Renault gets lost on the Scenic route
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
Update 15 October 2009
Following last week's story on Watchdog, Renault has issued the following statement:
"Renault aims to provide the best possible service to its customers and is concerned that some owners have experienced problems with the Scenic II instrument panel losing its display.
"If a Scenic II owner has had their vehicle's instrument panel repaired or replaced outside of the Renault UK Dealer network before 1 November this year and has paid more than £100, we invite them to contact our Customer Services department, with both proof of ownership and suitable proof of the repair or replacement, and we will arrange a refund of the difference.
"Our recommendation is that, in the event of an instrument panel losing its display, owners of a Scenic II should take their car to a Renault UK Dealer where the panel will be replaced. This will either be free of charge, if the vehicle is under three years old and has a mileage lower than 60,000 miles, or for £100, if it falls outside either of these criteria.
"We do not provide a warranty on work performed by any independent repairer outside the Renault UK Dealer network.
"In the event of an instrument panel being changed in the Renault UK Dealer network, the change and the last recorded mileage is logged in the vehicle's Service Book and in our vehicle history database. This information would be available on request for those vehicles that have been changed within the Renault Dealer network.
"Any customer concerned about his or her Renault Scenic II should contact Renault's Customer Services team directly. To answer any questions raised by Watchdog, Renault's Customer Services team will be available from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday on 08000 72 33 72, or by email at customer.services@renault.co.uk."
Renault also told us that there is no impact on the value of a car following a speedometer change, providing that both the date of change and the mileage at change is recorded in the vehicle's service book. This information would also be recorded in Renault's vehicle.
Watchdog report 8 October
Choosing the right family car is a decision that takes a bit of research. As a mum of four, BBC Breakfast presenter Sian Williams knows families want something practical, safe and reliable. It's why so many families have chosen a Renault Scenic.
Launched in 1997 and with a five-star safety rating, Renault's confident you'll love the Scenic so much that their adverts make it seem almost like a family pet. But one that sometimes has a mind of its own.
Just as Deanna Coe found out when she was on a family outing, "We were going on a family day trip and as I was driving along, the dashboard on my car started flickering. It was going faint then coming back bright again and on a couple of occasions it went off completely.
"We were really quite scared. We were going quite fast on the motorway. Cause we had the children with us it was quite frightening.
"We didn't know what else might go wrong with the car; was something going to go wrong with the engine? Was the whole car failing?"
The whole car wasn't failing - just the dashboard. When the dashboard isn't working, you've no idea if you're about to run out of petrol, or more importantly, how fast you're driving.
Hundreds of Scenic owners have contacted Watchdog this year to say their dashboards have failed too. We asked some of them to tell us their own stories and their experiences were remarkably similar.
"I was driving home and all of a sudden [my] dashboard went off. It flickered and then just completely blanked and went off."
"It started to dim and parts went missing."
"The speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, all warning lights."
"I didn't know how fast I was going, how much petrol I had it was just a total blank."
It's a problem that only seems to affect Scenic II models made in 2004 and 2005.
It usually seems to happen once the cars are out of warranty. Sometimes, before the dashboard packs up - the milometer goes haywire too, jumping up in miles, in once case from 36,000 miles to more than 80,000.
Mark Brown is an engineering technician with nearly 20 years experience. He says dashboard failure like this shouldn't happen.
"It surprises me there are so many reports of failure. It's not like an engine, or a wheel bearing or a gearbox that's got moving parts that would wear. It should last [the] life of car save for very few exceptions."
And how dangerous could it be if you suddenly lose all that information?
"Well given that you wouldn't be able to measure your speed, potentially it's very dangerous indeed."
To see just how dangerous it could be we did an experiment. Sian took Mark for a drive in a Scenic with the dashboard covered. Mark sat in the back with a satellite navigator so he could accurately measure the car's speed. So how easy would it be to know how fast you are driving without dashboard and speedometer?
Not that simple - at one point Sian was driving 10 mph faster than she thought.
So are Renault aware of the problem?
Watchdog researchers rang ten Renault service centres and every single one told us they'd seen this fault before.
It seems to be a fault with the car that the company know sall about. So why is Renault making customers pay to get it fixed? It's not cheap either. Many people have paid around £500. Oddly, even when the car is out of warranty, in some cases, Renault has paid towards repair costs. So why doesn't it pay the full amount for everyone?
Mark doesn't think it should be that expensive to fix. "I doubt there's anything in there which has failed that will cost more than a few pounds to repair. It's quite possibly a transistor or piece of circuit board or something like that," he says. "So I expect a more reasonable price to be no more than £100."
There's one final sting in the tail for Scenic drivers who've had this problem. It's actually illegal to drive without a working dashboard and drivers could face prosecution.
Renault told Watchdog
Scenic II Instrument Panel
"Renault aims to provide the best possible service to its customers and is concerned that some owners have experienced problems with the Scenic II instrument panel losing the display. This model was launched in 2003 and since then159,000 have been sold in the UK. Some customers have contacted Renault's Customer Services department concerning this issue.
"We have investigated these cases of the instrument panel losing the display and found that they chiefly relate to 2004 and 2005 Scenic II models. These vehicles are outside the standard manufacturer three-year warranty but we will help customers to have a new replacement instrument panel fitted to their vehicle in the Renault UK Dealer network for £100.
We invite any customer who has already paid more than £100 for this repair in the Renault UK Dealer network to contact Renault Customer Services to discuss a refund of the difference.
Any customer concerned about his or her Renault Scenic II should contact Renault's Customer Services team directly. To answer any questions raised by Watchdog, Renault's Customer Services team will be available between 9pm and 10pm tonight or from 9am to 5.30pm tomorrow on 08000 72 33 72, or by email at customer.services@renault.co.uk"
Have you had any car issues? Please note we cannot publish any NEW allegations so will not be able to publish car brands. If you have something you want us to investigate please send us your story.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~50~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
We had this problem with our dashboard in our [name removed for legal reasons].
Complain about this comment
This happened to my [name removed for legal reasons]ANd my partners - driving on revs is fine but towing a trailer longer than an arctic (rowing boats) made it somewhat difficult - I have emailed Watchdog THREE times now about this and have heard zip.....do I need a more sexy car for a response? We are £800 pounds out of pocket and I am currently a mature student. Could do with the dosh!
Complain about this comment
I also had the same problem and I can't speak more highly of the Renault Customer Service Team. Without hesitation they authorised the fix completely free of charge and called me several times afterwards to check that I was fully satisfied. Which I was.
Complain about this comment
i have a 2001 [name removed for legal reasons]with the same fault no speedo operation and have traced it to be the panel, i thought renults were a good manufacturer but want to charge me £300 for the part, everything with electrical seems to have gone wrong. It seems to be Renaults and Electrics do not go together im not buying renault again!
