Any high-mileage Meganes? A few thoughts....

[triumph2.5man]

Hi folks! By virtue of the fact that this is a trouble-shooting forum, everything is negative. All we hear about are problems, problems, problems. Some of the posts make my blood freeze! Members rarely write to say their Meganes are performing well and are trouble-free!
Have patience while I take you back to 1965 or thereabouts. Mention the words "Hillman Imp" to any mechanic and he would have responded with, head gasket, water pump, king pins, drive-shaft couplings, clutch, transaxle etc, etc. Fast forward 45 years and mention the word Megane 2 to any mechanic and the response would be, dephaser, turbo, keycard, clockspring, central locking, electrical problems and many more items. Admittedly the Megane of today is far more complex than the Hillman Imp (but mechanics of that era could not turn to a computer for help!)
The question I want to ask is has anybody any genuine knowledge of a Meg that has reached a high mileage with no major problems?? If so I would like to hear from you. By high-mileage I mean over 100k up to say 150k. I wrote recently about a Mondeo TD I bought with 212k on the clock and still running well! I can't see any Megane achieving that kind of mileage.
Daughter no 1 drives the Meg 1.5dci and I shudder every time she starts it and drives off, with the engine clanking and knocking like a lorry, which does not seem normal. It would not have been my choice but I am stuck with it.
Daughter no 3 drives a 1999 PUG 206 GTI. Coming up to 100k, all I have done in 6 years (apart from servicing) is change timing belt and renew brake pads. I have not had the need to join a 206 Forum (if such even exists!). The Meg has played me up far more in under 2 years than the PUG has in 6!!
The oldest Meg 2 are now 8 years old and I can see the situation where a failure will result in premature scrapping because of cost. Recently there was a post from Stephen who was quoted £3000 for fuel injection system replacement.
What more can I say? Built-in obsolescence??
Sorry to ramble on and take up your precious time.
I aimed this at ownership problems as the response seems better because of more readers!
Cheers all, Mike

[Toosh]

Before i bought my Megane i had a 99 T plate Peugeot 406 which i ran up to 140k, it had a few minor electrical problems when i sold it but nothing really, it felt as solid as a rock almost as good as the day it rolled out the showroom. Now my 03 Megane has only got 40k on the clock but it's begging to feel its age even with its small mileage, rattles and groans are becoming more and more apparent which the 406 never had. I cant see it making it to 140k. I think member Nickbell ran a Megane up to 110k i think.
But too be fair in over two years ive had no major problems *touch wood* It just doesn't "feel" that good anymore

[sav0]

my 53 plate megane 1.5dci 80bhp is at 125k and had no major problems just 3 out of the 4 window regulators playing up apart from that its been fine but I am always waiting for the day it becomes not so reliable.

the £35 tax bracket and currently 64mpg even on a car with 125k on the clock can't be all bad

[davelowe]

Mention the words "Hillman Imp" to any mechanic and he would have responded with, head gasket, water pump, king pins, drive-shaft couplings, clutch, transaxle etc, etc....
What more can I say? Built-in obsolescence??...

I would like to add the 1 pint of oil per week and numerous re-bores to the Hillman Imp list, but I get your point!

It's an interesting point you make about built in obsolescence. Whether or not it intentional is something of a moot point. Manufacturers have, to some extent, required new models to be bought in order to have a recurring income. That said, it goes against the grain to produce a car with so many faults that brand loyalty is lost. I think the balance is moving more against the loyalty and more toward income from either new models or replacement parts. A Russian chap and I had a brief exchange about this - the consensus was that IF anyone could keep a Megane on the road in good condition, it might prove to be a classic in the future (a bit like the MR2 isn't).

Personally, I think that there is a generational / expectation issue going on here. I will give you some examples. My first car was a 1986 1.9 GTI pug. It was easy to maintain and had over 100k before I 'broke it'. I then bought a brand new Almera in 1999. This has done over 100k - I sold it to my mother and it's still going strong. I think it's on a second set of brakes and had a new exhaust. Servicing amounted to £180 from the dealer, but latterly is me changing the oil and filter each year and giving it a once over before the MOT. It invariably passes with some minor welding work (11 year old is bound to have some corrosion issues).

Moving on, look at consumer goods. My parents have a food blender that was a wedding present. It's 36 years old and works like new. They've had 3 bread machines in the last 3 years. Another thought is the continuous negative deflation in computer parts. The machine I built and am typing on now is two years old. It would cost me less than half the cost if I got the parts today (if I could get them). My printer went on the blink two days ago. I have disassembled and fixed it - except for the printhead which is a non-repairable item (it really is!). Replacement cost £40. New printer £60...

I don't know if all cars are like the Megane in terms of parts and labour (most of these forums discuss problems), but my opinion is that fixing things (and the skills that go with them) are a thing of the past, and that is a great shame.

