2 new gearboxes and driveshafts in 3 yr old car

patchwork_cat

Hi
We are having terrible problems with our 31/2 yr old scenic. We bought it from new and have had oil leaks sensor failures, shock absorbers and 2 new gearboxes and drive shafts.

We have had enough! The customer helpline at Renault Uk are telling us there isn't even a 12 month warranty on our new gearbox and driveshaft as we didn't pay for it!( No it was work done on work during warranty period!)

Any advice on how to proceed to get renault to help us as even if we buy another car of the same age we will be 1k out of pocket at least. Also what recommendations for a realiable car and has anyone heard of this being a particular problem in Scenics?

Thanks

Wig

Write to Honest John at the telegraph
letters@honestjohn.co.uk

wazza

i think for reliability go for japanese cars. i believe ford and vauxhall are better for reliability compared to renault and are in plentiful supply

The_Biff

According to Which? Mag the following have excellent reliability:
Honda. Toyota, Suzuki, Mazda, Lexus, Hyunda, Ford.

Good reliability:
Daihatsu, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Proton, Subaru.

Renault are in the bottom sector "Poor"

patchwork_cat

What do you know just five days after getting the car back, it started making a clunking sound - we called out the RAC and it is the drive shaft!

Does anyone know where we stand with regards to compensation- not wanting to join in compensation culture, but we really feel that we can't trust the car anymore and dealers are saying that it has lost 7K in 3 yrs. We would be better off selling it privately, but I couldn't do that to some poor unsuspecting individual.

thanks

tomstickland

I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I can't think of any reason why driveshafts and gearboxes would fail apart from manufacturing deficiencies. I assume thay you drive it normally? Do you do a lot of sharp turns in it?
The other possibility is that the shell isn't straight or the gearbox not mounted properly, thereby putting more stress on the CV joints. Has it been crashed or kerbed?

Sadly, losing £7K in 3.5 years is what new cars do.

I'd suggest that you keep the car, but if you have any more gbox and shaft failures then pay an idependant garage to fit a recon gbox. Shafts themselves aren't expensive around £70 exchange for a pair on Vauxhalls for example.

jjames_3

This does sound exceptional -- despite the reliability deficiencies in Renaults total transmission failure is not something that happens often. Even an abused car shouldn't fail this quickly. You need to give Renault some bad publicity -- as Wig says Honest John is a good place to start.

Also the Ownership Problems section of Parker's forum is awash with information on Renault faults, there seem to be more issues relating to French cars there than everything else combined, and a lot of knowledgable people frequent the place.

patchwork_cat

JJames well having read the Parkers forum oh my g?d! The whole forum is made up of reanult faults! It makes me even more concerned when I know that the absolute best we can hope for is a like for like replacement! I will still have a renault, Oh no I thought I had done my research when we bought this car, but I was very much mistaken. The main topic does seem to be coils which yes we have had 2 sets of.

robnye

sorry to hear of your problems.
i had a renault laguna (second user).......... got rid of it 2.5 years ago....... very expensive to fix....... cost me £3K in one year, so that was it...... in fact cost me £500 just after the warranty ran out
i now wont touch renault.........

hope you have some success

Wig

Have you talked to trading standards? If I was you I'd be doing this and CAB and HJ.

waster_2

I had a Renault Scenic. Auto gearbox packed up 2 months out of warranty. Renault washed their hands. Cost £1600 for a rebuild. Then emgine leaked oil like an Iraqi oilfield. Never again.

Go for a good Jap car or even a Ford. Ford's now pretty reliable and not too expensive if do need fixing.

Alaso as suggested speak to Trading Standards. Under the new Regulations aren't the supplier meant to prove that the item is of merchantable quality, fit for purpose and duarable? Does this not apply for up to 6 years from date of new purchase?Your Scenic seems to fail on all counts. Even if not fully compensated you should still be entitled to a significant contribution, especially if it is items that have already been replaced that are failing. IMO their assertion that you did not pay for and are not entitled to any form of warranty/guarantee is B0llox. Just demonstrates their confidence in the parts they supply and the workmanship of their pet grease monkey's.