Renault Dealers are s**t!!!

[Stu 172]

Wrote a thread on here a while ago to say I was thinking of changing the car for either a ctr or leon cupra r, basically because of all the hassle associated with reno and their cars.

Had middle section of the exhaust replaced(to try and cure 4k rattle), and as some of you may know they melted the brake servo pipe(this they obviously replaced).

Took the car away and the rattle was still there. Spoke to service manager and he said they would need it back for another 2 days to investigate it further.

Rang the dealer back the second day and was told it needed a new cat!!!.

My wife was told the cat was on back order when she took the car in today because some idiot has snapped the clip off which holds the gearstick gaiter in!!

Fed up of the car going in for one thing, and coming out with something else needing to be replaced due to incompetence and the fact that no-one can be bothered to tell me when they break something!!

Getting a little bit tired of all this c**p!!!

Stu172

 

[Mike Wright]

Thats what you call good old fashioned service for you! Well at least your car wasnt written off like some poor bloke who only left his 6 month old Porche at the garage for a service and when he came back the mechanic had taking it for a test drive and wrote it off!!! (Honestly a true story and it was one of the top of the range ones).

 

[Ben H]

Yeah, I always make sure that I take my car to somewhere I trust - and Renault main dealers are not places that I trust. When I was in Edinburgh in the summer, I took it to the main dealer there. The mechanics obviously hadnt had a 16v for a while as it came back with ten more miles on the clock!

 

[Stu 172]

I am also waiting for a new passenger side heater vent as its rattling(been on order for 3 weeks then they get the wrong one sent thru).

Also waiting for passenger side window to be security etched,( this was replaced by the dealer because they scratched the inside of it when it was new).Reno never supplied the stickers/templates that are needed to re-etch the window.

Now its only got dealer warranty left Im thinking of letting my mate do any work thats needed as past experience tells me that dealer warranties arent worth the paper theyre written on!!

Stu172

 

[Mike Wright]

Nice one Ben! I would have been extremely mad and asked for a serious reduction in the bill if i paid it at all after that!!!!!!!!

 

[Ben H]

Problem was, I wasnt expecting it to have such a big bill (it was only in for an MOT) - so I decided to get some bloody value for money out of it and drive in my rage all the way to Southend-on-Sea for the Mahousive Cliosport meet (yes, from Edinburgh!). I forgot all about the matter of the 10 miles. It was going to be difficult to take it back once Id put another 1000 miles on it in 24 hours!

 

[Mike Wright]

The charges are a complete rip off at local dealers! 1000 miles!!!!!!!!! Thats what i call a road test

 

[Leanne]

I have to agree with Renault Dealers....when I first bought the maxim it was 2nd hand from a ren dealer.

When we took it out for a test drive there was a squeaking coming from the back...we took it back once, and got it back with no improvement.....we took it back again and when we returned we were told it was rear brake drum....WE KNEW WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAS ABSOLUTE PANTS! So we took it back and told them it was the rear shock, they phoned back to say it had been replaced and that it was fine, to which we said, NO, you will change both shocks..you never change only 1 shock....Luckily this was all on warranty even though it had expired because it took so long to do.

NEVER TRUST RENAULT MAIN DEALER!!!

 

[aaronc]

I have a trustworthy mechanic i used for 6 years - my neighbour!

He raced renaults for years so knows the cars very well - a perfectionist too which is ideal for these sorts of performance cars.

It so much easier having someone you can trust to do the work.

As for renualt garages - no news there then

 

[paddymph]

i thik renault are bang on

 

[paddymph]

not...... tools, the lot of em!

 

[Tommy]

Hmmm they suck! Wonder what BMW are going to be like ? To be fair Peugeot suck too!

Tommy.

 

[Robby]

i had my cat replaced under warranty last week, i was told on the monday theyd order 1 the next day, on tuesday i was told it was on back order and it could be 1-3 weeks before they got it, friday morning i got a call to say the cat was at the dealers.

Dont worry back order parts could only be delayed for a day or so, its not the dealers fault. If your local dealers so incompitent with repairs why not try a different dealer? most offer a collection / delivery service or courtesy car

 

[Stu 172]

Have used the supplying dealer in the first place, they werent any good so I started to use the new local dealer.

They do offer a collection/delivery service or courtesy car, and I know the delay on the cat is not their fault, but when they "melt" your servo pipe because they forgot to open the bonnet whilst running it in the workshop, and snapping a clip on the gearstick gaiter without saying anything then thats a different story!!

What Im saying is I know most cars come with some kind of fault, but when the dealer has had the car for 2 days to sort out an exhaust rattle,then has it for another 2 days to find out that its the cat, to me is a bit excessive.

I bought the car to drive around in and enjoy,not to have it stuck in a dealer workshop for a total of 5 days out of the last 15.

I feel that if renaults quality control was a bit/alot stricter there would be less of these kind of problems!!!

Stu172

 

[telford_mike]

Just to put the other side of the coin.....

My missus rammed our Megane into a grass bank and damn near removed the front bumper assembly. Took it to the dealer. Took 1.5 hours to fix it (they did it there and then) and there was no charge.

