2003 Holden VY Commodore Warranty Complaint
August 31, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
2003 Holden VY Commodore Warranty Complaint
Name: Tracy Crawford
Car Make: HOLDEN
Car Model: Commodore VY executive series II
Year of Manufacture: 11/2003
Warranty Complaint:
110,000 kms on the clock it needs a new engine, I purchased it 6 weeks prior privatley from a guy who serviced it every 10,000kms log book proof, I serviced and had it checked on purchase, wed 15th I heard a noise but no warning lights or beeps I took it to my mechanic who informed me the engine had blown I was devastated.
HOLDEN after I paid $569 for a diagnostic check told me it was not a mechanical problem it was a premature failing of the front end bearing. I am having a new engine put in cost approx $4000 +, I simply can not understand how the car did not alert me to the problem as I would have of course got it fixed way before the engine died.
I am very dissapointed with holden, this car had been meticuloulsy looked after and it still failed at 110,000 kms.
Print it: 
Easy answer “DO NOT BUY HOLDENWOO” then you won’t have these problem’s, the rebadged daewoo might of been a better choice like the Epic a disaster….
You wouldn’t happen to be the Tracy Crawford who lived in Holland Park in Brisbane in your younger days?
I can feel a Holdenwoo Warranty Complaint’s reunion comming on.
HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO AUSTRALIA…LOL
LOL
I just love the Holdens and ford sux…
NOT!!
I have a holden commodore 2003 vy ss ute ls1
I purchased the car with 55000 km
had been Serviced every 10,000 by a holden dealer
The car now has 90,000 km
So far in the last 12 months
– new tyres every 10000 km if im lucky because of camber on the rear wheels is out by 6mm each side, have had 5 wheel alignments from 5 different places this year. also have had a camber kit installed. still @#%&ed!
- new welsh plugs at 58,000 km what the…?
- alternator
- Diff center shattered its self no burnouts, after inspection by a professional says it wasn’t made properly
- Heater Hose
- fuel line clips come off
- 50ltrs of fuel gets me 175 km, can get problem fixed but will cost me $800
- gear box. hard to find 1st and reverse. 3rd and 5th have noises.
there is always something new going wrong
have always owned holden’s, but will never own one again
bring on the 59 chev el camino 454
-
hi we bought a 04 commodore start of year it had 113 000 kms on it, it is a 5 speed. We had the car a week and noticed it was blowing smoke going down hills and on idle. so we took it back motors put new valve stem seals in it and told us they were rooted. after driving the car for approx another week we noticed it was still blowing smoke so after long consideration and disscussion we took it back again this time they re built the top end. they told us that the piston etc were glazed for not being run in properly by first owners. after getting the car back for 6 weeks it is no longer blowing smoke but has burnt through 4 litres of oil. i rang the car yard back now they are telling me that it might be the oil they put in it and to take it back again. it has been 10 months since we bought the car can anyone give me advice as to what else this may be
as its not a piston ring or anything like that they have already been checked and r a ok.
I have a late 2003 v6 onetonner.
I put the ute in for its 45000 service. I needed a new radiator. Holden ‘Customer Service’ said pay yourself. How could a radiator shit itself after 45000 and be the fault of the owner. I was always a holden man but not anymore.
Re Tracy Crawford’s engine problem.
I am not the least bit surprised and am surprised more vehicles to do not have SIMILAR engine problems given the stupid manufacturer recommendations on oil change intervals. Clearly Tracy purchased a very used car in the first place (about 100000 kms) and just what was the servicing that she says was carried out every 10,000kms? OIL CHANGES AT 10,000 OR 15,000 KM INTERVALS AS MANY MANUFACTURERS SUGGEST IS totally inadequate for the use the vast majority of people subject their cars to.
As a bare MINIMUM, OIL SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 3 MONTHS OR 5000 KM WHICHEVER COMES FIRST AND OIL FILTERS CHANGED EVERY SECOND OIL CHANGE on this schedule. Personally I always change engine oil about every 3300 kms which means 3 oil changes every 10000 km approx. THIS IS VERY CHEAP MAINTENANCE AND CAN BE DONE BY ANYONE AT HOME WITH A MINIMUM OF TECHNICAL KNOW HOW. It’s cheap maintenance any local garage will do for you in any event BETWEEN THE MAJOR SERVICES.
