1998 Renault Megane Sport Coupe from UK and Ireland - Comments

Late delivery. Complaints to Renault fall on deaf ears.

Free insurance offer revoked AFTER car purchase (due to insurance company error). Of course, free insurance was part of my budgeting when buying this car. Complaints to Renault fall on deaf ears.

Wheel bearings needed replacing within 10k miles. Complaints to Renault fall on deaf ears.

Driveshaft needed replacing after 20k miles. Complaints to Renault fall on deaf ears.

12/2000: Fuse connectors MELTED leading to failure of the rear window demister. This happened "coincidentally" after a routine service (& not to mention 10 cm from my right knee). To fix the fusebox was costly (450GBP).

When fixing the fusebox, the Renault service agent disconnected my alarm ECU. This reset the alarm & was unfixable. A replacement ECU was needed but at my expense "because it was not their fault". Total cost now 580GBP. Service agent resistant to my suggestions that they look at a reduction on this charge, even though car only just over 2 years old & has been serviced with them every 10k miles as per advice. Finally get a (small) cost allowance from Renault.

Suckered when purchasing this car.

Suckered since.

Things that break at such an early stage and they don't fix it????????

You should have taken some steps further down the line because normally they change without discussion.

From the original poster:

Wheel bearings were replaced under warranty.

Drive shaft - partially covered by warranty.

Renault don't seem to think these faults unreasonable in a 2-&-a-bit year old car. They're standing firm on me paying for the replacement fusebox etc.

Kick up a massive fuss, preferably when there are people looking at new cars in the showroom. Ask for Renault customer services address and telephone number in the garage and tell them why (to complain about poor service from this garage), phone/write to them (repeatedly if necessary), then when all else fails, get a legal friend to draft a letter threatening legal action, also write to watchdog, top gear etc. I've had a free years warranty and stuff fixed for free from manufacturers because of persistence and questioning why something goes after so few miles/months. Next time you buy, when they get to bartering, drop the free insurance if you can (always difficult to get them to acknowledge the years no claims, Vauxhall even refused to give the no claims unless a 2nd year of paid insurance was taken with them - however it was the cheapest quote I had), and get them to throw in extra warranty instead. ALWAYS question charges etc. Most dealer mechanics know how to connect a diagnosis machine to a car and press a button to find out what's wrong, a lot of them are pretty poor at much else.

In short be a pain. If the garage gets difficult, simply take your business elsewhere and write to the overall boss explaining why you never intend to go back there.

Adrian.

"Free insurance was revoked" - unlikely. If you've negotiated that at the point of purchase, it becomes a legally binding part of the contract between you and the garage, and you are due it regardless of whether the garage mucked up. Provided you had it written into the purchase contract, the garage doesn't have a leg to stand on. If it wasn't written into the then you've been a silly boy and won't make that mistake again!

I purchased a Renault Megane 1.4 rt on february 13th 2002, with 46,000 miles on the clock, via direct auto finance, this was a hurendous mistake as I paid £4600 + intrest which comes to £8200. after driving 25 miles from the showroom the fuse unit blew and had to be replaced, while this was being done, they managed to anniliate the car imobliser, within 5 months and 3ooo miles the complete power steering rack and power steering pump had to be completely replaced and I want to know if anyone else has had this sort of problem with there motor and has been taken for a ride.

I have a Renault Espace Champs Elysee 2.1TD 95 which I use for taking American/Canadian customers on tours of Britian/Europe.

My first major problem with Renault was that I had a timimng belt changed at 50,000 miles (not 60k as recommended by Renault) - it was a genuine Renault Part. It snapped at 30K causing £1000 of damage to the engine. When I approached RenaultUK their manner is confrontational. I was asked,"Was it a genuine Renault part?" - "Yes". "Was it fitted by a Renault Dealer?" - "No". "Then how do we know it was fitted properly?" - because it ran properly for 30,000 miles before it broke?" How do we know it wasnt contaminated with oil?" - "Because it isn't and if you would inspect the car you would find it wasnt". Renault refused to help or take responsibility even after I found out the fax number of the FRench HQ and complained to them!