Complain about this comment
i understand this problem is a pain and can be very dangerous but as a mechanic i am aware that companys have warrenty agreements. I agree that customers should pay for the repair if the vehicle warrenty has expired. When owning a vehicle you must be prepared for defects to arise
Complain about this comment
Brought a Grand Scenic and had 5 days and the cluster board went cost me £160 to have mended as the garage said it wasnt covered by warrenty and that they had never heard of the problem before obviously they had !!
Complain about this comment
To be fair to Renault when my dashboard went they paid 90% of the cost of the part. What i didnt realise at the time it still left me a bill for £197.00 for the fitting. On another issue with the Renault Scenic, [details removed for legal reasons]These i suspect are also known faults. Luckily my warranty hasnt expired from the dealers will cover these.
Complain about this comment
I cant BELIEVE that the name of my car has been'moderated#' - why on EARTH has that happened! SURELY that is the most relevant part!!!!!
Complain about this comment
I have had a similar problem with my [name removed for legal reasons].
Luckily my speedo works, the dashboard changed from reading in miles to kilometres.
The local Renault garage said it was a fault they had seen several times, however as out of warranty I would have to pay approx £550 to have a new dashboard fitted.
Seems to be a Renault problem and not just a Scenic problem.
Complain about this comment
Why doesn't watchdog quote the relevent Sale of Goods Act and/or its subsequent amendments in order that the consumer can pursue rectification in the Fast track court process?
Complain about this comment
We had this problem start a week ago and Renault quoted over £500 even though they knew about it. Local garages couldn't seem to help so I had booked it in to a Renault garage to have it done next Monday.....but now I find out that it will be £400 cheaper...bonus!
Complain about this comment
I have already had 1 dash re-fitted due it it going blank, now just last week my speedo obviously being digital is blinking and going up in 2's and going down in 3's when i switch the engine on the speedo flashes on and off so i can guess i am about to go on to my second dash, my last dash was only fitted under a year ago, i got the number off watchdog and Anite said the phones are open until 10pm well well i tried ringing them and the offices are closed, OH WHAT A SUPRISE!!!!!!!
Whilst im here does anyone elses Renault struggle to get started in the morning and when you finaly keep the engine running and drive off it feels like it has a blockage maybe in the petrol then it will pick up after stalling it at every junction for about 10 minutes, is this just a one of issue or is everyone having the same??
Complain about this comment
As VictoriaT-F, I cant BELIEVE that the name of my car has been 'moderated#' - it's obvious from my comments that it is another Renault model with a similar defect.
Complain about this comment
My car is a 55 plate Grand Scenic. Last year at this time I had my dash board replaced by Renault for the same fault. I refused to pay as my car was only a few months out of warranty. Renault finally offered to pay the replacement cost in full. I didn't take them up on this offer but insisted on paying a nominal amount towards the cost. You may think that I am off my head but I did this for a very good reason. If Renault replaced the dash free of charge I would have no warranty on the new part under the consumer protection act. By paying even a few pounds they have to give me a receipt and the part and fitting is covered for 1 year. This is because even though I have only payed a few pounds I have still payed for the work to be carried out and am therefore protected under the act. If the part or the fitting turn out to be faulty within the year Renault would have to replace the dash again. If on the other hand Renault replace it free of charge they have no obligation to fix it should it go faulty again. In my opinion a few pounds for a 1 year warranty on a known problem part that is so expensive to replace again is well worth it and puts you on a strong legal position.
Complain about this comment
As far as I can tell, the problem with Renault Scenic dashboards has been around since the model BEFORE the one in question. I had a year-2000 Scenic that, although the dashboard looked quite different, developed the same fault. And I was not alone. When I wanted to have it replaced, there were no spare dashboards to be found - evidently they had all been used up. I eventually had to settle for a second-hand one from a wrecked Scenic.
Regards,
H Welte
Complain about this comment
This sounds all too familiar!! I had the same problem with my 2003 (53 reg) Renault Scenic. The dashboard started to flicker and then went off completely. I was very close to a local garage who said it was safe mechanically to drive and directed me to the nearest Renault dealership. Luckily I had sat nav so could judge my speed. At the dealership they said again that the car was safe to drive (nothing about it being illegal to drive without a working dashboard) and said that it would cost me at least £300 for the part plus extra for fitting. They did admit that it was a known fault. Because I was 100 miles away from home they agreed it was safe to drive back and I took it home thinking I would get it fixed at a dealership nearer to home. When I got back my husband had done some research over the Internet and had found a company [name removed by Moderator] in Norfolk who would fix it for £130 (inc P+P). However, we had to remove the dash and re-fit it. This was VERY easy to do and only took a few minutes (not worth the £200 labour costs Renault were potentially going to charge). At the moment I have an ongoing complaint with Renault about this as I believe that they should repay me the £130 for fixing it myself. I have provided them with the invoice but I wasn't prepared to pay out £500 for them to fix a problem which is an inherent fault - particularly not in a recession!! I will let you know if I get any result regarding the £130 as I still think they should repay it but it is definitely worth removing the unit yourself, sending it off to be repaired and re-fitting it!
Complain about this comment
i have got a renault [name removed by Moderator]and i was told that it would cost £1000 to replace the dashboard, (that was 2years ago) and to configure it with the onboard computer. as we had it on hp i was advised to contact the hp company as they own the car and would be liable to cover the cost, which luckily they did. we have had loads of problems with our car, and i have been told that my car is what they call a friday afternoon job!!
we have still got the car, and as yet it still isnt right, we still have ongoing problems!!
before we bought it it had had a new engine in it!!
i know that most of the {name removed by moderator]are brilliant, i just feel that we have been done well n trully!!
Complain about this comment
It is not just scenic we have have a renault [name removed by moderator]and this week paid out £886 to replace dashboard. We also have AA parts and labour insurance but they will not pay out as dash board is not essential part of car according to them. Interesting to learn it is illegal to drive without dashboard in our minds then it is essential.
We shall be chasing both Renault and AA
Complain about this comment
As far as I can tell, the problem with Renault Scenic dashboards has been around since the model BEFORE the one in question. I had a year-2000 Scenic that, although the dashboard looked quite different, developed the same fault. And I was not alone. When I wanted to have it replaced, there were no spare dashboards to be found - evidently they had all been used up. I eventually had to settle for a second-hand one from a wrecked Scenic.
Complain about this comment
Just to remind you, we are unable to publish any NEW allegations about car faults without investigating them first for legal reasons. If you have anything you would like us to look into please go the send us your story link on the right hand side of the homepage and we will look into it. Many thanks, Joanna
Complain about this comment
We have an 53 scenic and have the same problem. We have already paid an independant auto electrician who told us there was nothing he could do but didn't tell us it was illegal to be driving it. Our main concern is that alongside this problam the milage has elevated from 49000 to 81000! Will renault compensate us for the money we will lose on selling this car with such a high milage even though it is false?
Complain about this comment
liteash7 - I agree with the warranty when it is something that is potentially driver fault e.g. wear on tyres, paintwork etc. But when it is an inherent fault in the module which is NOT caused by customer variance and appears AFTER the warranty has expired then the manufacturer should pay.
