French cars.Hmmm...
Discussion
I travel quite a lot of miles per year and it's become a bit of a running joke with friends to assume that anything we see in the distance on the hard shoulder, is likely to be French.Thing is, it almost always is! As soon as we see some hazard lights, we proclaim "Bet it's French".Three times today, for example, this was also correct.In the last 6 months or so, I have honestly lost count of how many I have seen on my travels.
I remember the jokes re: French electrics etc when growing up, but are they still plagued by such issues? What happens to them once they are a couple of years old + ?
I remember the jokes re: French electrics etc when growing up, but are they still plagued by such issues? What happens to them once they are a couple of years old + ?
Almost all the ones I see are 3 to 5 years old +.
I have had a few myself and have a few friends who have them as company cars (they are changed regularly though).They seem really nice, so I have nothing against them; I just see lots.Lots and lots!
I genuinely believe that obtaining info from those who travel large distances, could be better than buying based on any survey or report!
I almost never see anything Japanese.I did see four Alfa Romeo's in a single day, but apparently there was an Alfa show on somewhere.
Moving on, Astra turbo diesel vans...
I have had a few myself and have a few friends who have them as company cars (they are changed regularly though).They seem really nice, so I have nothing against them; I just see lots.Lots and lots!
I genuinely believe that obtaining info from those who travel large distances, could be better than buying based on any survey or report!
I almost never see anything Japanese.I did see four Alfa Romeo's in a single day, but apparently there was an Alfa show on somewhere.
Moving on, Astra turbo diesel vans...
Edited by Digby on Saturday 22 November 20:15
Could it be that there are just so many more of them now? There are many attractive & sporty models and obviously some great deals to be had.
I'm not a lover of anything with a 'sensor' mind you, so most modern motors fill me with a sense of mistrust.
I'm not a lover of anything with a 'sensor' mind you, so most modern motors fill me with a sense of mistrust.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Well, I didn't see what I would call a plethora of C4's gracing our roads back then....but maybe even more tellingly, in the last few years, I cannot even remember seeing a single one? Can anyone else?!
Says it all!
Very true!Says it all!
Edited by Digby on Friday 21st November 21:51
Buff Mchugelarge said:
The 2 most reliable cars I've owned to date have been French (Clio RS 197 15K miles not a single problem) and Italian Fiat Seicento (13K miles without a single fault)
With the greatest of respect, 15k and 13k without an issue is what I would expect from any car.I don't think I would suggest something I had was reliable, simply because it had covered a years (or less) average mileage without a fault.AlexIT said:
Drove about 600 miles yesterday through Switzerland, Austria and Germany and saw 3 cars stranded on the hard shoulder: 2 Mercedes and 1 BMW...
Can you drive 600 miles through France and report back, too? 
I must admit, I had a company 205 1.0 XE many years ago and I abused it and I mean really abused it.It just shrugged it off.But then it wasn't full of electrickery back then, so maybe less to go wrong.
They always seem more comfortable than anything else, I'll give them that!
ian2144 said:
Had 2CV's as daily drivers back in the late 70's early 80's tough as old boots, never had any problems with them.
Older is better? Old Pug diesels for Taxi's etc, racking up half a million on the odometer..Supercell said:
My personal opinion is that french cars are bought by Joe Public because they are cheap. They can't buy the equivalent spec/size of car for the value that the frenchies offer. These people aren't always mechanically sympathetic, they don't service them on time, and just ignore minor faults that over time snowball into larger more expensive faults, leading them to be unreliable.
I can certainly see that making a lot of sense where the second hand market is concerned, but then it has to be asked why I never seem to see battered up old Hondas and Toytas and numerous other neglected looking makes stuck at the side of the road?Again, I am only commenting on what I see and was left wondering why.This is not an anti-French post, despite how it may appear!
Edited by Digby on Friday 21st November 22:14
ajprice said:
When I see a car on the hard shoulder, it's usually German, and of those it's usually a Mercedes. I know what you mean about the image of crap French car reliability, and I'd still go Japanese or German before French, even with seeing the Mercs on the hard shoulder. Weird.
I have a mechanic friend who swears he would never own another Merc due to numerous issues.Even the customer service side of things put him off!But then my old boss went the way of the BMW and then went back to Mercedes, suggesting he would never have another BMW (I think the electric window motor setting fire to the door didn't help, there!)
It's nice to see that there are numerous tales of trouble-free motoring here during ownership, but I have seen several Renault Espaces at the side of the road and selected as an individual car, they score way down on the warranty direct web page and list things such as..
Electric handbrake can be troublesome.
Keyless go system can also be temperamental.
Heating and climate control systems can stop working, with fixes outside warranty potentially very costly.
Electric windows and central locking can be erratic.
Exhaust gas recirculation valve can stick on diesels, leading to engine self-destructing.
Coil units on petrol cars sometimes fail one after another.
Glow plugs of diesels can fail after just 30,000 miles.
Headlight bulbs blow, with replacement best done by a dealer.
Interior trim often comes adrift all too easily.
As it was mentioned, it also looks like my friends head gasket has gone on his 03 plate Clio after 80k.
Electric handbrake can be troublesome.
Keyless go system can also be temperamental.
Heating and climate control systems can stop working, with fixes outside warranty potentially very costly.
Electric windows and central locking can be erratic.
Exhaust gas recirculation valve can stick on diesels, leading to engine self-destructing.
Coil units on petrol cars sometimes fail one after another.
Glow plugs of diesels can fail after just 30,000 miles.
Headlight bulbs blow, with replacement best done by a dealer.
Interior trim often comes adrift all too easily.
As it was mentioned, it also looks like my friends head gasket has gone on his 03 plate Clio after 80k.
trophyjoe said:
Is there any point in this thread other than to inform everyone how you and your mates listen to clarkson a little to much and are abit snobbish about cars for no reason other than what you have heard ?
