‘You need to be an enthusiast’: Has Holden ditched its Commodore owners?

Exactly five years ago today, on 17 February 2020, Holden announced that the brand would no longer sell cars.

There were a plethora of emotions running through every Australian's heart. Some believed that it should've happened before what is commonly known as the 'fake Commodore' (the ZB) went into production, but most were sad to see the Lion leave the market forever.

Holden vowed to stay in the Australian market for 10 years to fulfil the need for spare parts, servicing, and honouring vehicle warranties.

Since its departure, Holden rebranded its service centres into an ACDelco outfit that looks after the "lifetime capped-price servicing" on applicable models and vehicles still under warranty.

However, all Australian-made Commodores are now well out of warranty. Five years on, we've spoken to owners, ex-employees, and part-shop workers to find out if Holden is keeping its promise.

"The availability of Commodore parts has been dwindling over the past five years. It seems that even nearly 10 years ago, Holden dealerships were phasing out parts for the earlier models. Even the VE and VF Commodore catalogues have plenty of discontinued items.

"You need to be an enthusiast for anything older than a VZ/VE, monetary-wise; it's just not worth it for the regular person.

"However, the aftermarket care is quite reasonable, especially in general mechanical and maintenance parts. The odd door handle and window switch are readily available as they're common failure parts, and the aftermarket body panel business is starting to flourish.

"In the case of the LS platform [the V8 found in the VT Commodore onwards], the US still produces a lot of stuff; if you know which part is compatible with which Australian part, you'll be fine.

"Brands like Engine Pro and Nason keep the engine's mechanical side alive by stocking aftermarket parts. Performance upgrades are also a great replacement option if you can't get the OE equivalent.

"The guys at Rare Spares and Kingswood Country are keeping the purists around by recreating some amazing replacements for hard-to-find parts on older models."

"Reliability has been amazing for the cars. I currently have over 200,000km on my 2016 Commodore SS Wagon and my 2016 Colorado, and both cars have no issues.

"Finding OEM parts isn't a struggle. Selected pre-existing Holden dealers still have service and spare parts departments, which are now run under the ACDelco name (GM parts supplier). However, some commonly replaced parts tend to be on backorder.

"I don't really feel 'ditched' in my case, my cars are well out of warranty. It's just a shame that the brand no longer exists as it used to.

"Everyone was disappointed when Holden left the market, but we weren't surprised and saw it coming. It felt more real and sadder in 2017 when the Commodore production stopped.

"As soon as COVID hit in 2020 and Holden announced closure the next week, it was a very sad moment as a worker passionate about the brand. Declining sales from high pricing needed to keep Holden in business, and stronger overseas competition killed it for Holden.

"It's also a shame there are fewer V8s on the road now, given their locally acquired 'collector car' status and high theft rates."

"I guess in a way, I feel like Holden has ditched us. However, in saying that, I did recently buy a brand-new OEM handbrake cable for a VY. So I'm sure there's still support there, but it's also a question of how long. I think the aftermarket suppliers have picked up the slack on that front.

"Generally, the replacement parts I buy have been aftermarket. I’ve never been the sort of person to go out of my way hunting for OEM everything.

"Reliability-wise, both cars have been rather good, asides from some standard things like batteries and I think both have needed an alternator, beyond the two years the SV6 has needed a little more, but nothing outside of the standard consumables – plugs, coils, injectors and timing chain.

"I think, to an extent, you need to be an enthusiast. I don't know anyone around me who has bought a Commodore just because they thought it was the most practical option."

Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.

Read more about Zane Dobie