2006 Holden VE Commodore Omega Warranty Complaint

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By Alborz Fallah | September 06th, 2007

2006 Holden VE Commodore Omega Warranty Complaint

Name: GARY VANAGS
Car Make: Holden
Car Model: Commodore Omega
Year of Manufacture: 2006

Warranty Complaint:

Had to have battery replaced due to battery failure, my car was only idle overnight and i had no indication until getting into the car to start up. It was also a difficult job to remove the battery as 2 panels and boot mat had to be removed.

I have had on 5 times failure of dashboard electrics eg, ac switch,radio dash lights. I have had many commodores over the years and this car reminds me of the poor quality of the vn commodore from 1989.

Local dealer Newcastle City Holden while courtious with their customer service are not interested in getting poor feedback about this car. I know I will be looking at other makes when next sourcing a new car.

Fred

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….

Suntory time

Ignorant comment, all makes suffer from some QC problems. At least GMH will actually do something if there is a problem and not treat you like an idiot.

Of which there are plenty of examples that come to mind based on friends and relatives experiences. Funny thing is, the more “prestige” the make of vehicle the worse they are (exept maybe Lexus).

http://. Colonel Klink

Geepers whats that noise… that is Holden taking on the World not remembering obsessed quality and the beancounters screaming at management. HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ITSELF!
holden dealer tech

dont under estemate this vechicle it has huge potential, whilst there are nemerious issies with several items holden are 100% commited to fixing and improving them, on the road to be a good reliable car.( im not bias they drive me insane cause i gotta correct the issues and i love toyota’s) people should reserach before they comment, fair enough they spent 1billion on development and we as a consumer see these issue’s doesnt look good. but for the first ever holden 100% built designed and enginereed here its not a bad effort, yeah buy another vechicle thats imported and no problems, but there in most cases have been in there own country a fair time before we see them, and by that time known issues are generally corrected in production hence “no problem car to consumer over here”. lets give holden a go. just about all known issues have been corrected in the field with revised componets working well. but unfortunately it was an inconvience to the consumer for us to correct these problems hense all this negativity. ve series 2 fingers crossed no issues!

http://holden paulb

Give Holden credit,VE series2,E85 FUEL.To my knowlege its the 1st mass produced cardon 0 vechle.All CO2 produced is removed by ethanol crops
Dennis m

Hi there, I have a ve ssv 2007 and get the check engine light on and it turns off after a few startups. Engine light doesnt flash it just stays on. Also electronic stability control turns off for no reason. Any ideas? I would appreciate your professional guesses.

Me.

Try dissconecting the battery over night and see what happens
William Sinclair

Hey “Holden Dealer Tech” how much research must I do, to know the VE sounds like a truck,rides like a billy-cart and was designed by a blind apprentice?
Cheers
dc

I hope Holden Dealer Tech fixes Holdens better than he spells…
Engineer

I purchased a Calais V series V8 and took delivery in August 07. The car was manufactured in Jan 07. Since then the car has been in for numerious warranty repairs to the rear suspension and front suspensions. The rear ones are resolved after 3 attempts. The front is ongoing. However the major issue I have is the non matching bumper bar paintwork to the rest of the car and the rust all over the car. The manifolds are so rusted it is hard to believe they are less than a year old. There is also considerable rust under both front seats. Every door hinge has rust appearing and all the internal screws has evidence of oxidisation. Holden Rep will be viewing the car again as I have taken the matter to the OFT to sort out. Mind you the dealer agrees with all the issues however Holden says it is within TOLERANCE. I guess the billion dollar investment on a lemon is also within tolearnce.
http://twosandysclearnet.co.nz Lloyd

These cars and the models before them do so much testing both at Lang Lang and various places throughout Australia-how the hell do these problems keep coming back to haunt buyers?. And what will the new Falcon present buyers with?
How do Jap cars get it right the majority of time?
Jason

Firstly let me say the VE Commodore is not a bad car, but the two I’ve had (both SV6 models) have problems that just shouldn’t happen with new releases post 2000. Holden claim they did millions of kilometers in testing, well, they need to do a few more in my book and treat their customers with some respect and value. For the record here’s the fault I’ve had with my VE’s:
2006 model; faulty sound system (replaced speaker harness), Squeaking engine V belt (not fixed), intermittent dash vibration (not fixed).

2007 model; Rear suspension does good impression of a pogo stick! shocks replaced no better, now it clunks on sharp undulations especially on rebound.

