Overview of the Holden Ss
The SS badge first appeared on the Commodore in 1982 as part of Holden's process to register the then VH model for touring car racing.
Buyers could choose SS variants of the Commodore sedan and ute, and later wagon.
SS (and SS-V) eventually came to represent the flagship version of the regular Commodore range before the famous badge was abandoned in late 2017 when Holden's famous large car became an import rather than locally built model.
HOLDEN COMMODORE SS GENERATIONS (SINCE 2006)
2006-2013
2013-2017
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption (VF generation models)
6.0L V8: 14.3 to 14.6 litres per 100km
6.2L V8: 12.6 to 12.9 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Holden offers lifetime capped price servicing for cars less than five years old. Annual costs for the capped program currently start from about $239, depending on model/engine. Servicing schedules every 15,000km are available for Commodore SS models older than five years. Holden Commodore SS parts and accessories can be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR CARS TO HOLDEN COMMODORE SS
Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo
Ford Falcon XR8
Chrysler 300C
Kia Stinger GT
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: HOLDEN COMMODORE SS (VF, 2013 ONWARDS)
The very last of the locally-made Holden SSs were good cars with strong mechanicals and much improved build quality.
The V8 engine was tough and seems well engineered, but the problem of faulty hydraulic lifters continues to confound some owners. Any ticking noise from the engine on start-up is a decent sign that one or more of the lifters is worn and will need replacing.
Conventional wisdom suggests all 16 should be replaced at the same time. The rockers and valve-springs have also been found to be a bit underdone in these engines.
Experience has also shown that this model Commodore can develop corrosion in the wiring harness that controlled the electrically assisted power steering. If moisture did get into the connectors, the power steering could fail.
The car would still have steering, but the effort required from the driver would be much higher. Sometimes, the assistance would return if the car was stopped and restarted.
