Scared of buying a 172

[ChrisPearson]

Im looking to buy a 172, ive found a very mint one for sale but im just scared as ive heard so many storys on here of the things that go wrong and i never had that problem on my old clio.If im going to pay double what my clio 1.2 cost then i want it to be twice as good.

What are the potential problems?Also please reasure me im making the right decision.Will the speed be worth it?

 

[ForceIndia]

I've had 5, worst fault (other than w&t, brakes, tyres etc) problem I had was a squeaky aux belt pulley. Under £200 to sort. You could buy a new BMW and have massive problems. Do your research, check the car over carefully, be reet.

 

[Brian]

Remember: People generally only talk about when their car is going wrong or broken, they won't come along to say every things been hunky-dorey..

All cars have problems at some stage aswell.

 

[172boost]

I think it's worth saying that owning any sport models whether it be a Renault or otherwise comes with a big risk/reward.
High performance vehicles require high maintenance and some people who own these cars just don't realise that until they go wrong.
Owning a high performance car just isn't the same as owning a 1.2 runabout.
Just as an example - my mini cost £440 to change the brakes all round 2 months ago, to do the same in my 1.2 clio would cost about 50p.
I'm going now because I sound old.

 

[fuel_slut]

Yes you will always have problems and dont fool your self that you wont, but if you get a well looked after one it wont give you much trouble.

I had a couple of problems with my 172 but they are just like any car regarding problems.

 

[H182]

If you've already got a clio it won't be much different. I've had a few issues but they've all been small. Not broken down like I did in my 1.2.

 

[cat171]

If the car has fsh & lots of bills etc it should in theory be fine. As well as the car, try to get a feel for the seller too, if the dude looks like he thrashes it hard everywhere - walk away. If he opens it up hard from cold just to impress you, walk away.

At the end of the day, as Brian says - in general folk only talk about cars when they go wrong. My old boys 172 which he's had for years now has been fine, it's on about 50k or something.

 

[Blarno]

All cars go wrong. Just get one that's been well maintained and has a wad of paperwork as thick as an elephant's wang.

A car is only as reliable as it's owner.

 

[Sir_Dave]

High performance vehicles require high maintenance and some people who own these cars just don't realise that until they go wrong.Owning a high performance car just isn't the same as owning a 1.2 runabout.

FFS lol, its a clio, not a ferrari, 172's/182's cost peanuts to run.

A car is as reliable as its maintenance regime imho. I've done 160k in a 206, a 182 and a 172 cup in 4 years. Problems other than routine maintenance = 0.

Buy sensibly and you'll be fine

 

[Dave Hester]

ignore all the scare monger s**t stirrers on here. They are brilliant cars the single worst thing about them is the gearbox

 

[Hutchie]

frequent servicing usually keeps a car running sweet, like freeing off brakes before they wear much and keeping everthing greased helps keep a car running. some faults cant be avoided, some things just break. thats life. but in general a well looked after car will reward you with reliablilty

 

[Goders172]

Ive had mine getting on for 2 years covered 25,000 miles (its done 56K) and had no problems at all other than wear and tear, and a cracked rear disc. As said people only ever tell their stories about the bad times so it makes the car look worse than is. As long as you buy careful stick to the service schedule and generally look after it, it will be as reliable as any other car you buy.

Love mine its been a great toy.

If things do go wrong, naturally being a "SPORT" you pay a premium for it to be fixed. However it should, if bought wisely and looked after, be as reliable as the 1.2 you love so much. Do it you will not regret it.

 

[ChrisPearson]

Yeh the owner seemed fine and its definitly a well maintained car owner and previous owner are on here its just that if something does go wrong ill struggle to pay for it.
My car had literally no paper work and it never went wrong so you cant really say every car goes wrong.

 

[jcrawford7]

i was in the same situation as you, then thought sod it, why not! best decision i have made! you will never get bored of driving it, and mine hasnt gone wrong yet, touch wood! but like people say all cars go wrong at somepoint, but with clio sports i think the pro's overweigh the con's by a mile! buy it!

 

[ForceIndia]

Yeh the owner seemed fine and its definitly a well maintained car owner and previous owner are on here its just that if something does go wrong ill struggle to pay for it.
My car had literally no paper work and it never went wrong so you cant really say every car goes wrong.

Then don't buy it, simple. On any 2nd hand car I always leave some money aside for issues, if you can't do that you can't really afford the car (unless your lucky and it's absolutely faultless).

 

[ChrisPearson]

I have some aside say after car and insurance ill have £500 + £1000 in savings but its just ill struggle to live.

 

[Revels]

It's not worth struggling to live to run a car. Especially not a Clio.

 

[Little Newms]

I paid £3500 for my "mint" ph1, everything seemed fine! Cut a long story short, i spent £3k just fixing it to get it right! Should never have sold it though in the end! Was solid once the work was complete! It was a lovely car to drive and went very very well!

