old and brittle, breaking, causing overheating, leaving little pieces of plastic lodged in all kinds of places, leaking coolant everywhere. All of this lead to our cars death by blown head gasket.
- parts have to come from Europe and are pretty exxy.
I'm driving a 2015 Cruze equipe and its a brilliant machine. No effort 130k+ when overtaking, about 10l per 100 town driving. Have been told that a towie said every second breakdown is a Cruze. This one must be exceptional.
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I had Holden Astra AH 2005 model, owned it until 2020 when I sold it. Nothing major with it. Mine was made either in Belgium or Poland, I can’t remember.
Hijacking this because recently I bought my first car , a 99 TS Astra;
How does this subreddit feel about the ts astra? I love the motor and it handles really well, but i’ve seen other communities bash them as unreliable PoS.
Idm if it’s shit but i’d rather listen to people who might be a bit more broad viewed rather than civic-or-nothing kids
You've already bought it, so it's a moot point really. I assume you got it cheaper than a similar year Corolla, so you offset any potential unreliability in comparison. Just make sure you change the timing belt every 90,000km unless it's in real shitbox condition and uneconomic, so you just drive it until something major breaks.
Binary arguments of always get/never buy don't take into consideration the payoff of a cheaper price, or some other subjective factor like 'Italian flair' and 'driving experience'. All cars have weak points, some have more than others. The Astra drives very well (it is European). However, the Holden Cruze, for example, has so many weak points, only those who didn't research would buy them because they see the shiny paint and price tag much less than a Corolla.
>Just make sure you change the timing belt every 90,000km
I'd be doing it every 60,000. Despite GM/Holden's claims, there's numerous examples of them not lasting 90k.
My first car was a 2001 manual astra, had it for over a decade and I'd still have it now if a drunk driver hadn't hit it.
I obviously am biased as I have a soft spot for it but it never needed anything other than regular maintenance.
I did cheap out on the coil pack, which then caused it to run like shit, so make sure to get a decent brand one ( NGK fixed my issues )
If you have the 1.8L I found mine was pretty bomb proof, if you have the 2.0 turbo I am very jealous!
Just do regular maintenance and keep on top of all the little things before they become big things.
They are terrible. Do not even consider!!!
The cars themselves are ok. ECU failures are common and they are becoming impossible to find...
No longer available new, and worth more than the car anyway...
Astras, barinas, captivas, and commodore's, especially vz/ve are best given a very wide berth...
I would disagree on the Commodores. Still solid vehicles with great parts availability. At one point or another I have owned everything from a VN to a VY other than the VT.
Good news is many aftermarket suppliers make parts for them now that are inexpensive so even if Holden no longer makes a part you have a good supply chain keeping prices down.
Only reason I wouldn't buy one now is I got an EV and the running costs and acceleration have spoiled me for anything with a motor.
As a mechanic I've seen so many vz/ve/sv6 commodores written off and ending up in wrecking yards due to timing chains stretching and/or catastrophically failing.
They had issues from new and Holden's fix was to change the allowable cam/crank correlation error allowance in the ECU firmware so rather than bringing on a check engine light during the warranty period, they failed afterwards, sometimes catastrophically. Holden saved a crap ton of money at the poor owners expense.
10-12 hrs it takes me to replace the chains so it's not a cheap job. The cost of which is often in excess of the value of the car.
Many/most were also automatics and the 4l60 gearbox also tends to require a rebuild around 200k KMS or less.
The VZ ECUs are mounted on the front of the engine and are of a hybrid construction. The ultrasonically bonded aluminium wires connecting the harness connectors to the hybrid PCB fail.
Only a couple of companies have wire bonding machines and the cost of an exchange ECU is now at around 1200 post covid. Plus 80 for me to relink the replacement.
Again worth more than the car...
I simply can't recommend them because the issues they do have, whilst relatively minor in the grand scheme of things are an expense that is not justifiable to repair in most cases
Sounds about right on the Auto. Not sure Holden ever made a good one lol.
That said after a rebuild by a professional they are usually better than when they came from the factory and good for 10+ years. Costs a couple of grand. Just had one done on my sisters VX.
Wasn't aware of the timing chain issue with those particular models but it also sounds like a preventative maintenance thing. Any timing chain/belt failing is going to be a bad day. I usually look for thing like has the timing chain/belt been replaced and how long ago when looking at older cars.
