Car trouble...

unknowngirl!!

Mods, apologies in advance if this is the wrong place to post. Feel free to move to the correct place.

I'm hoping to get some info / insight from anyone who might be more clued into the world of cars than I am.

Following the sudden death of my father, my mother bought a new 141 Renault Fluence. She wanted a new car so that it would be reliable and one less thing to worry about.

She has 46,000 km driven since she bought it as she works very close to home and doesn't drive much else other than locally to do her groceries etc. She is very conscientious and has had the car serviced exactly when due at the Renault garage she bought the car from.

In January this year she brought the car for it's service and when she got it back the red spanner was still lit up. She didn't want to take the car but the guys in garage said that it was a sensor fault and that the car was perfect. She took it and after two weeks new warning lights popped up on the dash - one for passenger airbag and one for a brake fault.

She rang the garage and they said to bring it over the following week. She was very worried as she didn't want to drive a car with a brake fault but trusted them. When she got the car back all the lights were off again except the service light. She was told the car was safe and not to worry.

Ten days later the car started making noises (like central locking shutting on and off) and the airbag, brake and another light (I can't remember exactly something about fluid) started flashing. She rang the garage and told them she wouldn't continue to drive and they brought a replacement car to her. She had this replacement for two weeks before getting her own car back. They told her they sent the diagnostics to France and that the car is perfect and to continue with the car.

She drove with random lights popping up until the start of May when a message about engine failure came up. The garage came and took the car and have had it until yesterday. The guy she is dealing with said that he stands over the car and would give it to his own mother in the morning...

This morning she drove the car from Portlaoise to Limerick and had to pull over because the central locking noise started and the brake and stop light lit up. She rang the dealer and they said they'd get back to her in an hour - they haven't. The guy she spoke to said her warranty was up so she doesn't have a leg to stand on when she told them it couldn't be right with health and safety regulations to keep giving her back a faulty car. She is now stranded on the side of the road as I can't get to her and we are waiting for her brother to get there.

Where do we go from here? I've already lost one parent, I don't want to lose another to a dangerous car. Or are we over reacting and if they say its ok its fine to drive despite the warning lights?

Isambard

it's probably not dangerous, just Renault electrics. The Main Dealer should be able to fix it and should already have done so . Had the warranty ran out when first the problem came up?

unknowngirl!!

The first time she had a problem was when she got the car back in January this year after it's service. The service was still on when she got the car back but they told her it was a sensor light problem.

I'm not sure how long the warranty lasts but it would have been almost exactly three years since she bought the car.

bazz26

This sounds more like poor customer service from the dealer more than anything. Yes cars develope problems but it's how the dealer handles and rectifies them that's important. I think somebody needs to accompany your mother back to the dealer to speak with the service manager, listing all the things above. I wouldn't go in with all guns blazing at this stage but I would be a bit more stirn than they are probably used to dealing with your mother through no fault of her own.

ThisRegard

Isambard wrote: »

it's probably not dangerous, just Renault electrics.

That's a legacy issue, I don't believe there's anything particular with their electrics with this generation.

magentis

That car is deffo still under warranty.I would contact renault Ireland about the issue.

Atlantic Dawn

Renaults sold in 2014 came with a 5 year warranty did they not?

Kimbot

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Renaults sold in 2014 came with a 5 year warranty did they not?

Yes?: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IE/renault-services/after-sales/warranty-terms-conditions.pdf

https://www.renault.ie/services/renault-warranty.html

Seems a bit vague tho as it states a 3 year warranty aswell so maybe its up to the dealer to allow it for year 4&5?

unknowngirl!!

Isambard wrote: »

it's probably not dangerous

It's reassuring to hear that, thanks. I'm just worried when it's consistently showing up fault lights. Personally I wouldn't like to drive a car that tells me there is a brake fault so I just haven't been comfortable with her in it.

bazz26 wrote: »

This sounds more like poor customer service from the dealer more than anything. I think somebody needs to accompany your mother back to the dealer to speak with the service manager, listing all the things above.

Yes, maybe she needs someone a bit more forceful with her.

magentis

jonnycivic wrote: »

Yes?: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IE/renault-services/after-sales/warranty-terms-conditions.pdf

https://www.renault.ie/services/renault-warranty.html

Seems a bit vague tho as it states a 3 year warranty aswell so maybe its up to the dealer to allow it for year 4&5?

The full 5 years is with renault.We have a 132 in the family and recently had warranty work done by a dealer that was not the supplying dealer,the also confirmed that it was still under warranty until next year.

Looks like the op issue is a poor dealer,I would contact renault Ireland looking for another dealer to sort it.

