1997 Holden Commodore VT review from Australia and New Zealand

Alternator wiring harness failed at 85k, replaced under warranty. ('common problem' - but no factory recall)

Consistent problems with ABS system, dealer says there's no fault, despite warning light on dash showing often.

Air conditioner compressor became leaky at 150k, now have to re-gas every year. ($1000+ to repair)

Interior trim is exceptionally poor quality. Did they use UV and heat stablised plastics on the entire interior?? Only a tiny amount of pressure on the door speaker grilles will cause them to snap after 6 years of sun and heat. Plastic bearings quickly wore out on Sunglasses boxes at front and rear.

Plastic surrounds on bottom of front seats become brittle and broke lose at 90k.

Interior trim has alarming state of wear for the age of the vehicle. Stuffing comes out of driver's side chair, and cover is badly worn despite only average use.

Door lock mechanism on one door seizes up. Dealer says it's been fixed, but problem still occuring.

Power steering pump became leaky at 120k. Required expensive repair.

Tyre wear seems to be higher than I'd expect.

Brakes are hopeless. Wear very quickly, become 'soggy' and squeal even after servicing.

Rubber seals on doors, plastic cover on outside door pillar and rubber windscreen surrounds have all been replaced after perishing. 20 year old cars I have owned haven't shown this level of rubber damage!

Light bulbs regularly need to be replaced at the rear. Alternator is working fine, may be related to shock from the opening/closing of the boot or vibration, haven't solved this problem yet...

Poorly designed boot. Rainwater lands on boot contents when the boot is opened.

Poor design of radio antenna cable routing. Replacement of radio antenna requires the removal of the front left wheel cowling, the front left wheel, the passenger side foot vent and the engine management computer. Wiring travels an 'S' shape from the outside of the car, past and behind the engine computer, to the cabin. A vandalized car antenna might cost you a few hours of your time to repair!

I have always wanted to own a VT Commodore and have always heard great things about the VR and VS models so naturally I lept at the opportunity when they started becoming priced within my budget (mid-2000).

The experience with this car however has steered me away from buying another Holden Commodore. It has been a reliable vehicle (as in, it goes when I want to go) but the consistent and common problems in this model that I've read in other reviews seem to be the result of fundamentally poor design, 'cheap' parts and dealer indifference.

For what you pay though, you get a 3.8L V6 engine with standard ABS and driver's side airbag. This is a lot more than the offerings from, say, Mitsubishi, for the year and price range.

All said and done, I will be keeping this car until it rusts apart! Despite the problems, it is a reliable car. It is certainly not a 'lemon' but why-oh-why are the problems in these early '97 vehicles still surfacing in models built 3 or more years later?