Holden Astra AH (2004-2009)

Horrible car, noisy and unreliable – My brother bought a Holden AH astra diesel on the back of the proviso of quality European/German engineering and build quality from a car salesman that recommended it. My brother also liked it and thought it was a good car. After paying $21,000 for it secondhand, the emission control system started acting up, clouds of bluish white smoke, engine… Read more

misfiring, and going into limp mode, gearbox issues involving not staying in 5th gear, (kept going into 4th and staying there with the engine running at high speed. Only after 80km/h, the ability to hold 5th gear actually occurred. The dealer support was awful. No interest at all in helping him with the problems at all.

The car went through 4 alternators, and 8 batteries in the space of 8 years, cause the car was alwys going flat. (it kept needing to be charged with a battery charger and was a complete loss of $21,000. My brother was ripped off badly, and the service contract that was supposed to be a savior? that was a joke. No help at all.

Stay away from Holden products out of Europe, especially Europe. South Korean cars from Holden maybe better, but my brother was taken down. Don't touch it with a ten foot pole.

Reliable, zippy and attractive model – I'm on my 2nd Holden Astra (after losing the first one in a crash - unrelated to vehicle performance) because I just could not find a different hatchback I liked as much as the Astra. I've owned a 2006 5 door petrol hatch and now have a 2009 5 door petrol hatch and both have been delights. A really solid car that drives smoothly, no shakiness or… Read more

heaviness especially on corners. Fittings and metal body are of good quality - tried a Fiesta and actually put a handprint in the metal panelling trying to close the bonnet! Very comfortable and spacious for a medium hatch - plenty of boot space that has done many a house move and airport run - you can cram it full of people or things without losing power. Fairly economical on petrol - about $40-$50 AUD for full tank. I preferred my fabric seats of the first car over the leather in my current, leather has just started to wear on the driver right hand side but very easy to clean and doesn't get overly hot if left out in the sun. Common Astra problems include timing belt, but seems to be more grievances about the TS model as opposed to the AH model. Will be hard to find something to replace the Astra when it's finally time!

family car – serviced twice a year used for visiting relatives around the state excellent on fuel economy sum long like to sydney or larger regoinal citys liks dubbo or mudgee shopping trips to larger towns mostly over an hour away or doctors appoinments eye or heart specialist, vacation driving to the coast  Show details

wonderful fora little car – this car is just enough for myself , small but is put down the back seat the room is big enough for any loading. I service the car once a year but never have problem , i can not believe this car allready been 11 years. never have any big issues,  Show details

Favourite car! – My car got written off and I bought a second hand Holden Astra and have never looked back! It feels so good to drive it’s so smooth, not too big on the outside but spacious five seater on the inside and best of all it’s very cheap on fuel! It’s honestly the best car I have ever owned!  Show details

Seriously disappointed – Purchased a 2007 SRi Astra off the showroom floor from Von Bibra Robina. The car was impressive to start off with, but many issues have tainted my enthusiasm over Holden. All the problems seem to be recurring, but no product recalls at any point! First the aircon compressor packed up. Took it to 2 different technicians: "Usual issue with Atra."… Read more

$550 to replace/repair compressor clutch coil thermal fuse.

Then, at about 120,000km the gearbox started whining in 6th gear. You guessed it! Two different gearbox specialists said it was a recurring problem with the Astra.

At around the same time, the metallic silver paint started fading. I reported it to the dealer, but they said that they'd never seen anything like it before. I took the vehicle in to them, but they just shrugged their shoulders and said I should speak to Holden Australia. When looking on car sale websites, I came across 12 vehicles with the exact same issue. The panel beaters I have taken it to say that it is a common problem with Holden. The clear coat has failed. The car now looks horrendous with large marks on the back bumper, bonnet and roof. Holden Australia say that it is "normal deterioration" and weren't prepared to do anything about it.

The gearlever knob has disintegrated and the gearlever boot has lost all it's cover. The headlights have faded and the horn stopped working at about 50,000km.

