considering VF wagon

[bandwagon]

Any tip for buying used VF wagon?

considering buying one with under 160,000km from dealer to get 3 month warranty then get thing like transmission service to make sure all good.

I suppose getting one without tow bar, good service records and not too coastal may be good ideas?

cheers

 

[Forg]

Tow bar I’m not sure is a problem, we got one in case we needed to use it, and we’ve used it 4x in total.
Service records probably a great idea though!
And if you’re not au fait with checking for stuff like accident damage, oil-condition etc, it’s probably worth getting an impartial mechanical check if possible.

 

[bandwagon]

Forg, I mention no tow bar just to try to avoid the odd vehicle that may have done too much towing which may cause a bit of wear and tear
although most example seem to have tow bar and probably not been used too much,

 

[Forg]

Forg, I mention no tow bar just to try to avoid the odd vehicle that may have done too much towing which may cause a bit of wear and tear
although most example seem to have tow bar and probably not been used too much,

I fully undestand the intention, and certainly agree that cars that've been pulling heavy stuff around are probably to be avoided ... however, I'd go so far as to say that most VF wagons would've been delivered with a tow-bar, just-in-case. I wonder if there might be a better way to detect that wear-and-tear, rather than ignoring the majority of cars for sale?

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

Irrespective of what the tow bar has been hitching, I would not by a wagon with 160,000km on it unless I had a very good idea of how it had been used by way of driving, never mind what it was towing. Daily grinding city traffic, absolutely no-go. Daily long-distance driving, yes. Most people get rid of their cars between 160,000 and 250,000km, mostly for increasing repair costs and plain wear and tear, and some wagons I looked at before landing my SV6 were OK inside (2 with cigarette ash holes in the carpet), but had missing services. Look for one that has about 40-50,000km of sensible driving with full service history. City driving, even if it looks cool, is not sensible for these cars, and craps the engine with carbon, something the SIDI engines are known for, but you can easily deal with it by driving long and fast frequently and using premium unleaded (steer well away from E10/E85).

The auto transmission service is at 100,000km intervals, and should have been done to log-book servicing schedule by the previous owner if at/over 160,000km. All services must be logged, including the transmission, coolant, oil changes and A/C refresh, plus filters.

The tow bar is an option on the VF SV6 (e.g. Sportwagon) wagons, with plug-and-play wiring tunnelled beneath and behind the diffuser to the left hand side panel where the fuse box and battery/wiring harness is. Tow bar installation is about $1,000 on the SV6 (not DIY!). Once in place, clearance is "programmed" into the MyLink interface so that the radar pods at the rear allow extra margin when manouvering (especially for park assist, where the wagon can reverse-parallel park itself and needs the clearance without a tow bar). When the tow bar is not in use, remove it.

 

[bandwagon]

thanks for that Big Red,
Good advice re. towbar
Re -Kms - hard to know from 2nd hand car whether highway or city kms?
and 100,000km vehicle may have do more highway km than traffic km?

with sludge in sidi engines - is this the same for LPG / 3.0 / 3.6 ?

cheers

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

The dealer should be able to give you insight into the car's driving history, but anything above 100,000km has seen a lot of use e.g. ex-Services (police). Both highway and city driving in a sensible blend of both is ok, just ensure servicing has been done by the book and no repairs or faultd have been deferred/put off.

I don't know about sludge in the super-smooth SIDI engines running LPG, just the carbon problem around the valves in the petrol engines, exacerbated on short trips and with ethanol, which can hobble operating efficiency if it just left to fester.

I still think a low-kilometre VF is a better investment than one with high kilometres and an unknown or worse, doubtful history. You may pay more, but it will be money well spent. You will have to shop around and research carefully. The Series I VF (2013-) had problems and recalls, while the VF Series II (2017) was a fresh, updated "wipe of the slate" , and widely regarded as Holden's best and lasting legacy, in whatever body form.

 

[bandwagon]

thanks again bigred, do you anticipate parts for these vehicle will still be available into the future given GM closing holden?

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

thanks again bigred, do you anticipate parts for these vehicle will still be available into the future given GM closing holden?

Ask Holden!!
They initially said 10 years. Then they said 5... Parts are made by Bosch and other big names that supply repairers beside Holden. I'm sure a compatible part can be put in without any hissy fits. Major electronic units might be more problematic. My previous VZ wagon before this VF had no new parts from 2015, and whatever went into it after that didn't cause me grief (parts came from Repco, Burson, Supercheap, AutoBarn and others, and a windscreen washer bottle came from the wreckers!)

 

[VS 5.0]

They initially said 10 years. Then they said 5...

They said 10 yrs support but didn't say support for what, i.e. any particular models.

The 5 years relates to the term of dealer parts agreements only. Not unusual and, in my experience with trucks and earth moving equipment, is quite generous.