Unacceptable!!

[renasport2]

Hello people, I've been a member for quite a while in this forum, this is my first post though, and that it to report the ignorance of Renault dealers and unacceptable approach of Renault extended warranty.

I drive a clio R27, still on extended warranty. About 2 months ago the engine management light came on flashing for about 15 secs and then went off. At first I thought I'd leave it for the service but then it became more frequent. So I took the wise decision to take it to Enfield (North London) dealer. They told me that the engine apparently misfired and that I'd have to change the sparkplugs. They quoted me £180 so you can easily guess that i nearly pi$$ed myself laughing given that the plugs for this car cost about £50 and it takes about 10min to replace them. £130 for 10min job??(Are they brain surgeons or something?)

Anyway, I took the car without doing any work (obviously) and after a couple of weeks I booked to go to Renault West London. They 'investigated'' the problem (I didn't mention that I had taken the car to Enfield dealer btw) and they came up with the ''injector reprogram'' solution, something that they quoted £140!And obviously I left.

So hang on a second, same problem, same company, same computers-equipment but different diagnosis??? I would have ended up paying £320 and who guarantees that the problem would have been sorted? And the funny thing is that the damage is NOT COVERED by the extended warranty! BTW the plugs have never been changed because the 4th annual service is not due yet(and the mileage is less that 36k) so basically if the plugs failed, someone would have though that it wouldn't be the owner's fault (they came with the car and as most in here probably know Renault suggests for them to be replaced on the 4th service) and if the ecu wents tit$ up is still not my fault! But they would NOT pay for any costs!!

Needless to say that I'm filing an official complain for the people who work at the dealers can not make a proper diagnosis and for the atrocious approach of Renault extended warranty. Sorry for the assay, I just thought I'd let you know. I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks a lot.

Regards

 

[Adam.]

So has the problem been fixed?

 

[Skeeter]

Let me get this straight... you are writing an official complaint because you think that their diagnosis of your car is wrong, but you cant actually prove it as you have had none of the work they suggested carried out and haven't had the issue resolved by other means?

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[Gally]

That's pretty shocking due to the fact, imagine how many people would have paid the orginal price or even the second price.

You get good ones and bad ones like anywhere. Words of mouth is important aswell! I'd rather drive to Brum to see Fred than let a Renault tech near my car!

 

[Revels]

I think you're massively over exaggerating TBH.

Cars break. It's not always a simple fix and often they 'think' it's something and it turns out not to be. I had a garage tell me my speakers in the doors was causing the vibration when it was the engine mounts. I didn't file a complaint.

Extended warranties are barely worth the paper they are printed on. Just accept that garages get things wrong from time to time. They didn't make you pay anything so not quite sure what you're so angry about..

You don't even know they're wrong because they haven't carried out the work and presumably you still have the light flashing.

 

[Gorms]

I know Renault are not the best when it comes to customer relations but you are being a little harsh. Why didnt you tell the other garage what the other place had found and then they could have least checked to see if they were right or wrong then you could have a definate answer. Im a technician on aircraft and its not always as easy as some people think to find a fault, so you just start with the easiest things first.

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[jack_kemp]

Most renault dealers are morons. It's been proved time and time again.
Get on to Renault UK, they tend to be pretty keen to help with things like this.

Edit: reading the rest of your replies, I agree, making a formal complaint may be a little OTT, but £180 for plugs is daylight robbery and an ecu problem should be covered by warranty!

 

[Christopher]

I'm with Dan. Massive overreaction IMO.

 

[renasport2]

Thank you very much for your responses people, I really appreciate it. To make things clear;

1. I DID NOT pay for any extended warranty, the previous owner did.

2. You would expect (given that the plugs haven't been changed as I have already mentioned) that the warranty would cover the expenses. It's a fault isn't it and at the end of the day it's a part that came with the car.

3. After the dealer told me that the plugs would cost me an arm and a leg I decided to leave it for the 4th service, when I'd take the car to a specialist. The flashing light became more frequent, I moved places, and the west london dealer is now closer. I took the car there for some other work as well and I told them to have a look at it. They came up with a completely different diagnosis, loads of money, no cover from the warranty(why exactly??ECU or injectors fault not been covered??) and the annoying thing is that BOTH the dealers were 100% certain that their diagnose is correct! Apparently it is not.

4. I know that cars break. Everything break and that's why there are specialists out there who you would expect to do their job properly and if they can't be 100% certain at least to state it so.