I whacked a cone on a trackday and shattered one of my arch liners on the 172. The dealer replaced BOTH arch liners free of charge.

They are interested in my mods and never give me any grief about the warranty.

And why? Weve bought 4 new cars from them in the last few years, and they want us to keep coming back. Small, independent Renault dealer, out in the middle of nowhere.

I still wouldnt use them for out-of-warranty repairs because theyre too expensive, but I cant fault the service.

 

[GR7]

Quote: Originally posted by Stu 172 on 08 March 2003

Wrote a thread on here a while ago to say I was thinking of changing the car for either a ctr or leon cupra r, basically because of all the hassle associated with reno and their cars.
Had middle section of the exhaust replaced(to try and cure 4k rattle), and as some of you may know they melted the brake servo pipe(this they obviously replaced).

Took the car away and the rattle was still there. Spoke to service manager and he said they would need it back for another 2 days to investigate it further.

Rang the dealer back the second day and was told it needed a new cat!!!.

My wife was told the cat was on back order when she took the car in today because some idiot has snapped the clip off which holds the gearstick gaiter in!!

Fed up of the car going in for one thing, and coming out with something else needing to be replaced due to incompetence and the fact that no-one can be bothered to tell me when they break something!!

Getting a little bit tired of all this c**p!!!

Stu172




THIS IS PRECISELY WHY I PREFER MY RELIABLE, TRUSTWORTHY, HONEST, CARING, LOCAL GARAGE, WHO VALUE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS, WHERE NOTHING IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE, THE MECHANICS DONT TALK DOWN AT THE CUSTOMERS, CARS GET THOROUGH ATTENTION, NOTHING IS SKIMPED, THEIR LABOUR CHARGES ARE HALF WHAT RENAULT MONKEYS CHARGE AND THE WORK THEY SAY HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR, ACTUALLY HAS BEEN DONE, THE CAR GETS CLEANED AND THE WORKSHOP FOREMAN WAS AT A RENAULT DEALER FOR NINE YEARS SO KNOWS RENAULTS INSIDE OUT!

 

[GR7]

Quote: Originally posted by Ben H on 08 March 2003





Yeah, I always make sure that I take my car to somewhere I trust - and Renault main dealers are not places that I trust. When I was in Edinburgh in the summer, I took it to the main dealer there. The mechanics obviously hadnt had a 16v for a while as it came back with ten more miles on the clock!

____________________________________________________

Ben

You would have been better going to Abercromby Renault as they are franchised, whereas Renault Edinburgh are the main dealer. I had a poor experience there when I test drove their 172 ,they told me there was at least a three month wait for one, so when I said that I could get an import the next week, the sales guy turned quite aggressive and told me just how INFERIOR imports were .......etc etc!

 

[telford_mike]

Wow GR you really feel strongly about this dont you?

And youre dead right too - there really is a lot to be said for using people who youve done business with before. Trouble is, with warranty work this isnt always possible and people are obliged to use their nearest Renault dealer whether they like it or not - hence the moans and groans in this thread.

Real shame to have the ownership experience spoiled by poor service, and no excuse for it IMO. If any dealer treated me like that I wouldnt go back either, Im just lucky to have a good one. If my local dealer had turned out to be awful when we bought our first Clio Id probably be on the Saxo forum now. OMG!

 

[GR7]

I know that BMWs cost more than Clios, but you never get less than excellent attention at a BMW dealer, nothing is too much trouble and in my opinion, there is no reason why Renault cant train their staff to work in the same way.

There must be many local garages with excellent mechanics/technicians and if you can find a good VAT registered garage, and they use genuine Renault parts, then your warranty should not be affected. Renault dealers will tell you differently - but they would, wouldnt they!!

 

[Tommy]

BMW are so confident in the Mini, you can get 5 years servicing for £100!

Regards,

Tommy (Cooper S).

 

[Neil82]

100£ for 5 years shows a lot of confidence in their cars! However I considered a Cooper S when I was looking at the Cup (getting it next weekend ) but its just way to slow compared to a 172/Cup.

 

[Just Bob]

Posted by GirlRacer




THIS IS PRECISELY WHY I PREFER MY RELIABLE, TRUSTWORTHY, HONEST, CARING, LOCAL GARAGE, WHO VALUE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS, WHERE NOTHING IS TOO MUCH TROUBLE, THE MECHANICS DONT TALK DOWN AT THE CUSTOMERS, CARS GET THOROUGH ATTENTION, NOTHING IS SKIMPED, THEIR LABOUR CHARGES ARE HALF WHAT RENAULT MONKEYS CHARGE AND THE WORK THEY SAY HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR, ACTUALLY HAS BEEN DONE, THE CAR GETS CLEANED AND THE WORKSHOP FOREMAN WAS AT A RENAULT DEALER FOR NINE YEARS SO KNOWS RENAULTS INSIDE OUT!

Well, Ive been called a few names but never a MONKEY before.

Nice to be tarred with the same brush!

Im also sure that BMW do offer an excellent service, at a price! Do you complain about prices to BMW? Just a thought.

