1995 Renault Safrane Reviews - Page 2 of 2

1995 Renault Safrane RT excutive 2.2 from UK and Ireland

Year of manufacture	1995
First year of ownership	2000
Most recent year of ownership	2003
Engine and transmission	2.2 Automatic
Performance marks	6 / 10
Reliability marks	0 / 10
Comfort marks	8 / 10
Dealer Service marks	4 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	0 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	3.6 / 10
Distance when acquired	70000 miles
Most recent distance	140000 miles
Previous car	Jaguar XJ6

Summary:

Without doubt the worst car I have ever owned

Faults:

Auto gear box rebuilt 3 times.

Engine rebuilt 2 times & replaced.

Head gasket x 3.

Radiator replaced.

2 new steering racks.

Central locking only works within 1 foot.

Front seats rock.

Air-conditioning doesn't work.

Cam-belt failure 1 week after main dealer renewal.

CPU replaced.

Fuel management replaced.

General Comments:

This car has cost me over £13,000 in repairs. It doesn't corner like other cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th April, 2003

8th Apr 2003, 12:24

You bought a second hand car what

did you expect.

27th May 2003, 11:11

Well you were an unlucky one, but you do expect problems with a second hand car I disagree strongly with you saying they're the worst cars they're NOT!!. there brilliant quick and enough torque.

6th Jun 2003, 03:33

I agree that you get good ones and bad ones.

The automatic gearboxes in the Safrane have, by my experience, never been great. Further, they are extremely over priced. When mine went I was quoted £1500 for the repairs.

I put some of the problem down to a bad design. On most automatics I have owned there is a way to check the fluid yourself. But not on this one.

1st Jul 2003, 13:21

Be careful with so-called broken auto boxes, mine had no drive at all, Renault and gearbox places said it needed replacing (oh, and before that the light was not going out and the box' running in safety mode) had a look at it and found a filter in the gearbox sump. It was blocked, BTW the light means if it does not go out after the 3 seconds indicates low oil pressure. I changed the filter (£32), replaced the oil and now everything is fine.

25th Dec 2007, 06:35

The old Renault automatics are weak. They only last when handled gently. I got one of those infamous AD8 boxes in my Laguna V6. It still works like a charm after 265000 km, because I drive carefully and change oil often.

The engines are very strong though. If you manage to blow the engine multiple times then YOU are the problem. You aren't driving it, you are abusing it!

Only over-engineered cars might survive such abuse, such as

Japanese cars or a pre 90's Mercedes.

1995 Renault Safrane 2.5dT Executive 2.5 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Year of manufacture	1995
First year of ownership	2001
Most recent year of ownership	2003
Engine and transmission	2.5 turbo diesel Automatic
Performance marks	7 / 10
Reliability marks	9 / 10
Comfort marks	9 / 10
Dealer Service marks	4 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	7 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	7.2 / 10
Distance when acquired	78000 miles
Most recent distance	101000 miles
Previous car	Renault 25

Summary:

The best value second hand executive car

Faults:

Climate Control operated intermittently.

Front Tyres uneven wear- even after tracking checks.

General Comments:

A very comfortable long distance cruiser.

Surprisingly quick for an automatic diesel, with 32mpg on average.

Lots of room in the back, with a large boot. Even took seven dogs, my wife and myself on holiday to Eire.

Excellent stereo system, like the remote operation of the radio.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th January, 2003

1995 Renault Safrane RXE 3.0 from UK and Ireland

Year of manufacture	1995
First year of ownership	1999
Most recent year of ownership	2001
Engine and transmission	3.0 Automatic
Performance marks	9 / 10
Reliability marks	5 / 10
Comfort marks	8 / 10
Dealer Service marks	3 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	4 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	5.8 / 10
Distance when acquired	87000 miles
Most recent distance	101000 miles
Previous car	Renault 25

Summary:

Great value big car. Lots of toys and electric extras. Lovely to drive long distance

Faults:

Air shock absorbers developed a fault after owning the car for less than a month.

This system raises / lowers the ride height of the car according to road conditions and load in the passenger cabin keeping it level and stable.

Renault replaced a sensor on the front roll bar and said that this would rectify the fault, they charged £700 for the work.

The fault recurred a month or so later and was never properly fixed by the main dealer "Caledonia". I have traveled in another Safrane since then and it too had the same fault.

Remote central locking key only works on these cars if you are within about six inches of the vehicle, any further away and you can't lock with the remote.

Door "pop up" locks seize up and fail to lock the doors in damp spells of weather.

General Comments:

The Safrane looks good, even older cars seem to stand the test of time with virtually no rust problems.

The ride is very refined and the car handles well around town and is an excellent motorway cruiser.

Very nice passenger accommodation with big comfortable seats and lots of luxury feel, good stereo with six speakers and remote control for the driver.

Automatic climate control on my car gave no problems at all, although this is often not the case. Repairs can be expensive and faults are common on older Safrane's.

Don't buy one with air suspension it's a disaster!.

Automatic gearbox on my car was silky smooth and gave no trouble at all.

Renaults in my experience have strong engines which give miles of service to the owner round the clock and beyond.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th December, 2002