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I have a Scenic RT DTi with gearbox problems. The seal was replaced about ten weeks ago because of a leak. Now the whole thing has gone again and the warranty company are refusing to pay for the second lot of repairs because they say there wasn't enough lubricate in the gearbox. The garage say they did the necessary repairs in line with the warranty company's instructions and believe it is a part fault. All I know is it isn't my fault and I don't want a £1,000 bill to get my car back on the road. Has anyone had simular problems or got any advice as to what I should do next.
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Stella,
You have obviously paid for a warranty, either as part of the price which you paid for vehicle or, as a seperate agreement. If the warranty covers repairs to the gearbox then, as I see it , the job has not been done satisfactorily and you are not getting what you paid for. The repairing garage, and the warranty Company, have to sort it out between them and, if they don't, to your complete satisfaction, put it in the hands of your local Trading Standards Office.[
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Stella,
Sounds like the start of a typical warranty nightmare.
What age is the car, how many miles, who is the warranty with, did you buy it new/s.hand, how far into the warranty are you????
In theory you should be the last person to be out of pocket here, but the to and fro-ing between the dealer and warranty company will leave you dizzy.
I would be starting with the dealer. If they suspect a part failure, and this was newly fitted, then they should replace this FOC and take up the matter with Renault. If the seal has failed again so soon because they didn't replace another part that has damaged the seal a second time...down to them again.
If the box was low on oil down to them again (but this shouldn't damage a seal), more likely the seal failed and then the oil was lost.
If a completely different part had failed, i.e. not involved in the first repair, it should be down to the warranty company........unless you are over the claim limit.
These cases can get very messy and I bet I haven't thought of everything.
Are you in the AA/RAC? They may inspect and support you in this.
David
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The car was first registered March 1998, I brought the car as the second owner in June last year with a years warranty. Its current mileage is 45,000. In the year I have had it, it has had an oil leak, a new water pump and the pipe supplying fuel to the engine cleaned out due to starting problems. Added to this the radio has been sent for repair twice and then of course there is the gearbox problems. There was an intermittant noise which could be heard on long journeys when you leave the motorway, decrease your speed on the slip road and take the car out of fifth gear. Each time this happened I took the car to the garage and on several occasions it was taken in to be looked at. This was when a lot of the above work was done. On one occasion the noise was accompanied by struggling to get the car in gear, this was when the seal was replaced on the gearbox. About a week before the warranty was due to run out the Renault warranty company wrote offering to extend the warranty. I decided to take them up on it because of the problems I have had and because I am still paying for it. It cost £429.00 for two years but I thought it was worth it for peace of mind. I asked the man, over the phone, what would be covered and the first thing he said was the gearbox.
I have spoken to the AA who suggest I get an independent assessor to look at it which will cost about £100. I have also written to the previous owner to see if they had any problems with the car.
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Stella,
You appear to have done everything the dealer "sytem" wants for a full tie-in to maximise their business.
ie. Buying the car from a main dealer, taking out the warranty, extending the warranty, dealer servicing (and perhaps even their finance?).
It is then inexcusable to do anything less than resolve the problem with little stress to yourself, they can argue the detail out between dealer/warranty provider later without your involvement. I say this assuming the case is really as clear cut as it appears.
You are lucky it is the gearbox as this is not on the oil/fluids weekly check list for the customer. If it were the engine I bet they would be pointing the finger at you for not maintaining the correct oil level (a favourite warranty get-out clause).
Is it worth a last powerfully phrased letter to the dealership director pointing out that any delay in resolving this would be a serious local (and possible national) public relations disaster for them given that you have so many Renault owning friends following the story.
I'm sorry to say the Renaults I maintain have been the least reliable and most expensive to look after of all mid-range family cars. I have an N-reg Laguna on the books (diesel, one retired owner, full history and under 50,000 miles). It has suffered some very expensive faults but the worse is recent complete failure of the transmission. About £1500 for the parts alone from Renault.
Another problem car for me is a Renault Espace that has cost about £1,700 in repairs over the last year or so.
I hate to pick out one make and knock it but these, and many more Renault cases, are actual experiences I know of.
David
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Agree,
Get the RAC/AA to inspect....If any dispute go straight to local trading standards to complain about the Garage. Is the car on HP ? if so you will still have the protection of the Consumer Credit Act. Use it. Any expenses in excess of £100 pay by credit card, gives same protection....
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I'd say that Renault is the most complained about marque in my e-mails and snail mail. Especially Renault automatics. A mate bought a Safrane at auction about 5 months back (against my advice) and after the inevitable bath he now uses 'Safrane' as a swear word.
HJ
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