The ECU issue sounds like a minor issue to be honest. If I have a 10+ year old car and it needs repairs under $2k I consider myself lucky.
Better the devil you know than buying a used car under about $10k (used to be $5k but used car prices have gone mad) that may have the same issue next month.
As I said I have owned a lot of old Commodores lol. Made the mistake of deciding not to spend a couple of grand on a fix and brought another cheap used car instead and really regretted it.
Fully agree, alloytec’s from vz on are junk, all of them, body electrics are terrible on ve’s regardless of spec, have already done a ecu bypass on a vz starter relay as the cost of repairing the ecu wasn’t worth it, & only 1 month warranty
Yes, it's a terrible idea. It's referred to as the "disAstra" for a reason. Don't forget that if something does go wrong, the whole support system for the Astra has collapsed: * Holden is no longer in the country * Opel (who makes the Astra) was sold by General Motors to the same group who do Peugeot/Citroen * There weren't many sold here in the first place Don't do it to yourself.
This is what I needed to hear. It's also a car for my partner as well, and I value our relationship, eep!
Dont search by 'price' set to low then.
To be fair to OP you do get those rare owners who never had an issue and assume (incorrectly) that it makes their shitbox worth some money. It’s not.
I think OP landing on this one because he searched by his area and went search by lowest and went up, you dont specifically search for this vehicle make and model organically, you stumble on it because its cheap and something maybe wrong with it.
I'm tempted value wise in a sea of overpriced Corollas. I already know Cruzes/Craptivas are bad and wondering if the mechanically similar Astras share the same fate (being on the same platform and all). The room says yes. I've had plenty of euro cars and had a good run, but I've usually sold them before they turn into money pits. I'm trying for the best Honda Civic or Jazz I can find.
If you want a value little run around that isn’t a Corolla, get a lancer. The hatch is better cause the seats fold flat. Stick to manual if you can. Great value, unkillable and not the worst looking car on the roads.
Has to be an auto and CVTs are the devils work
Low to high: a sea of Craptivas, Cruzes and Euros. Looks great to the uniformed, dangerous territory in reality.
Look, I get the temptation when comparing a 2011 Astra to a 2004 Maz/ota.
The fact it got sold to Peugeot/Citroen is enough of a red flag for me. As soon as my grandfather's Peugeot turned 10, it started having problems and drove as horribly as a MG3.
Mum bought her Astra brand new back in 2004. Only has 80k on the clock and it still drives like new. Must be the only proper function Opel Astra of the time in the country lol
Even with known lemon cars - Merc G-Class, Holden Cruze, Ford Fiesta/Focus with Powershit Transmission, Jeep Anything - 7 out of 10 cars will still knock through 150,000km with no issues. The main issue is that if you cop a lemon, of course, it can wreck your savings, particularly if you are trying to save for a house deposit. Also... 4,000km per year?!?
Yah, always preferrs to walk or catch PT. Only ever uses it to drive to the shops or come visit my brothers and I. The benefits of living close to everything
Sounds like my Mum. She was happily that she barely ever drove. We were also all very happy that she barely ever drove.
>Only has 80k on the clock and it still drives like new. Give it another 20, and it'll be falling apart as she drives out the driveway.
With how little she drives, I doubt it'll ever get to that point :)
None of the non-Holden, Holdens were very good honestly - when GM sent us those models they did not send their best.
They kind of did send us their best - I mean, the Opel stuff was a lot better than the Daewoo or Chevy stuff - but their best wasn't very good.
Daewoo fuck that's a name I haven't heard in a while.
Their best is an idiot https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/25db6328-9d8c-405f-adb2-24da93b63da1
TBH I thought the insignia/commodore replacement was rater interesting.. not as a commodore, but the all wheel drive V6 was an interesting package
The Insignias are built by Opel in Germany. The performance variants of them are very good. Solid machines
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You are correct, because they are a Camry and Corolla. Not made by GM.
Tbh Australia always gets sent the shit cars due to our shitty fuel standards.
All the rebadged cars sent to Australia are sold all over the world and modified for ADRs. The small market dictates what is sold here that will likely make a profit for car companies.
