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I told her not to buy a Renault...!!!



  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Worth the read, trust me!

And this is why! My Mrs had a Clio when I met her. I've always hated them but she likes them so I think, OK, fair enough. Not long after we started going out, hers gets written off. (Not her fault mind!) We get her another almost identical one from the auctions and to be fair, it's been a cracking car. We've had it three years and never had a problem with it. It's a T-reg 1.2. Had 87k on when we got it, now done 115k.

Lately she has wanted a 182 Clio. A friend of mine was selling his girlfriend's (54 plate, 54k miles) so we get that. We'd only had it three weeks and as she gets home it starts making a rattling noise. It sounded like shaking a small stone in a plastic container. She thinks maybe a stone is caught in the plastic wheelarch protecters or something but the next day she starts it up and the noise is still there. We ring Renault (it's still under warranty till Sept) and they say no problem, we'll send the AA out to you. They duly arrive and the 'very very nice man' says that the fan belt looks like it's trying to push itself off the jockey wheels. The car is towed to Sunwin Preston (Renault dealer) with whom the car has full service history.

15 May '07 - Car towed to Sunwin. They tell us they might not be able to look at the car today but the car will be looked at tomorrow. Ask about courtesy car. Sorry, no courtesy cars till June!

17 May '07 - They ring my girlfriend. The fanbelt has shredded, hit the cambelt housing, damaged the cambelt and this has caused damage to the alternator. Bill is £954. Girlfriend understandably upset as she thinks car is still under warranty (which it is!) Sunwin say this is not covered by warranty. I ring them to kick off. I get told they havent even looked at the car yet! Girlfriend rings back Sunwin. Speaks to lady who told her it would be £954 then puts me on. I tell them that this is covered under warranty to which they say, erm it should be but we need to speak to Renault Financial to see if they will pay. Get phone call later in day, Renault will pay and car will be ready Mon afternoon (21 May).

21 May '07 - 4.30pm. Still no call from Renault. Girlfriend goes down in person to find out about car. Sorry won't be ready today. Girlfriend says, I work shifts and only finish at 3am. How am I supposed to get home from work? Can I have a courtesy car? Sorry, none available. Basically, they aren't interested and expect my girlfriend to make her own way home at 3am. No help whatsoever. I ring up and speak to the service manager, understandably, I am not a happy man. He offers to pay for a taxi for her to get home tonight and there will be a courtesy car for her in the morning if her car isn't ready.

22 May '07 - 11am. Car is ready and has had £25 fuel put in as good will gesture. Cambelt and tensioners replaced and some other bits, not sure what as yet as she hasn't picked the car up.

:mad: Renault = rubbish. We will never have one again, or at least never ever use Sunwin Preston again.
 
T

thecremeegg

To be fair, they did pay up :S
not sure what the problem is but, yea renault dealers in general do suck
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Yeah they did pay up but it's the hassle that pi$$ed me off. Why say we have to pay the £954 when the car is only 2 1/2 years old. And why tell me gfriend that she has to make her own way home at 3am when it was them who said it would be ready on the Monday. To be fair the service manager sorted it when he found out but apart from that, the service was appalling.
 
  RenaultSport 197
The alternator is covered by warrenty - I know because mine was replaced under warrenty!!

Does the sound only come on when you put your foot on the accelerator a bit on tick over? I have a similar rattle (hence why the alternator was replaced because that's what reno thought). They have done a 25 point check on the car and results have proved inconclusive.

Went out on a meet the other day and now the rattle has got louder and also now makes the noise just on normal tick over. It's been to 3 different garages, 2 of which are not reno and nobody can find the darn rattle. It's not interior rattle either. I'm not that bothered anyway, my car is running fine - better than every actually and it doesn't seem to bother me. Just a niggle.
 
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  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
The alternator is covered by warrenty - I know because mine was replaced under warrenty!!

Does the sound only come on when you put your foot on the accelerator a bit on tick over? I have a similar rattle (hence why the alternator was replaced because that's what reno thought). The have done a 25 point check on the car and results have proved conclusive.

Went out on a meet the other day and now the rattle has got louder and also now makes the noise just on normal tick over. It's been to 3 different garages, 2 of which are not reno and nobody can find the darn rattle. It's not interior rattle either.

