Renault Meganes
Discussion
Joey Deacon said:
My parents have a Mk2 Scenic 1.9 DCI for tip duties that has 120k miles on the clock. It has had many issues over the last few years which would have seen it scrapped if my dad wasn't a mechanic.
1)Drain holes under the bonnet clogged so the carpets were under an inch of water. Apparently this often kills the car as the electrics are under the carpet and corrode.
2)Power steering failed. I was quoted £500 for a replacement but after some research found if you replace it with a second hand one and use the old steering lock it works.
3)Dash failed, quoted £500 for replacement but got it repaired for £100
4)Three out of four windows stopped working, ended up replacing the window regulators.
5)Heater motor stopped working as the wiring to the resister burns out. Got a new resister and modified loom which fixed it. Nightmare job as it is buried in the dash and you cannot see what you are doing.
6)Tyre fitter damaged the tyre pressure sensors so they give a warning now.
7)Key card was not being detected, I took it apart (had to cut it in half with a Stanley knife) and the solder inside had come away.
Current issues are the electric handbrake doesn't release with the button and the engine mounts are ruined so it shakes the whole car.
We had 2),3),4),5) and 6) on ours before it even got to four years old. The Renault dealer (with our blessing) removed the tyre pressure sensors and disabled the monitoring system using the CLIP dealer diagnostic tool. The technician said they were a total pain in the a**, never worked properly, and it was the course of action they were recommending to everyone.1)Drain holes under the bonnet clogged so the carpets were under an inch of water. Apparently this often kills the car as the electrics are under the carpet and corrode.
2)Power steering failed. I was quoted £500 for a replacement but after some research found if you replace it with a second hand one and use the old steering lock it works.
3)Dash failed, quoted £500 for replacement but got it repaired for £100
4)Three out of four windows stopped working, ended up replacing the window regulators.
5)Heater motor stopped working as the wiring to the resister burns out. Got a new resister and modified loom which fixed it. Nightmare job as it is buried in the dash and you cannot see what you are doing.
6)Tyre fitter damaged the tyre pressure sensors so they give a warning now.
7)Key card was not being detected, I took it apart (had to cut it in half with a Stanley knife) and the solder inside had come away.
Current issues are the electric handbrake doesn't release with the button and the engine mounts are ruined so it shakes the whole car.
Edited by Joey Deacon on Monday 27th February 23:59
We also had the guides in the panoramic roof warp so that the glass didn't seal properly and caused horrendous wind noise past about 40 mph, a pipe fell off the wastegate actuator putting the thing into limp mode, the electric parking brake randomly refused to release, on one occasion requiring use of the emergency handle under the boot floor, and then finally the concentric slave cylinder on the clutch failed catastrophically (exploded with a loud bang that woke our sleeping daughter up in the back) and the car deposited the four of us and the family dog at the side of a busy roundabout in Bracknell (behind a Clio that was awaiting recovery for a burst radiator).
In the context of the mechanical and electronic issues, the cosmetic ones seem almost irrelevant, but again they indicate the shoddy design and engineering of the thing. Silly things like the B-pillar trim being worn threadbare at 40,000 miles by the seat belts rubbing against it, and the gear knob that had lost all its lettering and most of its dye/colouring by 50,000.
What I remember most about it though was that nothing was ever cheap or straightforward to sort out. Oh, and Renault UK telling me they considered "4 years and 60,000 miles to be a reasonable life for a vehicle", and that "the occasional fault was to be expected". Over £2,000 worth in its first 13 months out of warranty.
Smanks said:
Don't you have to remove the front bumper to change the headlight bulbs?
I believe that's what the main dealer does. I do recall spending a good hour or more changing the headlight bulb on ours, which involved much contortion (and swearing) through a tiny porthole in the wheel arch liner. If you happened to be double jointed and with x-ray vision, it'd be a cinch. Mind you, Renault were innovators there - isn't this sort of thing an issue on most modern cars now?nickfrog said:
MK3 RS are very solid, particularly given the treatment they receive on the road and track. So the assumption that French = unreliable is obsolete I'm afraid. 20k kms is pretty good for front tyres actually ! But maybe you rotated with rears so suddenly, that's not so good!
