2000 Renault Grand Espace RXE from UK and Ireland - Comments

Where to Start!!

Wheel bearing - near side.

Airbag computer.

Wheel bearing near side.

Air Bag control unit - fault not located by the Renault dealer - still a problem.

Cat - at about year 5 - this may be normal - but it was expensive.

Hydraulic Clutch.

Accelerator cable - again to be expected?

Fairly rapid tyre wear.

And now the big one - Cam belt - Prior to the official mileage change - but 4 months after the age change date!!! so a complete head rebuild.

And now the electronic dash has a mind of its own - most of the warning lights seem to randomly come on - everything from Oil to Airbag warning with the battery thrown in for good measure.

Excellent ride and interior space.

Lots of luggage space even 7 up.

Great looking well designed internally.

Functional dash - again a lot of thought.

Handling a bit ship like - but it has a massive wheelbase and it's not a sports car - what I would expect.

Reliability - appalling - talk about a Friday afternoon car - the Renault factory must only work Fridays...

I have an Espace and must agree it is the most unreliable car I have ever experienced. Would not touch Renault again if my life depended on it.

I own a 99 Grand Espace RXE 2.2 diesel. I've not had anything major go wrong, small parts to be expected, as for these people who moan about wheel bearings and batteries, grow up they're consumable items. And as for tyres and brakes, take a look at your own driving style I'd suggest.

Great car, some small faults so far, but nothing major in 100,000 miles.

I have owned a 2000 (w reg) RXE Espace for the past 3 years and have had the same problems, in fact, it is in the repairers now having the hydraulic clutch mech looked at!

The airbag warning is usually caused by faulty wiring under one of the front seats, adjusting the seat rake always clears my warning light... until someone moves the seat again..LOL! I have had the offending seat out and looked at the connection, but cannot pinpoint the problem so have learned to live with it.

Whenever I adjust the radio... the digital dash goes haywire for a few seconds...again, I have learned to live with that also. Had to take the tailgate lock mech apart as well, that became jammed up with rust and crap.

I do in excess of 25k a year so expect tyres, cat, exhaust etc. All in all I can say that I have been pleased with this espace, I've owned both previous models and have generally found that although they do suffer from "niggling" probs, this one has been the "most" reliable and have not been let down out in the middle of nowhere!

I had the cambelt changed at a non franchised garage and got change out of £300 as I know that franchised Renault are somewhat expensive for servicing etc.

I own a Grand Space 2.2 diesel 2001. Superb car and very reliable. Apart from normal servicing never had any problems with it. Great mileage per gallon and a joy to drive. On holidays I pull a 5 berth caravan without any effort.

Will buy another at any time.

I own a W reg Renault Espace. For the past 6 weeks the electronic dash has gone mad. Somedays it may work fine but mostly it does not light up until 5 miles down the road, othertimes it does not light up until end of Journey.

Have just taken it to a local auto electrician who has quoted between £350 to take the dash out to sort the problem (with the car of the road for a week) or £650 for a Renault replacement dash. These costs on a W reg car are insane. Anyone with similar problems and known cure?

I own a Renault Grand Espace on a W reg and am having problems with the dash going daft. I was led to believe that it was a heater sensor on the PCB board on the instrument panel, but I have replaced the instrument panel and still have the same problem, so beware spending money after false claims. It is probably worth having a diagnostics check done which is my next layout. Will report any new information.

Dash board problems,.. Try one of the specialised Renault Breaker yards, they supply these quite cheap, and with a 90 day Warranty.

I own a 5 year old Espace. Already replaced the turbo and cat at a very big cost. A few other minor repairs.

Now the big end bearing has gone, and it's needing a new engine. Renault dealership said most probable cause would be when it was built. Told to call Renault customer services. What an insult; offered £600 towards cost of either any car or the £5500 repair bill.

Wouldn't touch Renault with a barge pole. Even the dealership agree with us, what does that say?