Renault Laguna II

Jesus.

I've heard some horror stories about these. Are they really that bad?

Would they be as unreliable as say a Fiat Punto or Bravo etc?

Ardennes1944

After 2005 most of the issues were sorted and actually they can represent good value nowadays.
With regards to the Punto, they are very reliable cars in my experience. They will require more looking after but would be more reliable than a Laguna IMO

Supergurrier

Why buy one when there are better cars out there ?

The fuel cap cover would be enough to put me off one

Jesus.

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

With regards to the Punto, they are very reliable cars in my experience. They will require more looking after but would be more reliable than a Laguna IMO

If a Punto is more reliable than a Laguna then the Laguna's not worth sh*t.

Its unfortunate considering they look very well.

Ardennes1944

I would disagree with both those points!

Dartz

I had a 2002 model.

Big comfy thing that never failed to get me down, ate a battery once, but never broke down until after I thought it could swim.

The ones that've lasted 10 years or more will keep going.

Jesus.

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

I would disagree with both those points!

I've yet to come across a Punto of similar vintage to the Laguna II that's not blown its head gasket, Ardennes!

True, beauty is in the eye of the beholder right enough. :P

Ardennes1944

I have! Once they are not driven hard when cold and maintained correctly they are fine and even if they do go its a cheap job. And thats only the 8v variant that had those issues.

Foxhole Norman

Jesus. wrote: »

I've heard some horror stories about these. Are they really that bad?

Would they be as unreliable as say a Fiat Punto or Bravo etc?

We had a 2003 Estate for 3 years that did sales rep mileage + a lot of holiday travel, had over 150K on it when it was changed. The one time it let us down was when we were about to get a ferry to France when I believe the battery went on it. It ended up being fixed about 10 mins before the ferry left. We ended up with 5 of us packed in a Punto in France with no roof box :P.

I reckon we'd buy another if it came to it, I would with my own money anyway.

DieselPowered

Had one from new for 9 years, bought in 2001 when they came out first, worst thing I've ever bought, now saying that, it was prob one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven. cost me thousands in later years, clutch, cat, drive shaft, timing belt....along with the usual soft suspension items..shocks, wishbones etc. It left me broken down on roads away from home all the time. It was always serviced regularly and this still happened. I liked my car...but never again. Look at something else.

dgt

Jesus. wrote: »

I've heard some horror stories about these. Are they really that bad?

Would they be as unreliable as say a Fiat Punto or Bravo etc?

Go on, keep believing that....

Jesus.

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

We ended up with 5 of us packed in a Punto in France with no roof box :P.

No problems with the Punto on that trip? Ardennes will be happy with that anyway!

Celly Smunt

dgt wrote: »

Go on, keep believing that....

I feel so ashamed to have a laguna II and 2 bravos in my drive.

Nah but seriously,I bought a laguna (2001) around christmas with full service history and all the niggly bits repaired and so far so good.Little electronic things are a bit bogey (i.e the backlight on the climate control unit won't come on) but if you're in anyway handy with electronics they're easy fixes.Mechanically it seems as sound as any other car of the age.It's a nice place to be when driving too,smooth and comfortable,not to mention one of the safest cars on the road.

Maybe i've been lucky with the one i've picked up,it's probably too soon to tell.But for a car with 100,000 miles+ it's getting the thumbs up from me.

Foxhole Norman

Jesus. wrote: »

No problems with the Punto on that trip? Ardennes will be happy with that anyway!

Nope, and for what it's worth, over the last 16 or so years we've owned these French/Italian cars from new with no problems bar the Laguna:

1990 something Peugeot 106 1.4 Petrol
2000 Laguna MkI 1.6 Petrol
2003 Laguna MkII 1.6 Diesel
2006 Peugeot 407 1.6HDi
2000 Fiat Seicento 1.1 Petrol
2002 Fiat Punto MkII 1.2 Petrol
2006 Renault Clio MkII 1.2 Petrol
2011 Renault Clio MkII Facelift 1.2 Petrol
2012 Renault Fluence 1.5 DCi

No problems with any of these with the exception being the battery in the Laguna MkII.

Ardennes1944

Jesus. wrote: »

No problems with the Punto on that trip? Ardennes will be happy with that anyway!

Ha Ha....

Jesus.

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

No problems with any of these with the exception being the battery in the Laguna MkII.

I'd hardly call having to change the battery after 150 thousand miles a mechanical problem Norman.