Complain about this comment
I had this exact problem too 3 months outside of warranty. Renault made me pay a 'diagnostic' investigation fee before they would even consider the dashboard was at fault. Fotunately they did contribute towards 90% the total cost but when the dashboard was changed I lost the original mileage and they said they could not put it on the new dash, this has undoubtedly affected the residual value of my vehicle because effectively there is a 'false' non-original mileage now showing. [Additional faults removed by moderator] What a white elephant Renault, thanks!!
Complain about this comment
hellzbellz79 - the issue to do with the blockage may be to do with the Exhaust Gas Recirculatory Valve which does get clogged up and needs either cleaning or replacing. Essentially it stops exhaust gas getting into the fuel, but when it gets clogged up it doesn't work very efficiently and then the fuel gets mixed with the exhaust which causes the car to have problems! This happened to me as well and I lived with it for quite a long time until I finally got it sorted. Of course it may be something completely different, but worth checking.
Complain about this comment
I too had this problem earlier this year and paid over £500 to have it repaired - I will be claiming the FULL amount back as I have recently enquired about trading the car in and was told a lower price than expected due to the mileage on the car 'appearing' to be incorrect (reset to 000000 with new dashboard)- the Renault dealer has written in the service book the old mileage and when dash was replaced. Why should I lose further money due to a Renault problem!
Complain about this comment
I too suffered this problem with my dashboard on my 54 plate scenic. I contacted renault who refused to acknowledge it was a problem despite me reading about literally hundreds of cases on forums on-line! They told me it could not be repaired as it was a sealed unit and had to be replaced. I refused to pay and set about finding an alternative which I did. Found a company on Ebay who repaired Renault dashes, removed the dash(very easy job) posted it away and received it back fixed within a week for £170 with a 2 year warranty! Renault would have only given me a 6 month warranty inb return for my £700! Amazing Renault can't fix their own parts but someone else can!
Complain about this comment
This was an interesting story, with a decent result. But it was quite overblown: it is not dreadfully risky driving without a speedometer, especially if you are in traffic and it has just gone (your speed will not suddenly change just because the speedometer is no longer there).
I have a feeling that the hour-long programme need the presenters to do a bit of filling and talking-up.
Bring back Nicky and Julia!
Complain about this comment
RE your comment about new allegations - I HAVE CONTACTED WATCHDOG THREE TIMES AND BEEN IGNORED!!!!!
Complain about this comment
Can`t believe Renault have at last admitted to a fault, problem is my car is a [details removed] and they wanted £732 for a clock replacement. Has anybody out there got a problem with the same car.
Complain about this comment
Could Watchdog post the phone no. on here please?
Complain about this comment
Re Barkington... I think the worry is that once the dash goes what else will go? Power Steering, Brakes. I am grateful to watchdog. At the end of the day they did not have to do anything!
Complain about this comment
Hi everyone. Thanks for all your comments. We are compiling a list of new allegations and passing them on to the Editor. I know it's frustrating that we can't publish them here.
To answer any questions raised by Watchdog, Renault's Customer Services team will be available between 9pm and 10pm tonight or from 9am to 5.30pm tomorrow on 08000 72 33 72, or by email at customer.services@renault.co.uk
Please do keep sending us your stories if you have new problems you want us to investigate.
Many thanks, Joanna
Complain about this comment
Re New allegations. These aren't allegations just contact the motoring organisations or check Google, the car is a lemon!
Complain about this comment
I have paid out £550 for a new dashboard- contacted Renault when it happened and they didn't want to know, as the car was a year out of warrenty.
As with other people I have had a catalogue of faults with this car and even now it makes a noise when starting that no-one seems to know what it is!!
Complain about this comment
Please Please Please put the renault CS Tel no. on here.
Complain about this comment
what a surprise! Have just contacted Renault and because I had the initiative to find someone who could repair my unit, which strangely they couldn't do, they are refusing to offer any compensation! Renault really are a constant source of dissappointment!!! and they came so close to redeeming themselves!
Complain about this comment
I feel very fortunate. I have a 2004 Renault Scenic which I have had for 4 and a half years with no problems. If my car develops the same problem as all of these others in the future, will I still be covered by the £100 offer or is time limited? Worrying!
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
re hellzbellz message, apparently the exhaust back up is yet another common fault. ensure you take you car for regular long runs at full 70mph speed to stop build up again when you have your filter cleaned.
re dash board, my 2005 grand scenic has started re-setting it's self to 0 on the clock and all the trip records, and yesterday began flashing like a disco party. Went to my local reliable garage who said this is very common with scenic's 5 and 7 seater. got it booked in for checkup but thanks to watchdog tonight, i think i will be taking it down to my local rennault dealer and see if they are offering what Ann said, to repair it for £100, or try a fob me off with something else which has been the same since it got the car. I love my grand scenic but hate rennault dealers!!!!
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I agree that losing the read out from your dash is not good but does it put you in the danger that this write up suggests?
I would say that you are in no danger at all. If in doubt, slow down, fill up at the next fuel station and call in at the dealer as soon as you can.
I have a 2004 Scenic and so far I haven't had a problem with the dash and I hope I don't. However, if my dash does fail, as extremely inconvenient as that would be, I don't consider it to be dangerous.
Complain about this comment
Same problem with dashboard, contacted renault who told me they could do nothing because the car had done more than 100,000 miles. I wasn't willing to pay 5-600 pounds for repair and went to independent garage who charged me £280. Contacted renault after seeing the show and what a surprise they will not refund any money because i did not use a renault dealer. Why should i use them when they charge twice as much and were not willing to help in the first instance. I am going to look further into this, i will post anything i find out.
Complain about this comment
thankyou to watchdog i have the exact problem as described on tv. i have a 05 scenic and havnt had it fixed due to the high cost. after getting through to renault a 9.58pm i now have my car booked in for repair and at a cost of £100 i can now sleep a little easier.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I STOPPED WATCHING THIS PROGRAME, BUT SO GLAD I DID LAST NIGHT. MY DASH WENT A FEW WEEKS AGO, JUST BLACKED OUT NO WARNING I WAS ON THE MOTORWAY AT THE TIME WHICH WAS A BIT SCARY. WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER WHO TOLD ME WHAT THE FAULT WAS AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER £600 TO REPLACE. I HAVE AA BREAKDOWN AND REPAIR INSURANCE BUT RENAULT REFUSED TO INVOICE THEM AND WANTED THE MONEY UP FRONT, SO I FOUND AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE WHO IS STILL CHARGING £450 AND IVE GOT TO PAY £125 ON TOP. THAT WAS AFTER A BATTLE WITH THE AA WHO SAID AT FIRST THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE INSURANCE. THE GARAGE HAVE CALLED ME TODAY AND AGREED TO PUT THE WORK ON HOLD UNTIL I CAN CONTACT RENAULT, WHO HAVE SAID THAT IF I HAD LET AN INDEPENDANT GARAGE DO THE REPAIR, THEY WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP ME. ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS. RENAULT WANTED A DIOGNOSTIC FEE, AND £100 PER HOUR LABOUR, WHY SHOULD ANYBODY PAY THIS WHEN THEY CAN GET IT DOEN ELSEWHERE CHEAPER. IM STILL WAITING FOR RENAULT TO GET BACK TO ME SO WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW I GET ON. IM A BIT CONCERNED BECAUSE IVE READ THE BLOGS ON RENAULT AND THEY ALSO HAVE GEARBOX PROBLEMS AND BACK BREAK PROBLEMS WHICH SUPRISE SUPRISE ONLY RENAULT CAN FIX !!!!!!
