Renault Laguna suspension collapse... has this happened to anybody else?

fieldheadhotel232

a) I do not follow your driving instructions. There I was doling 60 mph towards a roundabout. When I tried to stop i.e. brake and put my foot on the clutch, the engine went into FULL REVS. N.B. The STOP button does not work when the car is in motion, so how are you suggesting one stops such a Laguna?

So I put my foot on the brake and released the clutch which engaged the engine and drove us forward - towards the roundabout. What did you suggest I do then? Stop. I tried that and the engine went into FULL REVS. However, how does one stop and once stopped then put the car in neutral and so what is the point of braking at that point? Are you not stationary at that time anyway?

To put my wheels hard up against the curb at 50 mph would have written off my tyres!! How does one stop a car when the engine is at full revs when the clutch is engaged? BRAKE like mad to stall the car and bring it to a stop from 50 mph.

You are right. It is a 120hp 1.9 dci 6 speed model.

Your last point: Who does that? Me? or the garage when I have it serviced regularly? If it is the second one, then you had better tell Renault. Little point telling me, I have someone service my car for me.

Actually, I only told readers how to stop the car in such circumstances as I don't suppose everyone would know how to stop their car under real pressure facing an almighty accident. Maybe this just might help one person. I really don't think to hit the curb will do anything.

neddy_f

I owned a 98 reg RT Sport, brilliant car, traded it in for 03 1.8 Dynamique, what a heap of junk.
All springs broke within 3 weeks of each other, front o/s at 70 on the motorway, has had both rear suspension bushes changed, o/s front headlight as it was found on it's 2nd MOT that it was for a left hand drive car, phoned Renault, didn't want to know.
Can't wait to get shot.

cyclonebri1

Well I probably shouldn't have replied to the original thread. Sods law I think?

Daughter drove up the other day in here 04plt Megane clunk/creak on the drive and 1/2 a coil spring falls off.

So posted to support my belief that this can happen to any car, and also that it usually happens at low speed and on max steering, and also that I will definately change both springs over xmas. £64 plus a couple of hrs labour. No big deal.;)

Paulc_3

re suspension collaspe
yes it is a known problem as I had to sign a special form at the airport parking. Just for Laguna's saying that It would not be the car parks fault if my suspension collapsed in their care.. Then last year my brother in laws suspension collapsed 03 laguna, then my friends collapsed this month 03 Laguna ! I have a 04 Laguna and 2 children so I am now looking for a new car !

cyclonebri1

spam spam spam spam spam spam spam sp.....................................

Special form just for Lagunas heh:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

PeterJBaugh

Almost identical except that the vehicle, a Y Reg 2001 Laguna was stationary and the previous day I was driving three elderly people to and form funeral and a reception thereafter. The Thursday previous I was collecting one of my grandchildren aged 3+ with his 20 month old sister in the back from nursery so I am grateful that the potentially catastrophic failure occurred when the vehicle was stationary.
Peter J Baugh, Timperley

I.Higham wrote: »

The problem continues. The OSF coil spring of my 20002 Renault Laguna snapped as I was reversing out of the drive. Like so many others here I had just completed a long journey the day before and in hindsight the only warning was some slight noise from the suspension at slow speed when turning.

It was the last half a turn at the bottom of the coil that broke off, which makes it the point just after the spring is supported by the suspension cup. The end of the coil is definately cut rather than ground (see above) and examining the break it looks like a metal fatigue failure. There are signs that there had been an older crack before the break but not a substantial one - little more than a surface crack. The shocks are weak but haven't leaked and have passed the MOT recently - the fatigue in the springs suggests it may be related. Those of you that have had the same failure - what was the condition of your shocks?

Quick update:-
Have just found that the noise was being made by the suspension strut top bearing. This had seized (hence the noise) and the effect was that when turning I was actually trying to wind up the spring, rather than the whole thing rotating. This definitely contributed to the stress fracture of the spring and explains why it happened at low speed (when max steering lock applied). Would be interested if anyone else had problems with the top bearing.

geordie458

Both suspension springs fractured on my wife's Laguna a few weeks ago. The car had been sat in the garage at home for almost a week. When I went to get it out, it was sat very low at the front and it was obvious something was wrong. I realised both coil springs had gone together. Like everyone else this has happened to, im glad no one was driving it when they broke. The week before, a mate's wife had a coil spring go on her $)^ while she was driving it, trashing the tyre, luckily she was ok.

Softman

We had a front offside coil spring break a month ago and I replaced it, and as I did so I photographed the whole change to blog it out to anyone else interested in changing them there self’s.

I can’t post links here so you will have to do a bit of detective work and find my blog as redsack.com

Interesting how when searching for this type of problem they all seem to be offside coil springs that break, as most pot holes and sunken drains are on the nearside.

I also changed the rear front suspension bushes 9 months ago and wish I had taken a picture tutorial on that as well, but there you go will do it next time as it was an easy job that cost me £97 (most of that was for the bush removal tool) instead of the £310 quoted by my local Renault garage..

cyclonebri1

Softman wrote: »

We had a front offside coil spring break a month ago and I replaced it, and as I did so I photographed the whole change to blog it out to anyone else interested in changing them there self’s.

I can’t post links here so you will have to do a bit of detective work and find my blog as redsack.com

Interesting how when searching for this type of problem they all seem to be offside coil springs that break, as most pot holes and sunken drains are on the nearside.

I also changed the rear front suspension bushes 9 months ago and wish I had taken a picture tutorial on that as well, but there you go will do it next time as it was an easy job that cost me £97 (most of that was for the bush removal tool) instead of the £310 quoted by my local Renault garage..

Over weight drivers in a lot of cases I think
I'll get my coat;)

edde

fieldheadhotel232 wrote: »

a) I do not follow your driving instructions. There I was doling 60 mph towards a roundabout. When I tried to stop i.e. brake and put my foot on the clutch, the engine went into FULL REVS. N.B. The STOP button does not work when the car is in motion, so how are you suggesting one stops such a Laguna?

So I put my foot on the brake and released the clutch which engaged the engine and drove us forward - towards the roundabout. What did you suggest I do then? Stop. I tried that and the engine went into FULL REVS. However, how does one stop and once stopped then put the car in neutral and so what is the point of braking at that point? Are you not stationary at that time anyway?

To put my wheels hard up against the curb at 50 mph would have written off my tyres!! How does one stop a car when the engine is at full revs when the clutch is engaged? BRAKE like mad to stall the car and bring it to a stop from 50 mph.

You are right. It is a 120hp 1.9 dci 6 speed model.

Your last point: Who does that? Me? or the garage when I have it serviced regularly? If it is the second one, then you had better tell Renault. Little point telling me, I have someone service my car for me.

Actually, I only told readers how to stop the car in such circumstances as I don't suppose everyone would know how to stop their car under real pressure facing an almighty accident. Maybe this just might help one person. I really don't think to hit the curb will do anything.

OK brake hard it going to be obvious to everyone around something massivly wrong with the car then when stoped dead stick the car in first and with your foot hard on the brake and handbrake on preferebly foot of the clutch and that should stall the engine

Tyres arn't that bad prices cheaper than a new turbo and in worst case engine new turbos plus fitment is £1.2k from memory two front tyres are less.

renault won't admit there error due to the cost plus many cars are fine