Commodore (VN-VZ) / HSV

1988-2006 / Sedan / Estate / Australia

All Commodore (VN-VZ) / HSV problems All workshop issues

Minor Body

Paint Peel (VT-VX, specific colours)

Symptoms

Clear coat peels from the roof, bonnet, and boot lid. Paint appears chalky and dull before peeling.

Cause

Certain VT-VX paint colours (particularly some metallics) suffered from clear coat adhesion problems. UV exposure and poor factory prep contribute. The VT-VX is more affected than the VY-VZ.

Fix

The only proper fix is a respray of the affected panels.

Budget $1,500-3,000 for a quality respray of the roof, bonnet, and boot.

Alternatively, a cut-and-polish can delay peeling if the clear coat is just beginning to cloud.

Cost mentioned in fix

Budget $1,500-3,000 for a

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Other known issues

Critical Body

VN-VP Boot Floor and Sill Rust

Rust perforations in the boot floor, sills, and rear wheel arches. Water in the boot, bubbling paint along the sills.

Common Engine, V6 (Buick/Ecotec 3.8L, VN-VY)

Intake Manifold Gasket Leak

Coolant leak at the junction of the intake manifold and cylinder heads. May present as coolant loss without a visible external leak (coolant enters the intake ports), or as a coolant stain on the side of the engine. Engine may run rough or misfire if coolant enters the combustion chamber.

Critical Engine, V6 (Buick/Ecotec 3.8L, VN-VY)

Harmonic Balancer Failure (Ecotec, VS onwards)

A wobbling pulley on the front of the crankshaft. Knocking or rattling noise from the front of the engine. The drive belt may track poorly or come off.

Common Engine, V6 (Buick/Ecotec 3.8L, VN-VY)

Supercharger Bypass Valve Failure (L67 supercharged V6)

Loss of boost, rattling from the supercharger, reduced performance. The supercharger may make a whining noise that changes with the valve's operation.

Critical Engine, V6 (Alloytec 3.6L, VZ)

Timing Chain and Guide Failure

Rattling noise on cold start that may persist after warm-up. Check engine light with codes related to camshaft timing. Rough idle, misfiring, loss of power. In severe cases, the engine won't start or runs extremely poorly.

Critical Engine, V6 (Alloytec 3.6L, VZ)

Oil Leaks from Timing Cover

Oil weeping or dripping from the front of the engine, behind the harmonic balancer area.

View all 20 Commodore (VN-VZ) / HSV problems