5. I have already ordered 4 new plugs, my local garage will replace them for me so I'm really curious to see how it goes. I'm gonna have to replace them anyway in 2 months so it doesn't worry me that much. I should have mentioned that earlier, but I'm not filing a complain right now, I'll get that sorted first, I'll see what the problem was and then I'll take it from there.

Thanks again

 

[sideways danny]

your attitude to the replacement of parts is actually a bit deluded. sparkplugs are a consumable, they wont be covered by any extended warranty. Not changing them becuase they're not "due" is a bit silly too. I've never seen a set of plugs make it past 30k without being seriously worn, let alone the intervals renault specify.

If you can remove engine covers, pull out individual coils, change plugs, refit everything, test drive the car, and do before and after diagnostics checks in 10 minutes then you're in the wrong job......however I expect not £180 is excessive, but they're going to charge you an hour on top of parts for making sure the misfire has gone so it's going to be well over £100 straight away if you insist on using main dealers

 

[The Boosh!]

I know Renault are not the best when it comes to customer relations but you are being a little harsh. Why didnt you tell the other garage what the other place had found and then they could have least checked to see if they were right or wrong then you could have a definate answer. Im a technician on aircraft and its not always as easy as some people think to find a fault, so you just start with the easiest things first.

Hope you get it sorted.

RUK's customer relations team is ranked as the best in Europe lol.

 

[daveski]

RUK have been good to me in the past, after a little moaning.

Main dealer service is generally terrible though

 

[red_beastie]

if you aint happy tht you have to splash some cash now and again then im thinking its time to sell up...

99.9% of RS cars know renaults poor reliability...
99.9% know things will go wrong...
99.9% know it will cost money somewhere along the line...

Simple thing to do is change the sparks yourself... only costs u £50 that way you know they have been done..... and dont need done for a good few years.....
if problem persists. . . then go back to get it rediagnosed.

 

[Adam.]

if you aint happy tht you have to splash some cash now and again then im thinking its time to sell up...
100% of RS cars know renaults poor reliability...
100% know things will go wrong...
100% know it will cost money somewhere along the line...

Simple thing to do is change the sparks yourself... only costs u £50 that way you know they have been done..... and dont need done for a good few years.....
if problem persists. . . then go back to get it rediagnosed.

EFA

 

[EllD90]

Speak to RUK, they'll sort your issues.

 

[Gorms]

RUK's customer relations team is ranked as the best in Europe lol.

PMSL

Proving that its 200-plus dealers are now mirroring the marque’s relentless strides in product quality with their quality of service, this year’s survey shows that Renault has risen a notable 15 places, from 30th in the previous two years, to 15th overall.

Did they script that aswell as 5th Gear. 15th isnt that good.

Having waited for a call back which took 5 weeks im gonna strongly suggest that ranking is very wrong. Who fills out these customer satisfaction surveys as im still yet to receive mine after after almost 2 years of ownership.

My out look with Renault is its just down to which garage you take it too and how helpfull they are. I have found a good one and will always go there from now on.

As for the OP i had a fuse blow on my 200 when it was about 10 months old. Cost me £15 at Renault as it was a consumable and not warranty covered. Its just one of those things that come with owning a car.

 

[SimonR.]

So why didn't you just replace the spark plugs yourself?

It's the first point of call for misfire, and tbh you wouldn't even need a diagnostic to tell you, you'd be able to feel it. Also the diagnostic will tell you what cylinder the misfire is in but generally won't tell you the specific problem.

 

[Iain C]

Cant see a problem. Change the sparks yourself and see if that cures it.
Strange thread.

 

[JMR]

Spark plugs are not a 10 min job, there buried deep in the engine and like sideways danny says, you have to remove the coil pack, and inlet manifold before you can get to them, not to mention making sure you replace the gasket.

£50 for the plugs, but £25 or so to fit them, I agree still a rip off at £180. I remember days gone by that they used to charge you £80+vat for a diagnosis.

 

[Sean6545]

Spark plugs are not a 10 min job, there buried deep in the engine and like sideways danny says, you have to remove the coil pack, and inlet manifold before you can get to them, not to mention making sure you replace the gasket.

£50 for the plugs, but £25 or so to fit them, I agree still a rip off at £180. I remember days gone by that they used to charge you £80+vat for a diagnosis.

No you dont! Its different set up in 197!

