1999 Holden Commodore VT Executive 3.8 EFI from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Great looking reliable car, but needs to be owned from new and maintained properly to do it justice
Faults:
Nothing major has gone wrong with the car since I've had it, but I did have a costly experience with the idle of the vehicle.
For the past 6 months, the car has had a rough start and erratic idle. After changing numerous sensors, coil pack, leads, spark plugs etc, and taking it to Holden dealerships and other car repair places, only to be told it's running fine, when I know it's definitely not. When I got it, the idle was dead smooth, you couldn't tell the difference when it was on or off, that's how smooth the car was, and it got so bad, it was revving by itself and back firing etc.
All the heartache and headache was caused by a simple "purge" hose located under the throttle body, which no one seemed to pick up. I changed the $10 "purge" hose, and the car runs like it was new again, so apart from poor dealerships and mechanics, I'm very happy with the car, as it's never failed me.
General Comments:
The car itself is fantastic when it comes to looks and quality. I think though that you do need to own one of these cars from new to really appreciate it.
Having broken speaker grilles, broken map pockets and some other small bits and pieces, I went through the car with a fine tooth comb when I purchased it, and fixed everything that needed fixing, and due to me looking after the car, I haven't had any problems whatsoever with plastics breaking etc, although my foot rest has snapped off a couple times; I guess it's me being used to driving a manual, and I put pressure on it every time I brake.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th November, 2005