Dynamique dCi 86 5dr Hatchback

Useful little car spoiled by appalling electrics

Not actually my car per se, but owned by my elderly father so I drive all the time and I am responsible for getting the thing repaired - which is sadly rather a lot. The car has had a litany of electrical faults - first of all the infamous "overnight battery drain" fault which seems to have affected many Moduses - also afflicted this car, and was eventually traced to a duff ECU, which cost £700 - luckily the car was still under warranty at the time. But a whole pile of niggling electrical faults have plagued it ever since. The front headlamp bulbs keep on blowing, which is annoying given you have to drop the whole front bumper and front section of the car to get access to change them. The front indicator bulbs went shortly afterwards, which meant the whole expensive operation had to be repeated all over again. The blower motor stopped working as well - problem seems to be a duff switch, but the whole heater control panel has to be changed out as they don't sell the switch itself separately. So for the last 6 months I've made do with a single speed....oh, and the driver's electric window winder managed to destroy itself as well, which meant another £100+ bill.

Mechanically it could be better - it managed to break a front suspension spring, and replacing it is no easy job once again because of the way the car is designed. And the EGR valve in the exhaust also gave up the ghost at 55,000 miles - meaning all the turbo boost was dumped down the exhaust pipe, and the ECU starts injecting tons of fuel into the engine to compensate. Net result - you can't see out the back window for black smoke with the car literally not going anywhere with your foot to the floor - I know it's a common problem with Renault diesel engines, but yet another problem with this car.

It may have a 5-star NCAP rating, but the doors shut with a nasty twang, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Like most French cars, it feels built to a price, rather than up to a standard (my own car is an Audi A3 - which feels like a Sherman Tank in comparison!), with cheap flimsy trim and an overall feeling of cost reduction.

On the plus side, the rear seat that does everything but the kitchen sink, the tall box like shape means that it is immensely practical - handy if you need to cart the odd washing machine or large bulky item around. Unlike a Scenic though, the rear seat cannot come out completely. The engine is really nippy (when it's going) - and 50+ mpg is a right, rather than a priviledge. The interior - cheap trim materials apart - is airy and a nice place to be, and you can't argue with the classic van-like driving position you get in an MPV. It's a doddle to drive and park in tight spaces.

Overall a very frustrating car. At face value, it's got lots going for it, but the niggling unreliability means I'd look elsewhere if I were you.

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