The noise came on from start-up without any pressure on the accelerator. This has now been rectified though as it was the faults mentioned above which were mechanical faults.
 

MRBILLYUK

ClioSport Club Member
  FF Jeden Osiem Dwa
I met the service manager once at Preston , he's a total fcukin prick tbh . Just a word of warning if you do get a courtesy car from them . Make sure there's enough fuel in , lol . The one i had ran out at a busy crossroads in the middle of Preston in rush hour traffic . I rang Sunwin and they told me there was nothing they could do , luckily a bloke in a breakdown truck was passing by and towed me to a petrol station , dropped him a fiver and all was sweet ;)
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
I met the service manager once at Preston , he's a total fcukin prick tbh . Just a word of warning if you do get a courtesy car from them . Make sure there's enough fuel in , lol . The one i had ran out at a busy crossroads in the middle of Preston in rush hour traffic . I rang Sunwin and they told me there was nothing they could do , luckily a bloke in a breakdown truck was passing by and towed me to a petrol station , dropped him a fiver and all was sweet ;)

This I can believe!!! :mad:
 
  133/225/CLS AMG
Unfortunately this is exactly what puts Renault at the bottom of the pile, their dealer service can be shockingly sh!te!!!

I'm quite lucky that I've always had good experience at my local dealer but I've known people go there and get treated like crap.

Hopefully you won't experience any other problems with the car and you can get on and enjoy one of the finest hot hatches around.
 
  SMURF!!!
Its women.... renault just do not seem to like them... i always have problems with my dealers, as soon as the bf gets involved they are top notch!!!

Know how you feel fella - think next time i have a problem ill speak in a real gruff voice, they may help me then :(
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Unfortunately this is exactly what puts Renault at the bottom of the pile, their dealer service can be shockingly sh!te!!!

I'm quite lucky that I've always had good experience at my local dealer but I've known people go there and get treated like crap.

Hopefully you won't experience any other problems with the car and you can get on and enjoy one of the finest hot hatches around.

Yeah, I agree, the car is great but the service from the dealers is shocking. I've always has Fords and BMWs and found their dealers to be fine, BMW especially but you do pay for it! I will update the thread tomorrow when I discover what actually went wrong but it sounds like cambelt failure.
 
  Mondeo STTDCI
So it was ready in 7 days and they paid for all the repairs and you didn't have to put pen to paper?

I'd be chuffed.
 

Munday

ClioSport Club Member
  RB 182, 1275GT, C220
Mate, I think you were lucky! Some of us have had some really nasty experience with Renault (me included).
 
  haw-he-haw, une-sept-deux
terrible service
but then again if all i had to do for a free cam belt change and fuel top up was go without my car a week and speak to a tosser customer service person, i'd be happy and get me bike out
 

Tom

ClioSport Club Member
  EV (s)
Thats actually one of the best renault services ive heard on here.

You can't expect them to have CC's at such sort notice.
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Are you guys trying to put me off Renault's for life??? This is by far the worst experience from any dealer I have had (I've been driving for over 10 years) and you guys seem to think I've had a good experience. Think I will sell the car now! :S
 
  Mondeo STTDCI
Thats actually one of the best renault services ive heard on here.

You can't expect them to have CC's at such sort notice.

I have to agree. That is quality service TBH compared to my experience.
 

Tom

ClioSport Club Member
  EV (s)
I really dont see the issue, cars do go wrong now and then. 6 days isnt too bad considering the job and the notice.

You werent treated badly, and taxi's were offered.
 
  172, Tiguan
I also agree. Sadly compaired to what I've heard thats not bad service, they did all that work and you didn't have to pay a penny. You have to remeber Renault aren't a premium brand like Mercedes, you buy a cheap car you get sh!te service sometimes.

As you found out though be firm and it usually gets resolved quickly.
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
I really dont see the issue, cars do go wrong now and then. 6 days isnt too bad considering the job and the notice.

You werent treated badly, and taxi's were offered.

My issues were 1) Why was my girlfriend told it would cost £954 to repair (at her cost) yet when I challenged this I was told it 'should' be covered by warranty. 2) My girlfriend was not offered any courtesy car or taxi even when she told them she would only be finishing work at 3am and had been told her car would be ready that day. Only when I rang the service manager and kicked off about how she was treated was a taxi offered. This in my mind is not quality service.
 