Complain about this comment
I also got my 04 scenic fixed through a local garage rather than a main dealer as it was £300 cheaper and had a 2 year warranty. We were lead to believe that this problem was almost unheard of.Customer service at renault are also say to us they won't part refind because of this. You try to help youself and get penalised for it.. Should have known better after having to pay £250 to get my window fixed, only to find out after that was a comman fault to. This is the last renault I buy.
Complain about this comment
I have just called renault on the number from last nights show and was told that because i had my dash cluster repaired by someone other than renault they would not be reimbursing me,now renault quoted me 550 pounds and i got the repair job done for 240 pounds.
As a normal working man the 310 pounds difference is a lot of money so to be dismissed like that was very frustrating indeed.
Can you give me any advice on what my next options may be.
Many thanks.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I have a similar issue to Wayne1870.
My 54 plate Grand Scenic got a fault dashboard in July this year. I got a quote from Renault for £695 for a replacement and a quote from a Renault Specialist for £300 for a repair. I even called Renault customer services to complain that it was such a common fault and would they help towards it - but they wouldn't.
After watching the show last night I contacted Renault this morning.
Low and behold, they won't refund me any money as I didn't have the authorised work carried out by Renault (I couldn't afford £695).
I suggested that they should refund me all the repair costs and I would pay the £100 to get a new dash from them - but they won't have it!
Complain about this comment
Hi.
Have had the cluster go, Phoned Renault UK in August 09, and complained, was on the phone for half an hour to a very understanding
lady, she agreed to the complete cost, local main dealer phoned me within 24 hours, work was completed within three days at NO cost.
Car is Jan 05 Grand Scenic 1.6 VVT with 33000 miles.
Complain about this comment
Hi again
I should have added that I don't understand the lack of inconsistency when dealing with me and the other customers who have been turned away
with no help. I should also state that we brought the car from a non franchised dealer some one and a half years ago. The car does have a full service history but again not with a main dealer.
Complain about this comment
What a surprise - no-one in Aberdeen seems to be aware of this Renault problem. I have a Renault Megane registered March '04 and it's dashboard would go blank and come back on and then flash a message to stop which scared me to death. Out of warranty had to use my local garage and they at first couldn't replicate the fault until they'd to remove whole dashboard to replace heater and then found the problem which was a circuit board. This they were informed meant a replacement dashboard which cost me over £500 as it had to be purchased direct from Renault and then they could not configure it to British as it defaults to French and their 2 computers could not reconfigure. Another £80 at the Renault dealership to change it to mph rather than kpm. I wish I'd known about this ongoing problem as I'd have kicked up a fuss with Renault to make them pay for it.
Complain about this comment
Did not see the Watchdog programme regarding the faulty dashboard in Renault Scenic cars but was advised of it this evening. Our 2004 Scenic's dashboard went blank just over 2 weeks ago. Again, on contacting our local Renault dealer they did not advise us that this was a common problem and certainly never offered any help in paying the £500 costs involved! They told me not to drive the car because I would not know what speed I was doing or how much fuel I had used but not that it was illegal to drive without it!! We have contacted Customer Services now but this is just another problem in a long line of them with this car and most outside the warrenty. Will never buy a renault car again.
Complain about this comment
Just like to sy this is not only a problem with the Scenic as I have a 53 [model make removed] and I had the same problem. I think t uses the same dashboard. Maybe other [model removed] onwners could come forward if they have had the same problem ? By the way mine cost more to repair than most of the scenic owners are quoting
Complain about this comment
Hung on the phone for 33mins yesterday (mobile) my bills going to be huge!! to be told that the lady I had spoken to the night before was very busy ,suprise suprise ! waited all day for a phone call back, it finally came a 4.45pm and i missed it ! so rang back to hold on for another 30mins only to be cut off at 5pm because they had all gone home ! so still none the wiser other than the garage havent started the work yet so i hopefully can get it into a renault dealer who will probably have a list of repairs for dashboards. Im also a bit concerned that it may have caused other problems because all the information regarding the cars engine is on that dash it probably needs a service now ? more money !!!! im hoping for a phonecall on monday so will post the outcome. good luck everyone your going to need it.
Complain about this comment
i too have a renault scenic megane 2001 july model..bought used in 2005 5 weeks into me having it and in the 3mths warranty the speedo went , I took it back to the renault dealer and it cost me £200. for them to fix as they said it was not under the warranty I had.. what could I do but pay to get my car back..2 weeks ago it went again and it cost me £191.. to get it fixed at my local garage he had to get a electrical enginer to see to it , its my local garge and trustworthy. I would think long and hard before I get another trenault.
Complain about this comment
I have an 04 Scenic and the dash failed nearly a year ago costing over £500 to replace. We rang Renault's customer service department who refused to pay a penny towards the cost. Thank you for highlighting this, i will call them tomorrow and will let you know how i get on.
Complain about this comment
I was one of the people featured on the show on Thursday with regards to this problem. At first i was over the moon to only have to pay £100 instead of the £567 i was quoted but now i am in two minds. Renault have admitted that this is a problem with these cars so why should we have to pay anything? Also, as pointed out on the show, if it is illegal to drive then i think that Renault should have to come and pick the car up from me and take it to be repaired. I am not driving around in a car that is illegal to drive and put myself at risk of prosecution. Also, my mileage has gone up to 94,000 when it should only be 38,000 at the most - are they going to correct this problem as i did not hear this mentioned on the show.
I have had to contact Renault again today to chase up what is happening and the person that was dealing with it is on holiday!! So i am being passed over to someone else - i go away at the end of this month and i need the car! I am so frustrated
Complain about this comment
I also had the same problem and when taken to the dealers they wanted to charge me £550 i was able to find another to do it for £350 but i spoke to someone who told me i had to put it in writting when i wrote to renault i had no reply i believe that they should rememburst the cost that people have paid. I would not recommend them to anyone.