Bloody hell, you do have exacting standards!!

Foxhole Norman

Jesus. wrote: »

I'd hardly call having to change the battery after 150 thousand miles a mechanical problem Norman.

Bloody hell, you do have exacting standards!!

Not a mechanical problem but still a "problem" so to speak. For reference, none of the other cars my dad had has had a battery changed and they all had ~ 150K + on them.

JohnBoy26

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Nope, and for what it's worth, over the last 16 or so years we've owned these French/Italian cars from new with no problems bar the Laguna:

1990 something Peugeot 106 1.4 Petrol
2000 Laguna MkI 1.6 Petrol
2003 Laguna MkII 1.6 Diesel
2006 Peugeot 407 1.6HDi
2000 Fiat Seicento 1.1 Petrol
2002 Fiat Punto MkII 1.2 Petrol
2006 Renault Clio MkII 1.2 Petrol
2011 Renault Clio MkII Facelift 1.2 Petrol
2012 Renault Fluence 1.5 DCi

No problems with any of these with the exception being the battery in the Laguna MkII.

The peugeot 106 was not introduced until 1991 and there was never a 1.6 diesel engine fitted to the mk2 laguna ;-)

Jesus.

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Not a mechanical problem but still a "problem" so to speak. For reference, none of the other cars my dad had has had a battery changed and they all had ~ 150K + on them.

Now THAT is impressive bro.

Its down to the way ye drive them too. If you drive a car hard there's more chance of things going "ping" than if ye take her easy.

(Same with women. )

ba_barabus

DieselPowered wrote: »

Had one from new for 9 years, bought in 2001 when they came out first, worst thing I've ever bought, now saying that, it was prob one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven. cost me thousands in later years, clutch, cat, drive shaft, timing belt....along with the usual soft suspension items..shocks, wishbones etc. It left me broken down on roads away from home all the time. It was always serviced regularly and this still happened. I liked my car...but never again. Look at something else.

Tbh a lot of the problems you've listed are service items which wear out over time.

Any car would need them done

DieselPowered

They are items that failed before their time. It doesn't take away from a car that repeatedly lets you down and leaves you on the side of the road.
If that's what you like, then go and buy one.

BrianD3

I got 9 years and ~270k miles out of the original battery in my Laguna II 1.6 petrol. The battery only died after I started driving the car infrequently, nothing to do with the car itself but rather due to my own changed circumstances.

Car also on its original exhaust and cat, original clutch, used no oil between services, never left me stranded etc.

2 electric windows regulators changed, a few plug coils and a few suspension parts including the big rear bushings twice. Tyre pressure sensors turned off as the sensors in the wheels tended to break whenever I got new tyres (I blame rough handling by tyre fitters) Also the backlighting in the climate display failed, the unit was replaced under warranty, failed again a few years later when out of warranty and I didn't bother getting it fixed as no big deal.

Foxhole Norman

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The peugeot 106 was not introduced until 1991 and there was never a 1.6 diesel engine fitted to the mk2 laguna ;-)

That's why I said 1990 something

As for the Laguna it must have been the petrol then, couldn't remember exactly.

Jesus.

Well lads, I bought an 03 Laguna this morning. This "key card" lark is a new one to me. Anyone know where I could get a spare one done?

I presume I'd have to go directly to Renault?

DieselPowered

Spare Key card €250-€300 in a Renault dealer - has to be coded to the car and registered to Renault in France at the same time as its activated.

Don't drop the only one you have - the components are flimsy and will break inside if it falls on tiles/hard surfaces.

Jesus.

DieselPowered wrote: »

Spare Key card €250-€300 in a Renault dealer - has to be coded to the car and registered to Renault in France at the same time as its activated.Don't drop the only one you have - the components are flimsy and will break inside if it falls on tiles/hard surfaces.

Cheers mate.

3 ton? Another racket by the sounds of it.

I've been driving it all day and its grand and comfortable with a nice soft ride. I do find, however, that the 1.6 is a little bit lightweight for a car of this size. Its adequate, no doubt about it, but you do have to work it fairly hard to get up to speed quickly. The missus' 1.5 CRDI Kia Rio is a lot quicker. Then again, it has a lot less weight to haul around.

Overall though, it seems like a grand old bus.

AndyTheDude

DieselPowered wrote: »

Spare Key card €250-€300 in a Renault dealer - has to be coded to the car and registered to Renault in France at the same time as its activated.

