The Va Va VOOM has gone Va Va BOOM! (Renault Megane in general)

Member Name: Caz30

Product:	Renault Megane in general
Date:	24/06/09 (281 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfy interior, good styling, Generally drives well

Disadvantages: Multiple repairs and poor build quality

I would love to be able to agree with many other owners and say that the megane is a good all round family car, however for me it really has been the most problematic car i have ever owned. Maybe i have been unlucky with mine which seems to have ALL the "common" faults.

The car itself is an 04 plate, 1.6 VVT Dynamique, 5 dr hatch which I bought at the end of 05. At first it was ok, and the few problems it had were fixed under warranty, albeit reluctantly. However now that its out of warranty the fun has started.

I love the look of the megane and the interior is comfortable with lots of places to store drinks etc. I love its shape and the bodywork is good (apart from the peeling handles). It drives fairly well, however struggles a bit at speed on the motorway. ( i mean at 70mph and no faster) The engine is a tad noisy for me.

For me its the poor reliability of the car that is the problem. We have had the works, Coil packs failing multiple times, dephaser pulley, falling windows, suspension mounts, ball joints, multiple sets of brake disks and pads, leaking doors, oxygen sensor, temp sensor and i think the clutch is on the way out. There were other faults but these are the main ones i had to pay for.

But its not always the BIG things that annoy you about the megane, its the little things: the heavy clutch, or pedals in general, the rattles from the engine, the noisy engine and the fact that no-one apart from Renault can change a headlight bulb, as it can only be reached from the wheel arch.

For a car that has been treated well and has only done 40k miles in its 5 yrs it sure has had a LOT of problems. I would certainly advise anyone who is thinking about buying a megane to search out the common faults and make an informed decision as to whether it would suit them to have £400 - £600 repairs every few months. (that is - if they get landed with an unlucky one!)

Summary: Its in the garage more times than you get to drive it! (ok slight exaggeration!)

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