On a brand new engine I always carry out an oil change at or before the first 1000km mark (to clear out any muck)and then again at 3000 km.
To give some credit to the manufacturers, they do suggest in owner’s manuals changing engine oil more frequently in various circumstances such as continuous city driving/frequent cold starts/ low operating kms over a long period etc.etc. However, most people ignore this – and many just don’t read the owners manuals in the first place.
1. The majority of people use their cars mainly for stop, start city driving with frequent cold engine starts. This is severe on the motor and the oil deteriorates much faster. It also dilutes. Thus engine wear (as in the bearings for example) is magnified greatly if the oil is not changed regularly.
2. Many (most) people just do not check engine oil levels or other fluid levels between services. Even the best engines will burn some oil and if levels are allowed to drop too low oil starvation will cause major wear problems – such as with bearing wear.
I like to run my motor with oil levals at the max recommended level at all times. This requires some minimal top up between oil changes.
3. SO IF YOU WANT YOUR ENGINE TO LAST, CHANGE THE BLINKIN OIL AND OIL FILTER FREQUENTLY AND MAINTAIN YOUR OIL LEVELS IN THE MOTOR TO THE MAX RECOMMENDED POSITION. YES IT’S SHOWN ON THE DIPSTICK.
YOU MUST ALSO USE THE CORRECT OIL FOR YOUR ENGINE. AN OIL DESIGNED TO WORK WELL IN OLDER 1980′S VEHICLES CAN’T BE USED IN A 2004 MODEL ENGINE EVEN THOUGH IT IS A FEW DOLLARS CHEAPER TO BUY.
4. TOO OFTEN PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR CARS WHEN THEY BREAK BUT IN VERY MANY CASES THIS IS CAUSED BY ABUSE AND / OR TOTALLY INADEQUATE / IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. If you have purchased a used car you really have no idea how the car has been driven or looked after in most cases unles you know the ORIGINAL owner(s)very well.
5. Make an effort to know something about the operation of your car and how to maintain it. This is not difficult. And don’t buy a used car with a high mileage if you want reliability. Unfortunately most people don’t bother to understand basic maintenance and use the drive it till it breaks maintenance schedule.
To the gent with the problem VY SS V8 ute, you purchased the car with 55000kms. Boy racers buy these vehicles as you well know and whilst you may not have done burnouts in the car you don’t know how the previous owner drove it. It may even have been used in car club amateur motor sport events. I see Commodore V8 utes being thrashed around town all the time. Tradies love to buy them also and no doubt overload them from time to time.
I have had 6 new holden commodores over a period of 20 years (including V8s and supercharged V6s) and have never had a diff,engine or suspension problem with any of them. In fact I have rarely had a problem with any of the cars and on most of the vehicles I have never had a single problem. Currently I run a 2004 VY Supercharged V6 auto with 30000 kms in mint condition.
Every car company that makes a certain type a car will have at least one dud made, not just Holden. Ford etc.
Hey. an engine dyeing isnt as bad as what ford did.
there 2003 ute brakes were faulty. faulty brakes can kill someone to.
Good point Goog. Hey were have you been lately?
Along the lines of what James said-
I am not critizising the owners of these vehicles but we do get a lot of owners in our garage (yes, most are women) with overheating cars and when i ask them what their temperature gauges and oil pressure gauges (where available) are indicating, they have no idea!
They don’t even know where these gauges are!- even in the small confines of the dash layout. Imagine if this was the type of previous owner of your precious/expensive car!!
Also, I do hate to say this but most of the SS/XR8 type vehicles are getting the ar*e screwed of them at some stage or another.
Just bought a VY wagon series 2, 64,000 on the clock, ex police car. Took it in because it was running rough, needs new spark plugs, a new coil and now has problems engaging reverse.
To say I’m impressed is an understatment, as it’s done less than 2,000 km’s since I’ve had it.
Could making sure you get a car thats being RACV inspected help at all?
yes this is what you get for buying SECOND HAND…. also the guy that sold it too you probably did have it serviced every 10000 k’s but it could of been thrashed since its last service you never know.
ALWAYS GET AN RAA, RACV, NRMA check…. No matter what …… or get a mechanic to check it over
holden commodore’s are very poorly made cars. Spent $35,000 on a new Acclaim – worst purchase. Problems from day one. Holden Customer service was a joke. I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER HOLDEN.