The VE is nice to drive but all the issues detract from this, I don’t think I’ll get another!
BOB

The new Ford will out-class and kick the billion dollar non-quality VE into dust, Holdenwoo wheels magazine won’t have to give the Falcon any awards cause the new Falcon will win the more important accolades it will deserve over the next few years, who cares which company sells the most, in the end people will wake up to FORD equals better products.
Just have a little test drive instead of racing straight off to (dad forced me to buy) Holden dearlerships, try a Ford you will be impressed gauranteed eg. more comfort & realiable for a start and that is fact the list goes on and is very long….
Andrew

Interesting reading. For the record my 2006 “V” series (alloys -spoiler) Omega has similar issues:
Faulty radio – Waiting for replacement.
Air-conditioning fan doesn’t work when the cars hot inside!
Dashboard lights have a life of their own.
ABS & Traction control warning bells and lights come on for no reason (a bit scary that one).
Main engine warning light permanently on – I’m told its a wiring harness issue with early models.
Engine pre-ignition (pinging) under light loads – waiting on Holden Factory feedback.

I am still awaiting a call to get the above fixed after the 15,000 service over two weeks ago.

Whilst complaining, two other fundamental issues:

1/. Steering Wheel rim is now too skinny and oval shaped – I find this a personal RSI type problem on longer drives.
2/. The main instrument lights need to be on permanently – Cannot read the speedo on a bright day and rely totaly on the Digital Speedo setting.

Luckily for Holden, mine is a company car, and bear in mind the series 1 BA Falcon had far more issues.
Mark

Holden VE Lumina. Built 11/07. I purchased it 3 weeks later.

It’s just been in for its first 3 month service (2000K’s).

*VE Recall (fixed).

*Windscreen Washer unable to be refilled after first use (known VE defect / now fixed).

*Handbrake not holding (fixed).

*Windscreen Wipers blades not working properly (replaced).

*Top of engine cover stained, water damaged & corroded upon delivery (now awaiting appproval from Holden for Dealer to replace).

*Rust coming out from behind the Holden badge on the alloy wheels during wet wether (attended to).

*Bad rear Window Tint application (to be replaced).

*Front bumper bar very loose (will not be fixed – within tolearnce).

*Both Front & rear bumper bars are noticeably different in colour to rest the vehicle (will not be fixed – within tolearnce).

*Transmission is loud & noisy (will not be fixed – comes standard).

*Transmission will not hold even on the slightest incline (will not be fixed – comes standard).

Comment:
My VE Lumina’s steering is terrible & I’ve spent $110 on wheel alignments in an effert to resolve this to no avail, a few days later it’s exactly the same.

Like the comment above mine, you can’t see anything apart from the electronic speedo in daylight on the instrument panel / dashboard, so you have to drive with the lights permanantly on.

I don’t know where the Billion Dollars went, but I DO know, it did not go into the development & production of a good quality motor vehicle!

ross

ive just purchesed an 08 ve omega and to me its a great car ,responsive ,good on fuel,comfy ride ,tons of room, so mark do you need glasses because the speedo is right infront of you im scratchin my head over people rippin off holden ive had models from vc to ve , my vl clocked up over 600,000klms and was still going when i sold it ,every car made will have its probs wether it b small or major but thats life nobody is perfect…..and everyone has thier own prefrence. holden for life

Realcars

Holden will never learn until it’s too late and they are out of business.

Do the rear boot wells still fill with water after a shower?
http://wrxsti Maree Hart

In reply to Mark
I have a VE Omega purchased Jan08 and a lot of your problems are the same as I have,1. recall for fuel line the day I took delivery, 2. window washer this was broken when I took delivery, 3. hand brake 10 days after purchase have been waiting 6 weeks for part and looks like another 2 at least, 4.top of engine cover water damaged and corroded this also was delivered to me like that 5. when starting engine various lights flash different ones each time I have had ABS fault, air bag, and battery.It is very noisy and also difficult to see dash controls especially speed.
Have contacted Holden 4 times but no reply, I guess they have so many complaints that they haven’t got to mine yet
Michael

Faulty radio – Waiting for replacement.
Air-conditioning fan doesn’t work when the cars hot inside!
Dashboard lights have a life of their own.
ABS & Traction control warning bells and lights come on for no reason (a bit scary that one).
Main engine warning light permanently on – I’m told its a wiring harness issue with early models.
Engine pre-ignition (pinging) under light loads – waiting on Holden Factory feedback.

This is copied from Andrew, same faults in my work car exactley, glue the center speaker plate to stop the rattle. Holden still say the knock sensors are doing the job, but in reality the valves on the right side of the engine sound like they want to exit as pinging is endless under light light, beyond a joke now, will selfdestruct soon im sure.

