Ruined gearbox on clio rs 200 £2500 to fix by Renault

[benboy]

Hi all,

this topic has probably been covered before but I want to let everyone know my experiences.

My clio is a 59 plate just 20k on the clock fully services at all the right intervals. Recently the gears have been crunching and at times I cannot select anything which is actually quite dangerous.

I took the car to my local dealer who looked over the gearbox and surprise surprise said the entire thing was wrecked. The car has never been tracked and is looked after very well, no excuse for this after just 20k!! Biggest insult a £2500 reapir bill. One of the synchs has failed and taken the rest of the box with it, as apparently all the metal shards are floating around.

I took this to renault uk as this issue isnt exactly rare. I have seen some pretty generous contributions (97.5 in some cases) but for me just 61% meaning I still need to pay nearly a grand. I am outraged by this and the fact that the gearbox is totally ruined already. I chose to ignore everyone about avoiding french cars and this is how I get repayed.

I dont want to spend a grand on a car that will only deprecioate and I will get none of this back in resale. Its 13% of the overall cost of the car for me.

Does anyone have any pointers or bartering tips with renault? They say they are doing me a favor but there must be some form of legal comeback on such a critical mechanical failure?

Gutted totally and I dont think i will be using or buying another renault again.

 

[Advikaz]

Someone I'm sure will be able to assist you with this one mate as a few have had this!

 

[Paprika123]

Get the box removed and rebuilt else where?

 

[Alastair.]

Have you got full Renault main dealer history?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Sadly I suspect that more than fulfills their legal obligation.

Unless you can convince a court that under the sales of goods act, it is implicit that a new car will last more than 20K miles without needing a gearbox rebuild.

If you arent the original purchaser though, that will probably not get you anywhere as you have no implied contract with renault themselves I suspect.


Really you need proper legal advice though, not guesses from people on forums.
Try citizens advice, if you can get one of their proper legal advisors they are pretty clued up.

 

[Bluebeard]

Has anyone been to watchdog yet, as per the bonnet catch on mk2 clios?

It's clearly a massive design/build quality issue. It seems like every day I log on to this place, someone else has had a 197/200 gearbox s**t itself.

 

[Emma.]

My boyfriend got 75% paid by RUK, he paid around £400 in August. Keep going at RUK.

 

[AJM91]

Exactly the same issue as me mate, 59 plate too, I haven't tried the RUK route yet.

You can try this? 12 month warranty for £354, just need somewhere reputable to fit it.

 

[JCDEX]

Mines being replaced today and they would only give me 50% so still over a grand and not long out of warranty

 

[Dan@SJM]

Just write to a tabloid newspaper, get the editor to write back saying they'd be interested in publishing a story (with the amount of people having issues and Renault not paying up. They'll love that) and let Renault know you have a national paper with good interest in the story. Basically saying if they don't sort it out they'll have the papers to deal with. - lost sales etc etc they'll pay up.

 

[Chrisgti6]

Mines being replaced today and they would only give me 50% so still over a grand and not long out of warranty

Why on earth would you do that? If it's still over a grand you should have got it done elsewhere. £350 for a new box with warranty then a couple of hundred to get it fitted! £600 max I'd have thought and nothing in Renaults pocket!

 

[Bluebeard]

I don't understand the reasoning behind fitting a second hand box. The chances are it will fail, quickly.

 

[lemonnobby]

customer services have cut there budgets again. a month ago i bet it would have been different we have had some shocks when we have rang them at work for stuff and they have given us 40-60% where a month ago it would be 90%
keep at them ask to go higher etc
if you had renaults before that will help, car must have full renault service history
and generally must have been from a renault garage if you got it second hand

 

[Alastair.]

You never get a new gearbox or engine on warranty jobs, they are always re-con units.

The other day Renault paid 90% for a customers heater rio stat and loom on their Scenic. The thing was a 04 plate with just short of 100k and it was sent over from another garage, mental!.

 

[Gally]

I don't understand the reasoning behind fitting a second hand box. The chances are it will fail, quickly.

I'm guessing most want quick fix to sell.

 

[bmit]

Just got to keep hassling them, ask for the next person up the ruk chain, Push for as high as poss let them barter you down. Ask them personally if they really think it is acceptable for a gearbox to break after such little use. Satisfactory quality etc

 

[Bluebeard]

LOL! Working for RUK customer services has got to be a proper stressful job. Phones must be ringing flat out!