Nope. That's with rotation every 5000kms. I basically saw off 2 sets of Conti 5Ps and one set of P-Zeros in 45,000 kms. My sister in law has eeked out a bit more than that. What kills them?
Expensive parts, expensive labour, a dearth of decent specialists in the middle 2/3rds of the country, special diagnostic equipment and horrendous quality electricals.
The only reasons my MK2 megane cup hasn't "accidentally" caught fire are that it's an absolute hoot to drive and that I've spent 6grand fixing it over the last 2. 5 years
Expensive parts, expensive labour, a dearth of decent specialists in the middle 2/3rds of the country, special diagnostic equipment and horrendous quality electricals.
The only reasons my MK2 megane cup hasn't "accidentally" caught fire are that it's an absolute hoot to drive and that I've spent 6grand fixing it over the last 2. 5 years
RBH58 said:
Nope. That's with rotation every 5000kms. I basically saw off 2 sets of Conti 5Ps and one set of P-Zeros in 45,000 kms. My sister in law has eeked out a bit more than that.
I get 25k miles out of my front meg tyres it's also only on its second set of front brake pads and original discs and it's on 100 thousand odd miles now , it is currently having a hub ball joint refurbish and I'm treating it to new Suspension for having been an absolute diamond of a car, couldn't of asked for better, considering I drive it quite hard it's amazing what little commuting And lots of night driving will do for your brake pad and disk life,
Edited by loose cannon on Tuesday 28th February 19:58
Edited by loose cannon on Tuesday 28th February 19:58
Poopipe said:
What kills them?
I suspect that as they age and become worth less and less, people simply run them into the ground and scrap them. The MKII Megane was an extremely safe car for it's class and with the right engine even a non-RS model was a nice place to be. An ex of mine had a 2005 1.6 petrol so around 110bhp. It was extremely well spec'd, bought at 3 years old but silly low mileage. She did nearly 20k in it and the only issue was one window regulator.
There were some annoying traits it had, such as the headlight bulbs which were hard work to replace unless you had the hands of a midget. Also they had a lot of electrical gizmos in them such as the keyless ignition which i'd imagine are costly if (or should that be when) they stop working.
It's a shame as I actually think they still look good and are unique but they weren't entirely sturdy.
I recall when I took my 225 to have it's cambelt done, the dealership wanted £1,500 to replace it and the water pump. Got it done elsewhere but was still £800. That is why I suspect a lot of the early RenaultSport models end up scrapped or unloved when it's due it's second cambelt.
So (phrasing this carefully to avoid it being a "what car" thread) the consensus view seems to be that Renault conceived a good package for a medium family car that was safe, comfy, stylish, had gadgets but was cheap.
But the compromise was poor thought for build quality and servicing, and their dealer networks clearly had no intention of picking up the pieces (in some cases literally).
In the case of other marques, where would people put their £1k for a simple run around?
In the case of the RS 225, what else could people get with £4k that performs as well?
On a side note, an 04 laguna II gt205 (same engine) was for sale locally for only £1700 ish, which I thought was an absolute bargain although the bork factor was off the scale. There's a reason the only ones for sale are ebay spare/ repair.
Ian
But the compromise was poor thought for build quality and servicing, and their dealer networks clearly had no intention of picking up the pieces (in some cases literally).
In the case of other marques, where would people put their £1k for a simple run around?
In the case of the RS 225, what else could people get with £4k that performs as well?
On a side note, an 04 laguna II gt205 (same engine) was for sale locally for only £1700 ish, which I thought was an absolute bargain although the bork factor was off the scale. There's a reason the only ones for sale are ebay spare/ repair.
Ian
I had to do the valve stem seals on a Clio a few years ago. I think I used every size socket I had that day. And then when you order parts, there's about 5 different options...no standardisation, a mismatch of bolt sizes - terrible design.
It's a shame because Renault's are nice and comfortable to drive, and are (mechanical and electricals aside) well designed.
It's a shame because Renault's are nice and comfortable to drive, and are (mechanical and electricals aside) well designed.
