2007 Holden Captiva SX Warranty Complaint

By Alborz Fallah | August 30th, 2007

2007 Holden Captiva SX Warranty Complaint

Name: Rob Dunbar
Car Make: Holden
Car Model: Captiva SX
Year of Manufacture: 2007

Warranty Complaint:

Emmission control warning light coming on & the engine running rough.

Returned to the dealers 4 times in the first 6,000Kms, for a total of 6 days in the workshop. Replaced all oxygen sensors. Replaced computer. The car seems to run great for 4 – 5 days & then does the same again. Problem still not fixed.

woz

Sorry I had to disturb the dust again but it’s everywhere I’m staring to choke on the holdenwoo lemon crap. warning light keeps coming on, oh my god it’s too late boom!!! bang!!!! clunk!!!!! ahhhhhh, I knew those voices in my head where right loser! loser! FORD is better…..
Me.

Go Woz!!
Don’t buy a holdenwoo, they make lemons!!
Denise

We nicknamed our Holden Captiva A Craptiva in the first Week, We have had numouros problems with wheel allingments, Dash lights coming on, An Engine leak, what next the tryes have all but scrubbed out after 30 thou. They cant seem to give this car a propper wheel alingment.
I am over it its a crap car and a crap Design reversing is dangerous Have nearlly hit 4 pedestrains you cant see…..Its a LEMON going to trade it and buy a ford.
Kalika

mate ford and just about every manufacturer has lemons too.

Pedro

So true. This brand bagging that people harp on with is so tiring. Slagging a manufacturer off because a friend of a friend had a problem with their falcodore is getting old.

Watto_Cobra

True. The early EA Falcons were lemons. As were VN Commodores. And the Camira I owned once
greg

Yeah other manufacturers build the odd lemon but noway have they had or produce the problems Holden (daewoo) generates consistantly across the board this is fact, which tells me that Holden employer’s don’t give a crap, including the dealers having the worst record for customer satisfaction, cheap attitudes with cheaply made cars…
Keith

All the comments about lemons are good to know but does anyone have anything nice to say about Captiva? In particular the deisel Captiva SX, manual. A friend of mine says it’s the best car he’s ever owned. He had to have the computer replaced but that’s all (so far). It drives well but I agree about the reversing problem (Denise).
Also, does anyone have any experience getting their captiva (or any other holden) serviced at some place other than the dealer?
Chad

Should’ve bought the Santa Fe SUV… Quality Award winning from a high quality (3rd highest internationally.JD POWER) manafacturer.

Put Perceptions aside.

Car First. Badge Second.
A Williams

I purchased a Captiva Lx in Feb 2007. It has been back to dealer to be repaired a total of 6 times over the past 7 months to rectify a problem apparently with the ‘accelorator sensor’ which leaves it practically undrivable as the vehicle looses over 50% of its already lax power.
After having the car back on this occasion for only 5 days, today the vehicle yet again played up, this time with all the warning lights coming on, leaving the tachometer, speedometer and fuel guage inoperable. I will yet again return it to the dealer, but how long does one put up with this before vehicle is deemed defective and replaced?
greg

If I was you I would go to consumer affairs tribunal and try resolve it, then give Holden GM Daewoo a big rev for supplying you with a lemon with rotten egg smells, the two don’t go together and you have every right to be angry, if this was a Ford Territory your problem wouldn’t of surfaced…
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com laurie

I have had the same problem with my Captiva Lx petrol from day one, all the dash lights appeared and the car would not start,lacks power and emits a fowl rotten egg smell in the cabin. I have lodged a complaint with consumer affairs because HOLDEN cannot or will not rectify the problem. I am sick of dealing with holden who are just giving me the runaround.
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com laurie

I’ve had enough, at approx 4.45 melb time my wife and young daughter were travelling through a roundabout when her CAPTIVA suddenly stopped,she tried to press the accelerator down as another car was approaching them,lucky for them the other car braked in time.All it takes is that split second for someone to get killed or injured, but HOLDEN will not Address that their is a problem with my car.So i will make it well known that my CAPTIVA LX MODEL is a LEMON.
LOZA67
greg

Geeeeeeeeeeez Laurie and family, you are lucky to get away with that, I would be pissed, as I said earlier, don’t let Holden or Daewoo walk all over you put that down, not the accelerator but on the manager, someone could of been in an accident and I surely don’t need to be tangled up with a Captiva anytime soon…

Peolple are saying Daewoo platformed Holdens don’t have recalls which makes them a superior build, though often for the blind roped in by advertisng jingles, well everything I buy these day’s is researched, I want to know what I’m buying, where it came from, who built it, etc etc etc, no recalls for Daewoo because they essentially build cheap quality crap, continuously hearing bad stories from owners scares the hell out of me and others who purchase lemons.
http://nissan Simon

To Laurie’s comments from Jan 21st…
I am a LX Captiva owner and have done 20k km in just 8 months. Yes I to experienced the error lights and loss of power and was a frustrating problem.
My Holden dealer has todate rectified the problem and todate this has not occurred again. I was informed it was a sensor issue where the sensors needed to have some adjustment made.
HOLDEN DEALER CALOUNDRA CITY AUTO Sunshine Coast QLD
I have a rough idle on start up on some occassions where it appears to choke…..have made sure I use good fuel like VPOWER (Shell) and appears much better.
No other issues and love my CAR.
Fab

In answer to the original post about the emmision light coming on … check for a vacuum leak from the brake booster. On a few Captivas, it has been found to be the case. You can check this by applying the brakes first thing in the morning with the engine off. If the pedal is as hard as a rock, then chances are you have a vacuum leak. You should still get 2 or 3 “vacuum assisted” applications even with the engine off.
FYI …. I took a diesel Captiva evaluation vehicle away for an off road test trip. There were 4 adults and 3 kids in total and even with lots of slow, rough terrain, it still returned 10.6 litres/100km. This was a brand new car (64km on the clock), so it’d improve further once it loosens up a bit. Only complaint was that 5th gear torque converter lock up doesn’t happen until 116kmph light throttle cruising, which means that in most states, you have to break the legal speed limit to return the best fuel consumption figures. My figures were done at 100-110kmph for my highway stints. Torque converter lockup dropped the rpm by about 400 rpm, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if 9.0litres/100km couldn’t be acheived.
chris kirwan

Captiva 7 monthys old – 12 x’s into garage – fed up- Holden will not budge _ i want a new car – and will take them to court:
O2 sensors changed
crank shaft changed
ECU changed
rear lights do not work
rear lights have water in them
bonnet clasp broken
blue tooth car kit doesnt work
rear wiper comes on by itself
revs too high…… and the list goes on.
DOES ANY ONE THINK I HAVE A LEMON – HOLDEN DON’T

0400 240089
FORD

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!Chris, this is terrible, that sounds like genuine Holden service, look after your money first then customers last…should of looked elsewhere first, not on a trust base only, much better products out there. the Holden Captiva is Korean Daewoo don’t forget….
wireless

I’ve driven 3 different model Captiva’s as company cars, the latest is the 08 Turbo Diesel LX, prior was the 07 V6 LX and prior to that was the 06 V6 CX.
The Diesel has only 3K on the clock and is going great, with only 1 problem fixed so far and that was a small overflow hose to the coolant tank.
The previous 2 Captivas I had were faultless, both did numerous trips towing heavy trailers (camping) or jetski.
I find them a well built and great handling car with plenty of room for my family (7 of us!)
I understand that there may well be some cars that aren’t up to scratch (as with all manufacturers), and don’t think it’s fair to label the whole product range as a ‘lemon’ when clearly this is not correct.
wireless

Oh by the way, the earlier model Captivas were built in Korea, but are a GM Global design, not a Daewoo. The newer 08 models are built either in Korea or Thailand now.
What my dealer told me anyway!

kartom

if you look at the VIN you will know where the car is made,,the breakup is in the manual

FORD is No.1

Dealers will tell you anything Wireless as long as they get your money why would they care, still risky to buy a rebadged especially from Korea car so many problems occur from this process…
Frugal One

I have NEVER understood why one would pay ~$40k for a Craptiva.Its way OVER the odds and well underdone [Test vehicle for Wheels BROKE-DOWN, as have other press vehicles....Gold!!]

You can buy a PREMIUM Japanese engineered and built Mazda CX7 for *around* the same coin.Also a Kluger etc

BIG-DEAL if its even $5k more,its the BEST $5k extra you would ever spend.The CX7 is a generation ahead [at least]

I heard that C/A will be testing a CX7 soonish, as promised during the Mazda test day in Queensland last year!

The punters are *brained* by the Holden label, they deserve what they get [Reap what you sow!]

Cheers

F-0
PS For those with issues, stuff Holden, file a VCAT [or your states similar consumer dept.] claim, post-haste go to war with them, i would its YOUR money!
Bret

Wireless, Nope dealer is BS’ing you. Captive remains Daewoo designed and built. Daewoo is part of GM worldwide, and they have had some input into stuff there, but it is still Daewoo.
Holden are trying to spin the Daewoo isn’t Daewoo thing big time, I know salesmen who have been trained what to say.
chris kirwan

PLEASE COULD ALL PROBLEMATIC CAPTIVA CAR OWNERS CONTACT VIA email as HOLDEN NEED TO BE TAKEN TO COURT – I NOW HAVE TO GO TO THE GARAGE AGAIN – BAD SMELL IN CABIN (probably catalytic converter) ……

phone 1st 0400 240 089
cheers
chris

General Motors Corporation has been announced several recalls this year. Most of the GM vehicles called for recall in the US car market were found to have faulty car parts — prompting government agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to ask automakers like GM (maker of GMC egr valve) to conduct recalls on their malfunctioning vehicles.

Just recently, the General Motors Daewoo Auto & Technology Company based in South Korea was reported to have received a warning from South Korea’s state-run consumer protection agency because of growing complaints over malfunctioning parts found in its Captiva Sport Utility Vehicle.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, these cars were found to be dangerous because of the unidentified flaws found on the GM Daewoo’s Captiva SUVs. The car is being sold in South Korea under the name of Winstorm. Officials are worried that if these car problems are not fixed, it will cause accidents and in worst cases, maybe even death. “Though no exact reason has been identified so far for such defects in the engine area, it could undermine a consumer’s driving safety,” said the agency.

According to the news, the car problem can also be causes of major engine problems like power loss which will result to the reduction of speed when the driver speeds into the accelerator.

No injuries or death has been reported. However, several complaints were received coming from customers about an unexplainable change of speed in the car.

The General Motor Daewoo Officers did not make any comment about this matter.

