2002 Renault Laguna Privilige 1,9 dci from UK and Ireland - Comments

I purchased the car on 01 March 2002. After one day (on 02 March 2002) and 274 miles the fuel injection warning system activated and the car went into "Limp Home Mode" - that was nice on a busy motorway, with my family in the car.

This "fuel injection warning" then came on every couple of days, making me late for business meetings, social events and work.

After 18 warnings, the type pressure sensor faulted as well.

It is also very uncomfortable with loose, creaking seats.

This car had been returned to the dealer on 6 separate occasions between 01 Mar 02 and 01 Jul 02 and they were completely useless. Now they deny that anything is wrong and have deleted my records from their computer system so that they don't have to say how often I had been back for repair! Do not ever use WILSON's of EPSOM.

The car has not been used since early July 2002.

I took deliver of a brand new Renault Laguna dci on 01 March 2002. It broke down on 02 March 2002 - and continued to break down 17 times more before I stopped using it.

I have just received my "independent engineers report" and it clearly states that Renault Technical Department are fully aware that a batch of Renault Laguna dci models were delivered with a major fault.

There has been no recall notice and Renault have kept this fact secret from the General Public. I think this information should be made known to the buying public - so they don't get stuck with a pile of junk, as in my case.

Needless to say, the dealer (Wilson's of Epsom), the HP company (RFS Limited) and Renault UK Limited are all "keeping house". So, my solicitor is proceeding to take them all to court to recover my money.

If you want to know the outcome of the court case, please let me know.

You are welcome to view any or all of my supporting evidence.

Best Regards

Simon Bunce

scbunce@btinternet.com.

I have had a very similar experience to Simon. My Renault Laguna is the same model and it has been plagued with minor faults. Renault Customer Service do very little apart from making the odd sympathetic noise and sending a few "dealer vouchers" to use at their overpriced outlets.

Thank my lucky stars! I was choosing between the Laguna and Primera. In the end, I chose the Primera T-Spec - the wife is happy I don't annoy her now :-)! Lots of toys to keep me occupied! Maybe the site operators should consider sending these comments to Renault in France. So many customers all complaining of poor dealership service can't be wrong!

Mike.

Renault Laguna Sport Tourer 2.2 Dci.

Having only had my car for just less than three months it broken down unexpectedly last Thursday.

The engine fires once, and then turns on the starter before dropping out. The AA dragged it away after giving up. Sealed systems like these are hard to fault-find. Camden motors of MK don't have a clue, or if they do they are staying quiet whilst waiting for parts.

The AA man, Mick, gave me some disturbing stories of Renault known technical issues, including the crankshaft sensor falling off due to a plastic clip breaking. Also the steering electric solenoid lock fails.

Renault called yesterday and tried to trade some car tokens for silence. After reading some of these articles I've decided to take firmer action.

For the record I have three technical faults. Engine, ISOFIX and GPS. The ISOFIX fault is a technical design oversight and will need a recall and modification - Renault are keeping this one close to their chest. I am contacting Watchdog about this as it is a safety issue. The GPS fault is related to the voice guidance which fades out and crackles. It appears to be a software glitch.

A great car in many ways, but too much technology too soon. Like many manufacturers, Renault are bringing technology to early to market and are we are paying the price.

Rob_atkinson@msn.com.

I have been experiencing the same problems as you have, and my Laguna is a 1.6 16v petrol. It seems this array of electrical faults is not limited to the DCi engines.

Other faults which have become apparent which are mentioned in other articles here are "Tyre pressure sensors claiming that all four wheels are missing", "Range of 900+ miles and average fuel consumption of 98mpg".

Thank you for your article, it's giving me further evidence to present to my fleet administrator to have the car which is now in the garage for a fourth time with the same "Limp home mode" fault replaced, and the model removed from the list of choices for new company cars.

Hope this info helps in your case, as your report and those of similarly disappointed drivers have been invaluable to me! Once again, thanks.

Paul.

Really sorry to see you have all had such bad experiences. I have now done nearly 35k in my Laguna II Dynamique 2.0i and not had any problems other than the tyre pressure sensors. These are really sensitive, but I also ride a motorbike and so have a foot pump which is good for checking tyre pressures. Big changes in temp are enough to set of the warning sensor. This is more than an irritant than a safety issue. Hope you get your problems sorted.

I have a 2002 Laguna 1.8 the main problem was the throttle body causing the engine to go into 1 of 2 modes, the first is limp home mode as already mentioned the second however is full speed home, the engine revs up to maximum rpm and stays there, this is quite a disturbing experience as you are pulling off the drive! Full speed home has 1 other minor problem the, Start/Stop button failed at least twice, resulting in me selecting 5th gear and dumping the clutch with my foot on the brakes, to stop the engine!

Most recent problem was today, car was failing to read key card and would not release steering lock or start engine. After a little looking and thinking I pulled the main engine fuse (emergency engine stop procedure) and replaced it, this seems to have reset the ecu, electric windows, clock etc.. but it worked!!

Seems the Laguna's have some major electrical/electronic problems. Sad really, I really enjoy my 2002 3.0 V6 privilege. I must admit I have had some glitches as well, but they have all been sorted quickly and efficiently by the local Renault dealer. The problems I have had include: brake pedal sensor that needed replacing because it would intermittently reset the cruise control. Feul injection throttle position sensor/flow meter wiring loom replaced (apparently this is because of a Renault factory fault). Had the dash taken apart at least 3 times, because of major rattle. Had the radiator replaced because of pin hole in radiator. Had front suspension strut replaced, because of unsettling suspension noise when braking, turning at the same time. Anyway, almost sounds like I'm complaining which I'm not. I really enjoy the car, and as I said, all issues where promptly dealt with by the local dealer.