I have had nothing but problems since getting the car and its only a 2004 car
Complain about this comment
I have spoken to Renault 6 times since the show aired. The first time was after the show, which was a waste of time. I phoned my local Renault dealer the following day and booked the car in for repair. Since booking in I have questioned the 100 pounds they have requested for the repair. My argument with them has been that this should be a free of charge product recall as the fault is in multiple vehicles, there argument is that the 100 goes towards the 1 year warranty that comes with the part, 1 years warrenty? my car lasted 4 years before the fault materialised! I believe that Renault are trying recoupe labour costs and that the faulty parts will go down the supply chain to the display manufacturer who will then be the one who pays. I have 2 Renaults on my drive at home, there won't be any in the future.Well done Renault for losing another customer.
Complain about this comment
Thanks Watchdog,Just received a refund from Renault UK for my dash that was replaced in August. Previous to your programme Renault continually told me that this dash display fault was new to them and could not assist in any way. Once again a big THANKYOU!!!!
Complain about this comment
I too phoned Renault re: faulty clusterboard on our 04 Scenic after paying £230 to be repaired by an Independent Renault Specialist in November 2008 (it was only the chip!!). Same problem, flickered then went out. Got breakdown out who couldn't fix it so had to drive home in the dark but used sat nav for speed as I wasn't risking it without! Very scary experience. Renault won't refund. Advised them I would be feeding back to Watchdog on the basis that they have accepted responsibility as a manufacturer's fault and therefore should not be moving the goal post and could be legally challenged. Also pointed out I had saved Renault £500 by getting it fixed independently. Asked if they would pay for a new replacement and they had to check up only to be told no! MOREOVER, IF THEY ARE TELLING PEOPLE THE SAME THING (not refunding unless through a main dealer) WHY ARE THEY TAKING ALL YOUR CAR AND PERSONAL DETAILS BEFORE????!! Back to haunt them possibly? I really don't see how Renault can get away with this. They either refund everyone who can prove they've have the work done or not - simples!! I for one will be pursuing this.
Complain about this comment
I arranged with Renault UK to contact my local dealer and get my dashboard fault rectified, however when I took it to them they said the warranty repair only related to 04 05 models. Mine is Scenic two registered in 2003 so I had a bit of an intense discussion with my dealer who did the job after consulting Renault. They the dealer were frightened witless they were going to be out of pocket.
Complain about this comment
My dashboard failed last night ('05 plate Scenic). Symptoms were just as described here - clock and trip meter resetting, finally going blank with the occasional flicker/beep.
Contacted the dealer this morning - the person I spoke to wasn't aware of the problem and said I had to get it checked out first since it "might not need replacement". Booked it in anyway.
Called Renault UK and was told "Dealers have all been informed ..." and was advised to quote the reference number I was given. Looks like the word hasn't spread to Service Receptionists yet!
Complain about this comment
04 Scenic II i own had the failing dashboard last year, but I was lucky. I had it replaced under a used car warranty at the Renault dealers. WARNING: there is another common fault with Scenic's,the blower will pack up working on one of the 4 settings and need a new resistor block. Renault know about this one as well.
Complain about this comment
Just watched Watchdog and amazed to find out the scale of this problem. It's happened to me a few times and then the dash has come back to life. I certainly will not pay £100 for a fault that Renault should be repairing for free. I love the design of my Scenic but have not been impressed with the build quality and for this reason I would be reluctant to purchase a Renualt in future.
Complain about this comment
Scenic 2003 (53 plate)I had this problem at the beginning of the year. I contacted a Renault dealership who wanted to charge me £695.00 for a replacement cluster. Ended up going to a Renault specialist who charged me £515.00.
Rang Renault today they told me they will look at my case once confirmation of ownership and invoice of work is received by them. Hopefully will get a good result.
Complain about this comment
I FINALLY GOT A CALL BACK FROM RENAULT BUT ITS COST ME 100 QUID IN PHONECALLS !!! TOLD THEM I DIDNT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TOWARDS IT OR THEY SHOULD AT LEAST SERVICE THE CAR AS I DONT KNOW WHAT DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO IT WHILE THE DASH HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE. OF COURSE THEY COULDNT DO THAT. STILL THINK WATCHDOG SHOULD GET THEM TO DO IT FOR NOTHING EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB SO FAR. WONT EVER BUY ANOTHER RENAULT AGAIN. AND IF ANYTHING ELSE MAJOR GOES WRONG I WILL BE STRAIGHT ONTO WATCHDOG TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE SAME FAULT. GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY YOUR GOING TO NEED IT. !!!!
Complain about this comment
our senic 54 started to flash and then disapeared this week we have it booked in for tomorrow in our local dealership lets hope all goes ok.... ill keep you informed
Complain about this comment
My car has exactly the same problem, but its not a Scenic, it's [brand removed] Renault customer services will do nothing because it's not a Scenic. From looking at other comments on this blog, lots of other models have the same problem, so lets hope Watchdog raise this with Renault as well.
Complain about this comment
I had my dash replaced last dec it cost 434.41 what a bill 2 weeks before christmas. it certantly put a downer on our christmas. will contact customer services for a refund tomorrow
Complain about this comment
Had the same problem with our 54 plate Scenic back in July and it cost us £504.28 to have it repaired at a Renault dealership. Will now be contacting Renault to try and get a refund. Agree with previous comments that this should be replaced free of charge as it appears to be a design fault. Had the previous model of Scenic and was very pleased which is why we bought the new model. However, we have also had to have a new alternator and battery fitted just after the warranty expired and was quoted over £600.00 to get this replaced by Renault. After much discussion with Renault customer services ended up paying £189.42. Not very impressed with this car at all and would not be keen to buy another Renault again.
Complain about this comment
Have just tried to contact Renault a few times on the number shown above in the report as it is supposed to be open between 9.00 and 10.00pm tonight?
All I get is an automated message stating the offices are closed and giving the opening hours. Will try again by e-mail!
Complain about this comment
hi just seen programme about renault scenic.i to had dashboard failure earlier this year.i got it repaired at renault they charged me nearly £500 .will be getting in contact by email or phone asap
Complain about this comment
had the same problem renault wanted £440 + labour & vat. Was told about web page [URL removed by Moderator], there were a couple of tel no`s of people who could repair the dash, gave instructions how to get dash out ( very easy ), cost £150 + postage and they gave a 2 year guarantee (Renault would only give a 6 month warranty ) plus they recovered the milage from the memory.
Complain about this comment
I have an 05 grand scenic and started having problems a few months since when the clock and trip meter kept re-setting didn't think it was to much of a problem. Then a few weeks back the dashboard went of completely whilst on the motorway but came back on after a few seconds. Later that week it went off again except this time it didn't come back on, when this happened we lost brake lights and indicators(these had previously been ok).Took the car to local Renault dealer was quoted £520 agreed to have it done as it's the family car,when the car was ready spoke to somebody at customer services and was told that as it shouldn't have gone so soon we wouldn't have to pay anything this was before the watchdog programme. However we did end up having to pay for a hire car for a week.
Complain about this comment
I have recently experienced a ringing noise which is due to a loose wire in the dashboard. The renault mechanic says that eventually the dashboard may fail and need to be replaced at about £500. I wonder if this is a similar problem.