 

[Gally]

Lols! The people that Luke put me on to were very very helpful. To be fair I/We couldn't have been anymore in the right but still.

Dealers on the other hand...

 

[benboy]

Hi all,

sorry for the late reply all been away on business. I am outraged at renault, their attitude stinks and based on all your comments above it certainly isnt a rare fault.

I will try and push for higher contribution this week see what I can get but im not hopeful. I think the best solution is the gearbox from ebay for £350 and my mates garage will fit it but id like to know if the current 61% contribution is still valid even if I take the work away from a dealer? It had better be or ill be even more frustrated with renault as I dont want to put any business their way to be fair.

Always loved the clio 200 and in my favourite colour, £19k car mine was originally and this is what you get, a potential 2.5k repair bill after just 20k on the clock.

If renault contribute 75% i will take it otherwise I will go my my own route and ensure some negartive feedback is provided shall we say

 

[Inequality Street]

Hi all,

sorry for the late reply all been away on business. I am outraged at renault, their attitude stinks and based on all your comments above it certainly isnt a rare fault.

I will try and push for higher contribution this week see what I can get but im not hopeful. I think the best solution is the gearbox from ebay for £350 and my mates garage will fit it but id like to know if the current 61% contribution is still valid even if I take the work away from a dealer? It had better be or ill be even more frustrated with renault as I dont want to put any business their way to be fair.

Always loved the clio 200 and in my favourite colour, £19k car mine was originally and this is what you get, a potential 2.5k repair bill after just 20k on the clock.

If renault contribute 75% i will take it otherwise I will go my my own route and ensure some negartive feedback is provided shall we say

I would be extremley surprised if they offer you any money at all. The 60% is probably a discount on their price, not cash they'll put in your account. And to be fair, if you take the work elsewhere and you don't buy the part from them, why would they bother to help? I know it's sh*t but technically you're out of warrenty etc.

I'm sure my thinking would be different if my 200 had *another* gearbox fail though.

 

[Advikaz]

I wouldn't personally buy a second hand box unless it was from someone known.

 

[Rob]

I'd be angling for 90% TBH. I don't get how when you sit someone down and talk to them, they can't see that 20,000 miles is not an OK amount of miles for a car to require a gearbox rebuild. My clutch didn't give out until 115k FFS.

I'd definitely consider court action if you're the only owner, under it being not fit for purpose, and using the percentage values of the original purchase VS the cost of the work to show that this certainly doesn't come under reasonable maintenance.

 

[rs 1an]

Ben where did you buy the car from?

 

[Gally]

19k car and a a gearbox that lasted 20k miles. Yeah trading standard would remove their anus in court for that.

 

[Cooksport]

How long have you had it? Does it have a full Renault Service History?

You never know, the previous owner may have used it as a track car.

 

[Gally]

How long have you had it? Does it have a full Renault Service History?

You never know, the previous owner may have used it as a track car.

That would be Renault that advertised the car using it on track?

 

[Ianboom]

It would be interesting to do a poll of 197 & 200 owners to see what percentage have failed!?

 

[benboy]

Trust me this car was never tracked still on original pads and discs. It was immaculate and still is.

The car had 1 previous owners and 17k on the clock when I got it. Its only had two services as they are ever 2 years. First with renault and second elsewhere but I dont understand why it matters where the service was done. The gearbox is not included in any maintenance at this mileage or age.

They know this is an issue they admitted it, some people have recieved far large contributions outsuide of warranty. Its actually a health and saftey hazard as the gear are not predictable, which means I could end up shafted when trying to pull out of crossroads etc.

I will not pay £1000 which is what I have left to pay. If I get the work done elsewhere I want them to cover 61% of that final bill as its unacceptable of them to force me to a dealer in my eyes.

Cheers for the comments guys

 

[Rob]

Send it in for the work, then turn up with the spare key and just drive off.

Let them chase you for the money rather than the other way around, this way they're on the back foot during the negotiations*

*I do no condone this, but god damn it'd feel good

 

[Inequality Street]

Trust me this car was never tracked still on original pads and discs. It was immaculate and still is.