Now for the good one.

After the timimg belt incident, I had a few more problems with the engine, until it gave up the ghost on me on the A303 in spectacular fashion. The RAC took it home and I decided to purchase a genuine Renault engine replacement. I contacted British Renault dealers to be told that the cost including VAT would be £2800 for the engine alone! I faxed a Renault Garage in Belgium and asked their price for supplying an engine - Genuine Renault of course! The answer-£2200 (Yes £600 cheaper!). My mechanic who I have had for 25 years took the engine out, put it the back of my Fiat Uno and I drove it, via the ferry of course, to Belgium where I dropped the old engine off. 4 days later saw me going back to get the new engine, which was returned to London and fitted by my mechanic - great!

Top quality oil and filters were used and as soon as 1K had been completed in for an oil & filter change- andagain after another 5,000 miles.

On the 30th July 2002 after only 4 and a half months and 10,800 miles I was driving along the M5 when the engine started misfiring, smoke belched from the exhaust like a frigate putting up a smoke screen. Stopping I found I could not stop the engine by switching off the ignition as it was drawing hot oil from the sump and via the turbo into the top of the engine. Had to put car in gear and drop the clutch to stop it. Another lift home via the RAC.

Contacted Renault UK and got the exact same questions again!I was then told that the only part covered was the part or parts that had failed and that I would have to pay for all labour and additional costs - yes - after only 4 and a half months.

I now have a Renault Espace outside my house, which I cannot use for work, I cannot sell or part exchange. Renault Belgium tell me that if I return the engine to the garage in Belgium they will supply me with a new engine and that's it - I have to pay for removal and refitting. Another of Renaults quirks - the engine is warranteed for 12 months and unlimited mileage, if fitted by a Renault dealer, but only 12,000 miles if fitted by a NON-Renault dealer - ludicrous!

I have faxed Monsieur Philipe Palou-Derrible, Chairman of Renault UK telling him that through no fault of my own, their engine - not a Renault UK engine or Renault Belgium engine, but a Renault engine, failed catastrophically on the M5 after only 4 and a half months of usage and just under 11K - the reason I cannot work, or sell my vehicle is the fault entirely of Renault!

Renault may like splitting theirselves up into Renault this and Renault that, but we - the CUSTOMERS - buy from Renault. None of their part, or their boxes state "Unless fitted by a Renault fitter any warranty is nil and void".

The engine is a genuine Renault part, bought in the EEC and its failure, no other reason is why I cannot make my living - without hiring - and it is all down to Renault!

THey could easily pick the vehicle up, give me a coutesy car, repair the car and return it to me free of charge and with a big apology- but no- they remain silent. The damage they do to themselves is immeasurable. For next to nothing they could repair my car, yet they prefer another extremely disgruntled 'Customer' who will warn peole off Renault forever and never buy one of their vehicles again - and they call it 'Customer Service'.

Incompetent Renault garages? Who would have believed it.

Every single time I have taken my Clio Diesel into the local Renault dealer in Basing stoke, I have come away with the the feeling that I have been taken for a fool - again. Just this year I have had the following problems with them.

1.Got my car back with a series of scratches on the roof, as if someone had put something heavy on the roof and dragged it off. The denied it and basically said that because I could not prove the scratches were not there when I delivered it, they were not going to do anything about it. Fair enough because I could not prove it, but I washed and polished my Clio the previous evening by hand and the scratches were not there then. Put that one down to experience.