Complain about this comment
I am extremely disappointed about the involvement of Watchdog, I have an 05 plate Scenic which suffered the panel failure that is now well documented. This also happened to my friend who after what they described as a delightful conversation with a gentleman at Renault customer service, she had her car repaired free of charge. The gentleman on the phone told her that Renault were repairing all customers who own Scenics less than 5 years old for free. Now mine has failed and I had the same discussion with a lovely young lady at Renault who told me that although I am a loyal Renault customer due to the media attention, their ability to be objective has had to be replaced by a consistant approach. This has ended up with me paying more for my repair that I should have. I have owned my car from new and get it serviced at a main dealer. Now just because some Joe Bloggs, who bought his car used at some car giant and has never even smelt the inside of a main dealer, complains to Watchdog, us loyal drivers have to suffer. Consumer action is one thing, people falling over themselves to get what they dont deserve is another. People should grow up and take responsibility. If you buy a car without a warranty, you should have to pay the bills....
Complain about this comment
I once owned a renault, I will never own another one. I had the same problem with a 2002 renault. I lost all electrics on the dash, no speedo, no fuel gage, nothing. Renault dealership, just left me frustrated, and angry. Three dashboards later I returned the car to the finance company telling them the car was not fit for purpose.
I never had to pay another penny for the car, and was able to buy another car. So if renault don't do as they should, return thier vehicle.
Complain about this comment
I had my dashboard repaired by an independant specialist at the cost of £178. This includes a 3 year warranty and having my mileage set back to the correct value. The company who repaired it displayed a level of Customer Service the likes of Renault can only dream of.
Renault may well only be charging £100 but this only includes a 12 month warranty and does not include having your mileage set to the correct value which could effect the sell-on value of the vehicle.
Also, as I understand it, Renault are not actually fixing the problem. They are merely replacing the dashboard with a new one which still has the inherent design fault which causes the problem in the first place. Why they were quoting £500 - £600 to do this in the first place is beyond me. They admitted to me the part cost £300 but I removed my dashboard in 10 minutes and replaced it, when repaired, in 5 minutes. A total of 15 minutes labour for someone who is not a mechanic, so where was the additional £200 - £300 coming from Mr. Renault??
Complain about this comment
I to have had dashboard problem which has now been changed at a cost of £100 originally quoted £550, milage has now reverted ti zero but logged in hand book.
Another what seems a re-ocurring fualt is the heater/cooling fan which does not work on one of the 4 speed exorbitant cost quoted by renault.
Complain about this comment
my 54 reg scenic had the same problem 2 weeks before our holiday took it to a garage and it cost me £497 i will be phoning the dealers up today to see whats what.
Complain about this comment
dnagerousdan, I think you will find that Renault were not being particularly objective in the first place.
Some people with no warranty and no Renault service history were being given free 'repairs' while others in the same position were being refused free 'repairs'. Some people were getting 50% discounts, others 90% discounts. (You can refer to my previous post - number 83 - to see why I put the word repairs in inverted commas)
While I agree that most problems should be paid for if the car is out of warranty, if it is an inherent manufacturing or design flaw (which this is) it renders the part not fit for purpose and any repair/replacement should be funded by the manufacturer. In this case, everyone is paying too much to have this problem 'fixed' by Renault, not just you!!
Complain about this comment
Had this problem with my 05 plate Scenic 2 earlier this year. Dashboard just didn't come on one day and a few days later the radio packed up as well. Called out AA who said oh dear (is if he had seen this problem before) you need to take this to Renault main dealer. fearing a big bill I called Renault Customer Service first and told them of the issue. they asked me to take the car to my Local Renault dealer from which the car was bought about a year earlier. Got a quote for nearly £900 to replace the dash and radio. went home stunned and called RCS who attitude was oh well the car is out of warranty tough luck. I argued that this was a common fault which they knew about which they obviusly denied. Anyway a couple more calls later I RCS said they would go halves with me for the repair. Ah ha I thought i'm getting somewhere here. in the end i paid around £140 quid to have the dash replaced at the local main dealer with a 12 month warranty and low and behold the radio started working again. So Renault look like they have finally caved in and admitted they have an issue with these cars. An issue which demands a recall in my view and a fix which should be at no cost to the owners of these cars. I'm going to get o to RCS and claim my £40 back and hope that with more pressure from consumers and Watchdog that very soon i will be claiming a full refund!
Complain about this comment
Could I ask watch dog to ask the question, are owners of the bigger brother to the scenic having problems with their dashboards as well ? I am sure that after see all the blogs on the site I can't be the only one with a problem
Complain about this comment
- dc1965 -
Read your post and agree to a certain extent but having worked as a Production Manager for a manufacturing company for near enough 40 years I am more than aware of what constitutes a common fault in design/production or manufacurer and what is normal/acceptable component failure. On the show last week they documented 150,000 plus cars were sold in the UK. And Watchdog received hundreds of complaints. Even if you take that hundreds as 500 complaints thats 0.33% of all cars sold in the UK. Thats not a common fault now is it.... The point I was making in terms of an objective approach was that Renault will help people who are loyal as any company can. Why should people get help who dont deserve it and reduce the capacity to help people who actually provide a company profit due to a sensationist and haughty approach to a story that really needed alot more research. If Renault were not helping anyone that would have been a different story, they were so were doing as much as any manufacturer can be expected to do outside the warranty.
Complain about this comment
I have had several of the same issues with dashboard failure, heater failing on setting 2 and windows falling down. Contrary to dnagerousdan's comment (#81) on people having themselves to blame for acting cheap and being disloyal the car was purchased with full Renault dealership service history. We purchased the 04 plate Scenic less than a year ago and specifically wanted a clear service history but this appears as useful as a chocolate teapot.
For the dashboard we were quoted £550 by a Renault dealer but £500 by a trusted and helpful independant who we have used for years with satisfaction. We have also been quoted £50 for the heater part and £200 for the work to fix it - Renault dealer prices but simply cannot afford this so put up with it. Another gripe is simply changing lightbulbs, our front offside bulb failed, the Renault advice is for a dealer to replace it at £50 service charge, the nearside we hear is even more costly - this should be a simple job that the owner should be able to do.
We bought the car because we like the design, layout, NCAP rating etc. but have been so diasappointed - I have never had such systemic failures in a vehicle before. We cannot afford to trade in and will have to keep our fingers crossed for the rest of our ownership period.