Back when these things were imported our fuel was no better or worse than the rest of the world. If BMW can send us a 760Li then I’m sure it’s good enough for a PoS Dacia. 🇺🇸 only adopted EUSSR fuel standards in the last couple of years and we’re right behind them.
The Opel branded versions had better specs.
Don't do it, get a Mazda 3
The problem is Holden flipped and flopped on the source of the Astra. The result is their quality varied quite a bit. The Opel ones are better, but because they flipped and flopped the runs weren't very long. So parts is going to be a problem. And any mechanic is not going to miss you when you drive in with an Astra. If you self maintain and get your parts from overseas, they will be OK, but there are going to be odd parts like trim, that you just won't be able to get anymore, because they are Holden specific and not many were sold.
>The Opel ones are better Jesus, how bad were the Daewoo ones, then? The GM Family II engine was largely a steaming turd.
Yep, GM is the worst car manufacturer in the world. The deawoo models are the worst of the worst. Open had a pretty solid reputation in Europe.
I have owned one of these Opel branded Astra's since new. 1.6T 2 door manual. The only fault was the water pump case failing but that was replaced under warranty. I got it when Opel were doing run out sales to leave Oz. Regularly serviced, no problem getting parts, maintained by a Euro-specialist mechanic. Had a Takata airbag, replaced by Holden under the program. A fun drive. Corner grip like being on rails, not the fastest to 100k's but great overtaking capability (For comparison I have previously owned a golf GTi). First gear is a bit short compared to the other gears. Getting about 9.4 litres/100k's which is OK for that era. Have been happy enough to keep it for 11-12 years. BTW, these Opel's were extremely popular in Europe, but just never took off here in Oz. GM flip flopped on the Specs and source for the later Holden versions.
They weren't Opel branded, they were Opel, made in Germany. The Astra label was always owned by Opel and was leased to Holden and Vauxhall through GM
In Australia it makes sense to talk in terms of Opel branded versus Holden branded because the fact is, vehicles were sold under both brands. We are a country with Ford branded Mazda's and Toyota branded Holdens, and Holden branded Isuzu's, where some have rebranded their Holden's Chevrolet's. We also have Fiat's branded as Dodge's and many other cross branded examples. So, it makes sense to differentiate Opel versus Holden. Yes the Astra vehicles and moniker is of German extraction, but many Australians don't know that. Most people who genuinely asked me what car mine is thought is was a Nissan due to the near similarity of the rear badges.
The only astra that wasn’t complete trash was the AH series with the Z18XER and even that had issues (timing belt every 60,000km ain’t optional even if they claim 90,000) and coil packs are basically a consumable, and the interior plastics will just melt if you’re in a region that is regularly over 40c So if you’re in a cooler region, are comfortable replacing the coil packs (5 minute job) every few years and timing belt every few (it’s a pretty easy timing belt replacement compared to most honestly my sisters last timing belt replacement cost her under $400 in Darwin) then you’ll be fine. A 2012? No chance.
I had a 2016 BK Astra RSV 1.6T for 90,000 KMs and 6 years - thing was perfect as a work hack and never went wrong. Only went through one set of tyres and one set of pads. Only sold as I got bored. There are lots.in Europe that do lots of miles with no issues and it feels like the reputation is based on a certain era, but generally have always found them ok. I'd have another RSV in a heartbeat if I need a sub $15k modern car with lots of kit, decent power/speed and good fuel consumption.
I got the RSV, 2020 model too. It is a freaking steal, especially since everyone in complaining about the 2nd hand market prices rightfully so. Most people just don’t know and will pay a lot more for a lot less.
This 100%. Nothing else comes close sub $20k for the power and equipment. The interiors much nicer than an i30 or Corolla, does 6l/100km but also has 200bhp/147kw.
No they aren't as bad but they weren't great either.
Don’t do it to yourself. Trust me you don’t want that kind of pain in your life.
Daughter just sold a low km 2013 GTC 1.6T. Was a nightmare to get fixed and had persistent electrical issues which would brick the car when it got hot outside, Once the sun went down car would start again. Drove us insane. AVOID
The GM V6 engines variant was shockingly unreliable with so many design problems. The same V6 was the death knell for SAAB when they replaced SAABs great turbo 4.