Chris

Hi Michael, did you ever get to the bottom of your multiple warning light issues? I too have a 2006 VE Omega where the tration contorl switches itself off randomly when braking and the engine warning lights come and go. The fault codes show MAF Sensor, Crank Position Sensor but nothing related to the traction control. It seems to me that all of these elcectrical faults may be related and not all the individual parts failing at the same time.

Liz

Yes Chris…had all the above problems and all are related. Had to have the software updated. Also had problems with airbag light on and radio randomly switching stations and turning its volume up and down…apparently a different problem with the electrics and a part in the steering wheel. Mechanic said the fact that Holden have a software update means it must be a common problem. Just for the record I know very little about cars…this is just my experience.

http://www.caradvice.com.au Manolin RUEHLING

Reading the recent replys, reminded me of my new Holden Purchase which was a lovely car, until it left the service department of SMITHS (a Holden Dealer at Port Adelaide) with water in the oil. Car now always smokes on cold start. HOLDEN did not care either!
Ray

Andrew and Michael.. have been having HUGE issues with my VE Omega re the pre-ignition under load in top gear, and no fixes from Holden at all.. has been going on for over a year now and have had more than enough of the piece of junk. Anyone else having this issue as every one of the Omega’s and Berlina’s I have driven (would be at least 10 of them now) have the same issue to varying degrees? Can’t get them to even look at it being an electrical issue.. have had almost every mechanical component in mine replaced except for the engine to date… and not one thing has made a single bit of difference other than making the problem worse!!

HELP!! if anyone else noticing this problem could you let me know as I keep getting told no one else has complained which I’m not believing!!
Michael

Ray, its totally frustrating I know, mine pings through all the gears between 1600 rpm – 2000+ rpm. Its going to fail eventualy, holden is like a broken record and is complete denial that anything is wrong. Are they deaf? The truth is they dont care. We are stuck with buckets of junk untill enough of us dump our VE’s on their doorstep and refuse to take them back untill fixed. I am running E10 unleaded now and it has reduced the pinging, which goes against logic because a higher octane fuel normally reduces pinging. The knock sensors on the motor must be just christmas tree decorations. I feel for ya mate, perhaps ford would have better service, it would be, we have no service or resolve at holden.
Michael

Ray, should we bring on board ‘A current affair’ or another consumer watch dog, I think we should.
Mark Holland

Hi guys having a read of the work you guys/girls have put in I must say are all these petrol VE,s? I would guess so I have an LPG Ve Omega and no Problems at all no signs of pinging or any other faults eg transmission I dont know if its due to the gas system but car is 2006 and now done 120,000k,s runs well probably better on gas than fuel.
Im due to replace this soon with a ve 60th anniversary Dual fuel omega and Im pretty sure all will be good there aswell. there may be problems but i thought there would be more probnlems with a HOLDEN HSV installed direct injection gas system.
Ray

Hi again guys

Yup.. VERY frustrating.. being told that I’m the only one complaing (and I know I’m not) and don’t know what I’m talking about..am being totally unreasonable ..blah blah blah…

If mine was the only one causing grief I’d be a little more understanding…but it isn’t the only one!!

Has anyone out there let a non-holden affiliated mechanic have a play with one of these and come back with an answer to what it actually is that is causing this problem? Mine still under warranty for another 15k so been going thru Holden dealer network to this point (local francise has been AWESOME I should point out by the way.. techs there are caught in the middle, can’t speak highly enough of them). Anyone strapped one of these dogs to a rolling road dyno??
Ray

Hi Mark …yes, it is a petrol version

The SV6′s don’t have thgis issue at all apparently by the way… issiue limited to Omega/Berlina… the plot thickens!!
Adam

Just a question, those with faulty radios, what was the problem? I had really bad reception in my brand new VE SV6 and they found that the plug had been removed and was replaced by a piece of wire that had been soldered into place (dodgy). I havent touched the radio at all so it obviously came like that. Also is anybody having the problem with premature wear on the rear tyres? i got around 25k out of mine and they were almost bald. They’ve said that the wheel alignment is within spec and all is fine, it must be how i drive. I took it elsewhere and they said that the wheel alignment was way out. Just wondering if anybody has had the same problem and what they have done about it.
Tony

Had my Omega now from Aug 06.Sorry for all your ‘PROBLEMS’,but I have not had one. 40ks & going strong.First Holden, had Crapy Fords b/4,never again.
Marty

G’day all
my 06 SS had to have the harmonic balancer , water bottle replaced. Now the hand brake won’t release at times.
Assuming it’s the same fault as the other hand brake probs,anyone know what it was?

