Faults:

Electrical ignition fault has come on twice.

After this has happened, I noticed that it was after refueling, and if I stopped the engine and locked the car, it would remove the problem.

Apparently it's due to a faulty turbo pressure switch that cuts off the turbo, hence the limp home mode.

General Comments:

The new Laguna II is my 5th Laguna, and I have to say that apart from the niggle of the ignition fault, I have had 20K of faultless comfortable driving.

I tow a caravan, and this car has amazing pulling power, which is way above its class, plus the wide track gives it good stability.

The level of trim is impressive, and the half leather helps with the kid's spills and food remains.

I think the other reviews are over the top from people who expect something that's not achievable. Remember this is a Renault costing 17k, not a BMW or AUDI costing 25K, but look it has twice as many extras including. You'd never get half leather, air con, CD, electric sunroof, alloys, spots, and spoiler included on a BMW or Audi.

I also had a pressure sensor light up, but a check of the pressure showed it was over inflated, so a few pounds removed and all was well.

So overall I rate this car very highly. I know it's got a few electrical faults, but the ride, economy, equipment and general ease of use massively outweigh any small faults.

Faults:

Remote central locking didn't lock front passenger door when new.

Slight buzzing from stereo.

Dealer quickly sorted out.

General Comments:

I thought long and hard about getting this car. Especially as I had my heart set on a Golf - but really glad I did.

Not only do you get much more room and electric toys to play with, but the auto box is a lot smoother and gives you the option of semi auto - which is fun on bends.

The spec is much much better than on the Golf I was looking at - and the design is well thought through - with more places to put things.

Unlike VW dealers, Renault main dealers are happy to talk discount. There are also some really good deals around at the car supermarkets - although some are Irish spec. Do your own jokes!

My advice: contact a UK car broker like Carfile (see back of What car) and get them to quote you a price. Then either order through them or play that off your local dealer.

Good luck.

Faults:

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!

The car has not been used since early July 2002.

General Comments:

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, the HP company 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

Faults:

Faulty paint work, including dust under the paint on several panels, fingerprint type marks etched into the paint work and a bumper several different shades of colour.

The drivers side rear door seal protruded past the bodywork.

General Comments:

A fantastic car to drive and look at, but the dealer and manufacturer back up is so slow and poor to react to complaints.