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Hi I am looking on buying a 03 plate 2.2 dci expression laguna automatic. Has anyone got any reviews on this car? I would appreciate it if people have had problems that you could let me know. I havent had the best luck with cars (6 in the past 4 yrs lol) and really need a reliable car for me and my growing family. Many thanks lucy
Edited by Pugugly on 30/03/2009 at 08:18
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sounds nice
a laguna mk2
a diesel dci
and an auto box
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sounds nice a laguna mk2 a diesel dci and an auto box
He is being sarcastic.
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(6 in the past 4 yrs lol) and really need a reliable car for me and my growing family. Many thanks lucy
then dont buy an 03 plate 2.2dci automatic laguna. Lovely car to drive and great to look at but you are looking at potential mechanical disaster.
These cars did not become even faintly reliable till late 53 registration.
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Yup mate had manual one as a Taxi It was a complete dissaster!
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Lucy - if you need a reliable car with plenty of room for your growing family, Laguna-size, go for any of these in preference to the Laguna. There are some good Lagunas about but too many examples don't take hard use well.
Skoda Octavia
Ford Mondeo
Toyota Avensis
Nissan Primera
Mazda 6
Honda Accord
The VW Passat, Audi A4 and BMW 3 or 5 series would be good too, but hold their value better so you'd have to go for an older one for your money (assuming that your budget is whatever a 2003 Laguna would cost).
Good luck!
Edited by Avant on 30/03/2009 at 01:45
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Whatever you do don't see a hypnotist and have the word implanted in your brain.
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The fact that you specifically mention reliability screams "buy something else". Lovely car, but you will be constantly spending money on it. They are also so technically complex that your average independent garage can't actually do much with them beyond basic servicing and bulb changes. Everything that is needed will cost a fortune due to poor mechanical design and expensive parts, plus the need to use main dealers or high labour rate specialists.
On the plus side it will be a fabulously comfy car with a brilliant engine, lots of toys, and a ride quality and overall level of suppleness that puts anything coming out of Germany to shame.
The fact is though, mechanics hate Renaults. Many refuse outright to work on them. I'm not making this up. Don't buy it!
Cheers
DP
(An ex 54 reg Renault owner)
Edited by DP on 30/03/2009 at 08:47
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My next door neighbour had one and loved it BUT it was a money pit. He spent a lot of money on it, out of warranty, and a lot of the times it was multiple visits to the workshop because the diagnosis of the underlying problem was so poor.
In summary
1. It is French
2. It is common rail diesel
3. It has loads of electric 'toys' to go expensively wrong
Don't go there, unless you can get some bullet proof mechanical breakdown insurance.
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Some old prejudices creeping in there, AS?
We have a 5.5 year old French car, owned from new. It's a CR diesel, auto box, lots of toys (it's the top trim level) and it has never let us down, or have it's electrical toys go 'expensively wrong'.
It's a Citroen C8 HDI Auto exclusive. Yes the electric doors are sometimes over sensitive, but they never fail, and the car has had no mechanical problems whatsoever. If the situation changes I'll be sure to tell you ;-) !
Edited by boxsterboy on 30/03/2009 at 13:23
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Renault designers worked hard on this model to build in as many difficult to diagnose faults as possible. History proves they succeeded. PSA generally were and are much better.
Nothing wrong with well designed CR diesels..
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Not at all. My neighbour wasn't slightly happy with his which I agree is only one person but there have been 100+ post threads on this site re engine/pump/injector/dealer/fault code analysis problems .People £thousands out of pocket and getting nowhere. When Screwloose posted here lots of his good advice was directed at the unfortunate owners of French diesels. Some people are lucky but there aren't many of them here saying so. I have a 5 year old diesel 307 and it is fine but, to me, Renault's diesel reputation is a bit like Fiat's was with rust - well justified at the time but maybe OK in 2009!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 30/03/2009 at 15:25
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Re-arrange these words to make a well known phrase or saying:
'Pole barge touch it with wouldn't I a'
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We have a 52 plate 1.8 petrol expression and despite its good points, ride comfort, toys, refinement, I couldn't recommend anyone to buy one.
Fair enough, for the first couple of years it was faultless, then past 100k miles I had all sorts of trouble including a failed dif, collapsing springs, brake problems etc. etc. In all I probably spent £2,000 on repairs.