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Tis awesome service compared to what I got

They lost my car in their car park and wouldn't go find it, so I had to travel the 5 miles there by bus to show them my car... t***s

(They had the keys, they could have just pressed the plip key to find it)
 

DrR

ClioSport Club Member
  VW Golf GTD
I really dont see the issue, cars do go wrong now and then. 6 days isnt too bad considering the job and the notice.

You werent treated badly, and taxi's were offered.

My issues were 1) Why was my girlfriend told it would cost £954 to repair (at her cost) yet when I challenged this I was told it 'should' be covered by warranty. 2) My girlfriend was not offered any courtesy car or taxi even when she told them she would only be finishing work at 3am and had been told her car would be ready that day. Only when I rang the service manager and kicked off about how she was treated was a taxi offered. This in my mind is not quality service.

No offence to your girlfriend, but she could have easily miss understood as the majority of ladies don't know much about cars, or the recpetionist didn't know it was covered. and most things are bought under a Return To Base warrently, they don't have to give you a car or pay for the taxi.
 
  850 T5. mmmm Turbo!
you were lucky.

when my clio collopsed on its shitty jack, i got told it was my fault that the jack wasnt up to the job.
and that i could buy a new one for £200.
i asked how i was supposed to get it when i had a 3 wheel'd clio with a £25 jack stuck underneith it.
they are utterly utterly useless!
 

Gaz_

ClioSport Club Member
  Extreme mode
Sounds to me if it didnt have its aux belt replaced at 32k...........
 
  Clio PRIVILEGE 1.4
speaking of renault service i recently brought my
clio im hoping it wont go wrong any time as
its a 51 plate and has only done 33k! does anyone know if the renault dealers in Nottingham are any good? and if not can they recomend me any good independant garages, cheers
 
  Black 172
Arent most dealers the same, they are all after oe thing ! money ! they are not the slightest bit interested in customer service. I qould never take my car to Renault, rather know its had a good job done at my local garage !! at least i get told whats been done etc etc
 
  182
I know what u mean Billy, the service manager is a right c**k. My car was in for a week when the stub axel broke and needed replacing. Not their fault I suppose as they had to wait for the part to be delivered, but he told me I need to book it in 3weeks in advance for a courtesy car. (yeah like I'm gonna know when my car is gonna break)

I was there yesterday actually as one of my shocks seemed to drop all its oil, but they checked it and said it wasn't leaking so wouldn't replace it :S

I won't be taking it there for its service
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Update...

Well the car is back. I haven't driven it yet (girlfriend has) but will be driving it tonight. According to a handwritten note on the original job sheet, they have "replaced alt belt tensioner & timing belt kit due to contamination from alt belt."

We had asked them to investigate a knocking from the rear (exhaust heatshield(s) methinks) but no surpise, the knocking is still there. Just happy to have the car back though.

To the service managers credit, he did sort things very quickly when he found out the problems we were having and did put £25 fuel in the car as goodwill. The car had also been washed when we got it back.
 
Update...

Well the car is back. I haven't driven it yet (girlfriend has) but will be driving it tonight. According to a handwritten note on the original job sheet, they have "replaced alt belt tensioner & timing belt kit due to contamination from alt belt."

We had asked them to investigate a knocking from the rear (exhaust heatshield(s) methinks) but no surpise, the knocking is still there. Just happy to have the car back though.

To the service managers credit, he did sort things very quickly when he found out the problems we were having and did put £25 fuel in the car as goodwill. The car had also been washed when we got it back.

The dreaded wash, hope you didn't like the paintwork before you took it in and they washed it.
 
  Mondeo 2.0LX & Volvo V50
Update...

Well the car is back. I haven't driven it yet (girlfriend has) but will be driving it tonight. According to a handwritten note on the original job sheet, they have "replaced alt belt tensioner & timing belt kit due to contamination from alt belt."

We had asked them to investigate a knocking from the rear (exhaust heatshield(s) methinks) but no surpise, the knocking is still there. Just happy to have the car back though.

To the service managers credit, he did sort things very quickly when he found out the problems we were having and did put £25 fuel in the car as goodwill. The car had also been washed when we got it back.

The dreaded wash, hope you didn't like the paintwork before you took it in and they washed it.

Think it was more like a rinse! :D I know what you mean though. Hate it when they wash them!
 


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