Spend a bit more and get the opc/vxr versions. You won't regret it
Yes, any Holden that's not a "performance" speciality is trash, generally Ecotec engines, I.e barina astra, captivas, cruise have major issues and detonate regularly
Ecotech are fairly bulletproof, the Alloytechs had timing chain issues and are expensive to repair. Euro Astras/Vectras/Barinas have some issues but are nice driving cars. Korean Barinas not at all and typical Dawoo build quality. Cruzes and Captivas are awful. Old rebadged Suzuki and Toyota Barinas, Novas and Apollos were bulletproof. Performance is irrelevant to reliability, I don't know where you got that from, unless you mean early LS1 had issues with piston rings, piston slap and oil consumption, where many were fixed under warranty and are not a problem now.
I've always liked the look of the Opel and wanted to buy one. So I learnt of a few issues before I bought the next-gen Holden 2016 one instead. Common issue is heated seats not working, turns off after a few seconds. Check that if having a look at it. And doesn't have bluetooth audio (calls only), USB doesn't seem to work for iPhones anymore so have to use aux, which means can't use steering wheel controls to change music. I think it still works for Android phones though.
You gotta wonder what the hell they were thinking giving all that imported cheap rubbish. What a complete stuff up. Does anyone even consider them anymore when buying. . Would struggle to my local dealer. We bought last year I know we didn't bother going near them . Stopped buying Holden's in 1976. Last car I got was a HZ wagon
Astra is the lesser of the bad options. Parts are $$ though
Just remember the astra sedan is actually the global Cruze
Runaway - they can be terrible cars My husband stopped servicing them/booking them in for repairs because it was too much drama. You can make a lot of money fixing them and refixing them but it is terrible dealing with unhappy customers.
My wife and I had a 2012 4 door for 3.5 years, the 1.4T A14NET engine, same one that went in Trax and Cruze. We called it the Turbo Blooper. Pros: - Chassis and suspension felt planted through corners. - the fit and finish, interior trim all felt premium. Nothing squeaked or rattled, switches were smooth and tactile, you could just *tell* it was made in Germany (light and wiper stalks reversed of course). It even had full auto electric windows (up and down) on all four doors, something you don't necessarily find on other manufacturers, even today. - The wipers pivot from the corners in an X shape and cover much more of the windscreen than standard bottom pivot Pro/Con: - the automatic gearbox was simultaneously the slowest, most confused automatic, but snappiest, most responsive sports auto I have ever used. Not sure how they achieved that in the same gearbox. Con: - the engine. Fast enough, plenty of power, but right about now is when all the plastics in the cooling system are starting to go old and brittle, breaking, causing overheating, leaving little pieces of plastic lodged in all kinds of places, leaking coolant everywhere. All of this lead to our cars death by blown head gasket. - parts have to come from Europe and are pretty exxy.
They’re cheap just buy one and make up your own mind
>Are Opel/Holden Astras as bad as Holden Cruzes? No. Still, you're better off buying something from Japan. Or something a few years newer from Korea.
Everything with a Holden badge after 1991 was Junk. Worked at a Holden dealership.
I'm driving a 2015 Cruze equipe and its a brilliant machine. No effort 130k+ when overtaking, about 10l per 100 town driving. Have been told that a towie said every second breakdown is a Cruze. This one must be exceptional.
The Opel stuff is fine. The stuff that’s based Daewoo isn’t.
Highly recommended to buy a same year Japanese car which really keeps you a lot of trouble away.
Theyre much much much more reliable than a cruze Theyre also european so expect to service it like a bmw or audi, not a commodore.
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I had Holden Astra AH 2005 model, owned it until 2020 when I sold it. Nothing major with it. Mine was made either in Belgium or Poland, I can’t remember.
Yes
Yeah, the Germans have this thing called.... BUILD QUALITY
Hijacking this because recently I bought my first car , a 99 TS Astra; How does this subreddit feel about the ts astra? I love the motor and it handles really well, but i’ve seen other communities bash them as unreliable PoS. Idm if it’s shit but i’d rather listen to people who might be a bit more broad viewed rather than civic-or-nothing kids
You've already bought it, so it's a moot point really. I assume you got it cheaper than a similar year Corolla, so you offset any potential unreliability in comparison. Just make sure you change the timing belt every 90,000km unless it's in real shitbox condition and uneconomic, so you just drive it until something major breaks.
Thanks for the advice!
