A diehard Holden fan says he’s sworn off the brand after being left with a massive repair bill.
Anthony Beggs has owned 19 Holdens and spent more than $1 million on them over the years but says that loyalty hasn’t been returned.
A year after buying the family’s $40,000 Trailblazer, the father-of-three says it began showing signs of transmission trouble and required multiple repairs.
“The torque converter was replaced, and the car was given a triple flush …. All they are is band aids to the underlying issues,” Mr Beggs said.
Not long after, the situation escalated. The car suddenly failed while his wife and daughter were travelling down a busy city street.
“Literally in the middle of Sydney on a Sunday evening when my wife was visiting her dying uncle in hospital,” Mr Beggs said.
But the ordeal didn’t end there. Mr Beggs says the transmission failed completely and needed replacing but Holden refused to cover it.
Why? The Trailblazer was six weeks outside an extended transmission warranty.
Just six weeks.
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That repair bill came to $7,100.
Mr Beggs has turned to Adam Glezer from Consumer Champion who warns the risks associated with transmission faults can be severe.
“Driving a car with a failing transmission isn’t just unsafe – it’s a catastrophe waiting to happen. When a transmission fails at high speed, you’re not talking about inconvenience, you’re talking about lives on the line. It puts the driver and every other motorist around them in immediate danger,” Glezer said.
Mr Glezer says cases like this highlight broader concerns about how major car manufacturers respond to faults.
While Australian Consumer Law is designed to protect drivers, he believes it is not strong enough to hold global companies accountable.
“The brutal truth is that many big corporations don’t care about their customers until their reputation is on the line. Profit comes first, people come last. That’s exactly why consumers who are being mistreated need to shine a spotlight on it, loudly, through social media and mainstream media. It’s the only language some companies respond to.”
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Several hundred thousand Aussies are potentially eligible to participate in a class action launched by Maurice Blackburn against General Motors (GM), Holden’s parent company, alleging that the manufacturer sold cars with defective automatic transmissions.
There’s also a separate class action alleging potentially fatal engine defects in Silverado 1500 vehicles.
The cases have raised fresh concerns about support for Holden owners following the brand’s exit from Australia in 2020.
At the time, customers were assured GM would continue to provide parts and servicing support for more than 1.5 million vehicles still on the road.
The promise was backed by a national ad campaign declaring Holden was “here to stay”. But some drivers claim that hasn’t matched reality.
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“It’s just disgraceful … it doesn’t meet any fairness test,” Mr Beggs said.
Industry groups believe the issue is being felt beyond individuals.
Australian Automotive Dealer Association CEO James Voortman says former Holden dealers are also struggling to get responses from the manufacturer.
“Ex-holden dealers who continue to try and service their customers following Holden’s withdrawal report that GM are one of the least responsive of all the brands operating on the Australian market with regards to warranty claims and Australian Consumer Law obligations,” he said.
He believes the situation highlights the need for stronger protections to ensure manufacturers meet their obligations.
“We cannot blindly trust that global manufacturers will do the right thing. We need an urgent conversation about how we can ensure that manufacturers stand behind their products and their obligations to dealers and customers,” he said.
General Motors has defended its handling of post-warranty vehicle issues, saying each case is assessed individually rather than under a blanket policy.
A GM spokesperson said once a manufacturer’s warranty expires, any request for assistance is “reviewed case by case,” with the company considering factors such as the vehicle’s age, kilometres travelled, service history and the expected lifespan of the component.
The company rejected suggestions that certain faults – including transmission issues – are treated differently, stating they are handled through its standard diagnostic and after-sales processes.
“Transmission concerns are assessed using GM’s standard diagnostic and aftersales processes, based on the specific vehicle, diagnosis and repair history,” the spokesperson said.
GM also pointed to its obligations under Australian Consumer Law, saying it takes those responsibilities seriously and assesses whether additional support is appropriate beyond warranty on a case-by-case basis.
It added that despite the Holden brand’s exit from Australia, support for customers remains in place through Holden Certified Service Outlets, which continue to provide access to parts, technical support and warranty and recall management.
