2009 Holden Captiva Pricing and Specs

Because the central locking system in your Captiva has been designed specifically for that car, it’s unlikely there would be a workable aftermarket solution. Which means you either need to hope that Holden still sells these parts or that you can find a system pulled from a wrecked Captiva.

We have seen 'universal' central locking kits advertised, but they all require a fair bit of fiddling and modifying to get them to fit and work properly. In any case, it’s possible that only one part of the system in your car is giving trouble, as opposed to the whole locking system. In turn, that means that you might be able to get away with just replacing that faulty part. The remote-control key-fob unit, for instance, can be replaced relatively cheaply.

Bear in mind the Holden Captiva has a terrible track record in terms of its electrical fittings and fixtures, including the body computer which controls many functions including the central locking. If the body computer is the problem, you might find that the cost of repairs will outweigh the car’s actual market value.

The short answer to your question Rhonda is that the 2009 Captiva was far from a good car. It has experienced lots of reliability and durability problems and, although some will disagree, there are much better choices out there.

The Captiva has been recalled for all manner of problems including (but not limited to) steering issues, braking dramas and electrical gremlins. About the best thing about the 2009 four-cylinder petrol Captiva was that the engine didn’t have the timing chain problems of the V6 model, and the transmission wasn’t as problematic as the later Captiva. But that’s surely damning with faint praise.

The Captiva wasn’t actually a Holden at all; it was built in South Korea by Daewoo, a brand considered to be way behind the quality and engineering of its South Korean counterparts Kia and Hyundai. And it showed.

My friend, if I could find somebody to give me $5000 for a 2009 Captiva with a dodgy turbocharger, I’d be taking that deal in a heartbeat. The reality is that your car is worth about $5000 in decent working order, and nowhere near the $8000 you’ve calculated. That’s because you never really get back the money you spend in repairs; even if you spend $3000 on fixing a $5000 car, it will still only be worth about $5000. That’s the cruel reality of the used-car industry.

A cheaper, second-hand turbocharger is one way to go, but then you open yourself up to the risk of having bought, and paid to have installed, a turbo that is almost as worn out as the one that has failed on you. There’s no nice way to put this, but I’d be getting rid of that Captiva for the best price I could and not looking back.