luke

eyy mate did work 4 a holden dealership left cause i didnt like the quality of work since i had no choice had to listen to wat they said the handbrake problem is solved by a proper mechanic mate its been happening with holdens since the vt its only adjustment but bloody fords are worse never ever buy a ford they are complete shit heaps holdens are so much better i no ve’s had problems but some of these people are goin to stupid buy a bmw and se wat happens

Darren

Hey Luke, wondering if you can tell me what the problem with the VE/V 2006 Battery seeming like it flat after just being turned off. I jump start it and it’s fine for a couple of weeks again or sometimes it happens twice a week. Any input would be appreciated, Regards Darren

Georgeo

Hi I am thinking of buying a 60th annaversary ve omega or a SV6. Do this years VE’s have the same problems as the earlier models or have they been fixed.
Thanks.
john achterberg

i have an sv6 and it has all the problems mentiond here as well as a loud whine an rumble in the aircon,dealer says its normal.most dissapointing holden i have ever owned.heated rear window doesnt work.
Used to love my holdens

I know what you are talking about, we have the 2006 VE Omega and it has been in for break down services now 18 times and only 37,000 on the clock. Had the following
1. Hand brake issue
2. Stereo discharging battery
3. Battery discharging battery
4. Software updates to fix constant leeching of power
5. Washer bottle leak
6. Lousy rear wheel camber and alignment
7. Car constantly switches ABS and Traction control on and off at will
8. Holden dealer flushed radiator and didn’t fill it up again..idiots.

All in all the VE has turned into the biggest lump of junk i have ever owned and has turned me off ever buying another holden again. I also own a VZ SSZ and have never had a day of grief…too bad it was the last of a good thing.

Mick

Hello All, I too have been another victim of Holden’s Billion dollar baby, hope the party they threw for themselves to celebrate was good, time to stop beating the drum and produce the goods, my VE is a walking (sorry that’s me everytime the useless bucket of bolts breaks down)electrical nightmare, the service manager told me the car had to be completely locked up in the garage when not in use? we remove the keys obvious but why lock something that is in a locked garage already? Battery drain problem, service department not interested in fixing? brake shudder, front disc rotors machined twice and service department advised shoes were deglazed on both occasions ( this is done by rubbing shoes on concrete) how legal does that sound? would be safer to replace as done by myself along with new aftermarket rotors to fix problem Holden couldn’t, guess same result would have been reached should they machined them past tolerance? just more money for customer, does the million dollar research and development price tag mean the consumer is paying for this with their own research, Electrics sorry not enough room on the page to go into detail so here is the summary, seems I am repeating myself, no TECH 2 is not required to reset service light, just changed from previous models, check engine light, seems it comes on as regular as turning on your headlights, traction control flashes on and off like the indicators, fuel sender 2 days to replace, dash rattles, stereo is piece of rubbish also, holden should have made this so it could have been repalced with aftermarket type, CD jumps looses volume etc, new battery, Holden dealer did not stock one and not open for spare part sales on Saturday? fix for all this take car to local Ford dealer and trade in at heavily reduced price tag, loosing heaps of money but save on less problems with the purchase of new Ford, after owning several Commodores sorry this is the straw that broke the camel’s back, Sorry to all you loyal Holden Commodore fans, I still own a VY and wish I still owned the traded VY Berlina.

Wheelnut

If you bring on a current un-fair they will do what they do with every story workout whose side they are on and go all out to make the other side to be un inconsiderate a-hole or just simply blow the whole thing out of proportion..

Because as I said on another topic on this site.. modern cars do have a number of porblems whcih when you consider the overall number of cars sold only affect a small percentage of vehicles..

Just like the ANCrAP tests; they only use 5 cars of a particular model despite the fact that over 100,000 corllas or commodores maybe sold.
They then extrapolate or manipulate the result to make it as though every car of that particular model has the same chance of surviving an accident.

So in relation to mechanical problems or reliability just because a couple of Commodores have a mechanical problem doesn’t necessarily mean every Commodore will have the exact same problem

Ther reason Holden reacall so many cars is they go off their production records thereby giving a greater chance of them rectifying chance of the cars made witrhin a particular period being returned inorder to rectify the problem

Although I am not trying to defend Holden.. as I said all modern cars have problems now and again some more major than others given the number of componetns etc they have..

What would you rather – to be driving a VE which has faulty brakes for example and not know about it until you hit the brakes whilst going down a steep hill because Holden didn’t make an announcement or

for Holden to make the announcement that your car may be affected so that you can take it into a dealer to inspect the car – fix it thereby giving you piece of mind and security that your car is okay?

Forewarned is Forarmed – its best to know what may happen so you can prepare for it rather than wait until you get a nasty surprise at the last minute
Wheelnut

If Holden actually made every single piece of every individual component of every car they assemble here in Australia you would be able to be annoyed about the recall.