2.Had a problem with the engine cutting out and running roughly. Took it to the dealers who diagnosed a faulty fuel pump. I first got a verbal estimate of 'about £2000'. After I told them this was not going to happen as the car was probably worth not much more than that, I got a written quote of about £1000 - for which they charged £70. The quote included taking the pump off, sending it to a repair specialist and then replacing it together with a new cam belt and re-timing and said it would be off the road for at least a week probably two. I was getting a bit dubious at all of this so took it to a specialist diesel garage, who fixed it in two days, did not have to take the pump off and charged me £150 total. It has now run 10,000 more miles without a problem. I have also found out that to take the pump off does not require changing the cam belt or re-timing - so why was I being quoted for that?

3.As part of the problem above, I thought it may have to do with the injectors, so asked how much it was to replace a set of 4. They quoted £400+ each. I rang up other Renault dealers who all quoted about £70 each.

4.Today was the final straw. I was informed that there is a recall to replace the throttle cable and check a bolt, so booked it in a week ago. Went to pick the up at about 5.00pm today to be informed that it was not ready, so could I bring it in another day? When I asked why, I was given a variety of excuses including,

a. They had ordered the wrong throttle cable and only found out when it had arrived

b. They cannot order the throttle cable in advance because there are 6 different types and they do not know which one it is until they inspect the car.

C. It takes 45 minutes to inspect to find out which throttle cable it is, so they did not suggest that I brought the car along previously to find out that information as it needs to be booked in because it takes so long.

D. they could not inspect the throttle cable until this afternoon because they were much too busy, by which time it was too late to get it for today (even though they did the first recall job on the car in the morning).

E. Even if they ordered the cable today, they cannot do the work tomorrow because they are much too busy

f. They need to know several days in advance of when I am bringing the car because it takes several days to get the cable.

G. they tried to order the cable, but no-one has one.

H. they cannot order a cable because the ordering system is down

Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to which of these contradictory statements was true? I sure couldn't.

We bought a Renault Megane Scenic with 44,000 miles on the clock and too have paid horrendous prices for finance with Welcome, we have had numerous probs with it Snapped Shock Absorbers, etc and now its in the garage again needing a full steering rack and pump, I would never buy a Renault again their aftercare is non-existent.

As someone who always buys large well-used BMWs I can't believe the problems other people have with their cars.

It may not sound very helpful, but I have found it far more economical to run used, well cared for BMWs than anything else. I'm not a badge snob, I've just found them to be extremely durable and reliable.

Might want to give it a try if you're fed up with Renault.

I like old 5 or 7 series best.

Yes, I've had the same experience with Renault. I've had a Megane RT Sport from new since 1998, regularly and expensively serviced it at a Renault dealer etc. After a burglary 4 years ago, I had to have both plip keys replaced at a cost of 200 pounds. The spare, which I'd never used, expired about 6 weeks ago, but as the car was due in for an MOT and gold service, I thought I'd get it fixed then. Not so. Not only did the dealer require (when I collected the car) that I produce the registration documents before he'd recode the key (despite the fact that the service log shows I;ve been using that garage for the last 4 years), but before I got back with the documents, the second key expired, rendering the car immobile and requiring a tow truck to come out from the garage. It now turns out that within 6 weeks, one key has lost the code and can't be recoded and the other key developed a wiring problem which has required the garage to resolder it. The cost to me will be 100 pounds to replace at least one of the keys so that I have a spare. On calling Customer Services to complain that two 4 year old keys both expired within 6 weeks of each other, I was told that the warranty is one year and that 4 years is a good age for a key. So be warned, Renault will levy this little extra charge on you for every key. And despite the fact that I was calm and explained clearly what the problem was and what redress I wanted (ie. not being charged for a replacement key) their Customer Services department is dismissive, uninterested and just this side of rude eg. when I asked to speak to the manager I was told "well there's no point, he'll just tell you what I've told you". If you do go for a Megane, be prepared to have deep pockets for little extras like keys to make the car go. I will be replacing the car next year, but not with a Renault.

Just to add another name to the list of I WILL NEVER BUY A RENAULT MEGANE AGAIN OWNERS keys and immobiliser problems are costing a fortune. I don't even want to drive it for fear of having to call on the AA again

Gary

Tyneside.