Well, that doesn't apply to me and I started the thread. simonej said:
I've a feeling the more you hate a car, the more reliable it becomes just to spite you.
You may be on to something there.I have heard numerous times "I will just run it in to the ground and then bin it", followed by "I said that 12 years ago.It's still going" I would also like to add that I don't recall ever seeing the sportier type Clios at the side of the road.In fact, not too many Clios at all.
Edited by Digby on Sunday 23 November 15:05
Sooo, my count this week of broken down French-mobiles currently stands at 9 out of a total of 10 spotted 
To top it all, my partners niece passed her test and collected her lovely 64 plate, low mile, 108 Pug and it died on her twice and is back at the garage as I type yet again.
What a lovely introduction to the joys and freedoms of motoring - being stranded on a hill full of upset and panic.
To top it all, my partners niece passed her test and collected her lovely 64 plate, low mile, 108 Pug and it died on her twice and is back at the garage as I type yet again.
What a lovely introduction to the joys and freedoms of motoring - being stranded on a hill full of upset and panic.
HustleRussell said:
My £200 Saxo won't seem to die.
It goes like that in life often, doesn't it?"I'll just run it in to the ground"....20 years later.
I also forgot to mention having to lay under my workmates Clio trying to discover where the water was pissing out from, recently.
Oh and I sanded his headlights on the same 05 car because you could no longer see the bulbs.
ChrisR99 said:
Why not? My mum has an 8 year old 207 that's just about to tick over 60k miles. Guess what? It's never let us down once in the two years/20k miles she has owned it...
Makes a change from her pervious Audi A3 2.0TDI which went up in flames!
That doesn't mean that every other VAG car will, however, so why do you think that every French car is unreliable, when simply they aren't?
Renault and Peugeot both did better than VW in recent satisfaction and relatively surveys too...
If you read the thread, I'm not anti-French. I only asked how bad they were given it was and still is a running joke that if we see a car in the distance with an AA van etc, it's almost always French. It just is. Makes a change from her pervious Audi A3 2.0TDI which went up in flames!
That doesn't mean that every other VAG car will, however, so why do you think that every French car is unreliable, when simply they aren't?
Renault and Peugeot both did better than VW in recent satisfaction and relatively surveys too...
I think the difference between myself and many French car fanatics is that if you were to see only Volvo's (I like a Volvo or four) at the side of the road, I would be asking what the problem was and not getting all defensive and telling tales of 200k mile, 20+ year old cars with zero rust soundling and looking like they just left the factory etc. A bad car leaves you at the side of the road and I see LOTS of French cars doing exactly that.
ChrisR99 said:
Why not? My mum has an 8 year old 207 that's just about to tick over 60k miles. Guess what? It's never let us down once in the two years/20k miles she has owned it...
60k miles? That's brand-new! And anyway, all of the faults were probably sorted by the first owner 
Edited by Digby on Thursday 28th April 21:17
Rjbell said:
We don't have to listen to rumours or reputation anymore. Or your brothers mate is a mechanic and he says never buy a French car. We now have the facts from the UKs largest warranty company and its German cars that are unreliable but the German car snobs won't have it no not in a million years. Particularly the vag fanboys which are the worsed Fanboys of the lot.
Which begs the question, why don't I see them instead?Alex_225 said:
I've owned 8 Renaults in my time and I can honestly say that none of them have been problematic.
I'll put my hands up and say they're not built like the Germans but they're not the same price range as them either.
I've also owned five RenaultSport models and one thing the French can do is fun!!! So no my Twingo 133 isn't built as well as my mum's A1 but it's a shed load more fun to drive, cheaper to buy and full of character than many better built cars.
Have to agree with all of that. The A1 we have, despite having adjustable suspension 'stuff' and voice controls etc is no more interesting than any new Astra, Ford...pretty much anything. They just throw stuff at it you don't need, cover it in chrome and charge 20k (mind you, most manufacturers do the same)I'll put my hands up and say they're not built like the Germans but they're not the same price range as them either.
I've also owned five RenaultSport models and one thing the French can do is fun!!! So no my Twingo 133 isn't built as well as my mum's A1 but it's a shed load more fun to drive, cheaper to buy and full of character than many better built cars.
It's utterly soulless.
t4thomas said:
I've always been quite lucky with the overall reliability of my cars.
I have always kept on top of servicing and small jobs etc; I treat the car with respect, let it warm up and cool down properly etc.
In the last 15 years, I have had a few electrical gremlins with a Honda Civic, a dodgy engine mount on a Peugeot 106 and a failed coil pack on a Volkswagen Polo. However, as far as I can remember that is about it.
Am I one of the lucky ones?
Same here, really. And given that I pretty much gave up spending 6 to 10k+ on stuff and started enjoying cheap crap, it's a bit of a miracle I have always kept on top of servicing and small jobs etc; I treat the car with respect, let it warm up and cool down properly etc.
In the last 15 years, I have had a few electrical gremlins with a Honda Civic, a dodgy engine mount on a Peugeot 106 and a failed coil pack on a Volkswagen Polo. However, as far as I can remember that is about it.
Am I one of the lucky ones?
As of yet, I don't think I have ever not made it home in anything....*thinks*
ChasW said:
We have an 2008 Peugeot 207. The only failure has been a starter motor.
Even that would put me off owning one. I don't want a dead starter motor on a 2008 car. Blayney said:
2008 Twingo. 116k miles so far. One coil pack and one ABS unit. Everything else would be wear and tear/service items (front springs, discs/pads, plugs and filters and oil etc.).
Again, on a 2008 car, with that mileage, I would never buy another based on that list of issues.
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