Mending cars....

[Mr Pig]

Old 5-series BMWs are also very reliable but can cost a bomb if they do go wrong.

 

[4F]

I had nothing but problems with my renault 5 that I owned years ago. In their wisdom they had over 30 types of gear boxes for the renault 5 and mine came from an unusual batch of "only 300 made like that" The worst puchase of car I ever made !

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Old 5-series BMWs are also very reliable but can cost a bomb if they do go wrong.

Thing is, for the sort of money you pay for them in the first place, if they do go wrong big style you just scrap it and buy another.

 

[upsidedown]

I'd swap it for some magic beans and see what happens.

 

[siadwell]

Otherwise - well extended warrenties are usually a rip off - probably better off saving the money for repairs, and finding a good local garage.

You really have to read the small print on these warranties and also assess what is likely to go wrong with your car.

I considered buying an extended warranty when my Renault Scenic turned three years old. In the 2.5 years I had owned it under warranty, it had several visits to the dealer to sort out problems, but they were all to do with trim and electrics, nothing mechanical.

The warranty I looked at covered the major mechanicals but had exclusions for most of the electrics, including window motors etc. I decided not to go for it and in the next three years the only things that went wrong were a window regulator, central locking, trim and a broken spring. None of this would have been covered by the warranty, so I was quids in.

 

[swee'pea99]

Golf estate. Bullet proof. And nice to drive!

 

[Mr Pig]

The warranty I looked at covered the major mechanicals but had exclusions for most of the electrics.

They're not stupid, they exclude the parts they know are going to fail. Most warranties are a rip off.

Thing is, for the sort of money you pay for them in the first place, if they do go wrong big style you just scrap it and buy another.

Guy at work had the LCD display panel in the dash go on his 5-series. Well, to be fair it didn't fail, one of the kids hit it with something. A new one cost thousands and even one from a breakers was going to cost £400. He just left it.

 

[jimboalee]

Has the car got a SAGEM engine management system?

If it has, it was tuned by a bunch of Frenchmen who didn't know what they were doing.

Was it any wonder SAGEM SA sold the Automotive Division to Johnson Controls, who within a year disbanded the whole lot!

My sincere condolencies to you.

 

[Over The Hill]

Renaults seem to be very unreliable but Wife and I have been running various Pugs for many years and they are a different story.
For a value for money reliable car I would go for a Pug diesel every time.
I have had a fairly new Merc c class and while it did not go wrong it cost a fair bit in servicing - the trap you get in with a newer car to keep its value.
I would not buy a second hand Bmer as they have mostly been thrashed.

 

[jimboalee]

Renaults seem to be very unreliable but Wife and I have been running various Pugs for many years and they are a different story.
For a value for money reliable car I would go for a Pug diesel every time.
I have had a fairly new Merc c class and while it did not go wrong it cost a fair bit in servicing - the trap you get in with a newer car to keep its value.
I would not buy a second hand Bmer as they have mostly been thrashed.

The difference is the SAGEM engine management systems on Peugeots were tuned by the ex-Lucas contingent of SAGEM UK.

A big round of applause for my ex-colleagues at SAGEM Birmingham. Thank you.