In 2015, Renault were the tenth biggest automaker in the world by production volume. One of the most well known brands in the UK, Renault are known for making affordable city and family cars that are great to drive and are well built.
But, how reliable are Renault?
In this article, we look at how reliable Renault are, and how this compares to their rivals.
How reliable are Renault?
Renault are pretty dependable. In the Telegraph reliability survey of 2017 they placed Renault 14th out of 20 for dependability. It was reported that there were 116 problems per 100 vehicles, which is above the industry average.
AutoExpress placed Renault 11th in their reliability table, with a reliability score of 93.72 out of 100. ReliabilityIndex place Renault in tenth on their reliability table. They also give them a reliability index of just 89, which is pretty good compared to the industry average of 118 (the lower the score the better). They also put six Renault models in their top 100 cars for reliability, including the Megane and the Scenic.
How reliable is the Renault Clio?
If we look at individual models, Renault fare pretty well. The Renault Clio has a reliability index of 63 which is very good, and an average repair cost of £252.77. It appears that the main problems with the Clio come down to the electrics and axle and suspension, both accounting for 32.76% of problems.
Renault Grand Scenic dependability
The Grand Scenic also scores well, with a reliability index of 74. It is costlier to repair, however, with average costs amounting to £398.63. The main problem with the Scenic appears to be with the electrics, with electrical problems accounting for 58.06% of problems.
Is the Renault Megane reliable?
The Renault Megane scores even better and has a reliability index of just 61. The repair costs are lower at an average of £252.74. Again, the main problems appear to be with the electrics, with it being 41.41% of the problem, and coming in second is the axle and suspension with just 16.16% of the problem.
How reliable is the Renault Twingo?
But it’s the city car, the Renault Twingo that takes the top spot when it comes to dependability. It has a reliability index of just 42 and an average repair cost of just £163.59. It is also off the road for less time, just an average of 1.51 hours. The electrics, engine and steering account for most of the problems, at 23.08% each.
So Renault are pretty dependable. Their individual models score well when it comes to reliability index. And, they have consistently been in top results on many reliability tables.
Why are Renault reliable?
The fact that Renault are so reliable might come as a surprise to some. But, why are Renault so reliable?
One of the reasons they are reliable is that they don’t cost too much to repair when they do go wrong. And, they also aren’t off the road for very long when they are being repaired. Because Renault are popular and also quite common cars, it means that their parts are more common and therefore take less time to source. They are also more affordable and therefore this keeps the repair costs low. Also, Renault cars are designed to be affordable, which means that they don’t necessarily have a huge amount of new technology in them. This is by no means a bad thing, it means that there is less to go wrong with this modern technology. One of the issues many luxury brands face today is that the modern technology they put in their cars can often go wrong, and can be expensive to repair and replace. This can bring down their reliability. However, Renault doesn’t have that problem, and therefore their dependability is considerably better. You tend to find this is the case with the more affordable car brands, and Renault is no different.
So that could be a reason why Renault are more reliable than other car brands.
How reliable are surveys?
We’ve established that Renault are reliable, but how reliable are the surveys we use to determine that reliability?
Surveys such as the ones carried out by the Telegraph and AutoExpress are a pretty accurate way of determining how reliable a car brand is. They often use owner reviews and information from the likes of WarrantyDirect, who provide extended warranties for a range of makes and models. When a customer makes a claim, they can record the information about that claim. They then use this information to determine the longevity of a car make or model. One of the advantages of this is that they can see how things have changed over time.
ReliabilityIndex is also very accurate, and it is also good for comparing brands because they have a huge amount of makes and models on there to compare reliability.
One of the issues that you may come across when looking at consumer surveys is when it comes to new cars. You can’t always determine the reliability of new cars because they aren’t old enough to have any form of long term dependability. That said, you can often use predicted reliability as a way of telling how reliable a car will be, particularly if you have an older brand such as Renault, where you have a lot of previous models to draw your information from.
So overall, consumer surveys are an accurate way of determining how reliable a car is.
Renault vs. Citroen vs. Peugeot; Which is more reliable?
So, how does Renault compare to some of its rivals?
All three of these brands are pretty reliable, if we are being honest.In the Telegraph study, Peugeot came fifth, with just 92 problems per 100 vehicles. Citroen came an impressive thirteenth with 115 problems per 100 vehicles. They are both higher than Renault, but not by a huge amount.
In the AutoExpress survey, Peugeot came thirteenth, with a score of 93.09 out of 100. Citroen also did pretty well but not as good as the other two at nineteenth. Still, it had a pretty impressive reliability score of 91.55. Reliability Index puts Peugeot at fourteenth with a reliability index of 96. Citroen didn’t fare too badly in twentieth place, with a reliability index of 112.