General Motor Daewoo Corporation is the third largest car maker in South Korea, and is a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Daewoo Motors. General Motors Daewoo is also on among the distributors of vehicles of GM worldwide. Almost 10% of the cars produced by General Motors are made in GM Daewoo. The most famous car brand made under the corporation is the Winstorm SUV which shares its platform from the current Chevrolet Captiva in the US car market.
http://jeep Eyma Teapot

Eyma Teapot Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Wow, this is truely scarey stuff. I cant believe holden are selling so many captivas with so many bad reports coming through on the captiva. Even owners are bagging it! Its amazing that Daewoo couldnt even give away cars in this country yet stick a lion on the badge and consumers are crazy enough to buy them on trust value.There is a good reason Daewoo didnt make it here, Reliability and safety come to mind!!. If your looking for a good value AWD with a far better track record, you cant look past the Hyundai santa fe. Yes, like the Captiva, it may be made in korea but that is where all similarities finish.
kelvin .p

bought sx diesel feb of this year done few thousand ks doing 110 ten on freeway hill desent light comes on , making awful grinding noise took to holden could not fix
feltgrindinfg noise through steering took to holden took for test drive said drives ok left woith serv ice to check rang back to find needs comnplete new rack and pinion steering totally shot have to wait for new steering , also pulling to left service says in my imagination

good to see i was not the only one led down the garden path when buying captiva and once they have got your signature who cares what a joke
http://jeep Eyma Teapot

Its sad to see the great Aussie brand has plummeted so far.
I find it hard to see the brand surviving given that the local produced stuff is so poorly produced and the rebadged stuff is Daewoo crap. I would be embarresed to drive a holden today. Sad but True
Perry G

Yes, well, my ‘new’ Captiva is in the shop for the 3rd time in less than 4000Kms. Loss of power, engine warning lights etc. Just rang the dealer to be told they are trying to contact Holden tech support. Apparently they tried yesterday and gave up after 45 minutes on hold. Doesn’t give me much confidence in the brand when a) the dealer doesn’t seem to know what is wrong and b) Holden support don’t appear to want to answer the phone. On the bright side, with the lousy fuel economy, I’m saving heaps of petrol by not driving it………
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com Loza67

Perry, sorry to say that it dsoesn’t get any better as i purchased a Holden Captiva LX model in 2007 and have had the same issues, Holden have got no idea on how to rectify the problem. Good luck and i hope you have better luck than me as i’m just banging my head against the wall with Holden.
KIM

i also had the same problem with the hill descent coming on, while driving in Albury i almost had a accident. i’m know taking the matter to the consumer advisor about these dangerous faults in this not so gr8 craptiva’s
wireless

Granted there are issues, and obviously highlighted in a concentrated manner in this forum, I still have yet to experience ANY issues, and I have had 3 different models since Nov 06.
Until such time there is evidence that the car is unsafe and causing accidents, my opinion of the car remains the same.
I prefer the diesel over the V6, it has heaps of power and is nice to drive. I also have had 2 situations whereby I had to brake extremely hard to avoid collisions with other ‘motorists’ and it pulled up great. In a less capable car I fear the end result would have been expensive.
Perry G

Well, I may have had a break through with my issues. My Holden dealer has been in contact with Holden tech support who are aware of an issue with the main wiring harness. Apparently there is a chance (more than a chance I would guess judging by the number of problems) of a loose connection between the throttle pedal sensor and the engine management system. Also, there is a good chance of moisture entering the harness around this point as well. The solution, apparently bypass the wiring connector and apply a sealant around the lot. Seems to have worked so far (1 week). Fingers crossed.
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com laurie

Perry,Hopefully your right as this does make sense as one of the problems was the emission light coming on and the car did not start for a good 5 minutes and i do remember that day being pretty wet. Your not in melbourne by any chance as i would like to get the location of your dealer so i can converse with them. What i don’t understand is why Holden have’nt got this information on a data base as i was talking to the Holden rep just last week and he said they are still waiting on the techs who are still working on it. We can only cross our fingers.
Simon

Reported previously….

I am a LX Captiva owner and have done 20k km in just 8 months. Yes I to experienced the error lights and loss of power and was a frustrating problem.
My Holden dealer has todate rectified the problem and todate this has not occurred again. I was informed it was a sensor issue where the sensors needed to have some adjustment made.
HOLDEN DEALER CALOUNDRA CITY AUTO Sunshine Coast QLD
I have a rough idle on start up on some occassions where it appears to choke…..have made sure I use good fuel like VPOWER (Shell) and appears much better.
No other issues and love my CAR.

Reported Previously # Fab Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 11:40 am

In answer to the original post about the emmision light coming on … check for a vacuum leak from the brake booster. On a few Captivas, it has been found to be the case. You can check this by applying the brakes first thing in the morning with the engine off. If the pedal is as hard as a rock, then chances are you have a vacuum leak. You should still get 2 or 3 “vacuum assisted” applications even with the engine off.

I must say surely HOLDEN need to LOG the FIX ON THIS ISSUE
belle

My 2007 Captiva Lx has been displaying faults, power loss and all warining lights coming on,gears not working, for nearly 12 months now and I am now at my wits end. I went before the CTTT (Dept of Fair Trading NSW) and the Holden representative agreed to look into a replacement car due to the intrinsic faults my car has displayed and the fact that no one can repair it. He contacted me yesterday and said as the car was not currently displaying a fault while at the dealership they would not assist me any further. I was in tears at the thought of having to drive that car again and place myself and my 8 month old son in danger. The car is unreliable and unsafe. I don’t know what to do, I will have to pursue this through legal avenues now. Shame on Holden for leaving a consumer who purchased a new car in good faith, high and dry.
http://UYPJ KELVIN P

BELLE OR ANY ONE ELSE CONTACT HOLDEN AUSTRALIA AND SPEAK TO ALAN ON 1800033349
TELL HIM YOUR DRAMA AN HE SHOULD FIX IT DONT SPEAK TO ANY ONE ELSE INSISIT ON SPEAKING TO HIM HE IS IN CHARGE HE FIXED ME UP WITH ALL MY DRAMAS SO FAR SO GOOD
belle

Kelvin,
I started dealing with Alan 5 months ago and it has gone along way above him, and I am still left with a car I refuse to put my son in as it is dangerous and I have no faith in it’s safety or reliability. I have no idea what to do now as I am paying off a ‘lemon’ I can’t drive.
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com laurie

Belle,i can sympathise with you as i have had issues with my Captiva from day one. I too had the emmission light come on and the car would not start,my wife nearly had an accident going through a roundabout when she went to accelerate and there was no power at all. To top it off, we are averaging 17/100klms and that damm…. Rotten Egg Smell is annoying. I brought the car in to the dealership a few weeks ago to get a fuel consumption test done and according to the dealership,they took it for a 100klm drive and the car averaged 14.6/100klms, which apparently is the norm, i reckon its a far cry from the 11.6/100klms. I also asked whether he had a pleasent drive with that rotten egg smell, and he actually admitted that the smell was pretty bad and mind you my wife has kids in the car. I have now been told that Holden are aware of the issues and that the technicians are working on a fix. If i was you Belle, i would write a nice letter to the media, Today Tonight or A Current Affairs and bring it to there attention, the more people complain the greater chance these faults will come out. Its a pity it has to get to this as i have bought Holdens cars all my life and have never had any issues with previous cars. Good Luck.
Mike

Hi all – seems like i am not alone in the issues i have had.
We have experienced the lack of power – but Holden says “no fault found” – we thought as it was only the once it may not be an issue but looks like there is a major issue there
The car wouldn’t start the other morning as the battery was on about 11 volts – for no apparent reason – again with “no fault found” (they tried to pass it off as us having left something on in the car but i wasn’t going to cop that as i checked it all when it wouldn’t start.)
We had the rear spoiler “pop” off and damage the roof when we opened the rear with an almighty bang – we where advised the wrong spoiler was on there – this was replaced and the roof section resprayed – i think the new spoiler lasted a week and then it broke – still waiting for a replacement.
The reversing camera – while not holden genuine but recommended and installed by the dealer broke 3 times.

Every time i have to take the car in it cost me money – in time i have to take off work to get in there – but the dealers don’t seem to appreciate that.
Belle

How on earth can Holden continue to sell these Captivas in good faith? It is beyond me and many others who have had NOTHING but trouble from these apparently inferior and defective vehicles. Shame on Holden.
Duck

Belle, there isnt alot of people winging about the Captiva its just the people in this article. Ive heard a fare few people like and have had no problems at all with the Captiva.
Troxen

Believe me Duck, it’s not only people at this website complaining, it’s all over the net on loads of websites, search and you will find, oh and by the way, yes I am also the driver of a defective Captiva that Holden has no idea(how) or inclination to fix.
ServoFood

Could be worse, could be like my 04 Territory and rusting away. I think there will be nothing left of it come 2010. Thanks Ford.
silky

work for Holden Wireless?
http://HOLDEN kelvin p

DID YOU KNOW THAT CAPTIVAS HACE NO CAMBER ON STEERING UNABLE TO GET CORRECT WHEEL ALIGNMENT HOLDENS REPONSE I MUST BE DRIVING ON ROADS THAT HAVE A CABER TO MAKE VECHILE PULL TO LEFT WHAT A LOAD OF S.H.I.T.
belle

Duck,
Your post; “Belle, there isnt alot of people winging about the Captiva its just the people in this article. Ive heard a fare few people like and have had no problems at all with the Captiva.”;
is partially true, I too am sure there are a FAIR few people who like and have had no problems with their Captiva, I would hope there are many people who are happy with their Captiva…I was one of these people who loved their Captiva for the 3 months trouble free motoring I had with it.
As ‘Troxen’says…the instances of problems people have had with their Captivas is very well documented and Holden are only too aware of it, yet don’t seem to be too concerned.
I just hope, for that’s all we can do, that no one has a serioius accident as a result of the Captiva’s faults/defects.
Unhappy?

Laurie; Kelin P; Troxen; Mike; Simon; Perry G; Kim; Chris Kirwan; Wireless; Loza 67…or anyone else who is dissatisfied, disappointed or disillusioned with their Captiva please contact me at shame_on_holden@live.com
http://laurieguerrierihotmail.com laurie

Unhappy,
what issues do you have with your Captiva as i have to put up with that dreaded Rotten Egg Smell every day. My wife drives the car with the kids in it more than me and we have tryed all types of fuel mainly Premium, which is not cheap. I have been informed by Holden that they are waiting on a new Cat Converter from overseas, apparently when they did their tests it was done overseas which doesn’t have a high amount of sulphate in their fuel as will do in australia. That is their explanation. This may also explain the high volume of fuel i am using and it feels like it lags and rides the gears. I have had these issues for over a year now how do think i feel.
Unhappy?