Complain about this comment
dc1965 (comment 86), WELL SAID!
dnagerousdan (comment 81) - you probably spoke to the same "lovely young lady at Renault" that I did. The one who told me I will not be reimbursed a week ago but then called me back this week after the basis of their decision was changed. Presumably this is because Renault have since been legally challenged rather than getting away with holding the Kangaroo courts they have been for different customers over this particular issue. I for one am therefore very pleased that Watchdog has taken this matter up. Our nearest main dealer is over 50 miles away because the local one has now closed (no surprise there) and we have found a very reliable local Independent Renault Specialist with reasonable rates e.g. he doesn't charge £300 to change a bulb but £20 because he knows how to replace it in 5 minutes, not a whole day, and without taking the car apart to get to it! As for the warranty, we have one but not everything is covered and costs are therefore inevitable as you too have since discovered. Our Air Conditioner also failed which we have recently paid £300 to get repaired (the resistor - part £60 - only the compressor was covered which I am told is about £400 for the part). Air con is something you can live without I know but not something leaving drivers vulnerable, in danger and poentially facing a prosecution for when it breaks without warning because of an "inherent design fault".I'm sure Renault will be pleased that you are happy with them, a lot of people are not. I suspect a lot of drivers will never touch Renault again (me included)- the result? Extortionate repair rates for the "loyal" drivers who choose to continue to be ripped off - with or without a warranty.
Complain about this comment
We have a Renault Grand Scenic, same fault, similar story to everyone else although it didn't cost us anything. The dashboard became intermittent in June this year before completely dying. I was originally given a quote of around £550 by our local R garage then did some internet research & decided to give R Customer Service a call...providing we had not 'contributed to the problem' (like taken a sledge hammer to the dashboard? how could we have contributed?) R would cover the whole cost. Booked into local garage, agreed we hadn't 'contributed' & the car was returned with a new dashboard - including lights which had NEVER worked before. We also have a letter from R confirming the odometer was returned to zero. The car was serviced by R a couple of weeks before the fault started so they also have a record of the mileage at that point - approx 50K.
Complain about this comment
Thanks Watchdog! I emailed you over a year ago about the problems I had with my dashboard (53 reg Scenic). Like many others I had contacted RCS and they were not interested as my vehicle was out of warranty and had a grand total of 36000 miles on the clock! I didnt hear anything back from Watchdog, and assumed the story had not been investigated until I watched the show over the past two weeks. I have contacted RCS and I am now waiting for a part refund, (I paid £40.00 to a local mechanic for diagnostics, and £200.93 for another company to repair the dashboard). A tip to all, make sure you check your mail delivery if your sending in you refund request via email. My email has come back as RCS's mailbox is full!
I still think that Renault should be refunding 100% of the costs though, as this is a fault that simply should not happen. When I contacted them last year, they denied that there was a problem with Scenic II dashes, and said that they hadnt had any issues with other customers regarding them. This was a blatant lie, as I had been on a Scenic Owners online forum beforehand, where it was a hot topic of debate.
In relation to comment 81 by Dnagerous Dan, you really do sound like a selfish and conceited individual. Many people whose car has developed this problem have bought new or used from Renault dealers. The fault does not discriminate against where you bought from or who services your vehicle! If Renault had already agreed to repair your vehicle for free, then they should honour it, and if not then I think that you should direct your bitterness towards them, and not the thousands of Scenic II owners whose dashboards developed their faults once they were over five years old! Anyway, if you can afford to have your car serviced at a Renault main dealer, then £100 should be small change to you!
Complain about this comment
You can add my Grand Scenic to the list. It is a 54 plate and the dashboard initially flickered, but is out completely now, together with control of the radio, indicator sounds, the rear boot door wont open and the rear wipe no longer works!. I contacted Renault and mentioned Watchdog. The lasy initially said I had to speak to a manager, but then changed her mind and said go to my local dealer who would charge me £100. She said the boot door failure and rear wiper failure were not related. Oh dear more money. Im convinced renault electrics are dodgey,. I wouldnt trust them to wire a 3 pin plug!! My MOT is due in a few weeks, so I guess I will accept the £100 repair, its better than the £600-700 initioally quoted.
Thanks Watchdog you have saved me a fortune, just a shame Renault dont admit their mistakes and fix them for free.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Took my 54 Reg Renault Scenic to have the dashbaord replaced today, cost me £100:00, but lost my mileage once the dashboard was replaced,Renault said they could not do anything about this problem, and stated I have the paperwork to confirm,mileage before the dash board was replaced, argued it should have been done for free, since Renault was aware of the problem, but it fell on deaf ears.
Complain about this comment
I bought Renault Scenic car brand new in June 2004 as an import from a garage in the valleys and have always had it serviced at my local Renault dealer.
In September of this year I noticed that my clock on the dash board was flashing "00:00" and whilst I could reset the clock to the correct time, the next time I started the engine it would revert back to flashing "00:00". In addition my average MPG and average speed also kept resetting back to "0:00", and also my speedo digits were fading ever so slightly.
After doing some research on the internet it soon became apparent that this was a known problem, however, on one particular forum Renault owners reported that Renault UK were paying varying amounts towards the repair of their dash boards.
With nothing to lose I contacted Renault UK customer services and explained that my car was out of warranty and an import and explained I have always had it serviced by Renault and that my wife also bought a brand new Modus from a Renault dealer.
I explained I had read a lot of information on the internet and the assistant confirmed that it was a known problem, albeit quite a rare one. I suggested that this particular fault should warrant a recall as Renault has a duty of care to their customers regardless of the age of the car as it could cause fatalities under certain circumstances.
To my great surprise Renault UK said they would contact my local Renault dealer in Cardiff to ascertain the price to supply and fit and would contact me at a later date.
At this point I assumed they were going to pay a percentage of the bill, however, after a week or so I was contacted by the customer service adviser who informed me that he had arranged for my local dealer to supply and fit a brand new replacement "FREE OF CHARGE" !
To say I was ‘Gob Smacked’ was an understatement and thanked the customer services assistant accordingly.
I believe it went a long way when I mentioned both myself and wife drive Renault cars as he commented that he could see that we were “Brand Loyal” to Renault.
Moral of the story ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ – P.S. It also pays to be polite and courteous.
RG - Cardiff
Complain about this comment
Re: post 89 by dnagerousdan.
It isn't really possible to determine the true extent of this problem from number of Scenics sold and number of people contacting Watchdog. I am prepared to wager that not everyone who has had the problem in the past has contacted Watchdog.
What I do know (for a fact) is that this problem is caused by a design flaw which can cause temperature issues and subsequently component failures. I also have it on good authority that Renault (or rather their dashboard supplier) has re-worked this component a number of times and the design flaw still exists in the latest release. Scenic owners should be prepared for this to continue happening.
I do agree that a certain tiny percentage of all electronic components will fail. Nobody is perfect. But when the components are failing due to a design flaw then this goes beyond just bad luck and the manufacturer has to accept some responsibility.
Your assertion that Renault were doing as much as they they could be expected outside of warranty is a matter of opinion. When I initially contacted Renault all I was after was a consistent approach. However, Renault refused to contribute towards my repair quoting reasons which would have been fair enough had they not contributed towards other peoples repairs who were in exactly the same position as me. It seemed as if it largely depended upon who you spoke to and what kind of mood they were in at the time determined whether or not Renault were prepared to contribute.