Overall, none of these brands are unreliable. However, it does appear that Renault beats both Peugeot and Citroen in most surveys. The only one it doesn’t beat Peugeot in is the Telegraph survey. Both Renault and Peugeot are more reliable than Citroen, but all of them are pretty dependable cars.
So if you are looking for a reliable car, then you can look at any of these brands, but if you are looking for the most reliable, then a Renault or a Peugeot would be the way forward.
What are the most reliable Renault cars?
The following are the most reliable Renault cars;
- Renault Twingo
- Renault Kangoo
- Renault Megane
These all score pretty well on the Reliability Index.
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What are the most unreliable Renault cars?
Historically, the most unreliable Renault cars have been the following;
- Renault Modus
- Renault Laguna
- Renault Espace
These all scored lower than the other Renault’s on Reliability Index. However, these cars are still pretty dependable compared to many other brands. They are just the most unreliable Renault cars.
In conclusion, Renault are a pretty reliable car brand. They have been consistently dependable over the years and their repair costs are low. When their cars do go wrong, they are also off the road for a short period of time, which further improves their reliability. One of the reasons this may be is because their affordable models don’t always have the advanced technology more luxurious brands have. This modern technology can be unreliable if it does go wrong, then it is more expensive to repair or replace. If you are undecided between Renault, Citroen and Peugeot then Renault is a good choice, but all three of them are good manufacturers in terms of their longevity. Ultimately, if you are looking for a brand that is affordable and builds models that are well-built and are reliable, then Renault are a good brand to look at.
Rosemary Smith is an Irish rally driver, and won her first prize in 1964. She test drove the Renault F1 in May 2017, making her the oldest person to drive an 800bhp race car. You can watch the footage below.
i own peugeot 508 and i find puegoet 508 is better than anyone
Hi Mary,
Thank you for sharing your view of the Peugeot 508. I am sure that our readers will find it useful.
Renault Denia (Espana) are blaming Renault France for a service so far lasting 5 WEEKS pending receiving a part
that takes ’10 minutes’ to fix. I have never seen anything like it with another manufacturer’s direct agent.
We put the car in 31/7/19. It is now 27/8/19!
No wonder Danny Riciardo is struggling !
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your comment regarding the experience you have had in Spain getting a vehicle repaired. We am sure that any of our readers who live in Spain will find this informative when it comes to choosing their new vehicle.
I have owned two Peugeots (405, 206) and one Citroen (C5). All have been quite appaulingly unreliable and expensive to repair. My local Renault/Peugeot/Citroen specialist garage owner says French cars are making him a very rich man!
We now have Hyundai and KIA cars.
Hi Fivish,
Thank you for your comment on Renault reliability. We are in the process of updating our articles at the moment so it will be interesting to discover if the information from your specialist is reflected in the information we collect from multiple data sources.
We don’t have those in the United States or in Canada but Mexico does and they love them I’ve seen them they’re cool my focus is faster though
Running a Twingo 3 in Portugal. My selling dealer informs me that it’s too late to extend the factory warranty as I should have purchased it during year one of the standard warranty which expires 20-02-22!. Stupid as other manufactures like Nissan, the same group as Renault, allow you to extend during the warranty period. I only get 2 years standard warranty, the minimum required by the EU, compared to 3 in the UK.
Hi Mark, thank you for sharing your experience with Renault, this will be very helpful for our readers.
Renault Scenic driver in Malaga Spain. Over three years only 3 electrical problems with the key technology and the cost of having those copied and replaced. Make sure when you buy to discuss and get some kind of leverage or assurance regarding this issue.
I recommend avoiding dealership repair in Spain. Slow and overpriced. There are tons of junked Renaults in Spain so second hand hand part sourcing is very cheap.
Overall I would say our Hyundai is more reliable but not in proportion to it’s cost, the second hand market for Renault is better value.
Hello Charles, thank you for sharing your experience with Renault in Spain. I’m sure our readers in Spain will find this information very useful when choosing their vehicle.
Renault engine are solid. Historically what let’s them down is apauling electrics. The mk1 and 2 Megane are a good example – mark 2 particularly where electric windows wouldn’t work, sunroofs leaked. Etc. However they have been fixes with mk3 and further improved in the mk4. The biggest bug bare of new renaults now is software glitches…electronic handbrake has been troublesome on recent years and very expensive to fix if out of warranty
Hi there Ciaran, thank you for sharing your comment on Renault. This will be very useful for our reader’s vehicle buying decision.
