197 reliability issues?

[DrDx]

I know I'm tempting fate by posting here but my last car was a Mercedes-Benz A200 Turbo that I bought from a main dealer in the South West. It was bought with just 12,000 miles and a full history - but I was towed to a local dealership on the 10th day of ownership with clutch/gearbox failure!! And it never did quite get fixed after several attempts....! 18" AMG alloys started flaking, the paint easily chipped, the leather interior was coming apart at the seams....you get the picture!!!

My RS197 - a 2007 full fat example - has a few rattles when temperatures are below freezing (!) but it has managed to beat the Mercedes: I'm into my second month of ownership and everything seems fine.....[and fingers crossed it stays that way]

 

[pez1356]

i've had mine for just over a year now. and touch wood, no major problems!! when i bought it the air con wasnt working, so i had that regassed, since then its been brilliant. the paint seems to be quite soft, so prone to stone chips, but my dad has a 58 plate golf gti which is exactly the same, he says they use different paint on cars nowadays (being the old man he is lol) i've had one of the door seals replaced after it cracked (had this done under warranty even after the warranty had run out ) and that really is it. it's a 56 plate that has covered 25k miles, and it rattles a lil bit, but i only notice when i think about it, the mpg could be better, but then if u wana drive it hard (like i do) it never is going to be great. personally i love the 197, and am so glad i got one

 

[RussZS]

Mark, off topic, but is yours Albi? I think I saw you near Walsall last year sometime?

 

[chris hughes]

anyone had any electrical problems?? my electric window on the drivers side, works some days and doesnt on others. u press it and it goes down an inch and u have 2 keep pressing it as it inches down. an hour later it works fine then a hour after tht it doesnt. also the lights cut out but thts now fixed. but after it was in renault getting fixed my inside cabin lights dnt always turn on lol these problems i can live with purely due to the handling of the clio best car iv driven

 

[pez1356]

Mark, off topic, but is yours Albi? I think I saw you near Walsall last year sometime?

where's walsall? lol
mines ultra red. best colour

 

[mradam87]

Mark, off topic, but is yours Albi? I think I saw you near Walsall last year sometime?

Maybe it was me Russ?

 

[RussZS]

Nope, it was a personal plate starting with PEZ

 

[mradam87]

Ahh fair enough lol I've seen 4 different 197 drivers around recently but it's never anyone off here!

 

[Dedespo]

anyone had any electrical problems?? my electric window on the drivers side, works some days and doesnt on others. u press it and it goes down an inch and u have 2 keep pressing it as it inches down. an hour later it works fine then a hour after tht it doesnt. also the lights cut out but thts now fixed. but after it was in renault getting fixed my inside cabin lights dnt always turn on lol these problems i can live with purely due to the handling of the clio best car iv driven

I have the exact same problem with the driver's window. I am going to get it sorted out soon, no big deal i hope. Also ,every now and then, the light on the information panel (the one that gives you total km,range,current fuel usage etc) winks..

Tony

 

[Robo_#1]

iv had mine a couple of weeks, and It needs to go in for the Recaro, and I'll get them to look at the kagaroo'ing. Im also wondering about my door seals after reading on here about them cracking, as I noticed the other day on a motorway stint that there was some very clear outside noise coming in through the driver door... But provided nothing falls off and it doesnt brake down I'll be happy, iv had some real sh***ers in my time, and spend most of my days driving vans they get hammerd all day. so im used to the odd rattle etc..

 

[JayR]

Iv had mine knocking on a few weeks now and dont know what this Kangaroo'ing is all about!

If i dont have it does that mean my engines evaded the issue? lol

 

[Ian_R]

Well I'm thinkingi have last lot of 197's as it an 09 plate, only issues I have is the recaro wearing on the drivers bolster. I got car from same dealers as Donna and they are refusing point blank to repair under warranty. Claim it is wear and tear lol.