I have a 1.9dci privilege bought in Sept 02. It is currently in the garage having a new gearbox after a catastrophic failure on the m4. The car simply seized up and stopped with front wheels completely locked. Renault seem to think that a 3 door Clio is a suitable replacement vehicle! Any other gear box failures out there?

I own a Laguna 1.9dci and have had the same light come on too. It started with Renault Croydon who sold me the car. After further inspection of the car when I took it home, I found about 30 tie-raps in the engine bay just loose. Croydon were very unhelpful, so I took it to Maidenhead, where they have been very helpful. Sorted out about 10 problems, then the shock came. One of the problems was the passenger window was sticking. Maidenhead took the door apart and then informed me that the car was in an accident. (Which Croydon managed to keep quiet). Any way they repaired it properly, but suggested I take the matter further with Renault Croydon. I think the car is superb to drive, but too much engine management problems. Please keep us informed on how you get on in the courts. (My local trading standards are helping me now with Renault Croydon).

I have a Laguna 2.2DCi (Sept 02). It has this ongoing fault which is a kind of a judder/miss at 2050 rpm (almost exactly) As this equates to 75mph or so on the M-way it is unbelievably annoying. When it went in to the dealer, the first reaction was "we'll have to change the whole engine" Which is odd. Anyway, they kept it for 3 weeks and changed most of the fuel injection system which cured it for a while, but the problem is now recurring. I suspect it's electron in nature.

Also the exhaust pipe fell off as well - but that's another story.

Would I buy another - No. The main problem is actually that it is now over-tuned. 150bhp from a 2.2 litre diesel means that you lose a lot of the easy driving nature of a big turbo diesel.

I posted the original comments. Since then, Renault UK have agreed an "Out of Court" settlement. They have repaid me all my money, all my legal fees, all my storage charges and all the money I spent on insurance. They also settled the outstanding HP agreement and towed the pile of junk away. Just remember, if you reject a vehicle, put it in writing, store the vehicle at a "third party" garage, don't use it again - and try and get an independent engineer's report to show clearly what the faults are. Good luck to you all. Email me if you need any help or guidance. However, keep a look out in the next couple of issues of Which Magazine - my saga will be told in full.

I bought a new Renault Laguna 1.9dci last year from my local Renault dealer. Since May 2002 it has spent 4 weeks off the road mainly due to faults.

What prompted me to write this, is after my last overpriced service they had forgotten to 'switch off' the service spanner indicator, damaged the dashboard and charged me £80 for windscreen wipers and bulbs. To tn off the service light will require another visit to the dealer

I love the car, but it would be difficult to justify buying another one given the quality and service level I receive from Renault UK.

Faults to date:

Total gearbox pin failure on motorway - 8 days off road and near death experience (replacement 1.2 Rover car)

Failure to start needed new steering lock - one week off road (replacement 1.6 Rover car)

4 new tyres required - poor tracking on fitting. (even though serviced during this period)

Front door creaking on delivery, new bolts/hinges fitted (1/2 days off road)

Complained about grinding from passenger window - told by dealer it was dirt and needed a clean.....tried that still grinds

New window switches as original faulty.

£35 for new bulb Stop/start button - not covered under warranty - chose not to refit, but still screwdriver damage to dashboard where the original had been 'prised off'. Also new headlight bulbs and door light bulbs.

Tyre pressure gauges faulty - replaced - one day off road (no replacement)

Ignition key replacement for lost key card- quoted price without programming had to complain to head office to get original price accepted.

Manufacturer brake recall - 1 day no replacement.

There is more, but that would be petty.

With reference to the issues regarding Laguna mark 2 I to have had similar problems. The four missing wheels are generally always on regardless of weather and tyre pressures! but the disco looks quite immpressive. The "key" could be described as a lottery as to whether it will work or open the doors even with a new battery in: locking up can also be interesting or impossible: resulting in having to put the "key" in the slot and remove to reboot the electrical gadgetry. Parking is like driving the titanic with a really poor turning circle and quite often poor visibility. A nail in a tyre on the M25 was interesting as there was not a jack with the car either.

Wow! What a mess the Renault seems to be... and such a pity for what otherwise seems a gem of a car. This page of comments has driven me from a definite decision to buy to a definite decision not to in the space of three minutes!

I had use of a Laguna I in France (1.9Tdi), and there were continual fuel injection problems- but one would have expected a reputable manufacturer like Renault not to release a second version of the car in a worse state!

If any of you have comment on an equivalently specced alternative I'd most appreciate it.

Try a Mondeo TDCI. I switched from a late Citroen Xantia HDI estate which had excellent performance, but I found the driving position uncomfortable and was considering a Laguna, but heard rumblings about unreliability. Having read some of the posted comments I'm glad I didn't go for one. I now have a Mondeo 2.0 Zetec petrol estate which has been perfect. I am now considering the TDCI version in 'S' form, mainly for better caravan towing. The Mondeo is spacious, attractive, comfortable, well built and, in my case, extremely reliable. Good luck.

Ian.