Faults:
At 180,000km the car stalled on twice me while driving at speed. I was able to restart it enough times to get it home. DFI Module replaced for $400.00.
Water pump replaced at 220,000km. The repair cost was about $250.00.
Radiator replaced at 220,500km after developing a leak shortly after changing the water pump.
Speed controller for cabin fan died. Fan would only work on "3" and "4" settings. The problem was cheap to repair. I found instructions on the Internet and did it myself.
Power Steering pump replaced at 225,000km, repair cost about $200.00.
Alternator replaced at 225,000km due to squealing bearings.
Air Conditioner pulley bearings replaced at 225,000km, repair cost about $130.00.
Harmonic balancer died at 228,000km on new years day 2005. $250 repair bill from the local mechanic.
All front-engine pulleys have been replaced over a period of use starting at around 190,000km. These are fairly cheap to replace.
Front disk rotor warped and was re-machined at 230,000km.
Minor issues: power steering hoses, main coolant hoses, transmission coolant hoses replaced by myself at 220,000km as a preventative measure.
Plastic mechanism that connects to the actuator rod in the boot key release mechanism has broken. The boot can only be opened from the internal release.
Boot struts are completely gone. I keep a metal pole in the boot to prop it open when necessary.
Glove box light, boot light, interior dome light all failed. Glovebox light components fell apart when I attempted to change the bulb.
The steering rack has a bit of play in it which makes controlling the car at high speed a bit tiresome.
Engine mounts will need replacing soon.
General Comments:
This car was purchased new and provided good service through till about 180,000kms when the above problems began.
The repairs were fairly inexpensive and are probably a sign of age and general wear and tear rather than a poor reflection on Holden build quality.
The car uses about 14L of regular unleaded per 100KM which seems about normal.
As a series-one VS commodore it burns oil though not as bad as I had been told to expect. I add about one litre every 2 months to keep it topped up.
No problems whatsoever with the transmission - it is silky smooth and is like new.
A/C still gets quite cold. It was last re-gassed in 2000.
23rd Oct 2005, 19:37
Next time you have a car, try checking the oil level, or better still, do regular oil/filter changes. As a mechanic I see it daily, a cheap do it yourself oil change turns into thousands of dollars because the tightwad owner initially wanted to save a few dollars.