Holden Commodore VY (2002-2004)

With over 366,000km (going for the big 400k) the vy has been fantastic. Servicing and replacement of expected wear and tear parts over the years. Show details

great 2004 commodore wagon – nearly 400, 000 ks still strong and no problems with my 04 commodore i service it often , maintain it myself , use it daily , take it for long runs , no mechanic touches it ,, use good oils , and STP every change Show details

This VY is good, only use privately – After reconnecting battery leads, imobiliser light on dash wont off and key wont turn in ignition. Always have had to usekey in door lock to open car as remote buttons never worked for years & had no problems in starting. How do get to turn ?imobiliser off Show details

Amazing car – I drive this car daily, brought it for cheap. Have had no problems other than tyre wear on the car. They are mechanically great! I have owned a few cars and this one is the best!!  Show details

Great car – Brought this car back in 2004 it is the best car we brought we have done 243000 klm in it and have not had one problem has not had a Spanner put on it at all great car Show details

Still going strong after 13 years of ownership – Our VY II Berlina Wagon has been very reliable and we're still very happy with it. We bought it when it was three years old at 80,000kms and have had it since then. It's now at 255,000kms. We've towed our 1200kg 16ft caravan on a 10,000km trip half way around Australia with no problems a couple of years ago when it was at 230,000kms. We had a… Read more

transmission cooler installed just to be on the safe side. Apart from that it's been used as a daily driver with three kids. We got dicky seats put in the back to make it a seven seater. The cargo space is enormous, it just swallows up whatever you throw at it.

It's been very reliable and we've never had a breakdown. Naturally some things have failed through wear and tear but nothing that's held us up. We've monitored things and repaired them as they've started to get close to failure. These are some of what we've replaced: * replaced radiator when the top tank started to leak * heater tap * power steering rack and pump * various suspension bushes, shock absorbers * rear wheel bearing * just recently we've noticed the water pump dribbling so we'll get that replaced.

The steering wheel audio controls aren't reliable, we had an issue with a central locking solenoid and now one of the power windows is a bit intermittent. The CD stacker doesn't always load CD's properly. But things like this will happen with all cars, we just look into the problem and repair it as it happens. With regular preventative maintenance we've found the car to be very reliable.

There've been a few minor oil leaks, and the coolant keeps getting oil residue in it, but not in large quantities.

We have never had the dashboard apart, none of the dash light globes have failed, so there are relatively few rattles and creaks.

2003 Holden Commodore 25th Anniversary V6 Ecotec VY Series II – After owning numerous (14 in all) VT-VX Holden Commodore's (see some of my reviews) I finally made the dive into the world of VY Commodores. I purchased a genuine 1 owner, log book history & purchase documentation, 2003 Holden Commodore 25th Anniversary VY II w/ 72000 kms in near perfect condition for $3950.00 I wasn't in the market for one, but… Read more

this one came up & I snapped it up at 8.30 am, after being listed for less than 40 mins ... My VX S Commodore sold 2 days later for $4000 ...

The first thing you notice about the VY as opposed to it's predecessors (the VT - VX) is a redesign in the appearance.

The front & rear of the sedan has sharper angles. The rear lights & boot have been reworked, as has the front grille & headlights. My personal favourite shape is the VT, but the VY looks less dated & a little more 'modern'.

Some people loved or hated the VT-VX interiors (I loved them) but the VY interior still has it's predecessors DNA but is significantly upgraded.

Some of the changes include a new instrument panel, centre console, steering wheel & redesigned transmission shifter & hand brake.

The new instrument cluster has a large multi-function digital display (single or triple-window model dependent), that displays information such as radio station display, PRND321 gear selected indicator, trip computer with stopwatch function, service reminders and a help facility.

The power outlet is located in the centre console. The top half of the dash is also reworked & the interior light/sun-glass holder is located to the front (near the review mirror). A much better ergonomic location.

My car is in Mica Turbine. It has a 25th Anniversary Badge on the rear, 25th Anniversary Badged front floor mats & 25th Anniversary display on the dash at start up.