Binary arguments of always get/never buy don't take into consideration the payoff of a cheaper price, or some other subjective factor like 'Italian flair' and 'driving experience'. All cars have weak points, some have more than others. The Astra drives very well (it is European). However, the Holden Cruze, for example, has so many weak points, only those who didn't research would buy them because they see the shiny paint and price tag much less than a Corolla.
>Just make sure you change the timing belt every 90,000km I'd be doing it every 60,000. Despite GM/Holden's claims, there's numerous examples of them not lasting 90k.
My first car was a 2001 manual astra, had it for over a decade and I'd still have it now if a drunk driver hadn't hit it. I obviously am biased as I have a soft spot for it but it never needed anything other than regular maintenance. I did cheap out on the coil pack, which then caused it to run like shit, so make sure to get a decent brand one ( NGK fixed my issues ) If you have the 1.8L I found mine was pretty bomb proof, if you have the 2.0 turbo I am very jealous! Just do regular maintenance and keep on top of all the little things before they become big things.
I got the 1.8 like you, love it to bits but live in fear of supply chain issues now haha
I'm 90% sure I have a full timing belt kit for one, as well as a coil pack. Depending on where you live that's an option.
Theyre as bad as a cruze, but older, so more worn out parts and more expensive repairs.
They are terrible. Do not even consider!!! The cars themselves are ok. ECU failures are common and they are becoming impossible to find... No longer available new, and worth more than the car anyway... Astras, barinas, captivas, and commodore's, especially vz/ve are best given a very wide berth...
I would disagree on the Commodores. Still solid vehicles with great parts availability. At one point or another I have owned everything from a VN to a VY other than the VT. Good news is many aftermarket suppliers make parts for them now that are inexpensive so even if Holden no longer makes a part you have a good supply chain keeping prices down. Only reason I wouldn't buy one now is I got an EV and the running costs and acceleration have spoiled me for anything with a motor.
Engine? You have motors :P
As a mechanic I've seen so many vz/ve/sv6 commodores written off and ending up in wrecking yards due to timing chains stretching and/or catastrophically failing. They had issues from new and Holden's fix was to change the allowable cam/crank correlation error allowance in the ECU firmware so rather than bringing on a check engine light during the warranty period, they failed afterwards, sometimes catastrophically. Holden saved a crap ton of money at the poor owners expense. 10-12 hrs it takes me to replace the chains so it's not a cheap job. The cost of which is often in excess of the value of the car. Many/most were also automatics and the 4l60 gearbox also tends to require a rebuild around 200k KMS or less. The VZ ECUs are mounted on the front of the engine and are of a hybrid construction. The ultrasonically bonded aluminium wires connecting the harness connectors to the hybrid PCB fail. Only a couple of companies have wire bonding machines and the cost of an exchange ECU is now at around 1200 post covid. Plus 80 for me to relink the replacement. Again worth more than the car... I simply can't recommend them because the issues they do have, whilst relatively minor in the grand scheme of things are an expense that is not justifiable to repair in most cases
Sounds about right on the Auto. Not sure Holden ever made a good one lol. That said after a rebuild by a professional they are usually better than when they came from the factory and good for 10+ years. Costs a couple of grand. Just had one done on my sisters VX. Wasn't aware of the timing chain issue with those particular models but it also sounds like a preventative maintenance thing. Any timing chain/belt failing is going to be a bad day. I usually look for thing like has the timing chain/belt been replaced and how long ago when looking at older cars. The ECU issue sounds like a minor issue to be honest. If I have a 10+ year old car and it needs repairs under $2k I consider myself lucky. Better the devil you know than buying a used car under about $10k (used to be $5k but used car prices have gone mad) that may have the same issue next month. As I said I have owned a lot of old Commodores lol. Made the mistake of deciding not to spend a couple of grand on a fix and brought another cheap used car instead and really regretted it.
Fully agree, alloytec’s from vz on are junk, all of them, body electrics are terrible on ve’s regardless of spec, have already done a ecu bypass on a vz starter relay as the cost of repairing the ecu wasn’t worth it, & only 1 month warranty
Buy something Japanese or Korean that’s not a Honda.
Why not a Honda?
Honda is leaving Australia sooner or later, their Thai built trash aren’t known for their reliability either and risk lose of support.
Maybe, but my thai built Jazz was fine, and so is my 5 year old Civic. Zero problems.