Laurie,
My Capiva LX 2007 has spent more than 4 months off the road and been back to be reapired 10 times in the past year due to gross electrical faults greatly afffecting the safety of the vehicle that appear suddenly with no warning. I fear for mine and my families safety each and every time I get into this car.
Holden have assured me on a dozen occasions that the car is repaired, each time only to take it back and place me and my young family in danger. It is unacceptable for a new car to exhibit so many latent faults. I am sure these defective Captivas are a minority but it is time for Holden to take action and rectify these issues. Who has over $40000 to waste on a substandard product? It’s not even about the money anymore…I HATE driving this car. I just want a safe and reliable car which is what I thought I was purchasing a year ago…how wrong I was to be!
I feel for you and your family Laurie, it is not right and Holden should be deeply ashamed of burying their heads in the sand their approach to this matter in general….Captiva/Holden buyers beware.
shame_on_holden@com
Duck

^it’s not Holden its Daewoo!
http://evo Frugal One

1 word…………….

“KOREAN”

Told you to buy a Toyota!!

Cheers

F-0
GARO

Why you all not coming together and lodge a complaint to GM headquater in USA and beginning from there?
I heard lot complaints like left pulling, warning lights, powerloose, sudden stopping, smell and so on.
BigBird

I’ve had a Captiva LX petrol for 10 months now, just had 15k service. Have the rotten egg smell issue (dealer getting the fix in Sept), a few other minor problems that were fixed as soon as they were notified. I love the car.

As always, you generally only hear about a product when there are problems with it. People who have nothing to complain about usually don’t go looking for a place to praise a product. I’m sorry that so many people here have problems.

Is there any way of finding out how many Captiva’s have been sold and what percentage have been ‘lemons’?
MATT

I’ve had a Holden Captiva CX Diesel for 6 months now, I’ve done 25,000 k’s. Have had no trouble what so ever with it, it is very reliable wagon getting me from a to b with good looks, firm handling and excellent fuel consumption. Our company has 12 of these and has had no trouble what’s so ever. I can only but praise.
I feel really sorry for those who have had problems with their Captiva’s.
But our 12 are definitely not ‘lemons’ they are the best fleet car we’ve had!!!
Rod

I must be the lucky one of sorts, My Holden Captiva LX is almost 12 months old. I’ve had a couple of the problems people mention with my Captiva but have all been fixed quickly and when car was in for extended period (waiting on air conditioning compressor as weather was too hot to drive, mine is a black one after all) the dealer lent me a new demo to drive round in no questions asked. Port Macquarie Holden is excellent for after sales service and really care about the customer. I would definietly buy another car from them. I cannot be as flattering about a Gold Coast dealer when the dreaded emssions light came on (faulty sensor) which the Gold Coast Dealer did not fix (problem re-occurred on return from Gold Coast but my local Port dealer fixed it and no recurrence. I’ve done 25000km in less than 12 months and am achieving 9.9 ltrs/100km on the highway and 12.1 around town out of the V6 petrol. I love the car and now the sensors and air cond are fixed its great. My cousin has a Territory and he has had no end of problems so all cars can have their problems. What I find though is the larger the dealer and town the less they provide good old fashioned after sales service. My local dealer still gives that good old fashioned bush backup which is sadly lacking in the big city dealers. My Captiva is a good honest drive with lots of extras that would cost thousands more if in a Territory or Kluger. The difference with mine is my dealer listens to the problems and fixes them. That way when I come round to buying another car they will probably get repeat business, makes good business sense in the bush where the buying public is a lot less than the city.
April

We purchased a Captiva LX diesel in June 2008. Had no problems in 8,000km’s and just love it. I would recommend it to others who are looking at SUV’s. I love the 7 seat option but would have liked some more bells and whistles and buttons to push.
Stuart

We purhcased a Captiva LX in December 06 and from word go we complained about apparent wheel alignment issues. We took it back to the Holden dealer in Coffs Harbour who couldn’t find any fault. We then paid for an independent wheel alignment some months later and the problem appeared fixed for a very short time before we had it in at a Holden dealer in Adelaide who said there was no problem. They just repositioned the steering wheel to mask any issues. Well at 20,000k’s both rear wheels had scrubbed out completely and Holden said it wasn’t their fault. Well Holden Mildura then inserted toe adjusting bolts in the rear and sent us to a tyre dealer because they didn’t have the ‘Hi-tech’ wheel alignment equipment to fix it. Alas this didn’t fix the problem and we were back at Holden who ground out the front strut housing so that more camber adjustment could be achieved. You guesed it they then adjusted the steering wheel to centre to mask any problems. Well the car still pulls to the left and the steering wheel is off centre to the right. Holden Mildura then kept the car for a week to examine any issues and allegedly couldn’t find any faults. The car is not right and I am afraid I am going to scrub out more tyres needlessly at $450 each. Holden have been woefull to deal with. Would I recommend another Holden? Not on your life. Holden are in the process of reimbursing us for the toe adjustment bolts but that’s it. We are out of pocket for two tyres despite complaining about the issue from day one.
Gary

Purchased a deisel LX 14 months ago and have done just over 17000klm’s to date. Yes it’s been back to the dealer for 2 very minor things so I can’t say it’s been a perfect car to date – probably not many makes out there have 0% faults anyway.

So with a couple of interstate trips done with ease and mostly transporting kids to school in Sydney trafic we are very happy with the Captiva. Town consumption is 9.7 – 10.2 ltrs/100klm and on the trips it averages around 8ltr/100klm. which is not bad for a 1800kg SUV. Not taken it off road so not sure about the 4wd capabilities. I have found the Captiva to be a great value, comfortable, and reliable package so check it out for yourself. Oh almost forgot, the servicing charges are SHOCKING so come on Holden – get your act together!
GARO

Don’t worry. GM is going to bankrupt, important thing is that they continue to produce such shit vehicles.
In the meantime I congratulate the 2 young engineers who are sent to Korea and did a great job designing CAPTIVA’s
chassis. They have the experience now to do better jobs next time.
bros

Craptiva Issues (and No that isn’t a typo)

1. No Parts In Australia – when we got the craptiva as a work car it had been driven about 3,000km and was involved in a crash. Needed to have the steering rack replaced, and the air bags, and the seat belt tensioners. Was Towed to Toowoomba Holden on the 9th of January and it took 4 MONTHS to get it back. 4 MONTHS!!!!!!!! The excuses were – there aren’t any of those parts in Australia – they have to come from Korea. Yep – like whatever
2. After 3 weeks the steering rack that had been replaced failed. 3 weeks later. And there were no parts in australia (again) so that took another 6 weeks to get back. new rack and pinion steering (to stop that awful grinding noise)
3. The inter cooler hose has failed 3 times – due to it rubber against the turbo. Each time it took 2 weeks to be replaced. (Llewellyn Motors)
4. Last week the radiator failed. 150 km away from the nearest town. On a road that is very rarely used. Slept in the car. No Holden Roadside assistance where we were. Took it to Roma Holden – called back 3 hours later to see how long it would take to get the parts to fix it. Told by the Service advisor that it was fixed. Disbelief abounds. Because you see – we could see it up on the hoist. Told it would take one week. Saw them yesterday only to be told that there had been no approval to go ahead with the work as yet. But no one rang us, or melb head office of our company or the fleet company.

This car is a piece of crap – fuel consumption very high, shit keeps breaking and the service through ANY of the dealers we have taken it to (Toowoomba Holden, Llewellyn Motors and Roma Motors) has been abysmal.

The vehicle is unsafe to drive and is costing time and therefore money for us.

This car is a work car – so we didn’t pay for it, or have to pay for the servicing and this is how pissed off I am.

Craptiva – the name says it all.
wayne@portmacq

Thankyou !! Craptiva owners for the great advice, i always go to the audience before buying a new vehicle, this many owners can’t be wrong.

I WILL NOW CANCEL MY TESTDRIVE FOREVER.

Very hard to get a true aussie family vehicle these days, assembled totally here in Aust.
Waynel6

I bought a Captiva in February this year have done 17000km and not a single problem love the car and 3 people from where I work have since bought one and have had no problems at all. The good ones oughtweigh the bad ones by a mile.
Graham

I bought a Captiva in Nov 2006. Big mistake, it is a crap car beset with problems. Rotten egg gas smell, steering wheel squeeks constantly (dealer had 4 goes at fixing it but I have concluded they are clueless). Temperature display doesn’t work (dealer clueless)…outrageous fuel consumption, ( if I knew it was going to be that high I would have bought a Range Rover instead). Can’t wait until it’s time to replace it. For Holden’s info I have managed to dissuade two people from buying one due to my experience with the car and the dealership responses.
Pity…. the Jackaroo Monterey I had before the Craptiva was fantastic.
Paul

Well I bought my Captiva in October, done about 4000kMs now. It has been back 3 times to get the following fault looked at. Just seem to have this anoying lack of power for a second when I want to change lanes in traffic and go NOW, similar to the early 80′s cars with EFI (injector lag).
I am assuming that the computers used in these vehicals take a while to figure out how much power you want (all of it NOW please), that you are not going to spin the wheels (traction control), how much power to transfer to the back wheels (lets assume 50 50 split), and what gear to be in to deliver that power demand (a gear that is reving the engine at around 3500rpm or higher to start with).
Due to this delay in delivery of power I have come close to causing accidents on 3 occations now, so I have since given up on any attempt to over take or change lanes in traffic, and I am assuming this car is in fact a Volvo 240 a late 70s model in disguise
Joking aside, what happens if you are in a situation somewhere and you need to put your foot down to get out of it. Pulling away from a standing start is similar but intermitant.
A second delay in responce and people could be dead.
Surely in the programming of the computer firmware, if the throttle is between 95 ~ 100% to the floor, it means you are having some sort of emergency and need everything its got right now, split the power to the front and rear wheels to 50 50, shift gear to 3rd or lower, and stuff the traction control, the tires are that wide and with the 50 50 power split the wheels arent going to spin anyway.
The delay in the power delivery is very worrying.