But are you willing to pay $60-80K for a Commodore”

It’s roughly the price you could expect to pay if everything was done in-house from go to whoah by Holden

Holden know that people are only willing to pay and can afford around $30-40k for a commodore and therefore look for suppliers that can supply them with the parts they need on the scale they require for a set price inorder to keep the sale price of the car competitive.

Holden [and Ford] would love to source more parts from Australia but the sad thing is there aren’t that many local suppliers in Australia that can cope with the huge number of parts Holden need which meet their standards and so they are forced to go overseas

Unfortuantely over the years a number of Holden recalls have involved locally made parts but now come from Overseas

And that’s the main point – the parts are made by external parts suppliers NOT Holden. Holden have no control over their production processes or quality control etc.
Andrew M

Spam word holden, had to say something……..

Wheelnut,
that can be true for say if a bolt sheered its head or a dodgy hose or belt broke,
but a lot of the VE problems arent attributed to that.
The LPG service valve Recall could be blamed on supplier problem,
but the seemingly endless electrical gremlins are another thing.
also things like dodgy/flimsy plastic parts are the manufacturers fault as they design the actual part with the material type to their specs
redlaser

To Wheelnut..Rubbish..Holden have quality checks on their drawings and if a manufacturer makes a component to spec to a drawing and it is crap then Holden are at fault!!..Faulty parts out of spec are automatically rejected by Holden.
Duck

^^^^^^^^^Not always Redlaser!

[Example] I have a VT Holden Commodore and the black paint on wiper blades have deteriated away at the bottom. The same with other VT Commodores. It’s not Holden’s fault really it’s the Wiper Blade company Holden get them from. It’s their fault/problem.
http://johnny-elementhotmail.com.au williams

just wondering how long gas in air con system should last in 07 sv6 completed about 50,000kms
steve

hi i have a s pac vt commodore and all the lights in the dash keep on blowing and the light are $8.95 each and i need 11 of them my old ea falcon gos better a lot smover on the road evry think in it works good not a problem. but the commodore giving me the shits the engine electronics light comes on evry now and then its macking the gear box runs ruff .and water gos in the boot but i fix that and the rubbers on the window r shit on them to the rubbers r better on a falcon thay don’t crack like the vts.
Golfschwein

Why do people call a Commodore S “S pack”?

I don’t own a VW Golf Tdi Pack.
Mash85

Golfschwein, earlier commodore models were refered to as an s pack. and the name has stuck. it used to refer to a “sports pack” of sorts, usually including alloys wheels, spoiler, etc
Golfschwein

No. There has only ever been a Commodore S, first listed in the VP range, as far as I can see. Moving along, Holden’s double-page ads in WHEELS for the VR range made mention of your choice between S and SS.

You’re absolutely right that they might have been REFERRED to as an S pack, but it seems never to have been correct. That’s why I wonder that people do it.
Bob

HMM – it’s good to know that my VE experience is not unique. I have a VE 60th Anniversary SportsWagon – The problems started with the dreaded “check engine” notice on the electronic display – yep I checked it – the engine is still there. Took it to a dealer in Canberra – just reset the computer – “should be good now !”
Then a couple of days ago, got in the morning turned the key – it says “system check OK” well why wont it start ? The engine will not crank at all !
Got it to the local dealer, McGrath Sutherland – “Geez, Sorry mate, we’re all booked out, you can leave it here, & we should be able to get to it by next week”
So I guess I have to make a booking when my car will breakdown !!
They’ve had the car for 2 days “spent 8 hours on the car” but the highly trained and dedicated technicians still can’t tell me what’s wrong with the car, much less tell me when I’ll get it back . . Stay tuned !!
Tin

This is my first Holden and unfortunately it’s the VE 60th Anniversary. Within the first week the engine produced low resonance rumbling and exhaust rattling at around 900 rpm. Took it back to the dealer 3 times to get the rattling fix but rumbling still remains. It gets really loud when using air-cond or driving up-hill slow (driveway) and keep your RPM at 900. I was told by the Holden tech that they all do that (rumbling). Another minor problem just discovered recently is the air vents. They flip up automatically when using the heater – cheap plastic contraction. It’s unbelievable that such problems still exist for a modern car. One other thing, it’s very noisy. How did they manage to win the 2006 car of the year award? Where did the $1 billion go? To the judges? If you have similar problems please post.

Dave069

Had the resonance in my 07 Ex-Vicpol…took it to Holden and they reprogrammed the computer was ok for about 3 months now back again…arrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andrew

I bought an SV6 on easter weekend and picked it up 1 week ago after Holden stuffed me around with delivery dates getting pushed out further and further. I have now done 500ks and the thing has a pinging problem from the day i drove it away from the dealer. I am taking it back to the dealer for them to look at it this wednesday. Very disappointing….the car looks great and handles well but the engine is very disappointing and actually pretty bloddy sluggish for an engine claiming to have 195 kws. The only other car i had with a pinging problem was an 88 toyota celica after it had done 220 000 ks and then shortly after blew the head gasket. We’ll see what happens
http://caradvice.com.au Darren

Hi I recently bought a 4/09 international sportwagon which has many paint issues and have been trying to sort it out with Holden for 4 months now,they say leave it with us and we will fix it but I didnt pay $37000.00 for some panel shop to pull it apart and repaint whats required it then becomes used not new.I have been to a lot of showrooms and just about every locally made Holden has paint issues and if they fix them before you see them is your new holden now not new panel shops cannot replicate the paint work.
Has anyone else had paint issues?
Jason

I also bought a 4/09 Commodore International. From day one it has had front end issues veering left and right on various roads, the dealer says it is the 18′ wheel tyre combination,the front end has been aligned twice to no avail. I contacted Holden who replaced strut bushes and said all was factory spec. The problem still remains, is it the suspension, tyres, or wheels ??? any ideas.
nothanks

Why do people keep buying such a lemon? I simply cannot understand…
Rinny

OK im a 28 year old femaile and even i know no matter what car u buy u never buy the first year model of it unless u want to be in warranty evey few months so dont be stilly and blame the holden no matter what car u buy the first seres are all the same.
Chris Bowen

How stupid are some of you people. The car is a massive, safe 2 tonne car under 40 K and people have the hide to blow up about some trivial issues?? The VE is quite unbeleivable for a country of 20 mil, yes i know depending on the spec level it can exceed 60k, i have a V8 V Calais…. Yes there are noises coming from the dash, yes sometimes the air con gets a bit random, yes there is tyre roar at 110km. But come on people, if your budget allows go spend 100k plus on some euro and all those probs will go away, but in the meantime get a grip and wake up. We are quite spoilt with both the VE and Falcon, cheap as chips and feature many of the specs the silly priced euros have! Its like spending 300k on a house and expecting a palace, wake up.
Jason

Hi can someone tell me what pinging refers to? Anyway, the reason Im here is to ask about my July 08 VE Omega – done 18,000kms bought it from a dealer in WA. It was an ex-holden car (driven by one of their reps apparently) I’ve noticed a couple of times now while idling the engine shudders,almost stalls, feels like the engine wants to jump out of the car and run away down the street. When it happened at night, the electrics and headlights dimmed too. Is this a battery problem or is it the gas? I flicked over to petrol when it happened the last time, it seemed to sellte down. Similar thing happened in the BA Falcon i had (which is why I got rid of it) Only had the car 4 days…

Emma

I bought a 2008 model VE three months ago and had the same problem where it feels like the engine wants to jump out of the car. Thought it was just the way I was driving it. However, still felt unsafe driving it so I have traded it for another car. Had all the same problems as other comments, noisy dash, airconditioning, lights doing their own thing, ABS switching off. Very disappointed, thought I was finally getting myself a good safe car for me and my children after years as a single mum.

Mel

I’m keen to know what pinging means too. I’ve had an 06 Omega since Aug 08. Problems started about 3 months after I got it – all the stuff everyone else has said – check engine warning on ignition, stability control warning constantly going off, air conditioner sometimes just not working. Now I’m getting a knocking sound in the engine. Mechanic says he doesn’t know what the problem is “take it to Holden”. Is this knocking or rattling sound in the engine the ‘pinging’ everyone is referring to? Would giving it a tank of high octane unleaded help?! I’ve generally been using E10. Prepared to give anything a go if it keeps the car on the road and doesn’t cost too much. Car has done 115,000 kms.
joe

hay guys..

have any of you had issues with the carpet trim on the ve? its way to short and keeps coming out? if so, have you had it replaced under warrenty??

thanks

joe
luke

hey guys,
not sure if its just mine or not but ive never had a problem with the omega, so far to me its been reliable and a great car.

luke

hi mate i use ta work for a holden dealership now worken buy myself iv had people come to me about there ve’s for servicing and so and iv never spotted a problem with em im also puchasing 1 as iv just feel in love with em all manufactures make lemons and all the people its happening to are the people that are on goin pains to holden dealerships and like an ex holden tech they complain for something so small wen u can buy a million doller ferrari and have the same problem these people that are complaining wake up to ur selfs cause all u no how ta do is complain lemons come and go otherwise for people without a lemon ve, the ve commodore is a very good car

http://yahoo scott

i own a ve omega and the suspension has a knockin sound when driving over pot holes and the brakes cant handle the power of the car other than that i love the ve

