1987 Renault 11 Turbo review from Poland
"Extremely unreliable, but lots of fun"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
It'll be much faster to list things that haven't failed, but let's try:
Starting engine failed at 150,000.
Battery charging failed at 170,000 and at 190,000.
Gearbox problems - not too annoying at the beginning (140,000), but now grinding sounds at every gear.
Rear axle bushings vanished and gone at 162,000 kms.
Oil leaks from head gasket at < 100,000 kms.
All wheel beargins noisy after 150,000 kms.
Front hemiaxles failures are routine.
McPherson collumn spring's lower handle blew up at 192000 kms, tearing off the tyre.. very very spectacular effects, especially at the highway.. you hear a huge "double BANG!" and pray for your life..
Enough? :)
General comments?
This car is really a nice performer, leaves behind almost every car from it's class, consuming fair amounts of fuel (unless you don't floor it too much)... handles like heck.. Fortunately the spares are cheap, and once you can fix things on your own, and become independent from shitty Renault service, running this car becomes really affordable.
After 12 - 15 years of service - it may become dangerous - the engine performance is still the same, but the key systems become highly unreliable.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1992 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.4 petrol turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 47000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 193000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 28th May, 2002 |