[wanda]

Hi folks! By virtue of the fact that this is a trouble-shooting forum, everything is negative. All we hear about are problems, problems, problems. Some of the posts make my blood freeze! Members rarely write to say their Meganes are performing well and are trouble-free!
Have patience while I take you back to 1965 or thereabouts. Mention the words "Hillman Imp" to any mechanic and he would have responded with, head gasket, water pump, king pins, drive-shaft couplings, clutch, transaxle etc, etc. Fast forward 45 years and mention the word Megane 2 to any mechanic and the response would be, dephaser, turbo, keycard, clockspring, central locking, electrical problems and many more items. Admittedly the Megane of today is far more complex than the Hillman Imp (but mechanics of that era could not turn to a computer for help!)
The question I want to ask is has anybody any genuine knowledge of a Meg that has reached a high mileage with no major problems?? If so I would like to hear from you. By high-mileage I mean over 100k up to say 150k. I wrote recently about a Mondeo TD I bought with 212k on the clock and still running well! I can't see any Megane achieving that kind of mileage.
Daughter no 1 drives the Meg 1.5dci and I shudder every time she starts it and drives off, with the engine clanking and knocking like a lorry, which does not seem normal. It would not have been my choice but I am stuck with it.
Daughter no 3 drives a 1999 PUG 206 GTI. Coming up to 100k, all I have done in 6 years (apart from servicing) is change timing belt and renew brake pads. I have not had the need to join a 206 Forum (if such even exists!). The Meg has played me up far more in under 2 years than the PUG has in 6!!
The oldest Meg 2 are now 8 years old and I can see the situation where a failure will result in premature scrapping because of cost. Recently there was a post from Stephen who was quoted £3000 for fuel injection system replacement.
What more can I say? Built-in obsolescence??
Sorry to ramble on and take up your precious time.
I aimed this at ownership problems as the response seems better because of more readers!
Cheers all, Mike

The way I drive I will try to reach that mileage (212k). I believe a modern car "should" be able to exist for more than 10 years. Surely. I know repair costs these days are expensive but the manufacturers have made sure that we cant fix them by ourselves like we used to. Things like software issues. My moms C class merc broke down a few years back and the mechanic arrived with a laptop and did something strange and the car was fixed. My mom also has an old Toyota Hi lux which she bought in 1996. I remember leaning how to drive with that car. Was really fun. She still owns the car today and the only thing that has gone wrong, besides the ware and tare stuff, is the fan belt. It is 14 years old and still drives ok. Yes not as good as new but still trust worthy. My mom said she will never sell that car and I agree with her why not just keep it.

[nickbell69]

Check out my post here- http://www.meganeownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12644

Traded her in at 120k with as you can see a few problems but never anything major. I'd recommend one to anyone.
Only changed her because of miles i do for work and i needed a bigger boot. Missing the power and the auto headlights and keyless locking badly!!

[kaiat]

Although this thread is a few days old, I'd like to share the mileage of a 2005-model Megane II 1.5dCi I recently saw for sale here in Norway. It was even an automatic and had been used as a taxi. The mileage on that car was 260 000 miles+! And still running...

[triumph2.5man]

Tusen Takk Kaiat! I thought 125k was good, but 260k - that's astonishing! I can't see our 1.5dci reaching anything like half that figure! Are you sure the odometer reading was definitely in miles and not kilometers??!!!
However, this was in fact a norwegian vehicle.
So what, you might think?
I have a mechanic friend of great experience who has no time at all for any french-made car. He maintains that, because the french have a long-term dislike (my word - I dare not use his!) of us Brits, they send us cars deliberately with inbuilt faults!
I don't think he was joking either.
Why should he think this? I can quote a few possibilities. The hundred years war, Napoleon, De Gaulle and the Free French, Beefburgers at Calais, Dunkerque, the destruction of the french fleet at Mers El Kebir and Oran in 1940. (Many french matelots were killed that day, by british shelling and this has never been forgotten 70 years on.) Dave you can probably think of more....
Ah well it's a fascinating theory and not my personal experience in view of our PUG 206 which (unlike the Meggy) has been a peach!
I have my own theory about that high-mileage norwegian taxi. Over a number of miles it is the cold starts that cause most damage to engines. The more cold starts, the greater the engine wears. That car covered in excess of 50k miles per year which indicates that the engine was rarely turned off. It is a known fact that cars with "motorway mileage" are not always a bad buy for this very reason. It is probably not therefore, a representative example but I wonder how many turbos it needed!

Thanks to all who responded.
Cheers all, Mike

[direstraits]

Just to add: a megane saloon with 420.000 Km (some 262.000 miles) on the clock. Crazy driving taxi driver in Istanbul says no problems whatsoever with the engine, the only things he changed in 5 years were oil, filters, brake pads and discs. I took a photo of the odometer but cannot find it right now, will put it if i find it though. The car is 1.5 dCi 100HP.

[wanda]

Surely if you look after it and replace bits and bobs....

[direstraits]

I found the pic but the numbers on the odo cannot be read: my hands were shaking, probably due to the hazardous driving style of Turkish rally, oops, taxi drivers.

[triumph2.5man]

"Incroyable" as they might say in France. But once again it's a Megane the engine of which is rarely turned off and that is not typical of us Forum drivers.
Don't know what you would say in Danmark but I notice, Direstraits, that you use 205/50s in summer. Do you notice any difference in the mileometer reading compared to the 55s? I have a spare set of good 205/50s which I was thinking of using when the 55s wear out. I have measured the diameter and the difference is a matter of millimetres. Smaller diameter should, in theory, give an over-reading speedo. I have done a lot of messing about with tyre sizes and profiles on my elderly Triumph. The original 185 X 13 ceased to be available about 25 years or more ago. The 195/65/14 I use now give a speedo that is spot on at 70mph, confirmed by the satnav.
Your english is very good, like most Danes! "Wonderful, wonderful, Copenhagen, friendly old girl of a town..." That reveals my age. That song came out about 1954 when I was 10!

Cheers, Mike

[direstraits]

@triumph2.5man: I checked the reading with the speed indicators installed at the entrance of almost every village and town in Denmark (plus with satnav): very little difference. At 100Kph it is 1-2Kph, also with 205/55 16. The diameter of the wheel does not change that much, it is the profile that changes. Obviously, 195/65 15 is much more comfortable than 205/50 17, but the car is not very stable in bends with 195/65 15.

Cheers, Mark Knopfler