Comfy and practical
Rear brake cylinder leak.
Exhaust pipe renewed.
Steering system components replaced.
Minor rust problems.
Good fuel economy and cheap to repair
Handles well on bad roads
Comfortable seats and plenty of space in the back, also the luggage compartment is very big, still the car lacks central locking, power windows, etc.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th June, 2005
Reliable performance
Usual over 10 year old cars' maintenance costs.
New brake system in front.
Replaced the cam belt.
Tiny oil leak from the back side of the engine. It doesn't affect though to the oil consumption at all.
This model doesn't have a central locking and electrical windows and mirrors, so they would be nice.
Renault 19 is very reliable car and great performance and safe to drive (also in snow in the winter).
This car is very quick. Clutch is great (not too lazy) and accelerates fast.
The interior is not too luxury, but you you can live with that.
Car is cheap to buy and economic to drive.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th January, 2003
Haynes said it right
Bought in December 2000. When bought (148.k km) the bargain issue was the left front spring broken. So front suspension needed replacement.
Cost 500 Euros to fix to renault dealer. Changed almost the whole front suspension. I mean new shock absorbers, new springs, new CV-joints. (boge absorbers and volvo springs).
Next happy was a weird problem with ignition system (150.000 kms). When it was very humid outside, problems with start. At a traffic light stalled completely. Towed to dealer cost 80 Euros to fix. Actually the only thing was to clean some contacts to the ignition module. That happened in February 2001, and it was -28 Celcius degrees outside. Not too funny.
Two months after (April or May 2001) (150.000 kms) the left front wheel bearing started to ask for replacement. At renault dealer it was 100 euros (parts+ work). A careful inspection of the brake pads indicated that the pads were "sand" (i have never understood how it was breaking until then???). Anyhow new brake pads and brake disks were replaced also. Extra 100 euros (parts elf + bendix??? and work).
After 2 days I came back to the mechanics. I noticed the electrin fan did not kick and the engine was overheating. A badly corroded contact. Something like 50 euros to fix.
10.000 km run without any problem. Mainly highway driven. in May-June.
A new holiday trip to Paris and Germany (via sweden). Other 8.000 km run.
No problems.
Technical inspection (MOT in Uk) failed due to Lambda sond. Costed 300 euros to fix (the sond and the work).
In January 2002 the timing belt needed change. Wanted to be gentleman with my car so, I have been to my mechanic with it. Also the idler + tensioner needed replaced. Surprise??? A seal of an auxiliary shaft driven also by the belt, was leaking oil and warning on it was given. Seemed also that 2 bearings (inside the engine needed to be changed). The mechanics changed that time only the belt, since they did not have on stock the bearings (they said 10.000 km would have lasted, but no more). They charged me 100 euros, and they did not even finish the job!!! I got really angry!
That was too much for me, and from that moment on I started to play the mechanic with my car! I bought the Haynes book for it (25 euros), and the Do It Yourself charade started.
In March the same symptoms of stopping in humid weather showed up. I cleaned again the contact and works again.
In April 2002 the heater matrix leaks. Thanks to the big hearts from the renault 19 forum and haynes book, the Do it yourself succeeds (the dash board out etc) and the cost was only the spare part (75 euros for a original Valeo).
Try to change also by myself the belt + the bearings, but a broken wrench (yes!!! the wrench got broken, and it also destroyed the bold from the idler) prevented me from do it myself. Back to mechanics. 200 euros (100 euros the belt+ idler+ tensioner bought by me, and 100 euros their work). That happened in June this year.
Again two long trips about 20.000 km without problem. Except that on the highway in Italy between Rome and Livorno, the regulator from the alternator got broken. In fact one brush was worn out completely.
For now it works(almost 200.000 km). For how long???
PS. Release bearing is noisy when temperatures goes below 10 degrees Celsius (in the summer time is silent). It is doing since I bought it, and still does. Didn't get any worse.
At a corner the head gasket leaks coolant (not that badly). Few drops of Super glue "fixed" the problem.
For 95 horse power I was expecting more acceleration from it. Dealers treatment was sometimes honey and sometimes was salt + hot pepper.
It was good that I learned (some) mechanics with it.
Very comfortable.
Completely (99 %) rust free. And this considering the usual 6 months winter in Finland.
Almost all the parts I changed were original, so at least until I bought it 148.000 km it run fault free. So, maybe it was a good car, after all...
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 26th October, 2002
The guy who wrote the original post (continues) :
The original review was put on October 2002;
Since then:
Last winter failed to start again (old problem) : turned out to be the distributor cap that had the terminals badly corroded; Was that the real problem? Don't know; Wait and see;
The rear axle got broken; Changed it with a used one from dismantling place; (400 euros) ; (FYI a new rear axle would have cost 2600 euros, so no way) ;
Heating control button from the pannel got broken; No big deal, bur annoying;
Head gasket (you name the price) ;
New battery;
===================================================
I do not know why the system took a yellow smiley for my post, since I did not intend that! I would have chosen the SAD BLUE SMILEY.
20th Jun 2005, 05:49
I have just bought my first Renault and it is a Renault 19.
This is my holiday car in Cyprus and although it is 10 years old it is in absolutely prim condition.
The only parts that I have had to replace are the speaker grills which with the intense heat became brittle and crumbled. These cost me £35.00cyp. Apart from this the car is superb.