When purchasing a vehicle new and looking after it, you'd expect better quality and durability than what Holden has delivered. I purchased a Toyota Corolla approximately 10 months after the Astra and have had no comparable issues whatsoever. It has had 2 recalls which the dealer took care of. Guess who I'll be buying my next car from! Definitely not Holden.

A car from Germany with excellent design and engineering and SH$% Build quality! – I have had my 2006 Holden Astra Station Wagon for 2.5 years. I purchased this particular vehicle because it is a small wagon with heaps of boot space. Overall I enjoy driving this car. With the 5 speed, the gear between 2nd and 3rd is short meaning you need to get the revs up to around 2800rpm to drop it into 3rd at 2000rpm for the right… Read more

speed. Mechanically the car is very fuel efficient. On 98 Octane, it will do city driving around 8.2L/100kms. On country driving I have got just under 7L numerous times.

In the wagon, the rear seats can be moved so you can completely fold the rear seat flat. It allows you to store a lot of stuff!!!

Being a German designed car, the handling is very very good along with the brakes. It's responsive in sharp turns and holds the road well on the standard tyres. It has saved me several times in avoiding cars suddenly coming out of driveways to veer off with no body roll. The engine has good torque but requires some additional push in traffic and on hills (perhaps due to the extra weight of the wagon vs the hatch). It isn't quick by any means.

The body quality and interior parts are pretty poor for a car built in 2006. The factory clear coat has completely peeled on the roof and is starting on the bonnet and right side of the car (both drivers and RHS passenger door, front bumper). The left side has no peel. I've seen the clear coat come off other silver wagons but also other AH Astra's in various places (wagon and hatch). It seems to be a problem with early AH models imported into Australia (2005 - 2006). Another common problem is the steering wheel material coming off. You can still use the steering wheel, it just looks like it is falling apart.

The ventilation control behind the heater wouldn't turn the heater flap soon after I purchased it. I figured out this was because of a loose electrical connection. I resoldered some wires and it fixed the problem. The power window button for the driver snapped and I also replaced this (part is about $15 for 5 buttons).

Lastly, turn on the headlights and beep the horn. If it doesn't work, an Body Control Unit may either be not functioning or the connections are loose. There is a fix where Holden / Opal put connectors to push the wires together. I had this done out of consideration as I purchased the car second hand.

You can understand how General Motors who owned Opal are going broke, just not enough attention to the car overall !!!

Would I still buy one? Considering I'd have to get a 4WD to supplement my needs (where this car will put to shame many 4WDs for storage space ) I'd say yes...but only if the paint and trim didn't fall apart!

DON'T BUY THIS TRASH – Bought this car in 2014 for $7000 however, I had to spend another $4000 repairs The car shakes/judders when driving at 60km or higher. The sports button makes the car undrivable. Another typical European Holden, nothing but problems. Avoid at all costs especially L and P platers as we don't have that much money to spend.  Show details

Very helpful advice when ur not sure where the bits are in ur motor – Used for work a lot! On roads,very reliable 2008 wagon.used as outings,everything basically.254,00 kms so far.very reliable.Driven all over Victoria,only issue was my petrol door locked up,but mechanic helped there.otherwise very reliable.Wear and tare like all cars,but not expensive to fix. Show details

Fantastic car – Brought my car at 150km and now had for 6 years and had small issues at the start that ended up fixing easy, never had any issues since, my dad used to be a mechanic and he reckons my car was a great buy for the money! Show details

Top Car to roll tight in! – Purchased car @ Ventura Autos in Welshpool Western Australia.. James the owner is professional, accommodating and goes beyond expectation of service. Bought a CDX Astra 2006 and it's valued for the price! Show details

Better now Holden dont touch it – I could have boght a new car with the money I've spent on it. Without fail every 6 months it cost between $800 and $2000 at dealership to fix. Dudded me an ignition barrel under warranty as they couldn't get it to fault until warranty ended that is. Electrical fault twice a year like clockwork UNTIL I STOPPED GOING TO DEALER. Been great since… Read more

taking it elsewhere, no fault liggts just regular servicing and maintenance. Coincidence???? Not likely!!!!

