1995 Opel Astra GL review from Malaysia

The timing tensioner bottomed out.

Then the car wouldn't start in the morning and cost me a month's wages to get it repaired.

The air-conditioning couldn't take our tropical climate and was replaced with a tropicalised unit.

The change from 1st gear to 2nd is jerky to say the least. I think the clutch is gone.

There is a funny sound from the engine bay, but neither me nor my mechanic can find out what it is.

The spare parts prices are absolutely horrible because we have to import them from Europe.

The previous owner got the fuel tank dented. This has left me with less than half a tankful of petrol space every time I fill up. And then there is the spare parts again... I tried going to the junkyard, but came back with 4 different types of petrol tank for this Astra model, and none fit!!

Alternator gave way and was changed with a reconditioned unit.

Oil pump gave way after about 6 months from new... the previous owner told me this after I managed to track him down.

The list goes on...

Actually, the reason I got this car was due to its sturdy feel and relatively low cost. I wish now that I'd been more careful about the choice.

One of the catalysts to my decision to buy this car was after reviewing some of the glorious praises heaped upon this poor man's BMW. What I forgot was that BMW'S are an expensive lot to maintain on the road.

But the good points of this car really puts our local and Japenese cars to shame in terms of sturdiness and comfort.

I'm quite irritated with this misconception about German reliability too.

Anyway, if anyone can help me to get the car on the right track, please e-mail me at kenilim@hotmail.com