Holden Cruze 2013 Problems

This is a slightly tricky one because while both the SRi and SRi-V were fitted with the same engine, this point in time marked a change in specification. Around March of 2013, Holden switched the SRi and SRi-V engines form the 1.4-litre unit to the 1.6-litre unit. The automatic transmission was updated with a sport-shift mode and predictive down shifting, although physically the automatic and manual transmissions were carried over to the 1.6-litre version.

On the surface, this sounds like a viable swap, but you could run into wiring and computer problems in trying to make what was a 1.4-litre car `talk’ to the 1.6-litre engine. The 1.6-litre engine also used direct fuel injection, so you’d need the entire engine management system and computer to go with the swap. There may also be physical differences in things like airbox design and exhaust locations, too, so you need to drag out the tape measure and make an assessment based on measurements and facts. However, if your 2013 car was one from later in that year, it will already have the 1.6-litre engine and the swap to an engine from a 2014 car should be pretty straightforward.

If the car in question has the 1.8-litre engine, then this is definitely a known problem. Plenty of these engines suffered cracked cylinder heads which could allow the engine's oil and coolant to mix, producing the symptoms you saw. Holden actually issued a service program to replace the cylinder heads and other components to address the problem.

The other major cause of these symptoms is a failure of the transmission's cooling system. This actually piggy-backs on to the engine's cooling system (they use the same radiator) but if the transmission cooler fails, it can allow transmission fluid into the radiator and coolant into the transmission. Eventually, this will destroy the transmission both mechanically and electronically.

It sounds as though you either have a problem with the car's electrics or the electronics within the ignition remote. If the car's battery is dead flat, you'll get the symptoms you're reporting, but if the remote has a flat battery (or is faulty in some other way) then you an find yourself in the same boat.

But it could also be an electrical problem other than a flat battery. From memory, some of these Holdens had suspect battery terminals which lacked the grip they should have had and could lead to a loose connection which could produce these symptoms. This would be a good place to start.

But there's another trick you can try. On some Cruze models, there's a process that can over-ride the remote locking and ignition protocols. If the battery in the remote is weak or the remote itself is damaged, this is definitely worth a try. From the driver's seat, locate the small, round plastic bung in the cup-holder in the centre-console. Place the remote key over this hole with the Holden logo facing up. Then try the starter button. With luck, the engine will start and you're away to have the remote fob fixed or replaced. You may find you need to hold the stop/start button for two seconds to get the engine to stop.

Meantime, I have no idea why the actual physical key will not lock the doors from outside. That sounds more like a job for a locksmith.

If the engine is revving but the car is not moving, you probably have a transmission or gearbox fault. If the problem was a broken driveshaft or CV joint, the car would just roll to a stop and not move again. But since it gradually lost drive before finally refusing to move, it’s more likely to be the gearbox that is the cause of this.

Sometimes, this sort of problem can be as simple as a leak from the transmission which has led to a low fluid level. And since it’s the fluid in an automatic transmission that actually provides the drive (by transferring the torque) this can bring on the symptoms you’re seeing.

At the other end of the catastrophe scale, you could be looking at a gearbox that has failed internally and comprehensively. And I’m afraid to say that this model Cruze did have a reputation for just that occurring. Sometimes the problem could be traced back to a torque-converter, valve body or sensor error, but other times complete transmission failure was the diagnosis.

Holden actually acknowledged this problem by extending the transmission warranty to 150,000km or five years after the date the car first went into service. Unfortunately, that ended in 2018 for your car. It would still be worth contacting Holden’s customer service department, however, but don’t be surprised if financial help is not forthcoming.

Although it was a reasonably popular car when it was brand-new, it’s fair to say Holden’s Cruze hasn’t aged terribly gracefully. In fact, there has been an ever-growing list of potential problems including (but not limited to) cracked cylinder heads, broken driveshafts, various oil and coolant leaks, not to mention the Takata air-bag recall fiasco. And, as you have discovered, the automatic transmission was a problem-child, too.

Holden actually extended the warranty of the six-speed automatic to five years or 150,000km, but your vehicle is well outside those parameters. Which means, as you’ve pointed out, you decision now comes down to repair or replace the car.

This model Cruze varies enormously in price, and your car could be worth anything from $5000 (at which point you’d be over-capitalising with a new gearbox) to $15,000 which would mean it’s worth fixing. Based purely on the kilometres your car has travelled, I’d say its second-hand value is somewhere right about the middle of those two numbers, which muddies the waters ever further.

Perhaps you should have the rest of the car checked out by a specialist who might be able to give you a more concrete idea of where you stand. Obviously, throwing several thousand dollars at a car that’s about to break somewhere else makes no sense. Remember, too, that selling the car with a broken gearbox means it’ll be worth almost nothing.

Yes, it could be something to do with the way the transmission is behaving. But it could also very easily be any one of a hundred other things. A faulty transmission can cause a car to surge while stopped, but so can a fault with the fuel, ignition and any number other systems found on a modern car.

But work backwards for a moment. Did this new problem occur immediately after the plugs and coil-packs were changed? Or was there a full week of normal driving before the new problem set in? I’d be checking the connections on those new plugs and coils and making sure that nothing has been left loose. A poor earth connection can be the source of many problems that seem like something else initially. From there, I think an electronic scan is probably the best advice as this will help pin-point what’s going wrong. The car’s own computer should have a very good idea of what’s amiss and can alert you to it quickly.

The big difference between the two Cruzes you’ve nominated is that the earlier car was built in South Korea while, from 2011 on, production moved to Holden’s Australian production facility in Adelaide where it was built alongside the Commodore. There’s a school of thought that suggests the locally-made versions would be of better build quality than the Daewoo-made version, but in reality, there’s not much in it.

That said, we’d go for the later, Australian-made car, as these had a much better range of engines from which to choose. Specifically, the locally-made Cruze could be had with a 1.4 or 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine either of which was smooth and pretty zingy. Or, you could opt for the two-litre turbo-diesel or the non-turbo 1.8-litre petrol as seen in the early, imported Cruze.

The diesel is very frugal and offers a relaxed driving experience, but the two turbo-petrol engines are the pick of the crop for smoothness and performance. The one to avoid? The non-turbo 1.8. It was breathless, noisy and generally unpleasant.

If you’re happy to drive a manual you should be fine, but if you’d rather be driving an automatic look at something else. Perhaps a Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3.

If you missed the recommended service interval by 15,000 km – that’s like missing a whole service – then I don’t think you have any grounds on which to make a claim. The only thing you can do is to repair the engine.