Previous review mentiined front tyre wear is excessive and I'd agree with that but I do like a softer ride and use a bridgestone rally tyre which never lasts the suggested kms but they drive well.

If I had my time over I would NOT buy an astra and definitely NOT take it to holden.

I always thought a holden would be the best car I could have as the family have had them for generations. WRONG.

Crap car – Worst car ive ever owned. I cant believe there are reviews stating astras are great little cars far from it. I got the wagon 2006 model for 6grand. The horn stoped working after the first week. Then only 1 year later replaced the brake pads but there aas a major problems so from a $300 job it turned into $1000. And just only after that the coil… Read more

pack went and the parts for the astra wagon are so expensive seriously guys this is the worst type of car and now i have a new problem and j dont know what has happened for ages it keeps cutting out after i try to turn it on and its not the starter motor or the alternator

Great reliable car – We bought this car when it was 10 years old. It has done 160,000km and has proven to be very reliable with no major issues so far. It is quite cheap to run for city trips, however on long highway trips it could really have done with having an extra gear, at 110 it's pushing close to 3000rpm. Overall it is a good car that we plan to keep for a while, I'd highly recommend them.  Show details

Best of 10 cars I ever owned – Amazing handling like a sports car -solid build throughout- pretty reliable over 10 years - large boot space -perfect dimension vehicle and perfect size for parking - good road-holding dynamics -running costs fair- easily accessible engine- had to replace electric window control, boot lid struts and plastic coolant bottle in engine after nine years.  Show details

Great car – Car is great Reliable...zippy...good fuel economy After time the interior door panels came loose. The colour and exterior has withstood the elements well. Strangely the clutch and brake pedals feel incredibly close together and I would prefer it had some cup holders. But generally a gregreat car. Although a manual car in the city can be tough going in the traffic.  Show details

Best little car I have ever driven – Bought our Astra2005 new . Best little car ever. Handles like a dream seems to hug the road . Best fuel consumption I have ever had. Only issue is the paint work is now getting sunburnt and patchy  Show details

Ok car – Bought second hand 2009 model in 2012 done 57,000K Run like dream until 2016 at 100,000K. I am a light user Last year, It has timing belt replace in Jun, air conditioner replace in November. I feel costly then Other than that it is just fine , I have tyres replaced, always stick to service plan. So far so good. hope there won't be any major job in the near future.  Show details

Coil pack misfire – Bought it in early 2011 in Pickle Aution OD: 41000km, running very well for small car, happy with the fuel consumption. full tank 42-45L can run 520 - 560km. 2015 found it engine misfire, change the coil pack at Motors, cost around $600 and fixed problem. 2016 replace new battery. Will keep this car till new born baby arrive, thinking to upgrade to SUV or bigger family car.  Show details

Great car and hard to find any comparative with half the options – CDX Coupe! great looking car 2006 even now still looks modern and drives like new. Many features even in high end luxury cars don't match. eg. both front seats are fully adjustable for high AND tilt! No issues at all. Great car and no issues. would be perfect if rear suspension was independent and had a toe adjustment but for the price and at the time it was the best.  Show details

Worst car of all award goes to Astra – Worst car of all. Coolant started leaking just at 70000km and again at 120000k, head gasket failed at 150000K, Transmission failed at 160000K, now at 170000k engine has starting misfiring. Had to change front wheel bearings, power window motor, sway bar links. Should have gone for Japanese car. Dealers were worse then the car itself. Rear Power… Read more

window weren't working so went it to have it checked. Dealer said we need to replace the electric motor cost estimate ($900). The best part was that I had already checked and the motor was working fine, it was the window regulator that was broken cost estimate ($50). Bought it over ebay and fixed it myself rather get duped for $900. What a farce.

