A month or so ago I decided to get the wife's Scenic dci seen to, the clutch felt worn, high bite point, shuddering.

So I took it to Renault garage as they weren't really any dearer than an independent and I thought they'd know their way around the car etc.

Was expecting it to need a clutch but they rang me and said actually there were "Marks" on the flywheel and that they recommended new flywheel and clutch. After taking advice etc. I went ahead with the work at £700.

After collecting the car a few days later it wasn't really driving any better, in fact there was now a knocking noise when accelerating / decelerating and lots of engine shudder.

I took it back over to them, demonstrated the problem to their tech and they ramped the car. They told me they'd need it back again to properly diagnose the issue and I booked it in, they assured me it was safe to take away.

A day before the booking the car was driving like cr@p and all of a sudden (while I was in work) the wife was coming home from the shops with the kids and bang, a big noise and horrendous grinding, winding noises. The kids were so scared by the noises they were crying (they're only 2 and 4).

We get the car towed over to Renault and they "play stupid" saying they haven't a clue what's going on. Anyway next day they send the car back to us fixed. Right enough it's now driving fine.

So we demand to know what the problem was and how they fixed it. They were quite sketchy but said the engine mount needed replaced and that was that. I asked had they caused the problem while carrying out the other work and they obviously denied it. Still I suspect that broke it somehow and sent us away in an unsafe car so we demanded a written report saying what parts had broken and their thoughts as to why.

Today I get this "TECH CHECKED FOR NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE, 315 CHECKED AND

CONFIRMED FAULT AT O/S/F ENGINE MOUNTING, REMOVED AND REFITTED AS

NOT IN CORRECT POSITION. ROAD TESTED NO NOISE AT TIME OF TEST."

My question to any experts in here: To replace a clutch and flywheel would they have had to be anywhere near this engine mounting or could they have somehow broken or caused the issue with the engine mounting? And would this have made the car unsafe? And are they trying to cover their ass? Finally the car is now very hard to go from 4th to 3rd gear, it seems to stick on the way in to 3rd, could the gearbox have been damaged by all this?

I am sure someone more experience will be able to advice when they log on. My initial thought is that the clutch and flywheel is an engine out job and as such they may have damaged the engine mount/improperly fitted it afterwards.

Edited 19 September, 201114 yr by My_Yeti

I would imagine they made an error...otherwise you would have been billed..this is a dealer..they don't do things for free unless they have caused the problem.

I would imagine they made an error...otherwise you would have been billed..this is a dealer..they don't do things for free unless they have caused the problem.

Engine mounts are often removed or slackened off to do clutch work, so I'd say there is at least a reasonable chance it was related.

Thanks everyone, I suspected that they had caused the issue.

We're writing a letter to customer services to ask for some of the money back.

Cowboys like... ya couldn't watch them.

No such problems with my Fabia of course.... :-)

I know you said that the independents werent any cheaper, but I`d rather my car go to a decent indi over a dealer tbh

Matt

You have to remind yourself that you bought a French car! Expect anything.