This is my first post here, so heres my story.
On Thursday last week, I bought a 52 plate Renualt Laguna 2 Priveldge from an auction. I watched it start up using the card and it started up no problem. I fell in love with it and decieded to place a bid.
I had it in mind to bid up to £2500 if needs be, but I wont the bid and the car sold for £1700 plus around £250 in fees. I got a quote from my existing insurer and it came to £850 ball park. I got 12 months tax and picked up the car.
Drove it home and sat there with a cup of coffee admiring it. Its is a very nice car, very luxurious and well worth the money.
I decieded to show of my new car with its voice to my friends and they were suitably impressed to, especially at the price I paid for such a nice car.
All was going well when we driving down the a59 to dinner at a fancy gastro pub, when the car starting talking to me, it said "Anti Pollution Monitor Fault - Please consult your local Renault Dealer".
A little orange light came on the dash shaped like an engine. I turn off the engine - no change, as soon as I put the card in again and press the start/stop button, there it was again another annoucement and the light stayed on.
Oh s--t, I thought, this is going to be costly. I searched google and followed a link to this site (very nice btw).
Today I got the car into Renualt Sunwin and paid £58.75 for the mechanics to hook up the computer to it.
The computer detected 2 faults these are the results :
CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FUNCATIONAL FAULT
DOWNSTREAM OXYGEN SENSOR HEATING CIRCUIT.
The error codes are DF394 & DF083
This is an extensive list of all the other faults on the car that they found and prices to put it right:
OBD FUNCTIONAL FAULT ON CAT STORED ON CLIP (645.80)
OXYGEN SENSOR FAULT REQUIRES CAT 8 SENSOR (186.00)
BRUSHES SPUTTING WITH PLAY (£254.12)
X/S PLAY IN STEERING RACK (£748.50)
BRAKE DISKS BADLEY CORODDED (£307.35)
BOOT IS SPLIT & JOINT IS CLICKING (£531.96)
LEAKING OIL INTO ENGINE (£201.07)
4 X NEW TYRES PLUS FITTING & BALANCING (£645.00)
With all these faults the salesman turned and looked at me and said you will need to fix these faults as any of them will cause the on board computers to shut the car down.
I took a minute to think about things and said, I currently have a Vauxhall Zafira 1.6 club only 6 months older than this car and it has never failed an mot and it has done 60,000 miles since June 2006 with only servicing work done to it, why is this car such a "Show Pony".
A "Show Pony", is what I call a car that looks great on the outside, but absolutly useless and not fit for purpose.
It seems that Renualt build cars with lots of sensors to checking everything runs smoothly, like oxygen sensors, anti pollution monitors, anti squirrel & hedgehod detectors , but the truth is all this extra junk isnt well build and fails costing the car owner just as much in parts over the life of a car than the car originally costs, and in my case it would of cost considerably more.
After I declined any work to be carried out, I was promptly handed the keycard back and shown the door. I got it and turned off the voice by pressing the mute button next to the steering wheel. I pressed the start button and the yellow light that was there previously has dissapeared. I turned the mute button off and turned off the engine.
Then this time, I turned of the car again with the coice activated - THE FAULT HAD GONE at least for now.
I intend to mint up the car, wait for the v5 logbook to come in my name and then it is going back into auction before the fault dares to return. Someone elses problem then I suppose.
I am prepared to make a loss if needs be, but that has to be the last time, I buy such a technologically sensitive car. I think I will just stick the Zafira. I need reliability on the road, rather than looking like the posh numpty on the hard shoulder getting comfy in a car that looks good, but is all fur coat and no knickers.
I am sorry for the Renualt lovers on this forum if I have hurt any feelings, but this brand of car, just isnt for me.
◊ Drives a 52 plate Renualt Laguna 2.0 16v Petrol ◊ Supports Fernando Alonso