Large, relaxed, fit for a family. Spacious motoring is available in the form of the Renault Laguna, which gives you ample room for everything from hauling hardware from the DIY store to taking the dogs down to the forest for a day. This great French motor had facelifts in 2001 and 2008, giving you a choice of styles if you want a vintage or retro flavour.
Buying any second-hand car can be a process fraught with difficulty, especially if you have very little or no mechanical knowledge. Fortunately we have compiled a listing of the most common issues, giving you a suspect problems cheat sheet that you’ll want to avoid when looking for a decent buy.
So what are the common faults with the Renault Laguna?
Keyless Entry System
One of the most serious faults you are likely to experience on your Laguna test drive is the engine cutting out. No doubt this will seriously impact the likelihood of you parting with your money for this Renault and you’d be right to be bashful too – the culprit is with the keyless entry system. These are very expensive to fix and only available directly from the manufacturer. And if you do get your hands on one then it’s a tricky and annoying fix to implement.
EGR Valve
Thinking of buying a diesel Laguna? Don’t be shy and put your foot through the floor on the test drive when you get out on the dual carriageway or motorway. Poor acceleration is a dead giveaway that the EGR valve is shot. Another indicator of this issue is the car guzzling down oil, so be aware of a low oil light or the oil light illuminating in conjunction with the pedal problems. Cleaning out the valve may solve the issues, but you could also be looking at a replacement.
Electric Handbrake
A common fault with the Laguna lies within the electronic systems associated with the electric handbrake. These range from wiring issues, faulty solenoid switches and even software faults, making this a highly vulnerable part. Obviously, you’ll want to check on the test drive, so if the owner gets a bit shaky about you parking up on a hill it might be best to part ways. Depending on the origins of the fault, if you do decide to go ahead and buy, the solution could be anything from a software config through to a whole new part.
Rear Axle Bushes
Although you won’t want to give it too much of the Lewis Hamilton on the test drive you will want to keep one keen ear out for a knocking sound from the rear of the car. The likely customer here is the rear axle bushes and the further give-away is an increase in volume and frequency when driving over bumpy roads. These bushes come in pairs and will need to be replaced together.
Turbo Problems – Oil Pressure
Thinking of purchasing a Renault Laguna 1.9DCi? There’s a reported problem with the oil pressure switch. Firstly, it can leak, causing damage to the turbo seals and premature turbo failure. Secondly, it can stick, causing the readout from the pressure switch to report a much higher oil pressure in the car than expected.
Clutches
Clutches in the Laguna can be problematic, particularly in diesel versions of the car. These are likely to stick and cause all kinds of difficulties when trying to find the gear out on the road. You should have no issue locating this problem as it will occur from the moment you get out on the open road and don’t accept excuses from the seller about how it sticks a little. The clutch is a known faulty part and will cost you quite a bit of cash to replace.
There are plenty of different Lagunas available ranging from the sleek and efficient 1.6 16v engine petrol car through to the prowling 3.0 V6 dynamo that can literally carve up the motorways. Think about fuel economy when purchasing and remember that smaller engines are often better in the urban environment. The car is now discontinued, and has been replaced by the Talisman, which is strangely not coming to the UK, but you should find no shortage of parts for the Laguna.
For affordable replacement engines, gearboxes and more, check out our new and used Renault Laguna parts page.
.png "Plant trees in BreakerLinks forest")
