2004 Renault Megane Dynamique 1.5 dci from UK and Ireland - Comments

"I had a 1.5dci Megane Scenic 2004. It was great for the first six months, then it wouldn't start. I had to bump start it, then it would go OK again for about three weeks, then the check injection would come on the dash the odd time.

I had it into the dealers, they couldn't sort it. They said the injection was fine, but I had the problem for six months, so I got shot of it, which was a shame because I could get between 55 to 60 mpg. Has anyone else had the same problem?"

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I don't have a Renault or anything, but it sounds like a wiring fault to me, perhaps a wire which has rubbed somewhere and is causing trouble.

Change the heater plugs.

Had my Megane 1.5 dCi 2003 for 12 months, 10,000 miles, no problems, 65 m.p.g, average driving, replaced windscreen washer motor, bought part from Citroen dealer, £15.

Had cam belt changed at 68,000 miles, only 1 dead battery, put new 1 on, found car to be reliable and very economical, drives well with great performance.

Had my Megane 1.5 dci for 3 years from new. Big end bearings gone and Renault won't offer any assistance in repair. I will never buy Renault again or recommend them to anyone; the car was fine, but customer service was very poor.

Have a 2004 1.5Dci Megane, and it has been unreliable from the start, and now the failures are getting expensive. Frustratingly, a quick Google shows many of these issues are known problems with the Dci engines and are affecting other owners. Issues have included:

1. Multiple leaks in air conditioning system

2. Air conditioning system freezes after prolonged use.

3. Door window regulators have failed and fallen down 3 times *

4. Engine mount failed & needs replacing (not yet replaced because garage advised this is a known issue and it may well fail again) *

5. Injector failed & needed replacing *

6. Starter motor failed

7. Battery caused low voltage issue and needed replacing. The issue here was not just that the battery failed prematurely, but that it was not clear that the battery was faulty and it took significant investigation at a main dealer to determine this.

8. EGR valve became stuck & needed replacing *

9. Turbo failure *

Those issues marked '*' are ones that I feel are known design/quality issues based on feedback from dealers and Internet searches. The turbo is the most recent failure and packed up after 69,000 miles. Renault won't help, and I have had to pick up the costs. My advice is not to buy a Renault and definitely not one with the Dci engines - they are underdeveloped and the 18,000 service interval appears to be too long. The costs savings you make on initial purchase are outweighed by the expensive and frequent repair bills, and the time spent at the dealers!