fan stopped working smell of burning

fred, September 2009

Renault scenic 05 plate - air con and fan stopped working on 2 for a while and not great on other settings. Hot day recently so put fan on number 4 and smoke started coming out the vents. Due to drive to France but looks like ill be changing the car due to safety issue.

adele, June 2014

Oh and I had the whole dashboard replaced about 3 years ago which Renault admitted was a common problem and so paid for.

Tina Hants, May 2014

I have recently been into the Renault garage to get my key card reprogrammed as it is not recognised by the car computer. I now have two keys, one to work central locking and one to work the engine! The other choice was £180 for a new card which I can't afford. I have also had the same problem as lots of you with my heater. It is now only working on number 2 and I was quoted £500. I was told it is a common problem and that there is a tiny piece of metal which burns out and eventually the number 2 will go as well. This seems like a common fault as I too have no cigarette lighter (went about 5 years ago!) and I had to replace the window motor last year. Seems to be a lot of electrical problems with Renault Grand Scenic. It is a 55 model with about 70 k on clock.
I am a single parent with three children who I take to school every day. I am now worried sick about these fires and burning I have read about.
Any news on recalls or Renault admitting there is a common problem?

Tina Hants, May 2014

i,ve got no answer except get rid of car as Renault keep denying there is anything wrong with them. my partner had a scenic grand 2004 on monday 19th may 2014 he was parked on the street he started it up smoke began to come from dashboard then flames thanks to a elderly man telling him to get out now as he was trying to put fire out (panic) with hands they pushed car away from other parked cars shopkeepers in street managed to contain fire till fire brigade came it took them half an hour to put it out complete right off my partner could have been killed as the doors would have locked

marie tully, May 2014

DANGER - DO NOT ALLOW REPAIR!

I was going to try to fix my blower for my heater but after reading this & other forums I worry I may then with small kids have to abandon the car very quickly on the busy duel carriageway that we live by, possibly causing a pile up because of the smoke screen,,, or perhaps on a level crossing resulting in derailment and mass loss of life & limb.

Still that's got to be far safer than not being able to see out of the windscreen when its cold or rainy.

I'm terrified now in case i see another scenic on the road.... or in the petrol station - GOD NO!!!!.
Petrol stations need to ban these vehicles from their forecourts ASAP, why aren't the powers that be doing something about this, it's only a matter of time before a serious occurrence shocks them into action.

How many legitimate complaints constitute a public danger, enough to force action?

I was mistakenly under the impression that both the legal system and our wiring regulations here in the UK were written to protect us from this sort of deliberate corporate negligence & incompetence, obviously not!
(unless there is a legal person reading this thread, there's your ammunition)

DANGER - DO NOT ALLOW REPAIR!

I URGE EVERYONE WITH AN AFFECTED MODEL TO BLOCKADE THE FERRY CROSSINGS.
(ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE ON A FARM).
or we could all simply arrange a specific time & date for a mass return of these vehicles & publicise it well with the media before hand & on the day.
Let Renault ignore that...

Thanks Renault
(& thanks also to our government for allowing fellow EU members to sell us sub standard merchandise.
I think a vote of no confidence is in order!)

paranoid & cold with a misty/steamed up windscreen, January 2014

yes my heater fan has stopped on a 05 scenic privilege 1.8 turbo diesel only has 20 000 miles my ssiter gave me the car and already had to replace the dash the windows rear have stopped working and all the fag lighters are out but no fuses have blown I have checked under the seat and glove box and the two boxes under the bonnet but can not find a blown fuse.

mac, August 2013

With the Ren. (Grand) Scenic (I have a left hand drive, Dutch) climate control there is a mosfet (inside black case on aluminium block) for the blower with a dissipator cooling block inserted into the airduct (tucked right up to the left behind the glove compartment secured by two screws). I have had a replacement for this one due to malfunction (no blower action). Disassembly of the block (by myself) showed a bad solder (hardly any contact left) for one of the power leads for the plug. Having repaired the lead soldering joint the controller now works again. The printed circuit around the plug show signs of heat and the housing shows signs of melting.

