Wuvvum in modern car shock

[wuvvum]

I picked this up yesterday.

 

 

It's the second 51-plate car I've owned, but it's by far the most modern - it has all sorts of clever gizmos to go wrong like a "start/stop" button instead of an ignition key. It's a 1.8 petrol so is rather gutless (I shudder to think what the 1.6 must be like) and it does that annoying modern car trick of over-revving between gear changes. It's in urgent need of a pair of rear shocks, but other than that it seems to be in good fettle for a nine-year-old Renner, and to be fair to it it's comfortable, pleasant enough to drive and fairly well equipped. It's got nearly 9 months' test left on it too, so I might keep it for a while as a "dull workhorse" kind of car. It's not really shite (although the price was very much in shite territory) but it's dull enough to remind me why I much prefer old tat to modern stuff...

[Cavcraft]

Look on the bright side, at least it's not a diesel.

[Albert Ross]

Oh dear...... shit. NOT shite.

Best of luck with the bank Manager at MOT time.

You're on your own with that horrendous money pit.

 

 

( And this is coming from me, I own a Scorpio Frogeye)

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I like them, they're nice looking cars and very comfy.

 

But yes, it'll develop some stupid fault. My dad's one spent a while at the dealership... turbo failure (petrol model), both the card keys broke, £300 worth of headlight adjusters for its first MOT*, lots of little bits and bobs failed which we never bothered to fix etc

 

* I take it headlamp adjusters aren't a couple of screws anymore.

 

edit: rattling noise from somewhere in the engine bay, grinding noise from the rear (not wheel bearing), sunroof stuck open, tyre pressure sensors broke repeatedly...

[wuvvum]

I'm not overly bothered about stupid faults - several of my vehicles have little niggles. Plus it's the Laguna's reputation for stupid faults that makes them so much cheaper than the equivalent Mondeo. It probably would need a few bits doing for a test, but I'm very unlikely to keep it that long - as long as nothing hideously expensive goes wrong (like the key card packing up) I can put up with most other things. Plus there's a quite useful forum dedicated to modern Renaults and their "little ways" - I've found several useful tips on there for the Espaces which have saved me having to consult a dealer.

[carlo]

These seem to have a terrible reputation, especially the diesels. Would be interesting to see what faults develop if you keep it!

[VWPowered]

i hope it wasnt expensive

[Dukestar25]

Look on the bright side, at least it's not a diesel.

+1!! those 1.9DCi engines die early on, even traders wouldn't touch them at one time.

What posessed you to buy this? It's a bit modern for us 'traditionalists'

[Albert Ross]

Rear axle bushes... engine mounts, TPS faults, timing belts are an ABSOLUTE CUNT to do with the special locking tool, never mind without....... Window regulator collapse, central locking/key faults, etc etc Simply dreadful cars. The dealer I work for gives bare minimum PX on these and the arse shape megane. Then it's straight to Manheim auctions with the lot. Let the toothless mouth breathing Bradfordians clamour over the fucking heaps. Scrapyard's too good for them.

[Milford Cubicle]

I've always liked the look of these, especially the tourer. How much was it wuvvum?

I'd be scared to buy one just looking at all the sad faces on carsurvey.org, but I imagine the reviews are for new/nearly new cars and a 9 year old one ought to have all the faults ironed out.

 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

as long as nothing hideously expensive goes wrong (like the key card packing up)

To be fair, our keycards weren't expensive to repair - the common fault is the top button snapping inside. We found a guy on the internet who fixed them quite cheap.

[Station]

I think they look good, if it works, everything's OK (for the time being).

[wuvvum]

Look on the bright side, at least it's not a diesel.

+1!! those 1.9DCi engines die early on, even traders wouldn't touch them at one time.

What posessed you to buy this? It's a bit modern for us 'traditionalists'

+2. If it had been a diesel I wouldn't have touched it. They blow up gearboxes for fun too.

 

I bought it because it was so cheap it would almost have been rude not to. Even with the cost of a pair of rear shocks (which the seller didn't mention it would need) it was still bloody cheap for a 51-plate family car with 8 1/2 months' test.

[Pete-M]

Look on the bright side, at least it's not a diesel.

