Faults:

Nearside central locking mechanism never worked.

Sunroof seriously leaked after a month or so, soaking me and shorting out the central locking electrics and the internal light.

Rev counter started not working sometimes, and made a ticking noise when not working.

Passenger electric window controls stopped working, and kept failing even after I took the door apart; removed the junction box and fixed them another 2 times.

Brake pads melted and started smoking, then the front brake pads and discs needed to be replaced at the first MOT.

Indicator went double speed, then slowed down when brakes were applied, turns out the bulb holder unit had melted and fused together.

Drivers side door wouldn't shut properly - I'm told this is because they used the same hinges on the 3 door as they did on the 5 door, and this happens because 3 door models have heavier doors and wear the hinges quicker.

Brake master cylinder failed at about 92500 miles - very scary to drive and £120 to replace.

Just after that it started sucking all the water out of the coolant reservoir and releasing it when the cap was undone. Also left a white gunge around the reservoir cap and went very sluggish. (no white stuff in the oil though).

Got the oil and filter changed, also got the coolant system flushed through, still sucking in water.

Priced up a head gasket change and got a friend to agree to do the work, then the battery light came on - ran OK for a week or so then died. Just about managed to get it home, now it won't start. Tested the battery at work, found it to be OK so must be the alternator or the belt. Found that this is a tricky one to change, so the car is now parked up and I'm on the bus.

General Comments:

Renault can obviously make cars, but not ones that work properly for more than 12 years or can easily be fixed. All the internal fittings use star keys and most things that break are difficult to get at. Plus the electric windows are mind numbingly slow when closing.

Having said that, the 1.4 1994 Clio RT is a lovely car to drive, has very efficient heaters, holds the road nicely, has really comfortable seats (not the back ones tho), and has loads of extras such as lumber support, fog lights, heated wing mirrors, and remote stereo controls.

Faults:

The power steering on my Clio 16v makes a slightly straining sound when turning at low speeds - the response is fine, but it's a little irritating to listen to.

I was unlucky in that my Clio did not have a catalytic converter installed on it when I bought it, but unfortunately it needed one to pass the MOT, that was £300.

I have just had the gearbox replaced as the old one had totally had it, and the diff went at the same time - meaning that the whole job cost me £1185! This was not great! There is also a bearing problem on the near side front wheel, which means there is noise while driving. However whilst my wallet is recovering from the gearbox / diff episode I can put up with a little noise for a while before the bearing gets repaired!

General Comments:

Although the car is rather highly strung (as you can see all the things that have gone wrong with mine!) it is an absolute pleasure to drive!

It looks really great - exactly the same as a Clio Williams - but without those naff gold alloys. Mine is in metallic gunmetal grey and looks aggressive, but not over the top. That air intake bulge in the bonnet lets people know you mean business!

The acceleration is fantastic, and with an induction kit and performance exhaust it sounds more like a hurricane than a little Clio - and that is never a bad thing. Standard the 1.8 16v has 137 bhp and with some simple mods such as induction kit and exhaust it can be brought up over 140, this is great performance when you consider that the 16v is group 12 insurance and the Williams is group 17 and that only has 150 bhp!

It is really comfortable to drive, the seats really hold you in place, but if you're in there for a few hours the noise from the engine can give you a bit of a headache!

The interior is really nice, LOADS of dials to keep you busy - and a handy thermometer too! You'll never wonder how cold it is outside again!