Kimbot

unknowngirl!! wrote: »

It's reassuring to hear that, thanks. I'm just worried when it's consistently showing up fault lights. Personally I wouldn't like to drive a car that tells me there is a brake fault so I just haven't been comfortable with her in it.



Yes, maybe she needs someone a bit more forceful with her.

Does she have a copy of the original sales agreement? It may mention the warranty etc.

unknowngirl!!

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Renaults sold in 2014 came with a 5 year warranty did they not?

This is what my mother thought... She is certain she was told 5 years when buying the car.

unknowngirl!!

jonnycivic wrote: »

Does she have a copy of the original sales agreement? It may mention the warranty etc.

I have no idea, I'd imagine so as she is very organised and usually files all of her paperwork. I'll tell her to have a look.

Kimbot

unknowngirl!! wrote: »

This is what my mother thought... She is certain she was told 5 years when buying the car.

The above link I posted has the details Best bet now is to contact Renault Ireland and query with them.

unknowngirl!!

jonnycivic wrote: »

The above link I posted has the details Best bet now is to contact Renault Ireland and query with them.

Ok, super. Thanks for all the help!

Just wondering what she could say when contacting Renault Ireland? That she wants the car serviced again and wants it back with my fault lights / strange noise problems?

Divelment

magentis wrote: »

The full 5 years is with renault.We have a 132 in the family and recently had warranty work done by a dealer that was not the supplying dealer,the also confirmed that it was still under warranty until next year.

Looks like the op issue is a poor dealer,I would contact renault Ireland looking for another dealer to sort it.

Your warranty is not tied to one particular dealer OP. If you are getting shít customer service as appears to be the case here, then maybe try another Renault dealership. Your mother shouldn't be getting the car back with a light on, either they can sort the issue out or they can't (and then take the car back under warranty), but under no circumstances should your mum be handed back a car with a fault light on when the car is still under warranty. That's just poor customer service, maybe the problem is that they can't diagnose the problem but that's their problem not your problem.

Kimbot

unknowngirl!! wrote: »

Ok, super. Thanks for all the help!

Just wondering what she could say when contacting Renault Ireland? That she wants the car serviced again and wants it back with my fault lights / strange noise problems?

When she contacts them she should state first and foremost that she had the car serviced on x date and when the car was returned to her it was returned with the Service light still on. Then detail the other issues and then tell them the dealer has said you are not covered by warranty and go from there.

unknowngirl!!

Divelment wrote: »

Your warranty is not tied to one particular dealer OP. If you are getting shít customer service as appears to be the case here, then maybe try another Renault dealership.

We didn't know this, we presumed she had to go back to where she bought it from.

jonnycivic wrote: »

When she contacts them she should state first and foremost that she had the car serviced on x date and when the car was returned to her it was returned with the Service light still on. Then detail the other issues and then tell them the dealer has said you are not covered by warranty and go from there.

Ok, thanks. We'll call in the morning and see if we can get anywhere.

Major problem for her now is that her insurance has said there is a maximum amount of days you can have your insurance transferred to a different car and she is almost at the limit after having so many days with replacement cars. Hopefully we'll get sorted ASAP. Thanks again to everyone for input.

Toyotafanboi

The 5 year warranty isn't cast iron on those in 2014. There were 3 and 4 year warranties available too.

I'm not sure exactly how the 5 year policies were sold at the time, but there is a likelihood the car doesn't have 5.

Divelment

unknowngirl!! wrote: »

We didn't know this, we presumed she had to go back to where she bought it from.

I should have qualified this OP, if the vehicle is still covered under a Renault manufacturers warranty, then you are not bound to the dealership that sold your mum the car. If the car is out of the manufacturers warranty and the warranty is being provided by the actual dealer, then you are bound to that dealer in terms of anything that might go wrong.

But you are far from being out of options, you can take a case to the Small Claims Court for 30 Euro and often threatening to do this can focus minds on resolving a problem. It is highly unusual I think for a main dealer to be handing a customer back a car with a fault light on for any system, airbag, engine, ABS, and then trying to explain it away. Say for example there is an airbag light on or an ABS light on, and there is an accident and a car with an ABS light on then skids off the road, or say there is an accident and an airbag doesn't deploy, who is responsible then? Main dealers are insured for these kind of risks but insurance companies are far from stupid and it's not going to wash in court if a main dealer returns a car to a customer with a known and visible defect going on, in the event of an accident.

corks finest

Poor dealer,write to them,small claims court otherwise,had a good few Renault's,(cheap,but not cheerful)out of necessity,each one left me down reference electronics