I’m Considering buying my 3 rd Renault and I find them very reliable , by reliable I mean less likely to go Bankrupt simply for attempting to service the car , My friend has a Mercedes , I would need to Brakedown at least a couple of times to match the Cost of 1 Single Service , if reliability is concern , you can get a inexpensive French car with 3 or 4 Years Warranty for the Exact same price of High mileage , Mercedes , BMW , Audi , meaning if anything goes wrong I can assure you the Premium cars are much more expensive to put it right , specially out of warranty
None of French cars ever Brokedown and even if they did , I m sure would not have to remorgage the House to fix it
Hi there L.Pontes, thank you for sharing your experience with Renault vehicles. I’m sure our readers will find this very useful for their buying decision.
Renault are the worst and most unreliable cars ever, do not buy one, ever. I work at a Renault dealer and I think it’s unfair on the customer that they spend their money on them.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tom. Have you found this with any particular model or year? And from your point of view what makes them unreliable? It would be great to understand a little more about your thoughts as this helps our readers to weigh up the pro’s and con’s should they be considering a Renault.
How nice to asked a question, we bought two yrs ago a Reanult Fluence Dynamic 1.6, 2011, but we want to trade inn the VIN nr said it’s a Expression 1.6. but we paid for the luxury Reanult.
We want to know how could Reanult put a car in the market with wrong Vin nr.
We paid our insurance at King Price for two yrs and paid for nothing, because they told us now, it’s the wrong car, and we are the people that lost that money.
Plze if you can help us with this problem, we pay to much at Wesbank and pay for nothing at King Price.
We want to know who are responsible for this fault, plze.
Regards
D.F. Ryan
At this stage we are going to see a attorney, because it’s not just a fault, I think it’s fraud, plze if somebody could contact us from Reanult.
We did phone Reanult S. A. And even they can’t do nothing for us, so the problem may came out at factory, but we as customers are paid for there fauld or fraud problem
Danie Ryan
Cel nr 066 036 4151
Plze see this as very very urgent plze.
Hi there Daniel, sorry to hear about your problem with your Renault vehicle and thank you for your query. We would advise getting in touch with the manufacturer or the vehicle company that supplied you with your Renault vehicle and just triple checking that your VIN is correct. Do you have any further questions?
We have had our Fluence for 7 yrs and are now looking at getting another one. Its been the best car we’ve ever owned. We don’t need to get a bank loan out to pay for the services either. The only hiccup we had was when we bought it in Brisbane as a 18mth old used car was that they told us there were service agents in our area in Nth Qld. But the nearest was 400 km away. So they arranged for a local guy to do them. As long as it was done to their specifications. Problem solved. And as it turned out the mechanic had done his apprenticeship on Renaults in England.
As for the reliability ratings – ours has never had any problems.
Hello Pearce, thank you for sharing your positive experience with your Renault Fluence. Happy to hear you have enjoyed it for 7 years! This will be very helpful for our reader’s vehicle buying decision.
Planning to purchase KIGER in india ..suggest plzz
Hi Mangala, we are a UK based vehicle supplier, therefore we cannot give vehicle advice to those overseas. We hope you find your best vehicle solution, and we welcome you to get in touch again should you be in the UK.
Looking to buy a Renault captur, just want to know if it’s a good car
Hi there Peter, thank you for your query. The Renault Captur is a well-equipped, funky, hatchback packed with safety features. We would recommend chatting with a Vehicle Specialist for more in-depth expert advice on the Captur. Get in touch on 01903 538835.
Should I go for a Renault Grand Modus,how reliable is it . 2010 model
Hi there Adegbenro, thank you for your query. According to What Car? reports, a 2010 Renault Grand Modus has decent reliability, but issues have been raised in relation to suspension and driving in urban areas. Would you consider leasing a new car as an alternative?
Wat about the Renault kiger.how reliable is it
Hi there, thank you for your query. The Renault Kiger is not available in the UK, therefore we cannot give an accurate review of the model.
Availability of Renault body and enjin parts?
Dependability of Renault Dister?
Hi there Engela, thank you for your query. We recommend getting in touch directly with a Renault Dealership for more information on Renault Parts.
Renault is one of the best cars ,only you need to maintain it properly and on time ,if the person who is doing service for your vehicle don’t have enough knowledge about the product i am sure there will be problems in your car .always remember that the fault on the car starts small and if we don’t know how to repair it it will become big and costly ,enjoy driving the safest car in the world .
Hi there Fadi, thank you for sharing your insights. Regular and proper maintenance is indeed crucial for the longevity and reliability of any car, including Renault. It’s important to ensure that the service is performed by knowledgeable technicians to prevent small issues from escalating into bigger, more costly problems. We appreciate your positive feedback about Renault and your advice on car maintenance!