Having taken out the new controller I inspected the circuit too: it shows the same bad soldering on exactly the same lead. This must be a production fail. Brand: Valeo. 5 finned cooling block. 2 plugs: 1 power which is the offending one and possible cause of fire behind the dash.

martonisummit, June 2013

grand scenic 55 plate driving in France 7th June 2013 smoke started coming from dash vents then flames around pedals. we quickly got out of the car and within 3 minutes car was totaly ablaze .I have photos of blaze and what is left of car,even the tyres were burnt off.Took fire brigade over 30 mins to put out, all this and now Churchill insurance say I am not covered because I was in France I will fight this . the car had a £250 main dealer gold service 10 days before the fire.only made it home Sunday night 9th June after the four of us had to hitch a lift on a coach returning to UK WE had to leave a lot of our stuff in France as we coudn't carry it all.Need to hear what Churchill & renault have to say today ,Ithink they will not be helpful but I am determined to fight this.

Alan Rutherford, June 2013

hi Iv had the same problem and I went to the Renault web page and discuss it with a service rep on line chat said it was a safety hazard. they booked it in to my local dealer the dealer assess the problem and Renault paid 90% of the pair with a years labour and part guaranty

pete, April 2013

visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/renaultuk and view the comment made by steven andrew pullan on 22nd march 2013 and share as well as comment

frustrated scenic owner, March 2013

we had an unfortunate experience in December 2012 of our Grand Scenic 05 plate burning out in our drive - thankfully my wife got our kids out, but it was a close call. a few days before our fan stopped working, and there was a funny smell - never in a million years did i think it would set fire to the car. Renault have played dumb and refuse to accept any liability, so we are trying to figure out the next steps. if you cant afford to get it fixed, at least remove the fuse to the fan unit - its not worth the risk!!

mattg, March 2013

Same problem here as well, just bought mine a few days ago and the heat was working fine but now out! Had I read this info here prior, I would have not bought this car! Luckily I can take to the military base in the UK and have it fixed at the dollar price verses paying in pounds. I will look to sell this car during the summer. Renault sucks!!

Bill, February 2013

I also have grand scienic 05 fan packed up it has just cost me 317 pounds I have contacted renault today and lodge a complaint

Jason bristol, January 2013

I am amazed at how many people with scenic, fans stopped working. Mine was okay going to work this am, but now fans stopped working, heaters not working, disgusted to find out this is a common fault. Mine is a 2005 and have only had it a few months, pity I didn't know this earlier.

LYNNE, JANUARY 2013., January 2013

Hi James I can see your below reads same as my renault scenic on 2000 my car is no fan and no heater but all fuses OK by RAC said ?? do you think shall I check fuses again? Jenna

Hi,
After seeing the price garages are charging to rectify the problem of no heating on a renault scenic, I did the following, I know this is only a stop gap, but with somebody like myself a pensioner, I had to have an easy fix.
Take the top off the facia off (2 screws)

Take and part the resister pack and branch direct the red and black wires. the heater will now function. after, you can do as you please!

James
December 2012

Jenna, December 2012

Hi,
After seeing the price garages are charging to rectify the problem of no heating on a renault scenic, I did the following, I know this is only a stop gap, but with somebody like myself a pensioner, I had to have an easy fix.
Take the top off the facia off (2 screws)

Take and part the resister pack and branch direct the red and black wires. the heater will now function. after, you can do as you please!

James, December 2012

there is an easy 80p fix for the resistor pack

ben, December 2012

Same problem with our 2004 Scenic - had the other electrical faults too - display panel failed & electric windows - in touch with Renault customer services at present - they again deny its a common fault but have agreed to pay for diagnostic test at local Reno dealer in Chorley to see what the problem is( I wonder what that could be!?) and then see if they can help with the cost! not holding my breath as the dealer has already quoted me £300 labour + parts to replace resistor pack & wiring loom, so £500 min. can't see them forking out for that - we'll see.

David Rostron, November 2012

Lee

Do you have any evidence that it was your heater was at fault, was it running at the time and did you smell burning before it went up (if fans were running).