 

[GiT]

I have lodged an official complaint about a dealership, who told me this is the norm - and all are like this...

http://www.the-rx.co.uk/cars/stalks1.jpg
I of course completely disagreed, threw all the toys out the pram and asked if the technician was really actually trained... off it goes to another dealer for some other issues they couldn't solve/or created and look what happens...

http://www.the-rx.co.uk/cars/stalks2.jpg

It happens too that the AIR BAG ring behind the wheel was totally loose too. I am of course gunning for the first Dealership it went to.

 

[M90 HRF]

Diagnostic machines are not the the solution to all problems they only guide the technician to the area of the fault that has occurred (plus a fault in a car can trigger different things at different times the first technician probably cleared the code for you meaning the second time the diagnostic machine was plugged in another fault occurred)

The the technician needs to do a bit of investigation work to find the fault.
If your not willing to pay them then there not going to do the investigation work for you, times money specially at a main dealership garage

 

[Sean6545]

I have lodged an official complaint about a dealership, who told me this is the norm - and all are like this...

http://www.the-rx.co.uk/cars/stalks1.jpg
I of course completely disagreed, threw all the toys out the pram and asked if the technician was really actually trained... off it goes to another dealer for some other issues they couldn't solve/or created and look what happens...

http://www.the-rx.co.uk/cars/stalks2.jpg

It happens too that the AIR BAG ring behind the wheel was totally loose too. I am of course gunning for the first Dealership it went to.

I was going to say! All it needs is the rotary switch to be adjusted! Bring it to us in the future! lol

 

[gothy]

your attitude to the replacement of parts is actually a bit deluded. sparkplugs are a consumable, they wont be covered by any extended warranty. Not changing them becuase they're not "due" is a bit silly too. I've never seen a set of plugs make it past 30k without being seriously worn, let alone the intervals renault specify.

plus one. Consumable parts at the end of the day the intervals are only a reccomendation. Just like they reccomend 70k miles for a 172 cambelt. Do you know anyone Who waits that long!?

 

[GiT]

I was going to say! All it needs is the rotary switch to be adjusted! Bring it to us in the future! lol

A bit far mate lol

But seriously, how can a supposed RTE with 34 years experience claim that it was nomal? I'll see them suffer!

 

[Silent_Scone]

Spark Plugs not covered under warranty...and other INCREDIBLE TALES.

That is what this thread should be re-named to. Like people are saying, you haven't got a leg to stand on really. You didn't go through with the work from either dealer so you have zero proof..and trust me they'll try and riggle out of it

IMO you should do one of the following - just change them yourself, or take it back to the dealer who you on a scale have the most faith in. If issues continue then complain your're not happy

No need to climb a clock tower

 

[JMR]

No you dont! Its different set up in 197!

Sorry, my mistake.

 

[Yellow Dave]

You say that the 'damage' is not covered under warrany, what damage? By the sounds of it you had a re-occuring misfire. this will be logged and bring the engine light flashing. When they plug it into the computer / clip, all it'll register is a missfire on cylinder No. 1, 2, 3 or 4, give you the revs, throttle load, not sparkplug faulty, or injector not firing. therefore it is down to the judgement and experience of the mechanic looking at it, one might have seen more RS' with a sticky injector, others more a faulty sparkplug.

My car did this, when in warranty still, I swapped the injector from the missfire cylinder with another to see if it did it again. I love dealing with people like you, know a little about it but not enough and end up quite aggressive and unapproachable. Calm down, be reasonable, at the end of the day there diagnosis is based on what the computer tells them. If it's so easy take the plugs out and have a look, swap them around and see if the missfire changes to a different cylinder

 

[Fred@BTM]

Spark plugs are not a 10 min job, there buried deep in the engine and like sideways danny says, you have to remove the coil pack, and inlet manifold before you can get to them, not to mention making sure you replace the gasket.

£50 for the plugs, but £25 or so to fit them, I agree still a rip off at £180. I remember days gone by that they used to charge you £80+vat for a diagnosis.

its a 197

its a 10min job

 

[Dan]

its a 197

its a 10min job

Birchdown for me and then Fred if they can't sort it because he's a little further than 5 mins from me lol ^^ this being a good reason because they don't talk rubbish and always offer the best help plus another really big reason is you can TRUST them

 

[Fred@BTM]

<3

the 172/182 is only a 20min job to do the plugs anyway

 

[JMR]

<3

the 172/182 is only a 20min job to do the plugs anyway

I didnt know the 197 was much different.
20 min job = £25 labour like I said? There or there abouts anyway at a stealership.