Specifications are similar to the Acclaim and include the following standard features: 16 Alloy Wheels 6 Speaker Stereo ABS (Antilock Brakes) Adjustable Steering Col. - Tilt & Reach Air Conditioning Airbag - Driver Airbag - Passenger Alarm Armrest - Front Centre (Shared) Body Colour - Bumpers Body Colour - Exterior Mirrors Partial Body Colour - Fittings CD Stacker - 6 disc In Dash/Cabin Central Locking - Remote/Keyless Chrome Exhaust Tip(s) Cruise Control Disc Brakes Front Ventilated Disc Brakes Rear Solid Electric Seat - Drivers Engine Immobiliser Exhaust - Stainless Steel Single System Floor Mats 25th Anniversary Headlamps Automatic (light sensitive) Independent Rear Suspension Intermittent Wipers Leather Gear Knob Leather Hand Brake Lever Leather Steering Wheel Metallic Finish Interior Inserts Multi-function Control Screen Multi-function Steering Wheel On-board Computer Power Antenna Power Door Mirrors Power Steering Power Windows - Front & Rear Remote Boot/Hatch Release Remote Fuel Lid Release Seatbelt - Load Limiters 1st Row (Front) Seatbelt - Pretensioners 1st Row (Front) Seatbelts - Lap/Sash for 5 seats Speed Dependant Volume Stereo Speed Dependant Wipers Spoiler - Rear Sunvisor - Illuminated Vanity Mirrors Dual Tacho Trim - Velour Trip Computer

FYI the following options were available when new: 18 Alloy Wheels - $2,700 Air Cond & Side Airbags - $2,770 Body Kit - Lower (skirts, F & R Aprons) - $1,340 LPG (Dual Fuel) - $2,595 Sunroof - Electric - $2,050

One advantage of the VY is it shares many mechanical components to the VT-VX (Parts are IMO cheap) & many repairs/servicing you can do yourself (Water pumps, brakes, radiators, transmission services, fuel filters, oil/filters etc etc) with a good workshop manual & plenty of online forum help (see my other reviews).

This is the first commodore I've owned that has not got factory FE2 or modified aftermarket suspension/shocks.

In all honesty the ride is softer that FE2 but I am REALLY enjoining how much smoother & quieter the ride is. The ride/handling, suspension set up is clearly aimed towards comfort & NOT performance.

Fit & finish is much better than a VT-VX but you would expect this from a model upgrade & of course the low mileage.

The VY is quiet, smooth & the V6 Ecotec does it's job. I am a big fan of the Ecotec with it's simplicity & reliability (when serviced and looked after properly).

(As with all my reviews) I strongly advise (from owning many VTs, VXs & now VY) is to buy the best unmodified car that you can afford with service history (where possible).

There are still really nice V6 Ecotec cars to be found if you are patient. V8s are much tougher but not impossible to find.

Great car smooth nice breaking has plenty of power I find seats hard to get used to only downfall is – Nice car to drive it's smooth and quiet handles well good breaking no real bad noises until you get over 100km there's noise in dash Nice finish in interior but the plastic moulding on drivers side seat made very poorly and always breaks and they aren't cheap unless you leave hanging or put couple of ugly tech screws to hold in place  Show details

Disappointed – First commodore I have ever owned. A 2002 vy ex police car. I have been a ford user all my life. The commodore goes great and is smooth but in wet weather it fishtails around corners if going faster than 15 kilometers. I am told this is normal for a vy. Too scared to drive in wet, how could that be normal?  Show details

Cant beat a holden! – Such a reliable powerplant. Love it. Excellent fuel milage in fact its better than 2litre front wheel drives leaves most cars for dead at a stomp of the foot. Only had 1 issue being the cooling system twice but thats minor. Loves the open roads definately built for nz conditions amd australia alike. Outdoes rice burners in every shape  Show details

Fun and reliable Aussie built car! – I have a 2004 VY Commodore Series II S. Really fun to drive, when the foot goes down the car responds without hesitation. It takes corners well and has been faultless so far. It is identical to the VY SS in appearance and still looks sleek in 2017. It averages roughly 12.3L/100km in suburban areas which is excessive by modern car standards, but… Read more

for those who do not drive heaps the cheaper servicing, plentiful parts and reliability more than make up for it.

Great for those who want an SS like experience without the extra initial outlay or increased running costs of a V8 engine.

SS vy commodore – Unreal car. Generation 111 unbreakable. Great all over car. Tough economical.450 kms city driving on full tank.650kms country driving. Great car and beats crusty fords .acceleration super. Top end scary. 255kms with still some change to spare. All stock standard. Love interior and love exterior. Flies like a rocket .goes great  Show details

The Reliable Deal – To drive a Vy Commodore to the shops, or to the Qld border, is the same comfort experience. It rides well, has excess power for any road, is very comfortable and spacious, what more can I say. It uses 10.5litres around home, crashes to only 7.2litres on a trip, just does the business. Very reliable, but a pleasure to drive.  Show details

305 000km, still going strong – was reluctant buying a 3rd hand car with so many k's. So far so good. It would seem to be that all servicing was done as noted in the book. Can be a little thirsty but considering the power and the interior space, not too bad. Everything still works, pretty good for a 13 year old car. It pays to shop for a used car that has been serviced regularly.  Show details

2004 SS Wagon – Brilliant < 40,000 klm example in Black with Red Leather. Great ride, response and presence on the road. Hopefully this vehicle will appreciate in value over the coming years. What would you expect to pay for such a vehicle. It is mint and I mean MINT. A little heavy on fuel however not a problem due to the return you receive when you want/need to put your foot down.  Show details

Very practical and good value family wagon – Bought this 2003 VY Acclaim V6 auto wagon new from a Holden dealer. Quicksilver colour and only option was a cargo barrier. For a large wagon it was easy to drive and park but had much load space for regular family holidays (four people plus usual luggage). Good performance although the engine sounded coarse when revved. Old tech four speed… Read more

auto was often unresponsive. However very good fuel consumption for the size of vehicle with about 9 l/100km cruising on the highway and 13/14 l/100km around the city. The car was serviced by the book with very low maintenance costs and few unexpected repairs. The first set of tyres lasted 55,000km and the second set 65,000km. Only cost about $100 each to replace. Front brake pads lasted 99,000km and rear pads 130,000km! Still on the second set of pads when the car was sold the car at 172,000km in early 2013. Good ownership experience. Overall very practical vehicle for a growing family, easy to drive and affordable to own. Spacious interior and cargo area, easy to drive and good ownership experience Dated engine and auto trans but worked well!

gave nearly 7 years of good service – Bought this car with 136500 km on the clock and only just sold it with 341000 km on the clock. Only things that i had to replace outside normal service items included the radiator, alternator and the cd player. Went through rear tyres at an alarming rate however this is a common vy problem. Only sold the car because the fuel sender was playing up and the transmission was starting to show signs of wear. Motor and diff were still perfect  Show details

Totally satisfied, sorry to see it go – My VY II Acclaim wagon was bought at auction with just 15600 km on it - an ex ADF vehicle. We finally sold it after it had done 278000 km but I'm still not sure this was smart. During the 9 years of ownership it only once failed to get us home and was ever the smooth, reliable daily driver, both on short and long trips. This wagon in VT to VZ… Read more

form is surely the largest and most practical ever produced in Australia. I found the build quality excellent and the only things that failed were the glove box retainers (to stop it opening too far) and one of the buttons to fold the back seats down. Both were easily repaired. With age the door lock transponder became a bit capricious but most of the time it worked and you could always lock and unlock with the key. On one occasion I had a problem the thermostat stuck so the coolant could not circulate between the engine and radiator. With the temperature in the red I drove it gently for 27 kilometres to the nearest Holden dealer, at which point the engine shut itself down. After replacement of the radiator and theromostat the engine proved to be totally unaffected which says a lot for the durability of the wonderful 3.8 litre V6. If they still made them I would happily buy a new one!

Terrific car, holds the road really well and very quiet inside – I bought this car 2nd hand with 60,000 km on the clock when it was 3 years old. It now 12.5 year old, has 295,000 km on the clock and still runs as well as the day I bought it. Most trips are in the country and the fuel average on country trips is about 8.5 to 9.0 L/100km at speeds of 100 km/hr. I like the very quiet interior of the Calais… Read more

compared to the standard commodores we have at work, which can be quite noisy. Roadholding is also VG with the slightly wider tyres. Overall a very comfortable car. It has required a bit of maintenance in the last 2 years including new rubber in the front end, some new steering linkage connectors, a new alternator and a new key-lock chamber. These items were not that expensive and to me quite reasonable given the age and km of the car.

Terrible – Review for SS model. Would never buy one again biggest waste of money i ever spent bought an xr8 and have never looked back Air con, slow so falcons can smoke them, Fall apart, unreliable, fuel gauge faulty, chews through rear tyre if no camber kit,

2002 VY Wagon Practical Australian Motoring – Bought my VY with 138,000 on the clock. It now has 230,000, has not missed a beat. Just a V6 Lumina Wagon, parts are easy to come by and cheap if you get them from a wrecker. The 16"tyres only set me back about $150 each and the car does well on short and long trips. I now need extra seats but don't want to do the bolt on thing in the back of my… Read more

wagon, sad thing is, Holden have failed to realise this market. The 7 seat Captiva which I also own is a joke car and the back two seats are as useful as a screen door on a sub! Commodore wagon makes a lot of smart motoring. Now build a high rise version with 7 practical seats and I'll buy it. Cheap fun Australian motoring Getting a little old tec wise and few more rattles

Excellent – Review for SS Ute Model. I love my ute it looks great, goes great, has so far been trouble free other than issues i have caused [poor initial modifyed suspension choice and bad or no wheel alignment]chewed out 1st tyres 18000klms. I have had full engine computer remap and exhaust change and increased HP by 1/3 so love the extra power with no… Read more

extra fuel use. Extremely Economical on long trips but struggles around town but still not bad. I love my VZ but i dont like the looks of the new VE ute [Bugga]looks like i will have a long freindship with my VZ! Great looks, street appeal,attention grabber,awesome power delivery,6 speed manual gearbox, 6 litre V8 awesome, easy to get big power gains with a little extra modifying,extremely comfortable interior have done long trips adelaide to darwin without pain in butt as well as adelaide to Sydney X 3. Service costs very cheap. Extremely reliable. Stupid fittings for headlight protectors,bonnet protector and floor mats. Bonnet protector needs to be unscrewed with screw driver to clean underneath. Clips for matts fall of constantly and get lost. Wants to go side ways when really given heavy accleration [no traction control].

Excellent – Review for SS Ute Model. Have great grip on road, anti roll bars make for ease in turnung, abs braking is fantastic, plenty of leg room, comfortable leather seating with height adjustor, great range of colours, great service warranty, doesn't lack in power. Stereo system is fantastic - great controls on steering wheel and automatic lights ( no… Read more

more problem with leaving your lights on. Stylish leather interior, great handling, fuel economy excellent , looks great with the stylish hard cover, manaro wheels, braking is second to none. Very reasonly priced.

Good – Review for SS model. Great car (bought new) but having sold a Clubsport to buy it, really notice the lack of handling at high speeds. Keeping in mind that it costs about $20K less than my previous car, I shouldn't complain. Someone else said it handles like a goat. Never driven a goat personally, but feel the comment is a bit unfair. At the… Read more

price its a good sturdy reliable vehicle. Never had a problem with it, never missed a beat and built so much better than my new ute. Guess that is progress! Commodore SS: Great performance, drivers car, cheap bang for buck Could handle a little better

Bad – Review for SS model. Not a very good car. I bought this car with only 40,000 km on it in 2004 but had a heap of problems with it over the five years I had it, including: 1. Things just broke - sunglasses case cover, speaker cover, fuel filler lever. 2. Very hard on tyres. Even with regular rotations and alignment wore insides of front at… Read more

terrible rate using good quality tyres (Yokohama and Bridgestone).

3. Rattly motor from about 80,000 km. Holden wouldnt fix despite records indicating that engine suffers regularly from piston slap problems. It never used much oil so I just endured it. Nice looking car. Good but not outstanding performance. Reasonable fuel economy...good on open road at 110kph on cruise control though. Reasonable comfort. Purchased it with 40,000 km on it and sold it (not a Holden) with 175,000 on it so over the five years we had it it got a fair amount of use and did some longer trips. Things breaking. A high maintenance vehicle that cost too much in minor repairs than it should have. Terrible service from ACT Holden Dealer. I never really felt I could trust the vehicle. I cant see myself every buying another Commodore or for that matter another Holden although there are two others from that manufacturer still in my garage I think these will turn into other brands soon.

OK – Review for SS model. Average car, powerful but with all these broken parts I don't think I'd be game to get another. Could just be my luck so take a look at other reviews too, this is only my experience so this is all I can say about the car. Powerful, strong, leather seats (comfort value). Intimidating at the traffic lights haha. Gear ratios =… Read more

eew. Fuel pump blown up, satellie navigation HDD borked, computer offline. Maybe I just got a bad one, but I expected more than this in the first few thousand k's, not this much should be going wrong.

Good – Review for SS model. Love this car ive had it lowered handles much better than stock but would never step foot in a holden dealer again Great highway cruiser or everday driver comfy seats plenty of power sits on 110klm all day in hot weather with air con flat out i plan to keep this car for a long time Paint flakes off door handles and fuel cap… Read more

boot is very small only took it to holden dealership once for service what a bunch of morons now take it elsewhere can use heaps of fuel when you drive it hard but i usually get 12 litres per 100

The best – Review for SS model. I have had 4 commodores, VK, VS, VT & VX. All but one of them where V8's & are just about to buy the new VE SS. I have never had a problem with any of the engines, gear boxes or drive trains. The people that have had problems I believe have had lemons ( And are normally the people that will complain the loadest & cant blame… Read more

them ), which you can have with any vehicle or manufacture, or just flogged the sh*t out of them. I have always found them great cars, fantastic value for money, reliable, great fuel consumption for such a large engine. Very comfortable especially on long trips. I would thoroughly reccomend the Commodore especially the V8. Great value, heaps of power, normal driving good fuel consumption, especially on the Highway

Terrible – Review for SS model. I cannot agree MORE with the review posted july 3rd 2007. This was meant to be my reward for years of harwork but ended up being a massive dissapointment. My repeated pleas directly to holden "cutomer service" for help to fix the issues was handled like I had purchased a VB commodore with 600,000kms on the clock for $2 ie:… Read more

about as much value as a cheeseburger. I have owned 7 commodores and been a part of purchasing at least 6 more though work and friends but Holden have successfully turned me off their brand forever! NEVER will I buy or recommend a Holden. The colour. One of the poorest built cars I have had, trims fall apart, rear d/side door seal replaced 3 times to stop water leaking, clunking so loud in the drive train that I thought the diff was going to drop out on the road, recalls, drivers seat rail, replaced etc etc etc. NOT WORTH $450 let alone $45,000!

Good – Review for SS model. In general I love it! I would definately consider upgrading to a newer model when available. I also love the interior space and has plenty of room for 3 teenagers in the backseat. I like this car as it is very powerful, never struggles to get up hills and the cruise control is accurate. Too much Plasic interior, its pretty exy on fuel.

Good – Review for SS model. Great buy. Perfect driving. Worth the money used to buy it, i recommend it. Have not had any sort of problem with it. Great engine, air conditioning, runs well. Lots of compartments. Seat leather is not great quality and wears. Bad fuel consumption

Excellent – Our VY was an ex police patrol car so came with a few extras over the base executive (stiffer,lower suspension, limited slip dif, electric rear windows, calais interior lights + a few other bits). We purchased it for about 1/2 new price ($17K vs mid $30K) less than 1 year old with 45000 km on the odo and have put more than 300 thousand on it since… Read more

with very little trouble. Air con compressor replaced under warranty and both rear door locks just out of warranty.(they were a bit of a pain, failing within months of each other and disrupting the central locking/security system each time, cost over $300 each too) Plug leads fail at less than 100000 km and cause a bit of rough running (especially when cold) until replaced and front suspension rubbers chop out on gravel roads. Overall we are very pleased with the car (as we were with the police VS before it) and I will visit the police auctions again sometime in the next couple of years to replace it with a newer one. Both the VS and VY had the "ecotec" V6 and electronic 4 sp auto, by the time the VY was produced there were flasher and smoother drivetrains around but not many as solid and reliable as the Commodore. More than adequate power(V6), reasonably quiet, seats 5 with comfort and is solid and reliable. Economy is good with a light foot and it handles very well at low and high speeds. Bit of wind noise and chews fuel at (above legal highway) speed. Some genuine Holden parts prices are more expensive than you would expect.

OK – I like the ability to customise many functions, love the look of the car (especially lowered with big wheels). The ride & handling is OK - still prefer my Honda Euro in this respect, but the Calais offers much better leg space out back, more grunt at low revs, and is generally, an easy car to drive. The Euro requires more driver input to get good… Read more

performance around town so this car is better for the lazy drive. Fuel economy is OK considering size, weight etc. Re 2003 VY Calais: Classy looks, upgraded interior, better materials. Still a Commodore underneath - it needs more differentiation.