Renault Kangoo 1.4 petrol
Discussion
Hoping for some advice or reassurance, as I'm out of my comfort zone with Renaults 
Unfortunately, the mother in law had a stroke a few months back and has completely lost her mobility. In an attempt to get her and the father-in-law out the house, we've been looking on ebay/Gumtree at vehicles with wheelchair ramps.
We don't have much of a budget to play with, but I've found a professionally converted (when new I presume) 2001 Renault Kangoo for what is more or less shed money.
It's a 1.4 petrol manual, and has only covered 35k miles since new.
Going to look at it at the weekend - anything I should focus on? It has an MOT until November 2017 - but last time it had a fair few advisories - mainly for the tyres being old (rather than worn) and the brake pads/discs needing attention.
No mention of corrosion in the MOT history, so I assume they are OK on that front (especially with such a low mileage)?
I'm thinking that I need to ask when the cambelt was last changed, and accept that it might need tyres/brakes (given its fairly cheap, we could probably budget for that).
Any other show-stopping problems with these?
Thank you!
Unfortunately, the mother in law had a stroke a few months back and has completely lost her mobility. In an attempt to get her and the father-in-law out the house, we've been looking on ebay/Gumtree at vehicles with wheelchair ramps.
We don't have much of a budget to play with, but I've found a professionally converted (when new I presume) 2001 Renault Kangoo for what is more or less shed money.
It's a 1.4 petrol manual, and has only covered 35k miles since new.
Going to look at it at the weekend - anything I should focus on? It has an MOT until November 2017 - but last time it had a fair few advisories - mainly for the tyres being old (rather than worn) and the brake pads/discs needing attention.
No mention of corrosion in the MOT history, so I assume they are OK on that front (especially with such a low mileage)?
I'm thinking that I need to ask when the cambelt was last changed, and accept that it might need tyres/brakes (given its fairly cheap, we could probably budget for that).
Any other show-stopping problems with these?
Thank you!
stevesuk said:
Hoping for some advice or reassurance, as I'm out of my comfort zone with Renaults
Unfortunately, the mother in law had a stroke a few months back and has completely lost her mobility. In an attempt to get her and the father-in-law out the house, we've been looking on ebay/Gumtree at vehicles with wheelchair ramps.
We don't have much of a budget to play with, but I've found a professionally converted (when new I presume) 2001 Renault Kangoo for what is more or less shed money.
It's a 1.4 petrol manual, and has only covered 35k miles since new.
Going to look at it at the weekend - anything I should focus on? It has an MOT until November 2017 - but last time it had a fair few advisories - mainly for the tyres being old (rather than worn) and the brake pads/discs needing attention.
No mention of corrosion in the MOT history, so I assume they are OK on that front (especially with such a low mileage)?
I'm thinking that I need to ask when the cambelt was last changed, and accept that it might need tyres/brakes (given its fairly cheap, we could probably budget for that).
Any other show-stopping problems with these?
Thank you!
Having run a 2003 Kangoo for five years, which I'm just about to sell, I can give a few pointers. Mechanically they're pretty much cockroaches, you shouldn't have any engine bothers, especially at the mileage you mention. The interiors are extremely fragile. Check everything is present and works. The list of niggles on the interior of mine includes (but is not limited to!) Missing pixels on the odometer, broken wing mirror joystick, snapped glovebox lid, heater with 4 speed settings, which actually only offers two - on or off. A broken window winder, a broken drivers door key lock. A knackered LCD on the stereo. You get the picture!Unfortunately, the mother in law had a stroke a few months back and has completely lost her mobility. In an attempt to get her and the father-in-law out the house, we've been looking on ebay/Gumtree at vehicles with wheelchair ramps.
We don't have much of a budget to play with, but I've found a professionally converted (when new I presume) 2001 Renault Kangoo for what is more or less shed money.
It's a 1.4 petrol manual, and has only covered 35k miles since new.
Going to look at it at the weekend - anything I should focus on? It has an MOT until November 2017 - but last time it had a fair few advisories - mainly for the tyres being old (rather than worn) and the brake pads/discs needing attention.
No mention of corrosion in the MOT history, so I assume they are OK on that front (especially with such a low mileage)?
I'm thinking that I need to ask when the cambelt was last changed, and accept that it might need tyres/brakes (given its fairly cheap, we could probably budget for that).
Any other show-stopping problems with these?
Thank you!
obviously as you say check if the advisory items have been addressed, and a cambelt change would be preferable.
You will have no doubt thought of this one, but obviously check over thoroughly all the hydraulics, if it has them. My brothers cars have all had them (he has CP) and in two instances cars have been written off when they've packed in, being worth more than the car.
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
You will have no doubt thought of this one, but obviously check over thoroughly all the hydraulics, if it has them. My brothers cars have all had them (he has CP) and in two instances cars have been written off when they've packed in, being worth more than the car.
Thanks, not sure this one has any hydraulics, just a fold-down ramp. But I'll be sure to check.So we bought the Renault Kangoo - got it really cheap (few hundred £). Very presentable condition, and everything (so far as I can tell) works. Hardly a blemish on the paint work, and the interior (especially up front) looks like new.
Drives well - no fluid leaks, nice and smooth.
However, it doesn't appear to have had a cambelt fitted since August 2006, which is bad right? Since we paid real shed money for it, conventional bangernomics wisdom would probably just be to chance it (especially since its only covered 20k miles since 2006). However, the thought of it snapping and leaving my father-in-law stranded with his wife in her wheelchair is persuading me to pay out and have it done.
I checked with our usual mechanic, and he says he can't do it because you need special tools (which he doesn't have), so I guess its a job for a Renault specialist?
Unless the collective knowledge of Pistonheads suggests it'll be fine if we leave it?
Drives well - no fluid leaks, nice and smooth.
However, it doesn't appear to have had a cambelt fitted since August 2006, which is bad right?
Since we paid real shed money for it, conventional bangernomics wisdom would probably just be to chance it (especially since its only covered 20k miles since 2006). However, the thought of it snapping and leaving my father-in-law stranded with his wife in her wheelchair is persuading me to pay out and have it done. I checked with our usual mechanic, and he says he can't do it because you need special tools (which he doesn't have), so I guess its a job for a Renault specialist?
Unless the collective knowledge of Pistonheads suggests it'll be fine if we leave it?
HairyMaclary said:
Yup you'll need tools. Rentec in Portsmouth was the place to go for cambelt changes when I had my 172.
I had mine done there by Mike and was fairly reasonable.
May I ask roughly how much you paid? Although the 1.4 8V might be a bit different to the 172 I guess - just trying to figure out if I've bought a car that needs the purchase price spending again in order to change the cambelt I had mine done there by Mike and was fairly reasonable.
We're not far from Poole in Dorset - a quick Google suggests that we should be speaking to Renspec. Anyone used them?
Just reviving my earlier thread.
My inlaws have had the Kangoo for a few months now, and whilst it's been great for getting my disabled mother-in-law out of the house, its also been turning up a steady stream of problems (fixing them has been a bit like whack-a-mole). We replaced the cambelt as a it was well overdue, its also been serviced, rear brakes overhauled, spark plugs/ignition system replaced ... and then many "surprises" like it needing a new fuel tank.
However, the latest one has got us stumped. Father-in-law tells me the power steering system has developed a leak - and he took it to his local garage, who have diagnosed its the hose/pipework (rather than the pump or reservoir). I imagined that would make it a cheap fix - but apparently the parts for these are super-rare and basically unobtainable, and the garage are telling him that they might have to import parts from France, and it could cost £1,000 to fix!
An £1,000 bill will write the thing off unfortunately, as they can't justify paying that.
Has anyone had any experience with PAS leaks on these? My thoughts were that if you couldn't buy the "official" Renault hose, you'd just get someone to make up a replacement hose/section from scratch? Or is that over simplistic? I'm wondering if the garage have got sick of seeing the thing, and don't want to fix it, hence the £1,000 quote...
My inlaws have had the Kangoo for a few months now, and whilst it's been great for getting my disabled mother-in-law out of the house, its also been turning up a steady stream of problems (fixing them has been a bit like whack-a-mole). We replaced the cambelt as a it was well overdue, its also been serviced, rear brakes overhauled, spark plugs/ignition system replaced ... and then many "surprises" like it needing a new fuel tank.
However, the latest one has got us stumped. Father-in-law tells me the power steering system has developed a leak - and he took it to his local garage, who have diagnosed its the hose/pipework (rather than the pump or reservoir). I imagined that would make it a cheap fix - but apparently the parts for these are super-rare and basically unobtainable, and the garage are telling him that they might have to import parts from France, and it could cost £1,000 to fix!
An £1,000 bill will write the thing off unfortunately, as they can't justify paying that.
Has anyone had any experience with PAS leaks on these? My thoughts were that if you couldn't buy the "official" Renault hose, you'd just get someone to make up a replacement hose/section from scratch? Or is that over simplistic? I'm wondering if the garage have got sick of seeing the thing, and don't want to fix it, hence the £1,000 quote...
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