12 years of ownership – Bought my Astra AH new 12 years ago. Just done 100,000km, so relatively low mileage. Apart from replacing usuals such as tyres, brakes etc, the only unusual one was to replace the air-con unit with a recon from 'Natrad', (they have them on the shelf), and recently replaced the coil pack (after market is cheap $55) which was a very simple DIY… Read more

job. I have had a couple of sensors replaced, but considering the age, and German electrics/electronics is not unusual. The 1.8 petrol engine & manual gearbox will go on forever, just keep them serviced, replace the cam belt every 60k and you have a solid & safe workhorse.

They are a well-built car, feels safe, and the doors shut with a solid clunk. Headlight lenses are acrylic and will become opaque overtime if left in the sun. One lens is clear the other opaque.

Most parts are now 'after market' and cheap anyway so only go to Holden as a last resort.

ripoff – nothing but problems timming belt cost 2000 what do I do fix it our replace engine can anyone help I like to now what the best opion is or anyone now any machines who cheap fair or might have a payment plan if any one can help please get back  Show details

Holden Astra Sucks – After 13 fixes $41,000 later the judge says no money just 1 more fix Watever big business sux So 6 years later I'm supposed to be patient for one more time so the judge can say you've had the cat for 7 years you've used it right? No I've had Anxiety each time i opened the roof. June 6th 2018 Update: Holden Astra was so bad it hit… Read more

discontinued... not only that some parts you cannot get

If you want to spend 45K then sob for the following years... deal with holden! I regretted having ever dealt with them and the last straw was to find out some parts have been totally discontinued.... joke

The times I was left by the way side - rained on ... how infuriating.

Reliable, but bad paint work – I own a 2006 Astra CDX, bought it new. It was silver, now patchy silver. Very disappointed with the paintwork on it, because it's a great, solid, mechanically sound car, but was worth nothing because of the paint when I tried to trade it in a couple of years ago (decided to keep it). Also, a few days after the warranty ran out, the compressor… Read more

for the air conditioner blew up, costing me $500 to replace it. The dealer I bought it from said I could 'try' applying for goodwill from Holden, but 'good luck with that'.

Besides that and the paint, it's been a good, reliable car. It's got 100K on the clock and the only money I've had to spend on it was the timing belt and new brakes, not unusual or unexpected in a car of its age.

I chose this car over a VW Polo TDi, due to the solid feel of the car. You do feel safe in it.

excellent build quality and reliability – I owned my ah astra cd coupe for four years.apart from servicing and replacing front brake pads nothing else needed doing.It had 110000 on the clock when I bought it and 175000 when I sold it.It was a pleasure to drive being a 5 speed manual was fun and zippy couldn't really fault this car I've owned 8 previous cars and this was by far the best!  Show details

Dont buy one and if you have one sell it now – Bought a second hand 2005 AH Astra auto for my daughter. First the horn wasnt working - turned out to be the CIM module. At the same time the auto gears were not changing properly. Luckily these both got fixed under the dealer warranty. A year later the gearbox had issues and would not change above 2nd. Caused by the transmission fluid being… Read more

diluted by coolant as the design is such that gearbox coolant flows through the radiator and any failure causes this catastrophic result. End result the clutches etc in the gearbox were ruined and needed a complete rebuild. Say goodbye to over 4 grand. That was 2 weeks ago.

Now tonight the motor has developed a horrible misfire and has complete loss of power. I'm hoping its just the coil pack but who knows - could be a complete engine rebuild knowing my luck.

If you have one of these bucket of bolts get rid of it before it sends you broke.

Who says European cars are unreliable? – I bought my Astra CD as a used car and owned it for 2 years and 8 months. I really like that car because the way it handles, the practicality with the fold-able backseats and that is one of Holden's best known models. What made me choose this model over other makes and models? Well, it's pretty difficult to keep it simple. It's a good honest… Read more ·  2

European built model, it isn't too expensive compared with other European small cars (mine has, 4 airbags, ABS brakes, cruise control, alloy wheels). So far, my Astra has be very reliable, servicing costs are reasonable and better still, Holden manufacture spare parts for Astras and as far as fuel goes, I use 95 PULP and it costs around $57 to fill up and fuel consumption i've managed to get 7.2L/100 km (compared to 7.8L/100 km on normal unleaded).