I think you will agree that is no way to run a company.
I respect your opinion as someone with 40 years experience in Production management however, as someone with nearly 15 years experience in the automotive industry I can tell you, dashboards do not fail with this regularity unless there is an underlying design/manufacturing cause.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
AFTER WATCHING WATCHDOG I CALLED THE RENAUT CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL, I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD A NEW DASHBOARD FITTED LAST YEAR. THE COST WAS £493.00. THEY ASKED ME TO CONFIRM SOME DEATILS AND SEND ME MY REGISTRATION DOCUMENT. I RECEIVED A CHEQUE FOR £393.00 IN THE SAME WEEK.
VERY GOOD SERVICE FROM RENAULT THEY EVEN PHONED ME TO ASK IF I HAD RECEIVED THE CHEQUE.
MANY THANKS TO WATCHDOG AND RENAULT.
MRS CLARK FROM HUNTINGDON
Complain about this comment
got a reply today regarding dashboard ,refund due on my £456 i spent on new one in march .thank you watchdog
Complain about this comment
Contacted Renault - they are fixing the problem for the nominal amount of £100.
Car only done done 32,000 miles in 4 1/2 years and have just recently had to fork out over £200 to get the electric window fixed as that broke too and apparently they are 'notorious' for that too!
I am NEVER EVER going to buy a Renault again and suggest that people do likewise!
Complain about this comment
Hi.
In France too, numerous Scenic have dashboard failure. Renault France is totally ignoring the problem and because a TV program like "BBC-Watchdog" does not exist in France, I think this problem (among others) will be never resolved.
Some people are taking legal actions against Renault arguing design flaw !!!
Maybe the BBC-Watchdog team could help french journalists to spread the Renault UK decision ?
Thanks
Complain about this comment
This is clearly an inherent fault in 1 or 2 components of the dash unit. The questions are why?, how?, what is the repair?, has it been fixed in new units? and are reconditioned units being fitted or new ones with the same inherent fault?
I had a similar problem in my car (not a Renault, but full of Renault components) and was quoted 800 pounds to fix. 15 minutes with a soldering iron fixing dry joints solved the issue for me. There are similar stories with other renault-sourced mechanical and electronic components
(eg, power steering losing fluid in 5 year old car, Dealership quoted 1600 quid to replace the entire unit. A specialist charged 600 to replace the single O-ring that had popped out and do some minor mechanical work to prevent a recurrance (it's a design fault but is easily remedied). Unfortunately he had to remove the entire steering rack to get to the O-ring and he says he sees 3 of these incidents per month - specialist waranteed the repair for 20,000 miles/24 months too! (dealership would only offer 6 months on a brand new rack))
Complain about this comment
hi like so many of you i have got a dash problem on my renault scenic II 04 model, the dash has gone erratic, flashing and going blank and now today it is displaying a french message with a warning stop signal, called green flag who's mechanic (who called out to my vehical) advised me of the known dash problem which was shown on watchdog (i didnt watch this as i was working). after watching the episode on here and reading ur messages i am contacting renault to see what they say, i am not holding out much hope though as since ive had the car (june07) i have had 3 coils replaced, near side and offside window regulators replaced, back box on exhaust replaced and resister on heating replaced twice all of which are common faults and all denyed responsibility by renault so have payed for by myself through my own loal garage as cheeper than renault. i just hope this time because of watchdog they will repair this fault without huge cost to myself.
I will never ever get another renault and cant wait to get rid of it.
Complain about this comment
I too own the Renault Scenic's (more "spacious") bigger brother and have suffered exactly the same dashboard issue described above (only yesterday in fact).
If you own the same car as me and have experienced this problem please write to Watchdog (not just here on the comments) so that they can widen the issue and hopefully get a similarly positive response from Renault Customer Services on what my internet research shows is an equally common problem.
Complain about this comment
I emailed Renault on the address above, about my 04 Renault Scenic that had it's dashboard replaced at around 30,000 miles, last year by a company in Norfolk who replaced it for half the price quoted by Renault, and a longer warranty. They say they repace and fix the inherent fault that could occur even in a new replacement from Renault. If Renault have agreed to refund third party repairs above £100 why do they not reply? Any other contact details?
Steve B
Complain about this comment
And there I was thinking 'it could only happen to me'!!! I've got an 05 scenic and this is the second time the dash has gone, the first time was back in August when the whole dash just blacked out and then a week later the car failed to work at all, put the key in an nothing! thought it might be something to do with the battery but when the AA came out there was not problem with the battery, AA laughed and said it would be something electrical as it always was with a renault and when the low loader arrived the driver had exactly the same response. I had an 03 scenic before and never had any problems. Anyway the car was taken to my local dealer and after a week of diagnostics and 'manually' checking the car they decided the fault was the UCP, after that failed to work properly they ordered a new key and hey presto the car worked. Then yesterday (after weeks of the dash flickering, mainly the picture of the car and speed) it went completely. The car is at the dealers at the mo and I'm waiting for them to call me back to let me know 'what the problem is'!!! can't wait, I'm so glad I searched the net now I've probably got more information than them. Thanks watchdog and everyone else whose posted. Can anyone let me know if they've experienced the dash dying and then the whole car, need to know if I've paid for something which I needn't have.
Complain about this comment
Hi
i have a grand espace which this morning started with no dashboard display . Also the sterio remote control is not working no way to change volume or channels on the sterio. Local auto electrician says that its a common fault on espace models , its the module behind the display unit and its now subject to a recall .It was on Watchdog ? So -- Booked it into Renault for work . Dealer says that it is not the same as scenic display so it is not subject to a recall by Renault and to expect the bill to be £500 / £800 for the work.
Does anyone else out there have a similar story ref Grand Espaces and if so did Renault make a contribution to the cost involved.
Are these vehicles suffering from a common faulty part which should mean a factory recall for all with the same part ?
UPDATE SO FAR.
I was not happy with the answer from the dealer ... they are adamant that only the Scenic model is subject to the recall.... they say that the dash cluster is different in the Espace. I know that I wasn’t going to get anywhere with the dealer so I asked around in the motor trade and surprise surprise ... it appears to be a common complaint with the used Espace. So.... I looked on the internet and discovered that there is a thriving market repairing these clusters at an average cost of £150 + vat and delivery with a two / three day turn around. The Repair is also warranted for 24 months. I cancelled the repair with the dealer and decided to get the repair done myself saving hundreds of pounds......
NOTE
The cluster is very easy to remove ,just prise up the speaker covers at each end of the dash and you will find two screws , undo these and the dash top lifts of easily as one complete unit . The cluster itself is removed by turning the two plastic screws located at either end, unclipping the wiring multi plugs connectors and lifting the module out. You can’t just get another used instrument cluster from the breakers ... You have to get your own cluster repaired as apparently it’s coded to the ECU immobiliser?
So if you want to save a lot of money just Google “cluster repair” and find a cheaper alternative solution to this problem.
Regards
Regards
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS