Used cars

08th February 2007

	While the French maker denies there is a manufacturing defect or design fault with the catch, it is taking action to prevent further failures

The BBC’s Watchdog television programme featured the car in April last year after viewers got in touch having experienced failures at high speed, causing the bonnet to open.

Since it aired, another 250 people have contacted the show after suffering similar experiences. While the French maker denies there is a manufacturing defect or design fault with the catch, it is taking action to prevent further failures.

In a statement, the brand said: “Renault continues to monitor any complaints regarding Clio bonnets closely, and as part of this, our UK dealer network has been instructed to check the condition of the bonnet lock mechanism and safety catch on all Renault vehicles during routine service and MoTs.”

Owners can contact the manufacturer’s customer services department on 0800 072 3372 if they are worried about their car.

The Clio MkII was produced bet­ween 1998 and 2003, and more than 350,000 examples of the popular supermini have found homes. To date, Renault has carried out a total of 34 inspections of vehicles where the owner has reported the issue. How­ever, in no case has a manufacturing defect been discovered.