Shame! Theres good ones and bad ones!

Ditto want revels said though! Im so much happier in my van than driving the clio because im £500 a month better of!

 

[shiyan]

If you can't afford it then don't buy it. Quite simple really.

 

[rory182]

strong engines, don't abuse it and it'll last well. A few on 80, 90 100k miles on here.

Shouldn't cost much in repairs TBH

 

[rory182]

ignore all the scare monger s**t stirrers on here. They are brilliant cars the single worst thing about them is the seat height

indeed,

Gearbox is fine if you know how to use a clutch

 

[Iain C]

my old cup is on over 70k now with no probs, chris cup is on 120 and its still very quick.

 

[davo172]

Yeh the owner seemed fine and its definitly a well maintained car owner and previous owner are on here its just that if something does go wrong ill struggle to pay for it.
My car had literally no paper work and it never went wrong so you cant really say every car goes wrong.

Get one with fsh thats been looked after with all the bills mate and you should be fine great cars if looked after , no less reliable than anything else .
just dont buy the cheapest one you find or one with loads of owners (will cost you more in the long run) and check cam and aux belts and tensioners been done thats the BIG money job !!

 

[Henjo_25]

Ive owned a 182 & 172 and havent had any engine problems with them in 5 years. Had to replace rear shocks and thats about it! BUY IT YOU WILL LOVE IT & MAYBE HAVE SEX WITH IT!

 

[Timmay]

It's not worth struggling to live to run a car. Especially not a Clio.

very true

 

[Gaz_]

Spot on. Any car can be a nightmare. Say you had 5k max for a Clio, then it f**ked up, your shafted.... What i would do with that 5k budget, is buy a car for say 3.5-4k, then put the rest aside for any abnormalities. You never know.

 

[rob_clio197rs]

ive had mine 3 yrs now and covered 40k, ive had alot of problems, headgasket, resistor pack, driveshaft, all engine mounts, crank sensor going causing me to breakdown, radiator leaking, clutch now squeeking and 3rd gear is on the way out and the usual service items discs pads, tyres. ive spent an absolute fortune on it from repaires to mods but i love it. All depends how you drive it aswell, mine is abused im not going to lie ive given it a hard life but thats what i got it for so i cant moan about the bills at the end of the day, chances are i will probably never sell it now unless i really have to.

 

[gaz44]

I have some aside say after car and insurance ill have £500 + £1000 in savings but its just ill struggle to live.

So you can't afford to buy and run this car. Don't buy it. Simples.

 

[ChrisPearson]

Is £1500 not enough incase something goes wrong?

 

[Revels]

Depends for how long mate. That would fix most things but if you get 5 big bills..

 

[ChrisPearson]

So everyone on here has bought there car and insurance upfront without a loan and over £1500 spare.I doubt it.

 

[Revels]

No need to have a strop.

What I'm saying is, if that is all you have, to run your car for the next few years, you'll struggle. If you'll be adding to that money regularly then it'll probably go up faster than it goes down on repairs.

 

[ChrisPearson]

I wasnt having a strop but i think i have more than enough money to run this car.

Obviously i will be living off what i earn and will have some left over to add to that so it will go up ill just have to stop myself from modding it.

 

[gaz44]

So everyone on here has bought there car and insurance upfront without a loan and over £1500 spare.I doubt it.

It's more about disposable income. Obviously, not everyone can normally account for thousands of pounds worth of problems but being comfortable, ie, being able to live, and pay for their car.

If you are scared because it's a Clio, then don't be. You are mistaking the Clio with an Alfa, where you will go bankrupt trying to keep it working!

My Cup was very reliable, only brakes and exhaust costing me anything major.

 

[whatisjustis]

So many threads like this.

The best you can do is buy a car with a good service history and appears to have been well maintained.

Avoid cars that have not had their belts changed or negotiate a discount if they need doing.

Check oil levels, coolant, engine warning lights, exhaust condition and the tyres for uneven wear.

HPI check etc.

AA/RAC inspection if you fancy.

Short of stripping the engine you're never going to know for sure so man up and take the plunge! You're clearly going to end up buying one.

 

[Bluebeard]

I've had 7 172's in various states of tune. Apart from irritating little niggles (HT leads being one of them!) i've never had a problem.

Nothing to be scared about mate. Just get it bought.

 

[ChrisPearson]

Tyres and MOT need doing which i will knock off the price.

The airbag light is on which doesnt bother me as it was on my last car but the service light is also on?

 

[DrR]

So it's been well maintained, but needs new tyres, an MOT and there is lights on the dash, right.

 

[jordan172]

mine has been no trouble at all. its an absolute pleasure to own.

 

[ChrisPearson]

So it's been well maintained, but needs new tyres, an MOT and there is lights on the dash, right.

Yes,could it just be a loose wire?and will it need reseting by renault?