Holden Commodore VT to VZ buying guide

1997 to 2007. A VT to VZ Commodore suits a buyer who wants a cheap, roomy rear drive car and checks for rust and the V6 head gaskets.

Big jobs

3.8 Ecotec V6 head gaskets. Corroded head gaskets on the 3.8 Ecotec V6 can let oil and coolant mix.
V8 lifters and cold start tick. The LS1 is a bigger reliability gamble than the earlier 5.0, with a slappy idle and lifter tick on high km engines. A cold start tick on the iron block V8 should clear within seconds.
Rust in chassis rails and strut towers. Rust can form where the front chassis rails curve under the floor and in the front strut tower reinforcing boxes, and abused cars can crack at the strut towers.

Crank angle sensor, ignition module and fuel pump. A faulty crank angle sensor or ignition module can cause stalling or no start, and in tank fuel pumps often fail around 150,000 km.
Rear suspension and front links. The independent rear suspension wears the inner edges of the rear tyres, damaged front sway bar links clunk, and worn tie bar bushes cause wander. Lowering makes it worse.
Interior plastics, trim and air flow. The instrument surround and centre stack plastics go brittle, glued seat fabric separates, and the vacuum air flow actuators under the dash can fail.

V6 plastic heater tap. The plastic heater tap on the V6 can leak coolant into the engine bay, and replacing it is recommended if not done.
VZ side airbag recall and power steering. A March 2006 recall covered seat mounted side airbags that could fire without cause, and the VZ power steering can go heavy after quick turns.

Researched 2026-11-04. General guidance from owner and specialist sources. Check the specific car with an independent inspection.