So I'm now dealing with Renault UK who told me to take to dealers etc, fair enough I'll comply with request, 3 trips later and there still not playing ball. So Renault UK contact is now forgetting the dealer and speaking direct with there warranty.

Renault UK have been very helpful, it's your local dealer that may be issue, so I'm just awaiting Renault to get back to me.

But 197 = FUN

 

[JayR]

Mines a late 58 plate to maybe i have evaded the problems too but having said that i doubt they would've changed the way the cars were made until the 200!

How many miles has yours covered for the Recaro to start wearing mate?

 

[Donna]

Well I'm thinkingi have last lot of 197's as it an 09 plate, only issues I have is the recaro wearing on the drivers bolster. I got car from same dealers as Donna and they are refusing point blank to repair under warranty. Claim it is wear and tear lol.

So I'm now dealing with Renault UK who told me to take to dealers etc, fair enough I'll comply with request, 3 trips later and there still not playing ball. So Renault UK contact is now forgetting the dealer and speaking direct with there warranty.

Renault UK have been very helpful, it's your local dealer that may be issue, so I'm just awaiting Renault to get back to me.

But 197 = FUN

You should have listened lol.. they are bad and tend not to deal with things they are suppost to.. I am the same i ended up at Renault UK to get them to help me with my problems..

Now mines has to go back in again for the same problems as before... very temped to sell now.

Also any one had any issues with possibly a engine mount going? I have had alot of knocking when coming off the gas with it knocking away and also engine management light coming on of. Going to have it looked at my Rentech and see what they can come up with before the warrantly runs out on her.

and your right Ian for us 197 = Fun haha

 

[Ian_R]

Mines a late 58 plate to maybe i have evaded the problems too but having said that i doubt they would've changed the way the cars were made until the 200!

How many miles has yours covered for the Recaro to start wearing mate?

Car has only 12000 miles on it, and I've only done 2500, so not very long at all.

Donna as said phone that guy from Ren UK and see what he says, get a meg 250 if you sell lol

 

[skny]

anyone had any electrical problems?? my electric window on the drivers side, works some days and doesnt on others. u press it and it goes down an inch and u have 2 keep pressing it as it inches down. an hour later it works fine then a hour after tht it doesnt. also the lights cut out but thts now fixed. but after it was in renault getting fixed my inside cabin lights dnt always turn on lol these problems i can live with purely due to the handling of the clio best car iv driven

This usually happens when the power is disconnected so have your connections on the battery checked, anyway, the FIX is EASY, just hold the button for 2 or 5 seconds and it will get reprogrammed and should work fine from now!

 

[skny]

oh and mine is an early model, august 2006, fully equipped at that time only missing the keycard, which I love by the way, using an ordinary key is just great, anyway, done circa 45 thousand miles on it and no surprises really, had one top mount replaced just recently but I did hit a huge pothole before and I know it was pretty much it, eats NO oil, uses decent amount of fuel, only fail is that I had to order new pins while changing the front pads as the old ones got so burned in that they had to be cut out!!!! best car I've ever owned and will definitely either never be sold or be changed to a R27 or some limited 200 and kept for the lifetime

 

[simon]

Mine has developed the window thing after 2.5 years of zero electrical issues. Will book it in the dealers if I find nothing wrong with the battery terminals.

 

[Dedespo]

Mine has developed the window thing after 2.5 years of zero electrical issues. Will book it in the dealers if I find nothing wrong with the battery terminals.

I had the same problem with the driver's window and got it fixed yesterday.
Apparently they had to change the whole mechanism to get it to work...a bit strange ain't it?

I couldn't see the work being done because the service area is restricted,but asked my contact there why it was taking so much time to repair and he was telling me nonsense...Anyway it was in the warranty so no harm as long as it keeps working..:thumbup1:

 

[simon]

Sorted mine now (temporarily?). Holding the button at the top and bottom of the travel reset it. I think I buggered it up trying to open it when it was iced up.