As for warranty, the terms and conditions are that the vehicle is serviced and maintained within the Renault network. Renault will allow 1 late or missed service, including 1 service outside the network, before your warranty becomes void. Can you honestly expect Renault to pay for repairs to your car when it goes wrong, when you have had it serviced or repaired by independant garages?

Bob RTE

 

[Just Bob]

Quote: Originally posted by paddymph on 08 March 2003

not...... tools, the lot of em!

Thanks paddymph!

Nice to know!

Bob RTE

 

[BenR]

Same in HK Bob, i try help all the time, and local Renault club members are friends. BUT, come the time im not there.....nothing but bad talk behind my back.....and they wonder why i dont give a damn what they do now....my service and effort isnt free.

Most of the time, they just use you to save a penny or 2.....

THEN LOCK YOU OUT OF THE CLUB FORUM!!! honestly, do they expect me to pay for a club im trying to support and give special deals to....there goes that 15% sevice and parts deal.......

(BTW Jas, im talking bout HK.....this place is far too civilised)

 

[Tommy]

"100£ for 5 years shows a lot of confidence in their cars! However I considered a Cooper S when I was looking at the Cup (getting it next weekend ) but its just way to slow compared to a 172/Cup."

Each to their own and all that but personally Im not convinced, I agree a 172 will have more straight line power (as I have a 172 at the moment), but my 106 GTI (in my opinion) was better round the bends. You also have to consider depreciation? I get my car on Saturday (I hope) and there is a 12 month old car same spec 8000 miles on the clock, on the forecourt for £600 more than I am paying !

You reckon youll get £13000, for your cup in 12 months time ?

Regards,

Tommy.

 

[Tommy]

Hmm should also mention Im going for the Hartge conversion to 212bhp!

Tommy.

 

[teady172]

" and there is a 12 month old car same spec 8000 miles on the clock, on the forecourt for £600 more than I am paying !"

Erm, thats crazy, so the same dealer can get you the exact same car with NO miles on it and brand new for less!! Hell never sell the car doing business like that. That doesnt sound right at all!!!!

 

[BenR]

but the mini is just not a mini....

its a thingy...

and nothing too special.......just the revival of a legendary name.

and i hate that chrysler engine!

 

[GR7]

Quote: Originally posted by BobRTE on 09 March 2003

Well, Ive been called a few names but never a MONKEY before.

Nice to be tarred with the same brush!

Im also sure that BMW do offer an excellent service, at a price! Do you complain about prices to BMW? Just a thought.

Bob RTE




Bob

Who called you a monkey?

The last BMW service we had, wasnt that expensive to be honest, in fact it was less than some guys have paid for Clio services.

Anyway Bob, you expect to pay a bit more for class!

I have read back through some of the messages here, and much of the time it doesnt only seem to be the cost at Renault dealers, it appears to be the attitude of some of their staff and the fact that some of the time, the work hasnt been done properly or that they cant solve the customers problems.

 

[Just Bob]

While I agree that some ppl here have had less than excellent service from their dealer, this is not always the case. As always, ppl are happy to moan about poor service and costs, but how many ppl have recieved good service from their dealer and have posted it here, or does everyone get sh1t service from their Renault dealer?

I would like to hear from anyone who has a good word for their dealer.

I fear I have opened the floodgates for more abuse though!

Bob RTE

 

[GregMcN]

Tried the cooper S , Leon Cupr R and CTR before I bought my 172.

Mini handles well, slow if not modified, interior poor in places (plasticy instruments and stalks), whiney engine, heavy on fuel, good resale but expensive to buy if you want a reasonable spec. losy prt exchange offered and long wait.

Cupra R, like the look of it,very torquey engine, well equipped but hopeless on bumpy roads - bounces you all over the place.

CTR, good driving position, gearbox, not much equipment,like the look of it but you have to rev the nuts off it all the time to get anywhere and not encourged by all the magazines saying it is tricky in the wet.

Clio 172, best compromise and most fun to drive

 

[Neil82]

Quote: Originally posted by Tommy on 09 March 2003


Hmm should also mention Im going for the Hartge conversion to 212bhp!

Tommy.

And it wont be any faster than a STANDARD CUP, but it will make the handling of the Cooper S worse (161 hp brillaint handling, but stick 212 through the front wheels and it aint going to same) Oh and that Hartge conversion means you can wave good bye to you 100£ 5 year service thing and the BMW warrenty Its funny the way all the mags have started using modified cooper Ss in their mag tests, says it all really! Why dont they put chipped Cupra Rs S3s against the CTR, RS , Cup etc ?

 

[Toine]

The rattle coming from the exhaust line is a well known problem on the Clio 172. The Evo Mags 172 Cup has/had the same problem and I wrote an email to them about it.
No answers yet!

 

[Tommy]

Apologies, the 2nd hand one has sat nav and a tracker, theyve just reduced it from £18995 to £17995. Although theyve just sold one second hand with 2000 miles on the clock, it was up for £17995.

Some people in certain areas of the country are waiting 10 months for delivery, dont figure!

Tommy.