Don't drop the only one you have - the components are flimsy and will break inside if it falls on tiles/hard surfaces.

Forget about Renault dealers. This guy will give you a spare card for €80. He's fixed my key card for €50.

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/damagedcars/3350422

Jesus.

AndyTheDude wrote: »

Forget about Renault dealers. This guy will give you a spare card for €80. He's fixed my key card for €50.
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/damagedcars/3350422

That looks great mate. Is this bloke Kosher?

ba_barabus

Jesus. wrote: »

That looks great mate. Is this bloke Kosher?

I can't imagine he would be a master villian who copies keys of old Renaults in the hope of stealing them

Gael23

Do not buy this Car because they are that bad.

AndyTheDude

Jesus. wrote: »

That looks great mate. Is this bloke Kosher?

He's a very nice chap. My card has died suddenly, leaving me stranded in a paid car park. I walked back home, did a bit of googling and found a few companies that fix those cards. I made a few phone calls, the Polish chap from the link I've provided was the cheapest one. Not only I didn't have to go anywhere with the card as he fixed it at my place, he also gave me a lift to the said car park to make sure the card works fine. You cannot go wrong with this guy.

Ronnie Beck

http://www.keyrepair.co.uk/

My dad got one of his keys sorted here. Great service.

Suspension gives a fair bit of trouble but has been good otherwise.

The batttery drains itself causing the immob. to go nuts but then again he only uses it once a week. Possibly just the nokia phone kit installed, I haven't really looked at it...

Otherwise a decent enough car, wouldn't buy one though alot better out there.

Jesus.

AndyTheDude wrote: »

He's a very nice chap. My card has died suddenly, leaving me stranded in a paid car park. I walked back home, did a bit of googling and found a few companies that fix those cards. I made a few phone calls, the Polish chap from the link I've provided was the cheapest one. Not only I didn't have to go anywhere with the card as he fixed it at my place, he also gave me a lift to the said car park to make sure the card works fine. You cannot go wrong with this guy.

Cheers mate. I'll give him a buzz.

The back wiper doesn't work which I only noticed now after reversing out in the pissing rain. Also, an orange light keeps showing (engine temp?) and I'm hoping that its just a dodgy light. :eek:

I took it out on the Motorway and it does get very thrashy above 65 mph. But I suppose what can you expect for a couple of grand?!!

Jesus.

Does anyone know how to turn on the heat in the Laguna Mk2? I've been fiddling with it for ages but it keeps on throwing out cold air.

Also, how do you reset the trip computer on the dash?

Sorry boys, there's no owners manual with this car. Went into the petrol station today and couldn't open the petrol flap! Had to drive off and park up and it took me nigh on 20 minutes to find the damn switch!

Appreciate it Gents.

Celly Smunt

Jesus. wrote: »

Does anyone know how to turn on the heat in the Laguna Mk2? I've been fiddling with it for ages but it keeps on throwing out cold air.

Also, how do you reset the trip computer on the dash?

Sorry boys, there's no owners manual with this car. Went into the petrol station today and couldn't open the petrol flap! Had to drive off and park up and it took me nigh on 20 minutes to find the damn switch!

Appreciate it Gents.

I found the same heater problem myself when I first bought mine.Top up the coolant and it should work as normal.

Jesus.

pmcmahon wrote: »

I found the same heater problem myself when I first bought mine.Top up the coolant and it should work as normal.

Will do, cheers.

You wouldn't happen to know how to switch the mileage clock from the overall mileage to the "trip" clock would ye?

AndyTheDude

You can download the manual in .pdf form here:
http://www.manuals365.com/renault/renault_laguna_owners_manual_2002.html

AndyTheDude

Jesus. wrote: »

Will do, cheers.

You wouldn't happen to know how to switch the mileage clock from the overall mileage to the "trip" clock would ye?

You can scroll through computer info using the button located at the end of the wipers stalk.

fenris

I had a 2003 Prestige, lovely comfy car to sit in, a bit underpowered to drive if you had any load in the car and the electrics were a disaster,
dashboard blew - replaced under warranty,
sunroof would occasionally open all by itself - 2 warranty visits but never really sorted,
Keycard failed - warranty
Tyre pressure sensors - very random, never really sorted
Headlight unit replaced under warranty. (would have been approx. 3K outside of warranty)

The Renault warranty service was really good, the downside was that you really really needed it, the items listed above would have cost a fortune if they were not covered under warranty.