I also have an old Commadore 3.8 VS series 1, I can’t fault this car except the A/C is crap but so was the A/C in my VP. But to drive it delivers power now with no hesitation, alot to be said about older tech’ I drive it to work every day (except the hot ones) as I can rely on its performance (250000Kms still strong).
The Captiva sits in the driveway ready for slow Sunday driving only. $40,000 or non enjoyment driving, good for Grannies only!! Oh hold on I’m a Grandad!
john

hi,regarding paul’s comments about his lack of power in his holden captiva,i have a 18 month old bmw 325i, i to have exactly the same problem,lack of power for a split second,this to has been dangerous on a few occasions,especially at traffic lights when you need to turn left or right and you find a (safe) gap in traffic and decide to accelerate quickly ,bang no power for spilt second ,by then the safe gap becomes a suicidal gap.Have told BMW about this problem/flat spot ,there response car’s safety features cut in to avoid over power to rear wheels,i will remember this next time when i have lack of power and im about to have a collision,no wonder the car has so many airbags ,so if you cant accelerate at least the airbags will cushion the impact (yeh right)
Brian

I have read all of these comments about the Holden Captiva with much interest. I have owned my diesel sx for nearly 2 years. During this period it has not missed a beat, I unlike most of the complaintants on this site, actually use my suv as intended, It makes trips to and from our property in the wheat belt with a 8 x 5 tandem trailer intow full of motorbikes and other required items. I have nothing but praise for the vehicle, its funny I can guarentee most of the people that have encountered problems are the type who buy a 7 seat vehicle with two kids to use a Toorak taxi. I am always amazed how some people view 4 x4s and SUV’s as a mark of success, get real if you want to look like a yuppie buy a luxury sedan ie:BMW, mercedes, audi or whatever tickles your fancy, leave the suvs and 4 x 4s for the people that wish to use them for what they were designed to do. I have no doubt people have encounted various problems with their Captivas but dont tar them all with the same brush, get real all cars of all types have encountered problems.
You wont persuade me to sell my Captiva, I haved passed many a yuppie in Ford Territories with my trailer in tow.

Cheers.
Your Kiding

I have hated this car from the first day I drove it. Not sure why i bought it? No real problems except bad fuel economy and poor ride. Never get it serviced at Holden dealer. Way to expensive. Don’t but it, what ever you do. I called it Craptiva before I even found this site.

People who love it work for Holden.
Craptivated

Bought my LX petrol Capy in mid 06, problems thus far:-
Dash lights staying on intermitantly in first 6 months, not since.
Cruise Control would not work when towing on one occasion
Temperature guage takes 20 mins to register on most occasions.
Decent control light stuck-on on 2 occasions.
3 times now the car refused to start, engine just turned over like it was flooded, takes up to 5 mins before it slowly comes to life.
Rear window wiper became stuck on whilst on holiday, had to remove it until returned home 2 weeks later.
2 Safety recalls for things I cant remember.
Pulls to the left badly, dealer tried fixing it and even worst tried to charge me for some bolts that you need each time its done, I told them where to get-off.
Tyres rooted after 40,000 so badly that I had a blow-out as I was not aware they were through to the steelbelt on the inside and not easily visible.
Very heavy on fuel (400km/tank) and onboard consumption meter is a laugh.

Apart from that its great…

Murray
Andrew M

you are joking,
you didnt realise that your belts were showing???

the outside edge of the tyre would have been preety low aswell unless the camber was at like 45degrees
not a captiva owner

Seems like most of the problems here occur on 06/07 built models. Seems pretty normal for any of the manufacturers to have teething probs in the first series, ie ford falcon/territory, etc. from these comments it appears holdenwoo have got their act together on the 08 models and addressed these issues
Dave A

Have a 2007 LX Diesel. 35000K. Towed and driven fast. Had rear alignment checked and replaced a blown rear brake light globe. Would like better economy as advertised but getting around 10/100 average.Have recommended to friends as we havent been able to fault. Have Ford one ton ute on LPG. Please dont tell me Ford is better. This is my workshop and should have been bolted to the ground rather than mobile. Would like to find something that hasnt gone wrong.
FAST FORDS

I’m telling you Ford is better, Holden build below standard cars and rebadge decade year old Korean Daewoo junk, one of them is called Craptiva…
Gazza

Clearly the above whingers have too much time on their hands and love to bag the General. I have owned an LX Diesel for 18 months now, 23,000 on the clock and the car is great. It’s mainly used around town (Sydney) to shuffle kids to school and then back and forth in peak traffic to work. It could use a bit less fuel, I average about 11.3l/100klm, although I may be a bit fussy because it uses about 4l/100klm less then my last petrol soft off roader. So can I recommend them – ABSOLUTELY.
didi

I own a 2008 captiva turbo diesel with 9,000kms. It is a great car with no problems so far. Previously owned an SS commodore & was worried re power etc but have been pleasantly surprised. The only query I have is the leather marks really easily – fingerprints etc. Can anyone help with this one? I love the 7 seat capability, I find it uses a little more fuel than advertised but overall I am really very happy with my car.
http://recaro Gazza

Hi Didi. I use a good quality leather cleaner and conditioner every 6 or so months. I got mine from the Holden Dealer but you can pick them up from Supa Cheap etc, mine is a presure pack aplication. This protects and conditions the leather and I dont have any problems with the leather making. You may want to give this a go.
Cheers Gazza
Bret

Gazza, so your small-mid SUV (Captiva) uses about 1 l/100km MORE than than the large 4.5l V8 Diesal Landrover and you’re happy with that?

11.3 l/100km for a small-mid sized diesal SUV is terrible.
Rod

Since my last post on 21/7/08 I’ve had another 8 months of trouble free motoring out of my Captiva LX. Best AWD I’ve owned. By the way my cousin’s Territory which cost him more than my Captiva for less standard kit has had the brakes replaced twice and also has rsut issues around rear doors. Check out the Territory brakes issue which Ford seems determined not to issue a recall on even though people like Graham Smith (Saily Telegraph) seems to belive they should. All models will have some cars that have problems. This site is full of those who have had problems (me included) but my dealer did his job and fixed them quickly with no recurrence. Get a life and stop complaining about a car. It can be fixed. If your dealer won’t fix it report them to Fair Trading as its more than likely there taht your frustration lies. My dealer will certainly get repeat business from me as they listened and fixed my problems.
Art

Hi,

I own a 2007 Captiva Maxx purchased in March 2007. It has done about 28,000 km. Until recently I had absolutely no problems. Apart from a slightly higher than expected mileage consumption I would have had no hesitation in recommending the car to anyone.

Over the past 3-4 months however I have been experiencing the power loss/warning lights problems that everybody has been describing which really make the car unsafe and undrivable. The first time I took it to my dealer (City Motors) in Perth I was told there was nothing wrong with the car. The second time they had to believe me because the warning lights and power problem was there for them to see. They said they consulted with Holden and had it fixed. To our surprise the problem was back the next day. We took it again today and now the car has to stay over the weekend waiting for some part. To their credit City Motors have provided us with a loan car on both occasions.

My point and my concern is that given the posts on this and many other forums, there has to be be a fundamental fault with the electronics of the vehicle. Having a trouble free period, as I and many others have had, does not mean the problem is not there even with the newer models. It can surface any time.

What is really worrying is the inability of Holden to come up with a credible explanation or a fix for the fault even after their customers have been reporting it for the past 2 to 3 years.

If they don’t know what the problem is how can they eliminated it from their current or future models.

Would I buy or recommend the Capriva again? I am not sure, it depends on what kind of response I get on Monday. But without a fix and a credible explanation the best advice I can give is to stay clear of the Captiva until Holden take ownership and fix the problem.

I will let you know how I go.

By the way for all those that think they have full leather seats in their car, as I did, I have some bad news for you. Only the the front base and the back rest is leather. All the rest is plastic.
Garo

As I mentioned on October 10, 2008 GM is going bankrupt
now. Its not a joke anymore. He, he , he.
They’ll not be able to suck people’s money.
Go BANKRUPT GM.
http://www.caradvice.com.au kit

I would going to buy a LX petrol,but its a lot of bad reputation in the past.
2009 model improved?
Lee

Hi, I too am a very disapointed and let down Captiva owner. LX 2007 model. since the first week we have experienced
knocking sounds that cannot be explained let alone fixed, it pulls to the left, (Roma Holden say this is due the roads not being flat!)
We got the car may 2007 on the 23rd of may it was in for the suspension.
Two months later it was back again. The from june 2008 it has become a regular visitor.
We have had the oxygen sensor replaced twice, now it is in for it’s third replacement as I type! It has been in for the transfer case, steering rack, steering shaft, power steering pump, door activator just to name a few. It has had two wheel alingments within a matter of two weeks.
Until I found this website I felt I was just getting fobbed off as I am female, now I realise that it is just Holden’s after service.
This weekend when I started the care all dash lights came on with at least four staying on, the dreaded oxygen sensor being one. Then the car locked itself. I actually had to turn it off and take out the key to unlock the car so I could get out! While all these lights were on there was a very noticable lack of power with the feeling it was going to just stop. I pulled into the nearest service station and turned off the car. all but the oxygen lights went off and then the car was driven to the dealer where I refused to drive it anymore. I have been given a car to drive over the weekend, it’s a toyota and very nice! I am going in tomorrow to see what is going to be done.
To those who class us as whingers, what happens when the warranty runs out and I have to pay for these repeatable repairs? Or worse, I am driving it with my young child in the back out here in the bush and it just stops and we have another vehicle or a truck run into us. Will Holden give a dam then?
BRING IN THE LEMON LAW
DON”T BUY A CAPTIVA
Carmen

I bought a 2007 Captiva LX Diesel model, have almost done 70,000km and initially loved it (I still do, as its great to drive)…but my issue is the Malfunction Indicatior Light..This has come on about 10 times in the last year, more so being in the last 6 months. I had my car in service On Monday 11th May to fix the clock as there was a short circuit and the MIL was on. That was fixed, apparently the sensors were changed. This morning 13th May the MIL came on again. So again its gotta go in to be fixed. I was wondering who we can go to… Dont think I will buy a Captiva again…
Rodrigo

Can anyone tell me if the 2008 models are any better than the previous ones.
bensio

I have just read all of this bad news on the Captiva – I do wish that all future authors would identify whether their models are petrol or Diesel. I have a 2 year old LX Turbo Diesel and have done 82000klms. It has been off road numerous times on both Sand (Noosa North Shore – Rainbow Beach) and mud and dirt (farms South of Beaudesert). My single and only complaint is the pulling to the left which is rectified with with wheel alignement every 15000klms. I too only got 40000 klms out of the first set of tyres but the Bridgestones i have on now look like new with only a little wear. Yes it allways pays foy buyers to be aware of issues – but lets not muddy the water and be clear on whether your Captiva is a petrol or Diesel. I would, given my experience recommend a CAPTIVA DIESEL LX to anyone.
Peter

We have a 60th Anniversary diesel 2008 model. So far all ok except a fuse keeps blowing and disables our radio, heater controls and reverse camera viewer on the dash. Car had done 7000km. Being repaired this week, so see what the cause may be? On a plus side, compared to the X5 BMW $120,000 SUV that the Captiva replaced, we have had the Captiva back less for warranty work that the BMW, which had electric mirrors replaced, tow bar fitted upside down, sun roof that poured in water when closed etc etc. The diesel X5 also had the short lag when suddenly accellerating, so this is typical of these types of cars with gearboxes and diffs trying to work out in a millisecond what the driver wants to do? All cars have faults, but once fixed, they should not reoccur. Seems the V6 early petrols are the cause of distress with owners. Ask me in about a year again and see what I am thinking of the car..My wife loves the Captiva and fuel economy is never over 10L/100 under any circumstances? BMW was 8L/100km for a heavier car – a 6th gear on Captiva would have been a good option.
Danos

I too have a 60th Anniversary diesel 2008 model. Unfortunately, I too am having problems. First time I couldn’t open the doors and it looked like the battery in the remote had died, but when I tried to start up the car none of the console lit up.