Ian Geary said:
In the case of other marques, where would people put their £1k for a simple runaround
Mk1 Focus. Good to drive, reliable and cheap to fix when they do go wrong.There are really nice ones out there from about £600 upwards, although you will have to trawl through the junk to find them. Then put the remaining budget away for maintenance and upkeep.
Mk2 Meganes have been killed off because they're crap. The RS models just about make up for the terrible build quality, crap interiors, leaking doors, broken windows, electrical faults and stupid access to everything that needs repairing but really, only just. I've had a few French cars including a couple of Clios which were pretty good and the Megane is easily the shoddiest, and by some margin. All Renaults up until about 2008 seem to have been built to a price and that price was cheap so all the glamour of swivel hub suspension, Brembo brakes and a great engine can't transform a fundamentally s
t car into a great one.
On an RS related note, they're not brilliant because every component works (when new) but only just. They're so highly strung that even the vaguest beginnings of a fault can make the car immobile and cost millions of pounds to fix and have to be imported from a distant planet "because it's a sport model" and then require the paid services of a man trained in the dark art of not losing his rag when a plastic clip snaps or the car throws up an error code because you used the wrong kind of air in the tyres. You do not get the over engineered feel that makes a Clio 172/182 so great. At all.
Mines just eaten it's fuel pump so I'm bitter though.
t car into a great one. On an RS related note, they're not brilliant because every component works (when new) but only just. They're so highly strung that even the vaguest beginnings of a fault can make the car immobile and cost millions of pounds to fix and have to be imported from a distant planet "because it's a sport model" and then require the paid services of a man trained in the dark art of not losing his rag when a plastic clip snaps or the car throws up an error code because you used the wrong kind of air in the tyres. You do not get the over engineered feel that makes a Clio 172/182 so great. At all.
Mines just eaten it's fuel pump so I'm bitter though.
A work mate had a fairly well spec'd on, might have been a 2006.
Every single MOT he got absolutely rinsed without fail.
Nice place to be but as has been mentioned due to their abysmal resale value they ended up in the hands of people who neglect them or due to their value they get scrapped or run into the ground.
Quite comfy inside too, not a bad place to be.
Every single MOT he got absolutely rinsed without fail.
Nice place to be but as has been mentioned due to their abysmal resale value they ended up in the hands of people who neglect them or due to their value they get scrapped or run into the ground.
Quite comfy inside too, not a bad place to be.
I just think that the MK2 Megane's weren't Renault's finest hour really. The equivalent age/year Clio's have always been generally pretty reliable.
I've got a feeling they over-complicated the Megane, which did not work in it's favor. Parts can be expensive and even simple DIY tasks, like changing headlight bulbs, are known to be an absolute nightmare.
It's a shame really as i'd love an early Meg 225 and the price you can get them at is really good value but i'm just put off with the running costs. I'm more drawn to a Clio 172/182 which is a bit more simple.
I've got a feeling they over-complicated the Megane, which did not work in it's favor. Parts can be expensive and even simple DIY tasks, like changing headlight bulbs, are known to be an absolute nightmare.
It's a shame really as i'd love an early Meg 225 and the price you can get them at is really good value but i'm just put off with the running costs. I'm more drawn to a Clio 172/182 which is a bit more simple.
[quote=Ian Geary]In the case of the RS 225, what else could people get with £4k that performs as well?/quote]
To give the RS models some additional credit, they don't actually appear to be cheap put together. Electrical gremlins aside, I used one daily for 18 months or so and it was excellent. A friend of mine bought it from me and as far as I'm aware it's not being problematic to him either.
Apart from the Twingo RS, all other RenaultSport models were built in different factory to normal models, not sure if that goes some way to why they feel a bit better put together though.
I don't think a 225 is a bad prospect for £4k to be honest, provided it's been properly service the mechanics should be ok. I've driven my non-Cup 225 back to back with a Focus ST of that era and the Megane feels a lot sharper in most ways compared to the Focus.
To give the RS models some additional credit, they don't actually appear to be cheap put together. Electrical gremlins aside, I used one daily for 18 months or so and it was excellent. A friend of mine bought it from me and as far as I'm aware it's not being problematic to him either.