+1!! those 1.9DCi engines die early on, even traders wouldn't touch them at one time.

Most still won't. When I was doing a bit of trading I wouldn't go near one unless it was stupendously cheap. Got a 53 plate, 20k mile, fsh, top spec one 2 years ago for £1500. Luckily some mug paid a lot more for it and put it on the cabs.

 

Nice cars when they work.

 

The chocolate 6 speed box is ok if you change the gearbox oil every 20k miles or so. If you don't, it soon gets to be a major problem. Renault don't tell you this. I think it's the same box as in the Renault / Nissan / Vauxhall van (which I can't remember the name of, the one with the bulgy roof above the cab). They shred gearboxes for fun in the winter when the box is cold.

[Cavcraft]

Early Lagunas (especially, but not exclusively, automatics) seem to eat gearboxes for fun. When I worked at the auctions the handful of people interested in them always tested first and reverse gears before anything else prior to bidding.

Seemingly if both worked and the rest of the box (or car) was fucked they could offload them again via another auction.

As you say Lagunas can be purchased cheaply enough and let's be honest here, if you're happy that's all that matters.

[barrett]

For a modern I actually reckon these don't look half bad. Is it a bit wafty and French to drive, or just a nondescript repmobile?

 

My Auntie (an Autoshite legend actually in her car history) bought a arse-backed Megane from one of those auction places for a couple of hundred, spent a grand getting it working properly but has had no trouble with it since then, and she cains her cars mercilessly.

Keep us updated on this one, i'd be interested to know what sort of problems (if any) you encounter....

[Lord Sterling]

I've driven a fair few of these when I worked at the garage. Most came in for wheel bearings, snapped suspension springs (We had a fair Renaults in for springs) ect....

 

They are nice cars to drive, particularly Turbo Dizzlers which have great acceleration, but they do feel a bit fragile.

[Station]

Lol @ car eating engine components 'for fun'!

[wuvvum]

I've driven a fair few of these when I worked at the garage. Most came in for wheel bearings, snapped suspension springs (We had a fair Renaults in for springs) ect....

It had new springs for its last MoT, so hopefully they'll be good for a wee while yet, although it seems that Renault springs do tend to be rather on the small side for the job they're expected to do.

[Mr Lobster]

Fatha_Lobsta had one from new and has just p/x'd it for a new Kia Ceed. His was a 2.0 petrol and aside from the assorted electrical maladies, it was actually quite a nice car. Quick, comfy and a decent enough thing to drive.

 

Wouldn't want one myself though...

[Gompo]

A Polish bloke at work has got one similar, I've been in it a few times very briefly - makes a horrid knocking noise from the rear over any reasonable sized bump - is that the 'rear axle bushes' that Albert Ross mentions - or something else?

[Formula Autos]

There's a step-by-step service guide for this very model/engine Laguna in this month's issue of Car Mechanics. If you're planning on servicing it yourself this will no doubt come in very useful. Having read this piece, most service tasks get a 'thumbs up' (i.e. easy) rating, so carrying out your own services shouldn't be too difficult. They seemed impressed at how easy the car was to maintain.

[r.welfare]

1800 petrol is meant to be the best lump from a reliability perspective. I think they're a distinctive-looking car and do appear to be very, very cheap by comparison with the competition for their age.

 

I tip the Laguna Mk3 (the current one) for serious futureshite status, mainly because they seem to be selling bugger all, and also the way the rear doorhandle is much higher than the front one reminds me of the BL Princess.

[Pillock]

My friend has one, it gets no end of stick and keeps going. Hers is a 53 plate 1.9dci and it just sort of lives on, gets MoTed every year and nothing in between unless it makes funny noises and I get a phone call

 

It spat some gearbox oil out recently but kept going with little oil in (!) and it was apparently just the driveshaft? I dunno, the garage sorted it but didn't charge much. I've had a blat in it, got typical Renault Diesel power delivery of nothing - EVERYTHING - change - nothing - EVERYTHING - change but that seems to be common to a lot of modern high-power diesels. Certainly it's nice and easy to cane it along at silly speeds, just needs a lot of stick-stirring to keep it in the right gear.

 

I'd have one except they're a bit big for my liking, didn't realise bummy Meganes were so cheap so might investigate those....