I had no issues whatsoever and I shall keep it until it gets worn down.

2005 Holden Astra AH CD - excellent car – I bought my Astra hatch almost 3 years ago at a Brisbane dealership when it had just under 25,000kms on the clock. I needed something small-ish that was comfortable and economic. After test driving both the Mazda 3 and the Astra hatch I much preferred the Astra - it was far more comfortable to drive. It's been a fantastic car. I moved interstate… Read more

to Canberra about a week after I bought it and was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled the long drive - since then it's frequently driven back and forth to Sydney and has always gone well. Fuel consumption has always been really good. Only small issue I am dealing with now is that the power steering fluid is starting to leak and no mechanic can seem to find where it is leaking to. Doesn't affect the driving as long as the fluid is kept topped up.

Fantastic family car – I have owned my 2008 cdx wagon for 6 yrs i have had no problems with this car, it's been fantastic it has a luxury cabin with leather seats and seat warmers very good for the winter. It is a very economical car it is very roomy inside as well.  Show details

2009 Astra 1.9CDTI Manual – It's not helpful that ProductReview lumps all the models together. I think the diesel, especially the manual, is a much different car to the petrols. I bought my car second hand at 18 months old with 13000km, for two-thids of the new price (not including on-road costs, which would have pushed the new price higher). It's about to have its… Read more

120,000km service. Timing belt still not needed.

Superb to drive - really quick.

Prone to electrical glitches - it constantly warns me the coolant is low, when it isn't. Interior light does not come on when you open the door, and even though it was still under Warranty Holden were unable to fix it. It's surprisingly annoying!

Once it went into limp mode, and I was only a few km from home so was able to limp home. Diagnostics said it a a problem with the accelerator. The problem went away after a few days of attempting test drives, and has never come back.

Shock absorbers wore out on my bumpy road and I imported some Monroes and got them fitted.

I get 5.5L/100km which is just fantastic. On long runs on the Hume Highway I can average 4.0L/100km. Given this car first went on the market 11 years ago, that economy holds up well against new cars.

And did I mention it is quick? This is a hot hatch. And being a turbodiesel twin cam, I bet its overtaking is quicker than most cars.

I've had no major reliability problems. Servicing is a little expensive, but I save in fuel.

I'd love a bullbar for it, but they're only available custom made, at about $3k, so I drive something else after dark.

Stereo is good, but can't easily be replaced with an aftermarket one with Bluetooth etc., because it's integrated with the computer. Lack of interior storage space is infuriating.

Parts if you need them can be quite cheap from the UK, where far more of these were sold than here. Holden were daft to replace this quality European car with the Cruze.

Great Car!!!! – Bought the car brand new - 08 CDX wagon. Have not had a problem with it in 6 years. Very economical, very reliable. Would definitely recommend.  Show details

SRI Turbo is a great car, vey fun to drive – I bought a 2007 model manual Astra Coupe Turbo with 60000kms on it, have had it for 3 years now and it's up to 78000kms. This turbo model is a lot of fun and great to drive. It's better that you select 'Sports' mode when you drive it as that improves its handling immensely. In normal mode it can understeer a bit and especially in the wet. The… Read more

interior has a nice fit and feel to it and the car outside and in still looks great 7 years later.

So far it has been completely reliable with no major faults, there is a bit of rumour on AH Astras with the electrics packing up once they reach a certain age, so far so good.

Batteries in most cars cost about $200 to replace so I'm not sure what all the fuss is about on here, and regular servicing has been the same as any other car, you don't need $80 oil for it, there's cheaper stuff that's perfectly suitable for this engine at around $40 for 5 litres.

If the factory wipers need replacing you need to replace the whole arm, choose carefully as you can get ones from Repco that you can then just swap the blade out next time instead of the whole thing.

Real world fuel economy for me has been about 11.5L/100km, it's listed at 10.1L/100km.

Overall I love this car and I'll be sad to see it go.

Update 2017

The car now has 105000kms on it and still going very well.

I had to replace a worn gasket seal on the engine at about 90,0000kms, there was some oil around the head of the engine which was the giveaway something wasn't right, mechanic fix.

