2001 Renault Megane RX4 1.9turbo diesel from Spain

Summary:

Unreliable car based on an inadequate design

Faults:

Trouble with Renault RX4? Me too!!

The car was registered on the 29th January 2001 and faults started to occur during January 2004, i.e. within the guarantee period. The first fault was a fuel leak, which caused contamination of the engine and meant that the cam belt had to be replaced. This work was completed on 27th January 2004 and cost 788 Euros.

The next fault was a knocking noise when turning corners. The garage said this was due to a transmission fault, which cost 975 Euros to repair.

This did not cure the knocking noise, so we took the car back for the garage to check again. This time the engineer identified a broken bracket and said that this was the cause of the problem. We were charged 63 Euros for a test drive and the fitting of the new part.

This did not cure the problem, so the car went back to the garage again. This time the engineer decided that a broken engine cradle caused the noise. This cost 1028 euros to repair.

When we asked about these problems the garage said that they thought that all these problems were linked to the one cause (the broken engine cradle). In this case the fault that lead to all this trouble must have happened during the guarantee period, as the first symptom (the fuel leak) occurred during the guarantee period. They then said that as we had exceeded 50000Kms when the faults started the car was out of guarantee!

Other repairs and servicing during this 6-month period meant that we had paid the garage approximately 4600 Euros. (Including a new clutch and a new electric window and the repair of the gear stick, which just became disconnected from the gearbox while we were driving)

We wrote to Renault, Spain and claimed compensation. They sent us 450 euros - not much out of a cost of 4600!!

We have now had 3 months trouble free motoring and another electric widow has broken!!! So it's back to the garage again!!!

As many others have said this is the last time we buy a Renault!

Dave Costa del Sol

Spain.

General Comments:

We are very disappointed with our RX4. It started off very well, excellent for driving from Spain to UK. But when the trouble started it just went on on and now we will never get a Renault again.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd November, 2004

26th Feb 2005, 07:04

I have a RX4 2001 model, within 9 months of purchase the clutch had gone, this was replaced under warranty. In October 2003 the clutch went again, costing £700 and last week the engine mount went and fractured the power stirring pipe costing £400.00. The car has done 60,000 miles of mostly motorway driving, and it was only serviced by Rall enault 6 weeks ago, but apparently they don't check the bolts that hold the engine in place! I have complained and complained, as I believe that the engine mount should still be doing its job after 60,000 miles, but they have offered no explanation or help whatsoever. Never again will I buy a Renault.

17th Apr 2005, 03:44

I have the same knocking noise $%"$%£$ and the garage has also changed a bracket and draft shaft, but it still knocks : (.

Please can you tell me was it the engine cradle that caused the noise? peterb@peterbassett.plus.com.

21st Jul 2008, 22:45

Hi,

I have a 2001 RX4 that has now done 120000 miles. After 90000 the 5th gear shaft broke and seized the gearbox. After some repairs I managed to use it for a year with only 4 gears. Then fitted a used gearbox at great cost, and now this has failed firstly with a really noisy 5th gear, and now the whole gearbox sounds like a bag of nails. I've had enough!!!

2001 Renault Megane Priviledge 1.4 16v from Greece

Summary:

Will not buy Renault again. Don't like Renault policy.

Faults:

When I bought it, it has problem with fuel tank ventilation (could not get fuel from a gas station). Spare part changed by authorized technician. No charge.

After 1 month I started complaining about performance and not stable RPM.

Authorized service technician claimed that it was normal.

1 year and 10 days after I bought it started having fire problems on one spark plug. Technitian changed ignition coil (160 euro). One week ago I noticed the RPM in stability getting worst. 2 years after bought, the second ignition coil run bad (160euro). Now (3 years after bought) the other two ones died (280euro), the last spare parts were made in Germany in stead of France!.

I hope they last more.

3 years after bought, the electric front windows went DOWN (broken internal rails that they move on), 350euro.

General Comments:

Good in the road (all whether conditions tested) but I would expect from manufacturer to be honest and repair the car on his errors (ignition coils with manufacturing problems or windows with problems).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st September, 2004

4th Jan 2005, 05:41

Thanks your comments. Everything that the car company publishes makes me want to buy, but service support is as important as how the car looks and runs.