Renault Clio 2003

Renault Clio 2003 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Renault Clio here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• I'm looking to purchase a 2014 Renault Clio RS. Can you offer advice on this model?

  A: The whole dual-clutch transmission in the Clio RS is made by Getrag, so I’m not sure what the Renault dealer you contacted is talking about. Perhaps the actual clutch plates are made by one of Getrag’s suppliers, but fundamentally, this was a Getrag designed and built transmission. Renault Australia did, indeed, slice the warranty on its Sport models from five to three years effective May 1, 2018, and I agree that that would have sent alarm bells ringing for existing owners of these cars.

  What really sends shivers up the spine is that the six-speed DCT in the Clio Sport is closely related to the unit Ford used in its Fiestas and Focusses. And that transmission, known as the Powershift, was a total abomination, leaving Ford customers high and dry with broken gearboxes and Ford Australia with millions in fines and being labelled by the ACCC as conducting itself in an `unconscionable’ manner after Ford tried to blame owners for the failures. Eventually, Ford Australia was forced to offer owners of these vehicles a very sweet trade-in deal on the new model Focus and Fiesta, effectively buying back the appalling DCT-equipped models.

  One of the major causes of transmission failure was the dry-clutch engineering which saw the clutch-packs wear very prematurely. Renault Clio Sport transmission failures don’t seem as common as those in the similarly equipped Fords, but that’s possibly a simple matter of there being so few Clio Sports on the road here. Perhaps the Renault version of the transmission is built to a different level of quality and materials (the same transmission is built in factories in different parts of the world, so that’s possible) but we’d potentially be doing you a disservice by not highlighting the problems with this transmission. Some owners have reported trouble-free runs, but others have experienced gearbox faults and failures at low kilometres. It does seem a bit of a lucky-dip. For the record, Getrag’s wet-clutch seven-speed transmission was a markedly better unit, but that’s not what’s fitted to the car in question.

  If you do go through with the purchase, demand a full service history to prove that all the maintenance and factory software upgrades have been applied to the car and then take it for a proper test drive that includes urban and highway driving. If the transmission displays any shuddering when taking off, any slipping between gears, takes a long time to select each gear or switches to limp-home mode, there’s good cause to suspect a worn or faulty transmission.

  Show more Show less
• What is the durability and re-sale value of a used car?

  In terms of life expectancy and durability I would expect both to be about the same, but I would expect the Polo to have slightly better resale value than the Clio. Both are good cars, but I would choose the Renault because of its longer warranty.

  Show more Show less
• Renault Clio: key replacement cost

  Generally the cost will depend on the variant and year. You can get more information on quick and cheap key replacments from dealers or automotive locksmiths here.

  Show more Show less
• Renault Clio 2016: Dealership can't fix my car

  Renault has a clear responsibility to fix the problem, and has been trying to fix it, but so far hasn’t been able to. Request a meeting with your dealer’s service manager and go through the history of the problem and have them tell you what they will do to fix it. It’s sounds like they need the assistance of a technical expert from Renault head office. You need to get an agreement that the problem will be fixed, or Renault will come to the party with a satisfactory settlement. You could also go to the ACCC, or the state consumer department for assistance and advice.

  Show more Show less