VE sportwagon dashboard problem
I know it's hard to accurately convey what the eye sees via a digital photo but this one is fairly accurate. Notice how dim the digital speedo looks. Well that's as bright as it gets and Holden doesn't seem to want to do anything about it.
The dashboard on our new (picked it up 19th December 2008) VE Sportwagon is stuck on the dimmest possible setting and doesn't change. Well the + and - buttons will change the illumination level behind the analogue gauges but does bugger all to change the centre MFD (Multi Function Display). At this illumination level, it's next to bloody useless during the day. Try driving along on a bright sunny day, something we've had plenty of lately, glance down at the dash and try to read it, good luck.
We've owned every version of the Commodore since the VT and just recently returned a leased VE Omega Sedan to swap for a VE Sportwagon. Two dogs and baby number one on the way demands a change. Now the VE sedan dashboard as far as I recall looked identical but I can tell you the MFD was a lot brighter in that car.
I have spoken to Holden twice about this issue. The second time was at the 3,000 km service. The response is "This condition is not a defect in the IPC (Instrument Panel Cluster) and IPC's should not be replaced for this concern as new IPC's will perform in exactly the same manner".
This is quoted from the hardcopy printout handed to me when I picked up the car. See below for the complete response.
So they've changed supplier, the IPC is shit and doesn't work properly but they're not going to do anything about it. It's a shame because the car seems to serve us well but this annoying fault is a constant reminder of Holdens crappy service that will stick in our minds until it's time to change cars. For us that's about every 3-4 years.
Keen to hear if others are having the same problem. Please leave a comment.
Holden - Go Better.... please go better.
January 25th, 2009 - 06:01
Just a quick note to your holden rant, the cargo mat ordered for your new sports wagon on the 15th of december has still not been supplied as holden have no stock and hundreds on backorder. A
Another demonstration of holden using un- reliable suppliers.
Have you tried consumer affairs re. A safety recal ? Does it affect the safety of your driving ?
February 6th, 2009 - 16:34
Hi
we have 4 Sportswagons in our fleet & have excatly the same problem & have received the same unsatisfactory response from Holden……”not a manufacturing fault”. After lenghty discussions with Holden Customer Care staff with their response being the above & that there ‘Technical’ people say there is no solution at the moment I felt my only option was to use Google to try & find other disgruntled owners. I also have spoken to 2 local dealers who confirm the problem & say that they have reported it to Holden as well so it is not an isolated problem. I do see it as a safety issue as the display is virtually unreadable on any bright day so if you want to read it you have to take your eyes of the road for a considerably longer period than is really safe to do so. The whole deal makes a mockery of the official Holden blurb that the Sportswagon is “This is another great example of a world class product designed, engineered and built in Australia that all Australians can be proud of.” I certainly wouldn’t be proud of of a integral display device that can only be described as nonfunctional in day light hours! It seems from the conversations I had that Holden will only respond to this if there is a big enough groundswell of discontent from disgruntled customers. I intend to follow this up with Consumer Affairs as well anywhere else that may create this………..