It turned out that there was a fault in the console, so the whole unit was replaced. I was assured it was all fine……
Well, guess what…..This time the power cut out while doing 60km/h…..Exactly the same problem…..More dangerous situation…..

It’s in for repairs again…..

If it happens one more time……I intend to get the car replaced at Holdens expense.
ir-chelle

I must add that overall i do love my captiva…
It has been a good car so far ish..especially when i read every one elses comments and when i compare it to my mum’s 97 astra so this car seems like a dream compared to that.. i do miss my commodore the deisel doesnt really have a grunt factor, but i have four kids a family of 6 cant very well squezze into an omega..:)
http://caradvice.com.au Marta

Ever gone to a car yard and the sales person rolls out the red carpet for you; they bend over backwards to make a sale but the minute you sign on that dotted line and they have there money there attitude changes. It’s almost like they are screaming out sucker. I am the owner of a 2007 VE SV6 that has had 10 warranty issues with it. What you don’t know is; it is my second 2007 holden. the first I bought in May 2007 it was the base model for that year, I sold it back to Andersons Auto City 8 months after I bought it and got the 2007 VE SV6. In total i have had 19 warranty issues on 2 cars that were brand new. Yes i did ring Holden customer complaints and as usual they played dumb. I do not believe I got what I payed for!! I bought a brand new car with the price tag that goes with it; in reality I got a brand new car with second hand issues and I paid full price for it. Holden don’t care and the dealership I bought the car from don’t care either, because they have there money.

I got a sticker made for my car “42,000 Australian made lemon” I just felt obligated to do some advertising for Holden. They don’t care that I paid 42,000 for my car and I’m sure there not going to care I paid $140 for this sticker. But if you seen a car with that on it would you rush out and buy one? ummmmmmmm NO!!!

I have started a petition for LEMON LAWS. I need 15,000 people to sign 0437 331 705
Craig

Captiva

I have just purchased a new CG MY 9.5 SX Diesel 7 Seater, so far very happy with it. I am getting a “pool” of clear water dripping from the engine bay after I stop, this only happens when I have the A/C or Heater on? Any Ideas? The dealer said it was condensation, but there seems to a lot of water for just condensation

Also I have read through all the complaints people have in regards to the Captiva, what would be interesting is to compare units sold to number of “un-satisfied customers” in order to get an overall perception of this car. So far I have seen hundreds of these vehicles on the road.
Jay

I have a Captiva LX 2007 Petrol for 25 mths from new, and the biggest issue has been the wheel alignment and tyre problems. First 2 tyres scrubbed out dangerously quick inside 27,000 kms!!. A noteworthy concern to me back then, because my Dad worked in the tyre business most of his life, and I have been more used to getting 70,000 kms+ from most makes and models of cars and tyres. Holden denies alignment problems, but one was required with new tyres. Holden ‘mysteriously’ calls in Captiva for strut bolt warranty repair. I of course ask the question. They of course, deny any connection with poor tyre wear!

Got a flat tyre today, at 59,000 kms and Roadside Assist found it the toughest wheel to ever get off a car. Alloy virtually ‘rusted’ on. Glad I wasn’t in the bush without a big rubber hammer. Guy shows me both rear tyres scrubbed out and showing wire. Dangerously unsafe. Scares the daylights out of me that I drive the highways at 110 kph, with Semi Trucks and B Doubles coming at me. Suddenly I feel very vunerable and Holden need to explain and rectify. Jay (Melbourne)

Natavia

Jay,

I had a tyre blow out on my 2007 Captiva ‘in the bush without a big rubber hammer’. It took my partner and I 4 hours to get it off. 2 Hours to walk to and from a house in the middle of nowhere to get something stronger than the hammer we had in the car and two hours (in the rain) to get it off with a big metal mallet. Ruined the Alloy Wheel in the process….. As for tyres, like I have said here. We have had 11 in 3 years and 9 months….. at between $340 and $450 a tyre it gets expensive. And vulnerable is a very good word to describe how I feel too. Especially driving children around in the thing.

Peter Male

Hi,

I am back again to look at similar Captiva complaints. My 2008 60th Anniversary Diesel Captiva is showing very poor tyre wear. At 13,000km, the rear tyres are almost worn out on the outer edge. I have had a wheel alignment done and been told it appears the pre-delivery alignment was not done at all. This has pretty well written off a nice pair of tyres that should have lasted 40,000km plus. I am very annoyed as replacement tyres are nearly $400+ each. It appears this problem is common among owners. My dash black out gremlin has disappeared now and the reverse camera still blacks out when the dash is very hot on hot days. It soon comes back later in the day. Like other owners we have a radio sound system that increases in volume on its own. Sort of funny as it drowns out the kids. We just turn it down again and it does not happen for weeks then. Appears that dash electronics are a common issue. Not very happy about that. The engine is so far fine along with all other parts.

Natavia

Peter,

Don’t want to alarm you but I have had 11 tyres in 3 years and 9 months……. Two have blown out, and all but two others due to improper tyre wear… Finally got that fixed but still wear out too quick???

http://CARADVICE.COM JORDAN

i just brought my captiva last week and already it has broken down,im so angry with my-self that i brought this car it a heap of c***.Im now thinking of buying the new 2010 mazda cx9!!!!

i hate this craptiva!!!!!!!!

ALL I CAN SAY IS NEVER BUY THIS CRAPTIVA!!!!!!!!!!

http://facebook Mary

Don’t buy the CX9 a person I know bought one and has had it back to dealer every week

http://facebook Mary

I purchased a diesel Captiva in Nov 2007, have had traction control fixed 3 times fuel pump connection 3 times whole new fuel pump fitted this week and the rocker arm broke fell into the head, they replace the arm and cam and resitted the valves. I have done 65000km. apart from those problems not a bad car.
Kym

I purchased a Diesel 60th Aniversary Captiva in September 2008, and like many others are having tyre wear issues, scrubbing outside edges off in less than 10,000kms, like many others having a problem with Holdens accepting resposibility and are just wasting time to hope you go away. The car has done 38,000kms now and has gone through three front sets of tyres and one rear set, has been back to the Dealer on many occasions and they cannot find any problems with the wheel alignment, has had the modification to the front mounting holes etc. like the others mention. Also has had many other electrical problems, dash lighting up with all of the warning lights and havinf no all wheel drive, ABS or traction control, Radio volume goes flat out now and again or goes right off now and again, Climate Control Air Conditioning is terrible it is either cold or hot nothing in between, auto headlight s are too sensitive and turn on and off reglarly at evening or morning time, often annoying the driver in front as he thinks I am flashing him for some reason. The Car is unsafe to drive now as it is pulling left again with the tyre weat and Holdens are still reluctant to do anything about it.

Warning the car is a piece of crap do not buy one, and on the support from Holdens I will nhevr buy another Holden again and they wonder why they are losing sales,
c k

General Motors Corporation has been announced several recalls this year. Most of the GM vehicles called for recall in the US car market were found to have faulty car parts — prompting government agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to ask automakers like GM (maker of GMC egr valve) to conduct recalls on their malfunctioning vehicles.
Just recently, the General Motors Daewoo Auto & Technology Company based in South Korea was reported to have received a warning from South Korea’s state-run consumer protection agency because of growing complaints over malfunctioning parts found in its Captiva Sport Utility Vehicle.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency, these cars were found to be dangerous because of the unidentified flaws found on the GM Daewoo’s Captiva SUVs. The car is being sold in South Korea under the name of Winstorm. Officials are worried that if these car problems are not fixed, it will cause accidents and in worst cases, maybe even death. “Though no exact reason has been identified so far for such defects in the engine area, it could undermine a consumer’s driving safety,” said the agency.
According to the news, the car problem can also be causes of major engine problems like power loss which will result to the reduction of speed when the driver speeds into the accelerator.
No injuries or death has been reported. However, several complaints were received coming from customers about an unexplainable change of speed in the car.
The General Motor Daewoo Officers did not make any comment about this matter.
General Motor Daewoo Corporation is the third largest car maker in South Korea, and is a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Daewoo Motors. General Motors Daewoo is also on among the distributors of vehicles of GM worldwide. Almost 10% of the cars produced by General Motors are made in GM Daewoo. The most famous car brand made under the corporation is the Winstorm SUV which shares its platform from the current Chevrolet Captiva in the US car market.
c k

Be warned do not buy one of these vehicles – 24 months i have been into the garage 15 times – different problems-

O2 sensors
ECU changed
stereo changed twice
bluetooth failure
ABS failed
Engine malfunction light to many times
Windows let in water
Lights let in water
Bonnet clasp broken
( due to the amount of times service had been in and out of the engine)
auto window not working- driver side
Reverses awfully

PLEASE DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS – HOLDEN HAS A PROBLEM WITH THEM , AND WILL NOT RECALL THEM…..

ps im not bitter, just angry – that i am putting my family in an unsafe car – as it powers down as well…

Stephanie

Hi CT,

I would love to have a chat with you about the problems your having with your Craptiva..

If you could send me an email so I can get in touch that would be great.

Cheers,

Stephanie stephanie.picone@gmail.com

luvvy

We bought a 2007 captiva second hand 6 months ago – belonged to a posh boys school & all servicing done by Holden. On Friday at 4pm we discovered that the rear tyres had scrubbed out on the inside – one to canvas!. My husband knows heaps about cars, and there were no visible problems when we bought it (or we would have kept our money) but he works away and they haven’t been checked for about 6-8 weeks, as he always keeps an eye in the tyres of our cars. Almost impossible to get the tyres required – no one stocks them & they would have to ordered – found an independant tyre place who had them, right next to a Holden dealer. They said that the wheel alignment in the back is the worst they have ever seen and Holden need to put a ‘kit’ through it. They couldn’t align them because there was not enough adjustment available. The tyre place said Holden next door bring lots of Captivas to them for this work, and they had one on the hoist when we were there. Ended up costing $1000 for 2 new Dunlops – ludicrous, but the other tyres places said similar prices, even though not in stock. Soooooo, off to tackle Holden tomorrow (Monday) because their service departments are not open on Saturday in WA – car is still under new car warranty – lets see what happens!! PS I found putting premium fuel in it boosts the fuel economy heaps
Ian

Hi,

I have a 2007 Maxx Captiva (60,000kms) – have we had some troubles!! We must have been back to the dealer 15 to 20 times in 2 years and I am sick of the dealer telling me that my issues are a “feature of the vehicle”.