I bought a 2003 VY Commodore Exc. V6 at 150,000 kms. I always change the oil, oil fliter whenever I buy a car…unless it’s clear, but you never know really what kind of oil the previous owner had used…so, better to change it and know.
But apart from that, that’s all I’ve done to the car since I’ve owned it. I’ve had it only about a month, but it really does run like a dream. I am putting it in for a general service & check up soon…but I’m really quite happy with the car. I’ve owned A VL, VP & a VT Wagon, which I still have, my VY is far better than any of the previous models I’ve owned. But I still love my VT.
I think some people are just unlucky. It can me the manufacturers, the previous owners or the new owners who are to blame…or all of them.
Good Luck
I have a 19 yr old Honda integra, gets thrashed all the time at high revs, motor is still as strong as the day it was built, serviced around every 10k with new filter.
Seems odd to me that they cannot get it right in Australia.
1.8L 4Cyl 166kw (a few mods)
0-100 6.5 sec
@Crumpy why are you so cranky that a ex Police car has problems, you know police cars get regulary thrashed right? more so than most road cars….
It’s absolutely no suprise that it has gearbox issues.
And Spark Plugs are a consumable item, they need to be replaced from time to time!!! I usually replace plugs after around 30-40,000 k’s not because they need to be replaced, but because they are under heavy stresses in the combustion chamber, and the edges of the electrode start to round off causing them to loose some ’spark’
Sounds like you are expecting too much from your vehicle.
so 2 or 3 people have had problems with their cars and suddenly all holdens are bad??? how bout the 2 or 3 thousand that dont have a problem? I have a 03 vy with around 115000 kms on the clock and used to be a detective car so has probably been driven at speeds a few times, has only been serviced by the service book and I have no problems at all??
I have a 2003 Vy auto v6 sedan, its got a rattling in the front end when you drive over bumps. The noise disappears when I apply the brakes. Previously I owned a VT which did exactly the same thing, I have taken it to 2 holden dealers and 2 mechanics who cant seem to find the problem. The springs in the suspension in the front end used to spin in their seat also creating a large banging sound when steering on fulll lock……some sticky lube in the seat eliminated the banging noise, but still,is it normal for springs to twist in the seat?? There is also another 2 VTs on my street that i hear with the same problem (rattling brakes or sway bar). Does anyone know what it is? Possibly the sway bar link washer enlarging??
Just for the record, I have only ever owned commodores but I will now never buy another ever again.
I’ve got a VYII SS faultless, same as last VZ Acclaim, VU ute, VS VN VH etc.. Ha Ha! Carmar does do pay backs.
I bought a 2003 vy series 2 ex cop car 12 months old and 53000k 5 years ago, I have had it serviced every 15000k the only thing I have had to pay for were 1 set of tyres and two headlight globes. I have now done 226000k and its never missed a beat.
hi we bought a 04 commodore start of year it had 113 000 kms on it, it is a 5 speed. We had the car a week and noticed it was blowing smoke going down hills and on idle. so we took it back motors put new valve stem seals in it and told us they were rooted. after driving the car for approx another week we noticed it was still blowing smoke so after long consideration and disscussion we took it back again this time they re built the top end. they told us that the piston etc were glazed for not being run in properly by first owners. after getting the car back for 6 weeks it is no longer blowing smoke but has burnt through 4 litres of oil. i rang the car yard back now they are telling me that it might be the oil they put in it and to take it back again. it has been 10 months since we bought the car can anyone give me advice as to what else this may be
as its not a piston ring or anything like that they have already been checked and r a ok.
we have always been holden people and dont get me wrong apart from this problem we love the car. it just at this point everyone including the car yard are just stumped about the problem. (and they are being so helpful and i am grateful for that)
is not only that they may be not so good as cars, but some of the mechanics are real bastards, they screw the car on purpose (i know because i know a bit of mechanics) so you go back to them. my advice is to find a honest mechanic, and stick with him for as long as possible; i just found one in cranbourne, not a “fantastic” from holden dealership that’s for certain, who pulled out a air intake little hose in order to have the engine shaking and go back at them and that’s after i paid $920 for a basic service($27 to change one rego plate bulb!)