The car had 1 previous owners and 17k on the clock when I got it. Its only had two services as they are ever 2 years. First with renault and second elsewhere but I dont understand why it matters where the service was done. The gearbox is not included in any maintenance at this mileage or age.

They know this is an issue they admitted it, some people have recieved far large contributions outsuide of warranty. Its actually a health and saftey hazard as the gear are not predictable, which means I could end up shafted when trying to pull out of crossroads etc.

I will not pay £1000 which is what I have left to pay. If I get the work done elsewhere I want them to cover 61% of that final bill as its unacceptable of them to force me to a dealer in my eyes.

Cheers for the comments guys

But the person before you may have enjoyed changing gear without fully engaging the clutch. Or may have driven like a wally.

I'm in no way siding with Renault, I think its awful and they should cover the costs, Im just looking at it from their point of view. Tats what I would be saying to you if I were a dealer trying to get out of it. As long as you're prepared for questions like that and have a decent answer ready, keep pushing.

 

[Chrisgti6]

I don't understand the reasoning behind fitting a second hand box. The chances are it will fail, quickly.

I wouldn't personally buy a second hand box unless it was from someone known.

I'm not sure anyone has suggested fitting a used 'box have they? Plenty of new old stock ones available. The eBay link provided by someone is for a new TL4 024 gearbox with 12 month warranty from RCS. If Renault won't budge then this would still be my route to a fix.

 

[Chapppers11]

How long have you had it? Does it have a full Renault Service History?

You never know, the previous owner may have used it as a track car.

The mind boggles at that comment.

It's almost as bad as the response I've had about premature Recaro bolster and steering wheel wear from SJ Cook / Renault UK.

Oh wait...

 

[Chip-mk1]

But the person before you may have enjoyed changing gear without fully engaging the clutch. Or may have driven like a wally.

Agreed, if you drive like a tool you could easily prematurely kill the box.

I very much doubt that has happened in this case, but its a justification for renault not going as high on the percentage as they do when its the first owner I suppose.

Trying to get a court to accept its more than 61% their fault when there is an unknown quantity of some other person doing 90% of the mileage might be hard.

Deffo just continually phone them and harass them though as a first step.

 

[Matthew]

The exact reason I have never had a mk3 RS. Renault really are a bunch of chansers.

They would never get my business.

 

[Matt W]

It would be interesting to do a poll of 197 & 200 owners to see what percentage have failed!?

A poll has been done already. Was a shockingly high number of failures!

This is really not going to help re-sale value

 

[Inequality Street]

Agreed, if you drive like a tool you could easily prematurely kill the box.

I very much doubt that has happened in this case, but its a justification for renault not going as high on the percentage as they do when its the first owner I suppose.

Trying to get a court to accept its more than 61% their fault when there is an unknown quantity of some other person doing 90% of the mileage might be hard.

Deffo just continually phone them and harass them though as a first step.

This ^ If my box went 'again - I'd be complaining to the highest level. However, if they set firm at paying 61% I'd probably accept it. Better than a kick in the balls. Baring in mind Im not the first owner of my car, and these aren't cars that are normally poodled round.

 

[Martin_172]

That would be Renault that advertised the car using it on track?

Arnold Clark Stirling told me that my warranty should be void as it had been on track, but as a goodwill gesture they wouldn't pass the information onto Renault. There was a poster beside a 200 in the dealership saying "a real track animal" on it, my car had a LAP timer ffs!!!

after weeks of stress with Arnold clark customer services, Renault UK customer services and the dealership all of who were completely useless and unhelpful the car was traded in at a MASSIVE financial loss to myself (it was only 10 months old)

Renault UK seem helpful on the phone, they tell you what you want to hear but they have no control over the IDIOTIC dealerships it seems so actually get nowhere

 

[Gally]

I remember that Martin. Adam told me last night they told him not to rev his car over 3.5k... Peak power 6k or so!

 

[Fred@BTM]

I'd love to be employed by RUK and go round all the dealerships cracking the whip, would be hilarious! I remember telling the RTE at a dealership in Scotland how to fix something on Chic's car over the phone as he didn't have a clue

 

[Martin_172]

I would have thought a franchise with Renault is something worth a lot of cash so it would be very easy for Renault UK to have the dealers by the balls, I got my current Twingo from a Toyota dealership and the level of service, and standards is just night and day compared to Renault