Faults:

Gear lever spring at 98000

Starter motor feed also at 98000.

General Comments:

My 19Rt is totally rust free (and that includes its underside). Since buying it I found out that the 19 is the 1st car Renault made where anti-rust measures were taken seriously - it shows.

Talking to an independent Renault specialist close to my home, I have been told that the only place they ever rust is around the rear arches. I stop this with regular cleaning and a coat of oil on the inner side of the arch lip.

He also told me that cam belt failure is an achiles heal (mine has the 1.8 8 valve engine). Do make sure that this is replaced every 50-70 thousand miles.

If your ignition control module ever fails, don't buy one from a dealer, these are terribly expensive. The Lucas DAB 413 and matching DLB 301 coil are very much cheaper.

My gear change quality was improved by changing the gearbox oil. Make sure that you use the correct Tranself oil as specified - it is materially different to other brands. Again, Elf oils are imported by Bayford Thrust (they have a web site)and the oil is more cheaply obtained from them than from your local dealer. Use a funnel with a long flexible outlet to get the oil in (try Wilkinsons if you have one nearby !). Remember to renew the drain plug crush washer, otherwise your box will leak.

Wanting cheaper parts for your car - try gsfcarparts.

I have no professional relationship with any organisations mentioned in this briefing.

What about the car ? Not the most inspiring car you will ever drive, but it is very practical; mine is reliable and seemingly durable. They are also incredibly cheap to buy. A good mix for most people then !

Faults:

Steering rack leaked had to be replaced twice.

Had to have a new clutch put in.

Sunroof wouldn't shut, it was fixed, but broke again.

Original alarm didn't work.

Central locking didn't lock the boot.

Brakes would fail, couldn't discover why as it wasn't the ABS.

Windows came out of line twice.

Front seats tore down the sides which is quite common for this model.

On several occasions the lights stayed on after the car was turned off. I had to disconnected the battery to switch them off.

It used a lot of oil.

Very expensive to repair not just parts, but labor too.

Gearbox went, I ended our relationship at that

General Comments:

Although there are quite a lot of bad points to the car, love is blind! I loved it too much and put a lot of money into keeping the car on the road. Only to very sadly scrap it in the end, my pocket became empty and I needed a car to get me from A to B.

It handled really well even in the wet, it just hugged the ground on bends.

The car was fast, great to drive on the motorway, it always had some thing to give when you put your foot down.

Fun car to drive and looks great, a real head turner and lovely looking model, stood out from the rest of the Renault 19's.

My Renault always started and the engine was good, but I can't help but notice I now know all the guys at my local garage!