Apart from the Twingo RS, all other RenaultSport models were built in different factory to normal models, not sure if that goes some way to why they feel a bit better put together though.
I don't think a 225 is a bad prospect for £4k to be honest, provided it's been properly service the mechanics should be ok. I've driven my non-Cup 225 back to back with a Focus ST of that era and the Megane feels a lot sharper in most ways compared to the Focus.
Megane II was a fantastic car, purely because it was different but the early ones were dire when it came to reliability and build, they improved greatly with the facelift in 2005 (I think).
They were launched in the UK before anywhere else in late 2002 and I remember our demo; a 1.6 3dr "sports hatch" in red was beset with issues pretty much from the day it arrived, Megane got better but was never great when it came to reliability, until the facelift which was a huge improvement in terms of build, interior quality, engines and most importantly; electrics.
I believe they were actually a European bestseller for 2 years.
I have fond memories of them and still think that as a design, it is a fantastic looking car, it's replacement was very reliable but oh so deathly dull to both look at and drive (the RS being the exception).
They were launched in the UK before anywhere else in late 2002 and I remember our demo; a 1.6 3dr "sports hatch" in red was beset with issues pretty much from the day it arrived, Megane got better but was never great when it came to reliability, until the facelift which was a huge improvement in terms of build, interior quality, engines and most importantly; electrics.
I believe they were actually a European bestseller for 2 years.
I have fond memories of them and still think that as a design, it is a fantastic looking car, it's replacement was very reliable but oh so deathly dull to both look at and drive (the RS being the exception).
Alex_225 said:
I don't think a 225 is a bad prospect for £4k to be honest, provided it's been properly service the mechanics should be ok. I've driven my non-Cup 225 back to back with a Focus ST of that era and the Megane feels a lot sharper in most ways compared to the Focus.
You can get them sub 3k now, but i wouldn't want to. A sub 3k Clio 17/182, most definitely. One of these on the other hand, i think i'd look elsewhereI'd personally spend the extra and get a decent R26 but these obviously command a further premium. I'm led to believe that they are generally better built and more reliable than the 225's while also being much better to drive.
Just my 2 pence though.
culpz said:
Alex_225 said:
I don't think a 225 is a bad prospect for £4k to be honest, provided it's been properly service the mechanics should be ok. I've driven my non-Cup 225 back to back with a Focus ST of that era and the Megane feels a lot sharper in most ways compared to the Focus.
You can get them sub 3k now, but i wouldn't want to. A sub 3k Clio 17/182, most definitely. One of these on the other hand, i think i'd look elsewhereI'd personally spend the extra and get a decent R26 but these obviously command a further premium. I'm led to believe that they are generally better built and more reliable than the 225's while also being much better to drive.
Just my 2 pence though.
tty stick, either get something similar from a different manufacturer, a 182 or an R26; which is a far, far better car in terms of drive, reliability and build.H'Light bulb change on left side turn wheel to right lock oppo for t'other side, undo half a turn large plastic bung in wheel well. pull plug on side/ indicators , undo spring clasp for h'lights, pull bulb out. Fit new one into recess with long nosed, Long handled Pliers/ grips...approx 20 - 30 minutes ...If you want to test your stress reaction levels Fiat Stilo if you really bored .
The one thing that is the most silliest design on a car ever has not been mentioned & is infuriating IMO. The under bonnet fuses ie for lights , horn etc. You have to take the battery out, then unplug the ECU ( all on the side of a dark wet road) then slide the fuse box out & fiddle with the micro fuses ....hmmm, I'd like the designer of this to be there & "Show me ow its done squire"... Good engine , suspension fails a lot ,Drop links & bushes , springs front & back like to snap...goes well for a dog van
The one thing that is the most silliest design on a car ever has not been mentioned & is infuriating IMO. The under bonnet fuses ie for lights , horn etc. You have to take the battery out, then unplug the ECU ( all on the side of a dark wet road) then slide the fuse box out & fiddle with the micro fuses ....hmmm, I'd like the designer of this to be there & "Show me ow its done squire"... Good engine , suspension fails a lot ,Drop links & bushes , springs front & back like to snap...goes well for a dog van
Gassing Station | French Bred | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff