Renault Problems

Do you have the original papers you signed when you bought the car, they should show the odometer at the time you took over the car. That would be your starting point.

When you take it in for service ask them why there should be a discrepancy.

Clutches are deemed wear and tear items, which is why they wouldn’t cover the replacement cost. While 80,000 km is not a lot of kilometres for a clutch replacement it is getting near the kilometres that you would anticipate it. The two things shouldn’t be related, I would guess that they saw the clutch was nearly worn-out and it was deemed best to replace it now.

The best times to buy are usually the end of the financial year, or at model run-out times, that's when the specials are on. The CVT and dual-clutch autos are both still unknowns in terms of long-term reliability, but either should be ok over the five years you plan to keep the car. Any of the cars you list, and the list is a long one, would be ok. It really comes down to what you like.

I understand your frustration; I also agree that diesel buyers should be made aware of the possible consequences resulting from the way they will use the car. Blocking of the DPF because of being used on short, low speed trips is quite common across most brands, so it could be argued that you should have done you homework and known that. As to whether you have good grounds for a refund I can’t say, but I suspect you could request a refund, or part refund, as a gesture of good will from Renault.

You would likely pay $24,000 to $27,000.

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.

As the dealer caused the problem that is your starting point. Put your case to them, stating your concern about the car and what they did, and ask for a refund or a replacement car. If the response is not to your satisfaction go to the NSW consumer affairs people and seek their assistance in resolving the matter.

A software upgrade will not affect the oil usage of the car. It was once considered abnormal for a car to use oil, but it’s not today, and many engines consume some oil. It’s important to check the oil level in the engine regularly and top it up when it’s needed. The rate of oil used on the dealer’s test would seem to be reasonable.

The Renault Master van is available in a range of dimensions as there are short-, medium- and long-wheelbase options, as well as low-, medium-, and high-roof. The short-wheelbase front-wheel-drive Master is 5048mm long, the front-wheel-drive medium-wheelbase Master is 5548mm, while the long-wheelbase front-wheel-drive Master comes in at 6198mm. The rear-wheel-drive medium-wheelbase Master is also 6198mm long, while the long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive Master is 6848mm.

It's hard to recommend a car that would suit you without knowing more about what you want to do with it, but I would suggest you avoid sporty models, low-profile tyres, and consider an SUV such as a Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Qashqai, or Renault Captur.