1999 Holden Astra cuty review from Australia and New Zealand
"It may be a lemon, in terms of reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brake squealing, requiring several new pads at short intervals. Eventually was told it was due to incorrect caliper settings. This was rectified under warranty, but the process was nevertheless frustrating.
The reverse light switch had to be fixed under warranty.
The air conditioning stopped working, and was fixed under warranty. The problem was a computer chip.
When the car was 7 months out of warranty, the power steering pump and steering rack had to be fixed. I thought this was unusual for a car that was 3 and a half years old, with 71000 Ks on the clock. Holden agreed to cover the cost of the parts (about $2000),but I had to cover the cost of the labour. This set me back $845.I would not expect this sort of problem, especially as the car has been regularly serviced by Holden dealerships.
General comments?
The car is otherwise a pleasure to drive, but its unreliability is wearing extremely thin.
Recommended Reviews:
  | Nice driving, but aweful reliability |
| Absolute total crap of a car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 2/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 20000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 71245 kilometres |
| Previous car | SAAB 900 |
| Date of Entry | 25th December, 2002 |