Car was written off in the end due to a suspected blowout / cracked axle while driving up the N11, car literally leapt to the right and I ended up gently scraping to a halt in against the wire barrier with no steering whatsoever and the bonnet flipping open smashing the windscreen and denting the roof. On the plus side my son was asleep in a baby seat in the back and didn't even wake up.
The car was written off and taken off my hands within days, barely had a chance to clear my stuff out of it!

I was never so glad to see the back of any car, you just couldn't trust it, it was a lottery as to what would break next.

Jesus.

AndyTheDude wrote: »

You can download the manual in .pdf form here:
http://www.manuals365.com/renault/renault_laguna_owners_manual_2002.html

AndyTheDude wrote: »

You can scroll through computer info using the button located at the end of the wipers stalk.

Nice one mate.

Bloody hell Fenris, what have I done?!! :eek:

gowley

Jesus. wrote: »

Does anyone know how to turn on the heat in the Laguna Mk2? I've been fiddling with it for ages but it keeps on throwing out cold air.

Also, how do you reset the trip computer on the dash?

Sorry boys, there's no owners manual with this car. Went into the petrol station today and couldn't open the petrol flap! Had to drive off and park up and it took me nigh on 20 minutes to find the damn switch!

Appreciate it Gents.

the best way to turn the heater on is to set the bloody thing on fire. this is one of the most unreliable heaps of junk sold in recent times. nothing going for it at all. STAY AWAY.

DieselPowered

gowley wrote: »

the best way to turn the heater on is to set the bloody thing on fire. this is one of the most unreliable heaps of junk sold in recent times. nothing going for it at all. STAY AWAY.

One of the best statements I've seen on boards in recent years

Jesus.

gowley wrote: »

the best way to turn the heater on is to set the bloody thing on fire. this is one of the most unreliable heaps of junk sold in recent times. nothing going for it at all. STAY AWAY.

I bought it yesterday!

Jesus.

The computer on the dash is showing that the car is averaging 28 MPG.

Twenty Eight!!!! Surely it can't be that bad? The old Almera I scrapped was getting 39!

AndyTheDude

gowley wrote: »

the best way to turn the heater on is to set the bloody thing on fire. this is one of the most unreliable heaps of junk sold in recent times. nothing going for it at all. STAY AWAY.

I dare to disagree. I bought mine over a year and a half ago and it performs admirably. No major problems with it at all. I've paid just €900 for it and I have to say it was a great deal, even if she dies tomorrow (which is not going to happen as she's going strong). With 140k miles on the clock now the engine is as good as new. I love the car. Actually I will buy another one when it's the time to change. They're great value and you get a lot of car for the money.

Jesus. wrote: »

The computer on the dash is showing that the car is averaging 28 MPG.

Twenty Eight!!!! Surely it can't be that bad? The old Almera I scrapped was getting 39!

Mine (02 1.6) averages 33mpg when driving in the city and 45mpg when driven on the motorway. What do you expect? It's a big, heavy car.

Jesus.

AndyTheDude wrote: »

Mine (02 1.6) averages 33mpg when driving in the city and 45mpg when driven on the motorway. What do you expect? It's a big, heavy car.

That means you're averaging almost 10MPG (Combined) more than mine mate!
If it really is only 28MPG then I would be disappointed to be honest.

Jesus.

Y'all wouldn't happen to know how to set the clock on one of these yokes would ye?

Its flashing away there and I can't find a button to to adjust it.

Jesus.

pmcmahon wrote: »

I found the same heater problem myself when I first bought mine.Top up the coolant and it should work as normal.

Hey McMahon, how far up should I fill the Coolant? Its half way up at the moment (both tanks) but I can't see a mark on where to fill it to.

Cheers.

Popular Hardback

Some mixed reports here ?

How do you avoid a bad one, and which model/year should people go for ?

DieselPowered

Popular Hardback wrote: »

How do you avoid a bad one

Avoid them all from the early year 2001-2005 at least.
This was a new model with a lot of problems.
As pointed out, some of the newer ones may have some issues fixed.


Thanks.

Celly Smunt

Jesus. wrote: »

Hey McMahon, how far up should I fill the Coolant? Its half way up at the moment (both tanks) but I can't see a mark on where to fill it to.

Cheers.

As far as I can remember there's a little engraved arrow on the pipe showing where to fill it up to,I'll check it out to make sure later and get back to you.