Problems so far.

1. Steering wheel replaced 3 times (leather came off).
2. Roof lining replaced 2 times – brown stains caused by glue.
3. Door inserts replaced – leather came away.
4. 4 wheel alignments finally some modification carried out but only got 40,000 km out of tyres which are $400+ each. New set is wearing badly also – all Holden does is rotate them and say “yes my goodness they are expensive”.
5. Rear parking sensors replaced – after 7 trips to the dealer – who reassured me they had fixed the problem – like every other problem this car has had.
6. The front bonnet protector had to be removed due to a whistling noise it created in the car.
7. The roof racks I purchased as extras cannot be used due the wind turbulence at high speed – “a feature of the car”
8. The gearbox and engine do not talk to each other even with the latest update it still doesn’t know which gear it want to be in when you decelerate around a roundabout – “a feature of the car”
9. The accelerator – some times it responds one way to a certain amount of pressure the next time with the same amount of pressure it responds completely different. This is dangerous as it is very difficult taking off from traffic lights- but the dealer says “a feature of the car”
10. Numerous panels and seals changed due to faulty panel work or poor fitting.
11. Front seat – the front seat adjuster is to be replaced for the 2nd time – it just groans.
12. Front seat falling apart – passenger seat was actually loose!!
13. Interior ceiling light faulty
14. Numerous lights on the dash coming on.
15. Gear shift hard to get in due to poor alignment of safety switch.
16. Nuts that hold the back door trim on have come loose and some were missing.
17. Fuel gauge not reading right.
18 Turning indicator lights do not turn off – they have to be manually turned off.
19. And the fuel use around town – 18 to 20 l per 100km!!!!!!!

and on and on …!!!!

The most frustrating thing about all this is that the dealer principle won’t show to discuss – nor will the service manager – I am left to talk to the lady on the front desk – who is very polite but obviously taking the heat for these other 2.

I have contacted Holden who put me onto their customer service department – believe me once you have had that experience you will never, never buy another Holden ever. I did manage to get one Holden rep to take some interest – but I quickly came to realise he didn’t even understand the original “features” of the vehicle despite caring about the free ones Holden had bestowed.

I think Holden should come clean and recall these vehicles and fix some of the known problems. The accelerator and the gear shift will kill someone if they don’t.

Ian

Stephanie

Hi Ian,

I would love to chat with you in regards to the problems your having with your Craptiva…

Can you please send me an email so I can get in touch.

My address is stephanie.picone@gmail.com

Kind regards,

Stephanie

Ian

… and now you can add 2 split oil filters which have dropped oil all over my garage floor – apparently this is a problem with Captiva’s

What next!!!!!

Ian
Ian

… and now you can add 2 split oil filters which have dropped oil all over my garage floor – apparently this is a problem with Captiva\’s

What next!!!!!

Ian
Al Laidlaw

My husband and I have purchased a new captiva 08 LX, off a damaged car auction, car was a repairable write off caused by flood damage. We responsibly had all the work needed to get the car on the road done by our local holden dealership who informed us that there was limited warranty on the vehicle. The car past all their tests and also past the VIV. 3 months on the road nothing to complain about…..then on highway doing 110km car shut down and emission light came on, was a terrible rainy day and we were overtaking in the right lane. Very scary! It took them alot of time to find the fault as all the computer connections were saying that the car should be running…??? My husband called the dealer again this morning and they have said that the belt tension failured and may have caused damage to the drive shaft. I am not a mechanic….but my dad is!!! And he seems to think that this is a mechanical motor problem, doesnt seem to think it was caused at all by the flood damage…and how far up the water went into the car we willnever know!! Now the dealership is telling us that the car has NO warranty….what to do…yes we knew that there was a risk by purchasing this vehicle but we weren’t expection this!! Have read of other capitva’s losing power and slowing down with emission light coming on…please let me know if this has happend to you!
David

I would ask this of all the Holden lovers that bought this vehicle. If it had a Daewoo badge on it would you have bought it? I wouldn’t even consider one for this reason alone. Daewoo were going bust until GM bought them, now GM may go bust. Daewoo have made crap cars since day one and still do. Good onya Holdenwoo.
dgasa

Companies go bust for a myriad of reasons including poor management, high overheads, and taxation issues. So it really makes no difference to the product if a company has/was/is bust.

The engine is an italian VM motori RA420 made under license by Daewoo. Powertrain is GM. Suspension tuned by Holden engineers in Australia.

Biggest selling SUV in Nov 09
Paul C

I have a 07 Captiva. apart from only getting 400klms from a tank and wheel alignment problems others have documented my main issue is that for the entire life of the vehicle the engine malfunction light and o2 sensors and air flow have malfunctioned and each time it went back to Holden dealer they said they fixed the problem with it to reoccur no less than 6 times in 100,000klms… it is now out of warranty (over 100,000klms and they now present me with a bill for over $3500 to replace o2 sensors and catalytic converters by 3. The dealer says the malunction light and the present problem are not related… what do u think? I have contacted holden and they r revising their decision but I think I will continue to be disappointed.

The captiva is a lovely car to drive when there are no mechanical problems (of which there are many) and as long as u have deep pockets for the EXTREMELY poor petrol consumption… I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER CAPTIVA OR FOR THAT MATTER HOLDEN EVER AGAIN AND HOLDEN HAVE LOST MY BUSINESS FOR LIFE and did I mention I will continue to tell this experience forever!!
Caron

We just purchased a 2nd hand captiva 6 weeks ago lx 2007, wish I had been here first.

The day we drove it out of the car Dealer we heard a noise, Took it to holden as it still had 7 months warranty, Guess what not just a small problem it was….the transfer case.
Two weeks later when the car was returned the noise was still in the steering wheel I presumed all connected somehow….Oh no took it back again and now it is the rack from the steering it will be replaced this week.

CRAPTIVA IS RIGHT…..I WILL BE CHECKING MY RIGHT REGARDING THIS PURCHASE

Fiona

Oh didn’t read this! How did you get on?

Fiona

Hi, am I the only person who has had 5 steering racks in their captiva lx? My car is 2 years old and approximately every 5 months it needs a new steering rack. It also makes a strange rotational noise that sounds like it’s coming from somewhere underneath the gearshift but apparently no one in the dealership can hear it! What a complete waste of money it was. If it was anything other than a car it would have been replaced by the manufacturer by now.

Sharon Flynn

I’ve had 3 steering racks (all within 3 year warranty, thank goodness) on my 2007 LX. Now out of warranty, had a minor service and the mechanic (not Holden) broke an O2 sensor wire, replaced it, but engine light on constantly. Back to Holden dealer service who found a blown 15 amp fuse. Within 15 mins of leaving the dealer, three different warning lights appeared. Took it straight back, they found entirely different error codes, repaired them (original mechanic paid for that). 5 days later, all warning lights back on. Holden now tell me I am up for $1500 for a new alternator, wiring harness and air flow sensor (and $500 in labour). Can’t tell me why it’s happened, or if it had anything to do with what the original mechanic did. I had a perfectly functioning car before I put it in for a minor service at 70k. Am I wrong in thinking this is still part of the same issue? I think I’m right in expecting someone else to pay the bill….

Caron

Hi There Fiona, Wow I feel lucky then only one rack in my craptiva, but the noise coming from under your car is probably the first problem I had the transfer case…… What a joke well they replaced my rack steering thingy…. now 2 weeks later I have the noise again…So watch out Fiona I could catch up to you.

HOLDEN THESE ARE NOT JUST LITTLE PROBLEMS THESE ARE MAJOR PARTS OF CARS….DANGEROUS STUFF. WAKE UP ..

CAPTIVA DO NOT BUY.L.L.
filippo

I’m sorry but I have no sympathy for Captiva buyers who face problems. They bought the car because it was really cheap and/or for the Holden badge, neither of these reasons being good enough to shrug common sense aside. If they’d done proper research they would have read comparisons between Captiva and it’s competitors that show it to be the inferior vehicle (Kia/Hyundai make better cars for the same money), so to complain now is like complaining that your $5 Kmart sunglasses have broken.

lm

you have no idea of what you are talking about, what’s you drive?? tell us and then we can comment about your choice, other than that, just shut up
Natavia

Filippo,

Sorry – I brought my Captiva in 2007 – Well before any ‘research’ was conducted. If you call this website research then people should seriously learn from this and avoid at all costs. Holden used to mean reliability and yes we did look to this when we bought. We were never told when we purchased that Daewoo made the vehicle so we feel a little duped by this. Also I agree that the Captiva is certainly not a cheap car by any means. Especailly for a family on a budget…. Oh also, $5 for sunglasses doesn’t end up costing $20 to repair….

Fiona

Actually filippo, I didn’t buy it because it was cheap as I don’t think $43000 is cheap. (But I am a teacher). I have owned cars for 26 years both new and old and this is the first car to have given me serious problems. You’re right, though, I didn’t research the fact that I’d need a new steering rack quite so often for my money. I also currently own a 13 year old golf which has yet again taken me to the garage to drop off and pick up my 2 year old Captiva. And I only paid $6000 for the golf!
Caron

Hi Again All. I agree with Fiona $43,000 is not a cheap car. I of course trusted the holden badge silly me ….I have learned an expensive Lesson, I have had numerous cars over my 30 years of driving and NEVER had any major issues.
Last week we traded the CRAPTIVA for a brand new Nissan Xtrail TI I feel like I am driving a Mercedes after the so called Holden. I had a new Xtrail in 2003, and didnt have any problems….Lesson learned …If you dont need the 7 seats this is the way to go..I love it it has more guts than the Captiva tried and true and I am getting great fuel economy , The seats are just the most comfortable something lacking in the earlier model, Thankyou Nissan Im Back Goodbye holdenwoo
lm

i have a captiva, no worries,it seems to me a lot of people like to whinge for nothing, if daewoo was called gm of asia noones would say anything, like all the rest of cars are any better,wake up people!!whats the problem with the steering noisy?big deal!!get a life!i had bmw,mercs and they are not much better, i had nissan,hyundai, may be the ebst is a hyndai.life does not revolve around you.get a life or actually keep going, its quite funny!!

Natavia

Im….. I don’t care where my car (a 2007 Captiva) was made, nor do I care much for small annoying problems like the latch on the glove compartment not working, the rear right seatbelt guard comming away, the rear jack latch failing or even the noise of the vehicle. What does worry me (and costs me) is the fact that I have had 11 tyres in the past 4 years, I have had the Timing Chain strech and need replacing at a cost of $4500 and three days loss of wages. I have also had the warning light issues costing a total of another 5 days wages over time and now this very week, dramas with the steering column and all the while being worried about carrying my young son around in a hazedous vehicle. We buy new cars because we want to feel safe in a vehivcle that is reliable and cost effective…. And when we don’t we want them fixed at a cost to the manufacturer without the stresses involved… Who cares who made it —- Just make it better and replace the ones that were not made good enough….!!!

Suzy

WoW LoL OmG I was considering one of these to replace our 2003 Suzuki XL7 which has done 120000km of trouble free trips to snow, beach, bush and schools. Looks like it will be the SantaFe. Hard to go past the Japanese quality though.
http://Google Brad

My 07 Captiva has travelled 33000 klm. Has bad rotten egg smell for a few months now, sluggish power, just recent engine light staying on. Car purchased with extended warranty through dealer and Holden new car warranty expired. Had car towed to dealer. Advised a day later that major issue with timing chain. Dealer informs me $3000 to fix but have contacted Holden and they will pay for cost as design fault. I’m glad as my extended warranty would only cover $2000. Dealer says that they have had lots of captives come back with this issue.

brent huxford

hi i own a holden captiva had nothing but problems with it from the day we brought it air bag lights steering rack and now emision light they told me it is not going to be fixed under warenty as i dont have my services done at “holden” but i get them done else wherewould like to know how you got them to fix it as a design fault if you can reply it would be great

Mick

Just found this site.
We have purchased a Captiva LZ new in 2007.
Lost copunt of the times its been back to the dealership.
They have alsways blamed me and said there is nothing wrong with the car.
I have so little confidence in it i purchased extended warranty for $1,250- cause it is such a lemon.
Yes poor milage, Yes wheel aligment problems that the dealer blames me for, yes tyres need replacing, car has only done 35,000kms in 3.5 years.
The only other car I know that is such a lemon is my fathers Holden VIVA.
What holden Korean rubbish.
Jack

I’ve had a LX Captiva for 6 months and its goes mint. Tyres wore a fair bit inside edge so had a Tyre joint flip the worn bit to the outside on all 4 (I rotate my tyres religiously which means all 4 are worn evenly)so should get another 20,000 klms? Cost $50 which is better than $1000 plus.
Next set of tyres will have lugs that’s for sure! The car goes brilliant through snow a foot deep. Being a Diesel and an Automatic water crossing will be a breeze.Sat Nav must of been designed by a fool and is pathetic and uses 10 year old format.
Changed the oil and filter myself rather than use the Stealer dealer and saved about $800.
Worst experience with this 4×4 is the dealer. Lots of lies and they tried to rip me off $3000 by omitting the Holden Grant saying it was only available to those who it chooses to offer it too!
To those who bag the Car. I’ve had $35,000 BMW motorcycles that have been far worse than this car. I’ve had Landbruisers and other more rugged 4×4′s but lets face it, who wants to spend twice the money to fuel it if traversing the odd gravel road is all you do? the majority of so called real 4×4′s are driven by yuppies who never go off road anyway, lets face it. I’ve done the Gibb over 6 times and the Gunbarrel once and I can say that the LX Cappy will do all that stuff with ease with minimal prep. The Captiva is a nice looking rig that eats miles easy and after 20,000 klms all is well with mine so time will tell how well its really put together.

Iron Side up
Sandra

Just came accross this site and am really scared. Just put on a deposit on a 2010 captiva and am freaking out over all the negative comments. I have noticed however that most of the negative comments are about 2007-2008 captiva’s. Very few about the recent models. Comment anyone, would love to hear some positive comments to make me sleep better before we go an pick up our new car.

Sumpguard

I spoke to a couple at the hyundai dealership when I was picking up my ix35 last July and they were looking to trade one in. They’d never had any mechanical issues. Only concerns were reasonably thirsty (petrol) and a largish turning circle.

Oh and they got the crap scared out of them with the trade in offer.

Jase

I have a Captiva SX 2007. Done 37k kms. The car rides well and I have had no problems with it. A lot of the problems seem to list the LX model as the most common culprit with all of the bells and whistles, many problems do occur. I brought my captiva as an ex-demo from holden, this is something I do often, as buying brand new seems to carry many risks around flaws and recall issues. At least having an ex-demo Holden have themselves had to see and fix (if any) flaws. After the first 20k kms many issues seems to have been rectified. I dont think any car is perfect, FORD or any other. Maybe some realistic expectations can avoid total disappointment… cars will always have some issues!

Sumpguard

It’s funny to read all the anti Holden posts in here from Ford fans. The Captiva has its issues but then there have been some real horror stories written up by owners of the Territory also in various forums.

Splitsump

@sumpguard – your Korean car fetish is showing. Stick to KIA and Hyundai threads.

Roger

Reading all this I get very discouraged.
We have bought a Captiva recently, and it is exhibiting already some of the problems mentioned here.

Two weeks ago it started to show problems with starting up. Only on the second go would the engine kick in. Finally on Sunday evening it had no juice in the battery whatsoever. One would think either the battery is shot, or the alternator doesn’t work… but no… in line with the above statements, it was a computer fault… the dealer applied a computer patch, and the problem went away. Frankly I am not 100% convinced that was the issue, but let’s just go with that.

In the last two days, we have a new problem… a warning chime whenever I press the brake. No dash lights, just a chime. Holden dealer looked at it, went straight for the onboard computer, but this time, it didn’t reveal the problem. As always when at the mechanic the problem cannot be replicated So no resolution yet… will keep you posted.
MA

Just bought a new Captiva CX. Within a week sections of interior trim and vinyl seat bolsters fading/discolouring.
Advised GM Holden, they did not seemed interested in the least. Dealer more helfull, agrees there is a problem but its a manufacturing fault not a dealer fault etc etc. Meanwhile what should have been an exciting time new car etc, turned out a negative and thus far unresolved experience. I was in two minds about buying this vehicle in the first place and I am not likely to buy a holden again more so because of the lack of interest from the company.
stevo

I bought a 2010 LX Diesel, and I have to say I absolutely love it and think it’s great value. Fit and finish are excellent, not as good as the CX9 or the Tribeca, but they are at least 20k more..so you can’t compare.

The only negatives I have to say about the car in my experience are:

a) The diesel is slow off the mark and I mean that first 10m when you need it…(turning across incoming traffic)
b) The GPS unit has a bad gui, and overestimates every single journey time by 33%, it also directed me to go through Melbourne to Adelaide from Sydney (instead of wagga) and told me the journey would take 24.5 hours!!!!
c) The turning circle is pretty big.

But aside from that. The car is quiet, leather seats including the 6th and 7th seats, good fit and finish, good fuel economy (9.5 real usage in the city) and all of the safety features you’d expect.

It looks like the 2007 models are the real duds here..

Would have liked a longer warranty….but 3+2 is ok I suppose.

Overall, I’m very very happy with the car…

Waynesy

We also bought a Captiva 7 but the SX Diesel recently. Got a great deal on it with a 10yr warranty and 10yr roadside assist. Only have 3 minor issues with it which 2 have been resolved since purchase.

First: The Temperature control dial is supposed to be notched so that you can feel the clicking when you turn the dial(picky i know but should be right). Had that replaced when it went in for the first service.

Second: The second thing was the factory tinting applied at purchase was not finished correctly on the back glass window. Was partially peeled around the hinges. Again, on the first service was resolved.

Third: The third issue since we have had the car serviced is the drivers side passenger door trim keeps popping off slightly so gets caught when you try to open the door. The door looks aligned and everything so might be to do with the step strip on the door frame where you step in.

Other than that am quite happy with the performance and comfort of the car. Even the back row of seats are adequate to fit me (6ft tall) quite comfortably. Will be taking on a road trip in August up to QLD so will give it a good run and see what the real fuel economy is like.
Ony thing we are concerned about with the trip is the warranty for the car is set to the dealer we purchased from so what happens if something goes wrong while we are away? Will have to call the dealer and find out.

Vkjeff

Where do I start..Bought Captiva LX 2010 at Booran Holden, done now 7600 kS. Steering pulls to the left, Exhaust enters the cabin, GPS maps out of date, Display screen randomly turn to night mode even parked in the sun. Then goes day mode in the night, Speed alert says I am speeding when I am not and when activated interrupts the radio by shutting it off and then on again. Service at Booran Holden is crap. The said they wanted the car for 7 hours to address the problems..OK..The car was still in the car park 4 hours later. On my complaint they took the car in and suprise suprise…NO FAULT FOUND in most cases. The gave it a wheel alignment. Still pulls to the left and while agreed the display had a fault saying the sensor had to be replaced, they could not do it in the time. They wanted 7 hours and worked for 3 and that included the 3000k service. I took the complaint to Holden…Guess what, not their problem they say, take it up with the dealer…Would never buy a Holden again. The work on wearing you down with denials and not returning emails.
Rebecca

Wondering if anyone can help..
I have a Holden Captiva LX 2007 petrol model. Today parked at work & brake lights came on. Pushed brake pedal down & lights went out.
Hopped back in to drive it later all fine, parked it & went into a shop, came back & started the car & could move the car out of park.
Had a mechanic come & help me get it moving by pressing the shift lock release but wondering if anyone does know what the problem is??

Vkjeff

Sounds like the brakes switch is faulty. This will prevent you accessing the drive gear because it will not allow you to get out of park. The Captiva has you depress the brake to release the gear lever. If the switch fails the you loose this control. You can leave the car in Neutral.(NOT on a hill) to temporally keep it out of park until fixed. Jeff
rad

quick fix it is brake light switch as ive just had the same problem part No 96628565 cost $45.05 inc gst but not fitted, easy to fit hope this dosen’t get to u to late. rad

bec

Same problem with my 2007 lx captiva. Gets stuck in park and have to use shift lock release to get out of park!

Mark

We bought our Craptiva brand new in 2007 and have regretted the decision for the last 4 years but no more than yesterday.
Not only have we put up with the disgraceful fuel economy during this time but also the regular trips back to Holden for warning lights flashing as well as the power steering seals which have been replaced 3 times in the last 14 months.
Yesterday however takes the cake. The airconditioning has only worked on setting 4(and no others since our last service)and the cost to repair $500.
The next problem is the emission control light that has come on which the manual states could lead to sluggish performance and adverse fuel economy(as if I thought it could get worse.)
Cost to fix our friendly dealer has advised $2500, despite us having travelled only 47000kms over 4 years and having the thing serviced regularly.
In addition be warned that the advice we were given was that we had contributed to the problem because in some cases the service had gone over by 500kms or so.
Looking very much forward to ringing the Service Manager today and tearing him a new one and can’t wait to trade it in and get rid of it
gon

getting very dissapointed with the car ( craptiva LX 2010) LCD problems: stuck on GPS, wont display mp3, air cond,etc.LCD not turning off when car is off. Reversing camera does not appear on the LCD display. reverse sensor doesnt seem to be working
Cruise control button also stuck.
steering swings to the left.
only 14000 k’s on it. not even due for first service
anyone having similar problems?

what a piece of sh…t

this is the last holden I ever buy. will tell everyone I know including all my clients to stay away from this car.
should have bought a toyota for the same price instead.
gon

should we rally and take class action?
Bill

I bought a brand new LX Captiva V6 in June 2010 and my front tyres are worn out at 15000km!!!!!! I am furious! I took the car back to Holden in February, 2011 and they did a wheel alignment and balance and told me to bring the car back for its 15000 service. I was told that there is nothing wrong. Go figure that one out? My car is booked in for a service tomorrow and World War III will commence….

Jellibean

Bill some how i found my intial set of Dunlop Sports lasted some 50000….although steel showing.

When talking with tyre dealers the Captiva’s are known to scrub the tyres due to poor suspension set up along with the choice of tyres fitted to new cars.

Several said that 20000km was good for some people….I do not think so when the Dunlop Sports are $500 are piece.

I currently run a Yokohama on my Captiva LX @ about $300+ each and they are up to 40000+km.

Talk to tyre dealers and also I am aware that you can have a suspension kit fitted to help with the issue but have not researched that further.

Glenn

HOLDEN CAPTIVA A ‘CATASTROPHIC FAILURE’

Six months out of warranty and with only 75 000 kms on the clock, I recently experienced what staff at the service section of Commonwealth Motors in Canberra described as a ‘catastrophic failure’ of the engine of my 2007 Series I Holden Captiva LX. Notwithstanding the purported reliability of diesel engines, a roller rocker bearing apparently disintegrated sending needle rollers through the engine. Commonwealth Motors also advised that they have seen a similar situation involving another Captiva with 80 000 kms on the clock.

To help alleviate the pain, Commonwealth Motors asked Holden to assist with the repair bill as a gesture of goodwill. Holden, to its credit, came through with 75% of the (trade) costs leaving 25% to me, the previously loyal yet somewhat disillusioned customer.

Needless to say, a more appropriate gesture on the part of Holden would have been to apologise for the inconvenience and offer to pay the entire bill. It is entirely unacceptable that a well maintained, low-mileage, one-owner vehicle should experience a failure of this nature so soon after the expiry of the warranty leaving the owner to foot the bill, or part thereof. This is particularly the case where the problem has apparently been encountered by Holden previously.

If Holden want to sell disposable cars they should sell them at disposable prices which, of course, they are not.

Nonetheless, on hearing the extent of the failure, our potentially misplaced loyalty to Holden prevailed and we traded in the ‘catastrophe’ for a new Series II LX, noting the advice of the Commonwealth Motors salesman that ‘the engines are improving all the time’ and ‘this one should not fail after just 75 000kms’. It is disappointing that some of the benefit derived from the trade-in was lost in the repair costs. I am, however, grateful for small mercies and appreciate the salesman throwing in a free set of floor mats, after some prompting from me and some exasperated sighs from him.

To exacerbate the problem, the ‘failure’ occurred on the way back to our home outside Canberra from the South Coast of NSW after a long weekend away. My 12 month old baby was less than impressed sitting in the car on the side of the highway. Fortunately, we managed to borrow a car, inclusive of baby seat, from family and NRMA arranged a tow home and then to the dealer (thanks to Premium Roadside Assist). It appears that a courtesy car was beyond the contemplation of the Holden dealer notwithstanding the ‘catastrophe’ was still on their lift undergoing extensive repairs and we were still waiting for delivery of the Series II.

Let’s hope the salesman’s undertaking as to the anticipated life of the new Series II is not overly ambitious. Time will no doubt tell.

Mike

I have just had exactly the same problem occur. My car has been serviced since being bought brand new at the same dealer. I have been told that it will not be ready until next week but I am now wondering whether or not Holden will stump up as a gesture of goodwill as it is out of warranty. Thanks for your report
Jellibean

I have also just recently as today had this same issue…do you think I could have a loan car to get back home today some 1.5hrs away…no all booked out. Mmmmm I wonder how helpful Holden will be??

Todd

i am now on my 3rd captiva which have been company cars and i can not fault them i have a series 2 lx v6 and i love driving it as much as my kids love sitting in the 3rd row seat.
Bob

I purchased a 2008 LX Captiva …worst car I have ever purchased …. never again! Car pulls to left, tyres scrubbed out at 35000 km, tailgate struts replaced, bluetooth replaced, accelerator sensor replaced, trim replaced, fuel sender replaced …. Waste of money.
Naomi

I have an 08 Captiva CX and am about to get an o2 sensor replaced for the 5th time! I am also only getting about 270-300km per tank! Holden service guy even admitted that they call it the “crappy”. The engine light continually comes on, sometimes Holden fix the problem and it comes on again after driving our of Holden 30mins prior. I get it services at Ralph D’Silver in Preston and none of the guys can figure it out. Even tech support on the phone couldnt fix it. I’m over it and really think it’s time i cut my losses and bought something else.
Jellibean

My Captiva LX with 92000k was going great until today…only a few months out of ‘NEW CAR’ warranty..yes there have been a few nigly things over the past three years…mainly the crap suspension set up which scrubs the tyres…but today on my way to work…kaaa BANG klunk klunk klunk…tow truck & delivered to Holden Dealer. Initial assessment is engine will be stripped down to check ‘problems’. Reference to Glen above on 25 June I feel I have the same issue being roller rocker bearings apparently disintegrating in the engine. Note to self….BAD BAD mistake buying the Craptiva…
Andrew

I have an 08 LX diesel with 245k on the clock. At 125k, I had the same rocker failure as Glen and others have indicated above. However, Holden, after some prompting, covered the entire rebuild and my car was 25k past the warranty. Apart from this issue and haveing to replace the suspension, I have not had any real issues with this car. My car averages 70-80k per year and I am pretty happy with it to be honest. That said, I now have what i think is a turbo whine that has started. Has anyone experienced this as yet?

Jun

I have a Captiva 7 LX diesel 2010 and had my front tyre replaced due to uneven tyre wear. Now my rear tyres are having the same issue and the tyre mechanic told me that the “Toe Bolt” is causing the issue and had advised me to bring my car to a Holden dealer as it is covered by a new car warranty. I spoke to Holden Service and told me that it is not part of the warranty and should pay $300 for the toe bolt to be adjusted.

Is anyone have experienced this problem? If yes, what did Holden contributed?
Julie Orr

Hi, my car has just has the kaa bang klunk klunk klunk roller rocker bearings problem – 2007 LX Diesel with around 70K – Holden have only offered me 50% to cover the cost of repairs – their reasoning being I only had 1 service done at a Holden dealer. I advised them that this does not void the warranty and should absolutely no bearing on considering the cost of repairing a fault that appears to be happening to a lot of these cars, but they told me if I complained further that they may reduce the % they are offering me. Told me I should be grateful for this amount as the car is out of warranty and this is a goodwill gesture. How did you get Holden to cover the entire rebuild ?

Craig

Holden Customer Service Stinks.All I can say is do not purchase a Holden .I have Brand New Series 2Captiva 2011 SX Diesel 5000km Major oil leaks ,In for over a week. Colleagues exact same car ,Car burnt a second car engine blown.Do not touch Holden put extra money maybe try European car ?
Cheers Craig
Steve Butler

Craptiva is right..

Just came off 11 weeks off the road in the dealer’s service department for a “known problem” – roller rockers. Just gone 4 years old so not long out of warranty – surprise surprise. Cost could be $4000 yet Holden not prepared to come to the party. A 25 year Holden supporter no more. Bring on Nissan or Toyota.
Damian

There’s a reason why the Holden Captiva’s direct competitors are priced higher. You get what you pay for. Don’t expect Japanese quality from a brand that’s renowned for poor quality.
Vickilegge

my son also has had many problems with his 2007 craptiva,the latest was his bulbs blowing in his headlights,2 at the same time
Jane

We bought our 2008 diesel captiva second hand in November 2011. 11 days after warranty expired and while out driving the car lost power and the engine started banging and making unusual noises. Called nrma, was told it needed to be towed to the mechanic, still waiting for some more information, desperately hoping its not the roller rockers like previously mentioned by others, all we know is that a valve is bent and who knows what else. Not happy Jan! We have been solid Holden supporters for 20 years, not so sure now what we are going to do, is it asking too much to expect my 4 year old car that has been looked after as advised to be safe and sound?? I hope I haven’t thrown my money down the toilet cos that’s what it feels like right now, we should have just kept our commodore station wagon…
Tom

The story continues – another Captiva LX 2007 has died thanks to broken roller rocker arms !
When are Holden going to own up to the problem recall these ticking time bombs.
SANDRA

2007 Holden Captiva LX Diesel - many minor issues including poor fuel economy, pulling to the left, front tyres scrubbings having to replace all tyres yet again, extremely noisy engine from day 1 – not good when you pay $45000+ for a new car & well now the final blow – BROKEN ROLLER ROCKERS. Initial quote $11000 + labour, since reduced to $8400 ! Yes our local dealer, ANDERSON’S AUTO CITY here in Gladstone obviously charge way more than most plus Holden don’t deem that they should help with any Goodwill. Why would they, as a family we have supported them for the last 40 years with some 34 vehicles purchased ! Come on, why should we be paying for Holden manufacturing problem or design flaw. Sure, we may have been late on the last service but seriously, its a diesel & we should have got to 200000kms without all these dramas ! We didn’t even get to 80000kms, SHAME ON YOU HOLDEN !
Creating customers for life – I DON’T THINK SO

http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Rae/662147924 Chris Rae

Our 07 CX Captiva diesel had been a good car until just recently when the turbo crapped it self. We had the roller problem also around 70,000 kms but this was fixed under warranty luckily. Now we are out of the warranty period and face a $4,000 bill to replace the turbo at 115,000kms. We have had the car since new and serviced with Holden every service interval. We expected more out of this car! Will get in touch with Holden Customer service but its a long shot!

SANDRA

2007 Holden Captiva LX Diesel - many minor issues including poor fuel economy, pulling to the left, front tyres scrubbings having to replace all tyres yet again, extremely noisy engine from day 1 – not good when you pay $45000+ for a new car & well now the final blow – BROKEN ROLLER ROCKERS. Initial quote $11000 + labour, since reduced to $8400 ! Yes our local dealer, ANDERSON’S AUTO CITY here in Gladstone obviously charge way more than most plus Holden don’t deem that they should help with any Goodwill. Why would they, as a family we have supported them for the last 40 years with some 34 vehicles purchased ! Come on, why should we be paying for Holden manufacturing problem or design flaw. Sure, we may have been late on the last service but seriously, its a diesel & we should have got to 200000kms without all these dramas ! We didn’t even get to 80000kms, SHAME ON YOU HOLDEN !
Creating customers for life – I DON’T THINK SO