2001 Renault Megane RX4 1.9turbo diesel from Spain
Summary:
Unreliable car based on an inadequate design
Faults:
Trouble with Renault RX4? Me too!!
The car was registered on the 29th January 2001 and faults started to occur during January 2004, i.e. within the guarantee period. The first fault was a fuel leak, which caused contamination of the engine and meant that the cam belt had to be replaced. This work was completed on 27th January 2004 and cost 788 Euros.
The next fault was a knocking noise when turning corners. The garage said this was due to a transmission fault, which cost 975 Euros to repair.
This did not cure the knocking noise, so we took the car back for the garage to check again. This time the engineer identified a broken bracket and said that this was the cause of the problem. We were charged 63 Euros for a test drive and the fitting of the new part.
This did not cure the problem, so the car went back to the garage again. This time the engineer decided that a broken engine cradle caused the noise. This cost 1028 euros to repair.
When we asked about these problems the garage said that they thought that all these problems were linked to the one cause (the broken engine cradle). In this case the fault that lead to all this trouble must have happened during the guarantee period, as the first symptom (the fuel leak) occurred during the guarantee period. They then said that as we had exceeded 50000Kms when the faults started the car was out of guarantee!
Other repairs and servicing during this 6-month period meant that we had paid the garage approximately 4600 Euros. (Including a new clutch and a new electric window and the repair of the gear stick, which just became disconnected from the gearbox while we were driving)
We wrote to Renault, Spain and claimed compensation. They sent us 450 euros - not much out of a cost of 4600!!
We have now had 3 months trouble free motoring and another electric widow has broken!!! So it's back to the garage again!!!
As many others have said this is the last time we buy a Renault!
Dave Costa del Sol
Spain.
General Comments:
We are very disappointed with our RX4. It started off very well, excellent for driving from Spain to UK. But when the trouble started it just went on on and now we will never get a Renault again.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 3rd November, 2004
17th Apr 2005, 03:44
I have the same knocking noise $%"$%£$ and the garage has also changed a bracket and draft shaft, but it still knocks : (.
Please can you tell me was it the engine cradle that caused the noise? peterb@peterbassett.plus.com.
21st Jul 2008, 22:45
Hi,
I have a 2001 RX4 that has now done 120000 miles. After 90000 the 5th gear shaft broke and seized the gearbox. After some repairs I managed to use it for a year with only 4 gears. Then fitted a used gearbox at great cost, and now this has failed firstly with a really noisy 5th gear, and now the whole gearbox sounds like a bag of nails. I've had enough!!!
26th Feb 2005, 07:04
I have a RX4 2001 model, within 9 months of purchase the clutch had gone, this was replaced under warranty. In October 2003 the clutch went again, costing £700 and last week the engine mount went and fractured the power stirring pipe costing £400.00. The car has done 60,000 miles of mostly motorway driving, and it was only serviced by Rall enault 6 weeks ago, but apparently they don't check the bolts that hold the engine in place! I have complained and complained, as I believe that the engine mount should still be doing its job after 60,000 miles, but they have offered no explanation or help whatsoever. Never again will I buy a Renault.