Renault Clio Problems

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 have been in touch again with Renault. Spokeswoman Melissa Cross replies: "Our customer service team is currently in discussion with Mr Gibson about his vehicle, which he has back. To ensure he wasn't inconvenienced while his vehicle was at the dealership, Renault Australia provided a hire car at no cost. Our team will continue to liaise with Mr Gibson to ensure he is satisfied."

We haven't had any specific complaints about the transmission in the Renault, but no dual-clutch auto should be above suspicion. Getrag supplies transmissions to many carmakers, Renault included. The troublesome Ford PowerShift transmission is also a Getrag product.

There is no inconsistency. The clutch in a regular manual car is operated and controlled by the driver but the clutch pack in a double-clutch setup such as those used by Ford, Renault and Volkswagen is controlled by the car's computer. So any wear or damage in a double-clutch is a fault in the car and not down to the driver.

Emily Fadayev of Renault Australia replies: "We have carried out extensive testing since the repair work was completed and have been unable to reproduce his concerns. This is the first case we've encountered so we've contacted head office. Our customer service team are remaining in constant contact with Glen as it is our desire to resolve this for him as soon as possible."