2001 Renault Megane Dynamique review from UK and Ireland

I have had 2 failed shock absorbers, one front and one rear. The rear shocker failed at 44,000 miles and the front at 60,000. Both were replaced under warranty.

Engine coil failed at 66,000 and was also replaced under warranty. This caused the engine to shake very violently and caused one of the engine mounts to fail, this has still not been repaired.

The boot has been the source of several rattles. It creaks and groans when going round corners at low speed and on rough roads it rattles and vibrates. On one occasion it opened while I was driving at 50MPH.

Within a week of owning it the roof started leaking at the radio aerial. This was easily fixed by the dealer under warranty, but the headliner still has water marks and the inside roof light tends to fail more often than you would think.

The bulbs in the headlamps need replacing every 4 months or so as they fail frequently. I have also had the change the fog lamp units twice are they are broken easily by stone chips.

Over the past 2,000 miles there has been a hum and rumble coming from the front wheels. This has been diagnosed as a worn wheel bearing (which is to be expected at 69,000 miles) and worn drive shaft (which is not to be expected at 69,000 miles. Have not had this repaired yet.

This is my second Renault Megane and I experienced just as many problems with the first one as I have with this one, although these faults were different in nature.

Even though I have had several problems with this car I still enjoy driving it. It is fast and at high speed the suspension copes very well will rough roads. At low speed the suspension does thump over pot holes too much.

The gear box is not to everyones liking, but you do get used to it although the change is rubbery and loose.

The brakes are the most powerful I have felt. They stop the car in no time and the ABS kicks in just at the right time.

The sport seats are much better padded in this Megane than my old one, this makes the car more comfortable over long trips.

I usually return 41 MPG which is very good considering I am a very enthusiastic driver. The service intervals are 18,000 miles and servicing costs are reasonable.

I love the interior and apart from the occasional rattle it is a very nice place to spend time, especially with the excellent sound system. The driving position is still flawed, the steering wheel is set too low even in the highest position it rubs on your legs.

I do enjoy driving this car, just as I did with my last Megane, but there are far too many problems for me to consider buying another. The only saving grace of the ownership experience is the fact I got a 3 year warranty with the car and it has covered a lot of the repair costs. If Renault would improve quality control and testing on their cars before they start selling them they would have a lot more happy customers. This will be the last Renault I buy for a while.