Geoff penney

Interesting reading.
I am a dedicated holden fan but all is wearing a bit thin !!
For the record also…..my 2006 “V” series (alloys -spoiler) Omega has similar issues to other owners:
Battery replaced not long after purchasing new.
Transmission thumps on “change up” in normal mode and cant make its mind up what gear to stay in around 80k/hr.
SV6 transmission much better in that model
Front suspension noises and clunks…not fixed for 12 months from day one and after many attempts by Holden dealership
Faulty radio / centre console.
Air-conditioning fan doesn’t work at times when the cars hot inside
Dashboard lights have a life of their own.
ABS & Traction control warning bells and lights come on for no reason at least once per month.
Have to turn the car off and on to make console lights and fan work at times
Mine is a company car that has now done 96,000kms
I have always bought Holden over the last 25 years.

Still a great car to drive…..but…..I Hope all is sorted with the latest models. !!
Publicity machine

Jason (comment jan 25) , the reason why the engine seems like it wants to jump out and run away, is very similar to the issues facing illegal immigrants. The VE commodore is an immigrant, dressed up as an australian (the only australian part in the commodore is the labour put into assembling the imported parts). You drive the car past an enforcement officer, and its just instinct for the overseas import, to want to flee.
Tony

I`ve got a Holden Commodore VT,
a Mitubishi Triton V6 4wd
a Ssangyong Musso Sports TD.
The Ssangyongs the best to be in ,the easiest to service and with the least problems.
Discussion Finished.

nick

That’s a shame. I don’t know how I could live if the best of my three cars was a Ssangyong.

B

Interesting comments, cause at my local shopping carpark there is a 06 Commmodore Omega. It’s always in the same parking space, still looks brand new & number plates are VE 2006. Owner must love it!
ross

i agree with a few people and thier posts stop your winging, i have never bought a brand new car off the floor ive always bought them with at least 40 to 50,000 ks on them and never had any probs at all, maybe with some of you it could be your driving habbits and the way you look after your car…
ABMPSV

So far I had 8 different cars 4 was brand news. I am driving since 1976 and I had only two minor problems and those two was long time ago with points. I had Skoda 110L, VW Beetle, Holden Camira 1.8, Holden Gemini, Toyota Corona, Toyota Corolla, Honda Jazz 1.3 CVT, Honda Jazz 1.3 5 speed Auto. When the car is new I change oil every 3-5000 km. After back to normal. I never trash the car too.
Bianca

We purchased a ex fleet car approx 6 months ago it’s a late 2007 VE omega it has drove like a gem up until a month ago it started turning the traction control on and off, flashing check engine, which I did looked good to me lol then started to idle bad almost stalling! Then stopped! Had contact dealer and the cross of death It’s had a full service history only has 80000kms took it back to the dealer and it needed a new battery before they could diagnose it! Now 2 days later and almost $1000 they still don’t know what’s wrong go figure! But expect me to pay $128 an hour to poke around to figure it out! I chose to go back to a Holden dealer as they are “factory trained” and specialize in these cars and work with them everyday how come noone knows what’s wrong with it????? Very unimpressed with the level of knowledge of these ppl!
Donna

I have a 2006 omega & its just hit 85000 & i have all the lights commimg on i get the codes cleaned & 23 kms later there back on again i paid 20 k for this car & 4 k in gas this car is a piece of crap i wish i never got it
http://ford Donna

plus my car power reduces when it feels like it my car gets seviced all the time, I dont speed i look after my car i have all of the above complaints
rusty

you gotta ask yourself,,when you go to book your commo’ in for REPAIRS,its usually about a two week wait,,and on the day you take it there the service centre is full with commo’s,hey,ya’s hearen me.now i know why they tell you to make yourself at home when you go there,they dont just have seats,they have lounges,big plasma,full kitchen. all i want is the car to work and be reliable.would you like it if i painted your house s*^t brown when you paid for it to be blood red,stop winging it got painted didnt it. ya hearen me pal.
disgruntled

From the Inside.

Check engine light is the result of following GM Maintainance scheduale vis-avis 15,000 Km instead of 10,000. To be precise, premature engine wear. Don’t think it is right? Check GM maintainance schedulae 2006 against 200***, Isn’t that a surpride eh, It’s back to 10,000….