Then at about 100,000kms the Check Engine light came on and the car lost all boost pressure. Thanks to some online forums, I was able to check the Fault Code to narrow down the problem. Turned out it was a small plastic valve (Crankcase Non-Return Valve) on the outside of the engine that had worn, $70 for the part and a DIY job to fix.

Solid and good looking. Mechanically soul destroying – The Astra was such a love/hate car for our family. The love comes from the fact that all of the Astra’s are good to drive. They feel solid, hold the road well, have aged well so still look good and, most of all, have that definite European feel about them. The fact that Holden switched it out for something as dull and generic as the Cruze will,… Read more

for them at least, go down in history as a fatal mistake.

With this in mind it pains me to admit that we have never been happier than the day we walked into a dealership (not a Holden dealership) and parted company with this vehicle. From start to finish it was an absolute nightmare.

To be fair, the problems experienced were largely attributable to the fact that we bought the diesel car. It was the first diesel we owned and the performance of the manual car (the auto has a lower spec motor) was downright impressive. Whilst first impressions were heavenly, the AH diesel Astra is an absolute lemon. The engine is actually a Fiat motor. It pops up in numerous Fiat, Opel (Holden), Saab and Alfa Romeo vehicles. And. Everything they say about Italian cars being unreliable to the point of absurdity is quantified by this engine.

We bought our bright red Astra with 5000 kilometres on the clock (2008 model) and sold it with just over 85000km on the dial. We have never parted with a vehicle with such low mileage but it was pretty clear to us that holding onto it for any longer would be a fatal mistake financially. Without the factory warranty the bills this vehicle could serve up were nothing short of staggering.

The first major issue was at 20,000kms. A complete failure of the dual mass flywheel in the vehicle. The car was off the road for three weeks whilst Holden messed around trying to diagnose the fault and then tried to avoid paying for it (approximately $4000.00). Apparently the “first time” the problem had occurred but when Google actually auto-fills a car complaint when you search it then it generally means that the problem is a big one. A global one.

Then it was the alternator. It just stopped. Light went on. Car lost power. Towed to Holden. Fixed under warranty (part cost at that point was $1800.00). Just under two years later. The same thing. Another alternator. Another replacement. Six months later. Whammo. Three strikes. Yep. The car was on alternator four when we traded it. The price of the replacement part had dropped considerably by this point. It must have been an economy of scale thing! Once again, apparently not a common problem according to Holden. Google begs to differ.

Then there was the horn thing. The horn stopped working or, to be precise, it worked when you turned the radio up and when you pressed the horn the radio volume increased. OK. Once again. Apparently a common problem according to Google. Something to do with the CIM module. Cost to replace = approx. $600.00. Sigh. No warranty at this point.

The steering controls for the radio also broke. Holden price was $390.00 for the part. Purchased one from the UK for 45.00 pound. Brand new. Same genuine part. Starting to get the feeling that there was some serious price gouging going on here.

The fan on the heater/air con also bit the bullet $575.00 at Holden. $200 (delivered) via eBay UK. Same part.

And then..... the nail in the coffin. The manifold failed and had to be replaced. All of it. Total cost (drumroll, drumroll) just over $3500.00 after waiting for three weeks for all of the parts to arrive as Holden don’t keep a warehouse of parts if they aren’t a known problem. Google, once again, seems to consider the problem pretty common. Apparently the entire engine can be destroyed if it isn’t dealt with. I’d hate to be the poor fool copping that bill.

We had it back from the workshop for a week, walked into a caryard and traded it several weeks back. We lost a fortune and have ended up with a car that is nowhere as nice to drive but, you know what, it starts when you turn the key.

After a lifetime of Holden vehicles that tie has now been officially severed.

Steer well clear of the diesel Astra and, in fact, any vehicle running this diesel Fiat (1.9 DTH) engine. Whilst it might zip around quite rapidly you will soon get sick of all the time wasted waiting for public transport whilst it reclines, like Euro-trash on holidays, in a Holden workshop. You have been warned.