2001 Renault Clio Dynamique 1.4 from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Passenger car airbag deployed without impact. Renault charged for an inspection and we were told that the computer said it had approved deployment on impact. I am extremely worried that this is a grave safety issue and told Renault this. I have read other people have had this problem, and it appears this is the company's automated response to all. Please could anyone who this has happened to get in touch with me, and I will take this further.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 12th March, 2010

15th Apr 2010, 07:02

Hitting a pot hole can cause airbags to deploy (search in Google). As the bags deploy with great force, it is possible to not notice the pothole due to the explosion, which would happen within Milli-seconds of impact. The sensors measure impact and deceleration, so in certain circumstances can trigger deployment and leave no visible cause.

The manufacturer in many cases can tell the speed of the car at time of deployment by taking out the ECU and testing the data. It is unlikely the manufacturer would fob you off over such an issue. There are plenty of cases on the Internet of such deployments regardless of manufacturer, I very much doubt that Renault are at fault here.

25th Nov 2014, 22:19

My daughter has a 54 plate Clio 1.4, and 2 days ago the driver's seat air bag exploded while she was driving along a smooth pot hole free road. In a panic as unsure what happened and thinking "I've crashed", "Somebody has driven in to me" etc. She swerved to the left mounting the pavement.

Fortunately nobody was on the pavement at this time, and my daughter was not significantly hurt, only minor bruising. Approx. 20 people saw the incident as they came out of a church on the opposite side of the road.

Damage to the car includes a smashed alloy on front passenger side, much steering suspension damage on this corner. Cracked windscreen and obviously the now damaged seat. So a few hundred pounds, but could have been so much worse.

Contacted our local Renault dealer and they are not really interested in the issue, but will inspect the car at their "reasonable" rate of £68 / hour.

Who else could I contact?

2001 Renault Clio RXT 1.4 16v from Turkey

Summary:

Easy to use

Faults:

I bought it at 78000 kms. The brake pads were bad and had them changed first, and the first trouble I had with this car was the magnetic sensor. The engine denied starting on the day I bought.

After a big accident I had, the nightmare started. Thought I could have it fixed as it was before the accident, but no. The biggest mistake in my life was trying to have it repaired.

The dealer service is very expensive and they seem like they don't want to repair your "fixed by other service" car. I waited for a cable from the headquarters for 2 weeks. This made me go crazy, I walked to work on rainy days.

On the other hand, the maintenance can be done outside at a special mechanic; costs one third compared to dealer service.

General Comments:

It was full of specialties such as electric sunroof, auto locking doors, the consumption checker, comfortable front seats (I don't have a large family, no comment about the back seats), auto operating back wiper on Reverse gear etc.

The petrol consumption was fine, especially on the motorways. A full tank goes about 650 kms if you drive economically.

The engine surprised me first after my 72 hp Renault 11. When you kick down, you will be satisfied with the acceleration you get. It was not as rapid as a 1.6 16v 110 hp, but also not much slower than the 110 hp.

The brakes were also satisfying, at 140 kmh, when panic braking, the car doesn't go out of the way and the ABS does its job well.

I don't have a car now, and I want to buy a 2002-2003 1.4 16v Privilege.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th January, 2010