Disgruntled ex holden buyer of 30 years
John from Dubbo

Current model Berlina Sportswagon with 60k k’s. Alternator light randomly comes on, Headlights blow frequently, plastic trim on drivers seat cracked and been replaced three times, drivers seat wearing out, A/C randomly turns off (stopping and turning car off rectifies), have to slam the tailgate to get it to shut, check engine light appears randomly. Took the car in for it’s service at 8:30am and it’s still not ready at 3:45pm.

HOLDEN=

Hope
Our
Luck
Doesn’t
End
Now
eurotrash

to those who say if you bought an imported car you wouldn’t have these problems your deluding yourself, Nissan have a major problem with pinging in the v6 motors, there default response “you must be using poor quality fuel” don’t even start with lexus and toyota problems. And to those who say buy a euro car you wont have any problems spend some time in a bmw or merc workshop they are having massive problems with the 5 and 7 series and these are 100k plus cars. Every make and model are going to have there problems, the best you can do is hope you don’t get a lemon.
For the people that complain about rear tyre wear, the nature of an independent rear wheel end setup is that the rear end squats under acceleration that produces a negative camber on the rear wheels, any irs car will wear out the inside edges of rear tyres, when i was working for alfa they were going through tyres in 20k and the tyres are 300 – 500 each
AMy

I have a holden omega (not sure of the year), but it is a friends who I am driving while they are overseas. I had no problems for the first few weeks, but noticed yesterday that when I turn the car off and open the door, the radio and console are no longer turning off as they were.
I have managed a few times to just lock and unlock the car, open the door a few times and finally the damn things turns off.
Just wondering if anyone has had the same problem and how it can be fixed? I really don’t want to have to bother them while they are away… on their honeymoon none the less.
Thanks.
Russell

I am struggling to see why people line up in their droves to buy Holdens.

Brenno

Because they look good.

Tilvo

Just wondering if many people with 2008 VE’s are experiencing many problems?
Cheers
sera

i have a 2006 omega and the “check engine” light went on , when i took it holden they said it was the timing chains and would cost $2400 and its not covered under warranty coz its wear and tear. but when i done some research i found that alot of people are having this problem, and a specialist mechanic said they are having problems with this issue, and i should not have to pay.
so why if it is a holden fault, we are the ones to pay for it!!!!!!!!

ray

Dont worry about it!
chris

2006 Omega, same thing Sera. Holden says parts alone $2000 although you can buy these part online in the US for about US$300. How many other Holden owners have had timing chains replaced?? This is clearly a GM manufacturing problem that Holden is trying to to keep quiet. P0016 P0018 fault codes and engine warning light on.

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Pablo

Hi

Does anyone have a VE that wears the wiper blades after 2 weeks, contacted Holden said they wont do anything second pair from holden first pair lasted 6 weeks, Holden said they were happy for me to pursue this in the courts, way to go
Darko

Hi everybody
I have Commodore ve omega serial V 2006 model
problem with alternator warning,I,m send car on holden service they are say just upgrading computer,they are do that,and when I driving car sometimes i got one bip from dashboard nothing writhing on dashboard, is it anybody now what is that

Thanks
Ray

Hi everyone,
Can anyone tell me how to reset the warning lights? Sick of the engine check light. Car has been checked and no fault can be found. Sick of paying for the light to be reset. Have a Commodore VE Omega 2007 model.

Brenno

Unhook the battery

Ridgeedidge

Have had many problems similar to what has been experienced by others. ABS and stability control fault light came on. Took car to holden dealer for service and asked them to look at this. They serviced the car but could not rectify problem as they said they didn’t know how to fix it. After reading this forum I think its obvious they know there is an inherint problem but will not admit it.Since holden insisted on acting dumb to this problem I took the car to an auto electrician. He replaced the battery and advised to limit drainage of battery by switching some of power options off
(horn/lights option when locking and unlocking car) He stated that battery power drainage was a common problem for VE Commodores.Since this baterry change I have had only one or two instances of ABS/Traction control fault light coming on compaired to daily occurances. Other common problems include CD Mechanisim Error on CD player, and excessive rear tyres wear. Rear tyres are nearly bald and front tyres have 75% tread remaning. I am about to have rear tyres replaced and will inquire as to a possible fix for this tyre wear problem. Maybe someone can offer advise if they have found a fix as I don’t trust my holden service department will confess to know as they continue to portray to all that there are no problems.

http://profile.yahoo.com/LOHEGNJELUC5SEYBUDZJJ2N5BQ Matt

Are the rear tyres wearing unevenly ? If they’re wearing unevenly then maybe an adjustment to the alignment might fix that it. If they’re the same make of tyres as the front and were all replaced at the same time then maybe you just need to ease off the loud pedal.