They are cheap, but there is a good reason for that. Get a Mondeo.
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This the thread I was looking for - this is Vol 2 so there were 100 posts before this, It is an Espace not a Laguna but they are both diesel.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=54...5
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The dci engines up to about 2004 are to be avoided. The 2.2's got better after than and the 1.9's once they fixed the exploding engines/turbos/intercooler in June 2003 became quite a solid engine.
If you must have a Laguna the 54-plate on older shaped ones are a lot better - they're still not the most solid of cars but are less prone to problems and the facelifted models are capable of racking up quite impressive mileages without major issues. They're still not exactly quality cars and there still seems to be the odd rogue example but they're decent enough transport.
If I were looking for a diesel auto from about 2002 which is good value I would seriously consider a Rover 75 CDTi auto with all the toys. Much better car than the Laguna and generally reliable.
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AS, I have no doubt that the 2.2dci in the Laguna and Espace is, shall we say, troublesome (I have a friend who bought an Espace to ferry guests to and from their chalet in France and had nothing but trouble with it - even with French garagistes on hand to sort it out). My point was that your earlier post lumped all French cars in the same boat. My experiences with various Citroens (our C8 is the latest in a long line) and yours with your Peugeot 307 would suggest that this is unfair.
Edited by boxsterboy on 31/03/2009 at 11:08
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No sign of the OP since the original post - despite all these cautionary tales.
She's probably bought it by now !
and about to begin a long friendship with the local AA man.
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I was passed by a lady driving a 2.2dCi Laguna with 03 plates yesterday, it sounded like an asthmatic ant carrying some heavy shopping (copyright Blackadder).
It seriously sounded like it was about to expire, there and then.
The neighbours opposite me ran a Y plate petrol Laguna Tourer for two years recently, although for 50% of that time there was a courtesy or rental car outside their house. The last time I saw it the gentleman of the house was bent over the engine bay once again and muttered to me: "Something smells like it's caught fire in there" as I passed by.
A couple of days later I saw his wife arrive home in a VW Caddy, and she greeted me with the words: "I'm free! Never buy a Renault!".
No doubt there are good ones out there, but the risk is too high. I agree with others, look for a Mondeo.
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I was passed by a lady driving a 2.2dCi Laguna with 03 plates yesterday, it sounded >> like an asthmatic ant carrying some heavy shopping (copyright Blackadder).
By contrast, the 1.9dCi engine in our year younger Scenic was probably the sweetest, smoothest four cylinder diesel engine I've experienced. The engine was a gem - gutsy, smooth, quiet, oil tight, reliable, and frugal. It was the rest of it!
Cheers
DP
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The 1.9 dci engine in 120 and 130 guise became a great lump. Powerful smooth torquey and with good fuel consumption. Reliable too,
The key word is became.
the 2.2 dci they never seemed to get quite right either way. Nor did nissan with a similar unit.
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BB. My answer was specifically directed to the question asked by OP ie don't go near an 03 Diesel Laguna. Others may well be OK but I wasn't referring to them.
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I've had a 2.0 IDE (petrol) manual since December 2001. It's never broken down, but I've had to get used to taking it into Renault on a fairly regular basis for this and that. All four electric window mechanisms to start with (all outside warranty), including the glass on one!
Shame, because I've enjoyed driving it. Then again, a friend has had a diesel since 2003 and has had virtually no problems. A family member, who is a Renault mechanic, said to me that an auto gearbox would eventually breakdown; just a question of time!
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For my sins I drive an 04 2.2dci auto with, 51k on it, 18k through me in last 12 months.To date, touch wood, crossed fingers, it's been excellent and best car I've had (and I've had a lot including mondeos etc)
Very aware that when it goes bang my employers will probably be faced with a bill so big they'll just scrap it but for now - well, fingers still crossed!!
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The Renault Laguna is the second least reliable car available according to the German TUEV Report for 2009 in the 4 to 5 year age group. Ahead of the Kia Carnival and behind the Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Shame really as the Laguna has by far the best ride quality of anything I've driven in the last years apart from an S-Class Mercedes. It also has the only 4 cylinder diesel engine I've experienced that I would ever describe as quiet. A very comfortable and relaxing cruiser in the old Renault tradition.
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its the only car i know where every trader i know has had one but wouldnt have another
i wonder why
ok its because they sounded cheap under the hammer
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