2001 Volkswagen Bora review from Australia and New Zealand

Wheel bearing - Made humming noise at 80km/h; got it serviced. 70,000k.

Wheel bearing - Second bearing failed a week after the service of the first one. 70,000k

Front fender - Low front end of car is constantly putting the fender in harms way.

Central locking - Remote doors would not lock in cold weather.

Key - Plastic insert to loop around key ring eventually snapped off on both sets of keys (not due to heavy handling).

Catalytic converter - Needed to replace. This part costs $3,000+, 85,000k.

Glovebox - handle internal spring snapped. 85,000k.

Interior paneling creaking - No big issue, ordered as an extra, creaks like I am driving a weatherboard house.

Brake dust on the wheels - Need to constantly clean the wheels. This model was notorious for accumulating large amounts of it.

Knocking sound when turning. Mechanic friend thinks that a large bolt nut had been sealed in the bodywork.

It is a practical car for general use. It can get a little cramped with 4 adults, but is otherwise a suitable car for what is often one or two occupants. It does good economy for long trips, and the 2.0 L engine has reasonable power off a standstill.

From the mechanical side. Spare parts usually have to be imported and expensive. My advice is to really check if your local Volkswagen dealer is genuinely good at servicing your car. My VW service center would replace parts on a whim; when I let a mechanic friend look at it, it was found that a lot of these repairs were not relevant at all.