I've been in contact with my Local MEP and he got his office to look into the regulations on this fault that doesnt exist (according to Renault)...if there's a fire risk then we might get some movement from Renault. At the moment they are playing dumb

Paul, November 2012

im having the same problem with our 05 plate renault grand scenic the heater or blower doesnt wotk at all but every now and the when u start the car it comes on for a couple of seconds but then goes off again does anyone have any idea what this could be? bit worried now ive read all your comments about the heaters catching fire :-(

jo, November 2012

My renault scenic had a new disply fitted yeserday but tonight dash went aliht me an my wife had to jump out of car and get our kids out frm tge back quick my little lad whos just 2yr and our other lad just 10month old were so scared the lok will stay with me.
Iv heard the heatrs on the cars of others hav gone up in fkames hav renault payed anyone out

lee, November 2012

Same problem here, just sent a complaint to watch dog...on the Renault forum there's over 240,000 views of how to remove the resistor pack in 5 minutes...yet according to Renault customer care manager you cant judge a cars performance by what's on line....He said that they have no plans to do a recall and that they are not aware of any widespread problems!!!

Paul, October 2012

My heater doesn't work on setting 2 & 4. I will never ever buy another Renault again. I have only one window that works, the driver window, and that's only because it had to go in for repair. The other 3 gave up a few months later and I can't afford to get them repaired.

So we have a car that

heater doesn't work on 2 and 4
3 electric windows don't work
the automatic lights have been deactivated
I can only release the parking brake manualy as the automatic release no longer works.
reverse lights don't work, tho I think I know how to sort that.
The dashboard display had to be replaced!

I've never had so many problems. It's a 2004 (54) plate

Can't afford a new car. so stuck with it for a while

fed up renault owner, October 2012

same problem guys this needs to go to watch dog disgusted by renault.

ray, October 2012

The same thing happened to me the other day. Have a grand scenic 06 plate and we were driving along with the air con on 4 when smoke started pouring out of the vents and from behind the steering column. Luckily I was passing a layby at the time and could pull in and get us all out of the car. My local garage has found that the wires had melted and said that this was indeed very dangerous and could have caught fire. I was travelling with my husband and 4 year old at the time and I am concerned for others who may not be able to get out of the car before the thing catches fire. Has anyone had any success getting Renault to admit that there is a serious safety concern here?

Laura Catterall, August 2012

I have a renault megane grand scenic 55 plate reg 06, smoke has just started coming from dashboard when heater is in operation, and drivers window goes up and down when locking car , it sounds like ( reading this and other forums ) it is a major problem what joy have people had at rectifying this problem,.

dan marsh, July 2012

I have just joined the "army" of Renault owners who have the heater problem.
I have just rang a Renault garage and without pause been told its £450 to fix as they have to change the wiring as well as the resistor...... and without seeing the car?
I wonder how they know that without looking at it first?
I don't have the money to pay that amount, but will be saving for another car than pay that out for what is "just a fan".... disgusted.
As said by someone else. I bought the car because of the isofix fixings and its safety n cap rating due to the fact the car is used to transport our 3 children. 15, 12 and 3. and now I read they are catching fire as well?
5 star rating? I think that needs to be changed as well.
My wife drives the car with the children, and I am sure she would have no idea what to do if the car caught fire......
Shame on Renault.

Lee Smith, June 2012

My Fan stopped working on 1&2 a couple of weeks ago. Today (a very hot day) I was doing a 10 min journey with the air con on 4 when the car filled with smoke! I had to abandon my car in the middle of a major dual carriage way and make a run for the verge with my 18mnth old son in arms.
By all accounts another common fault due to Renault !
This fault should have been recalled a long time ago !!

Mortybird, May 2012

My heater has just stopped working after 1 and 2 setting not working, what is the cost of mending this??

steve, May 2012

My heater resistor connector also over heated and melted the connector. It is obviously a common fault.
Fairly easy to fix by accessing the resistor pack via the dash board. Its a Megane Scenic 06.

Eric, April 2012

Same again, Renault Scenic Grand Scenic Heater Fan Resistor + Repair Wiring Loom £150, Wires burnt out in loom. Also had a new console fitted, air bag warning. Contacted renault customer service - nice people but are under orders not to keep quiet about the deadly faults in their cars design. Not long before someone is killed, shame on you.

Angry customer, February 2012

We have just had the same problem - burning smell then smoke pouring out with fan not working on 2 and 4. Have taken to garage and discovered surround had melted and wires had charred - still awaiting full investigation. This is dangerous and Renault need to do something about it as the car could have gone up in flames. Renault Grand Scenic 55 plate.

Caroline, January 2012

The renault scenic is by far the worst car made by renault or anyone else. Common faults are...
Ignition coils, juddering and check ignition on the dash
Dash board display going out
Heater fan, risister pack, motor and wiring loom
windows winding down on there own, electrical problem sometimes the battery being low
Catalytic converter failure after 60-70 000 miles
flat battery on many occasions due to car's phsycotic central locking (constantly locking and unlocking wearing battery out)
starter motor and assembly failure
Rear fold down seat locking mechanism
boot latch not locking
ECU (main computer failure)
Rattling suspension
Subframe bushes wearing out within 50 000 miles
fuel pump and sender unit

all of which have happened to my renault scenic in 2 years, bought from crystal renault in boston as an 'approved used renault'. I should have known better, i noticed the first day i bought it that it had a bold tyre!! obviously not on thier list of checks? If anyone buys a renault of any kind after reading this then they need thier heads testing. They are not helpful as when we were trying to sort these issues out the dealer just seems to want to sell me another car! another renault.... I don't think so! i'd rather walk!

terry, September 2011

My partner was driving our 2004 renault scenic home last night and it went up in flames, he had to do an emergency stop and call the fire brigade. 5 mins later and the car is a wreck. He was quick to think - me and my son were on a long journey just a few days ago and i'm not sure i'd have been so quick thinking. Anyone with a renault scenic should get their heater looked at before its too late.

rachael creighton, September 2011

All renault Scenics from 2003 ( new shape ) have this heater fault. And i mean all! if you keep the heater on No 4 it will eventually catch fire..and costs approx £360 to £400 pounds to fit a new loom. Renault should be liable but will not accept that it is a commom fault.

spike21, August 2011

The heater on our 05 Scenic has worked intermittently for the last year or so. We pulled over on the M5 last week due to terrible smell and smoke coming from dashboard. Reading this we are lucky we did not have a fire - husband and 2 kids in car. Non Renault garage has it now and has diagnosed heater resistor pack and told me it is a common fault. Bought the car due to it's crash safety - Renault should be issuing a recall and stop charging customers for their mistakes. (Window mechanism has failed previously) Will never buy Renault again!!

Fed up with our Scenic, August 2011

Mine stopped working on all setting 1234 , i can smell smoke from the heaters trying to start, rang renault uk and they said it is not a common fault, the phone conversation was recorded, and that they have had no issues with the heaters, i asked if they ever look at any renault forums and they said they did not police renault forums ????, i told them if my kids are in the car and it starts to go on fire i will see them in court, someone is going to be killed due to their or their supplers negligence, they now know about this and refuse to do anything about it, gary, Belfast

gwalks, June 2011

iv just bought a grand scenic 05 model and got it for 2 grand with 60k and thot i had done realy well as i needed a seven seater for my 5 kids. all worked except the heater didnt work on 2 and 4 and i have since smelt the burning smell and am disgusted that renault are selling these cars with a known fault in a car designed for big family,s that could catch fire at any point.i have seen the part selling onebay for £42 so its a start but its a big job for the home mechanic.this should b a recall if renault cared for its customers.

peter davies, June 2011

yaeh we have just had the sam thing happen! Our heater only worked on 4. The past few days the heater has been playing up.(slightly smoking) but still working. Not good :0( As I took the children to school a few days later the car heater was on, the car started to fill with smoke, smelling really strong!
I tried to turn the heater off but it wouldn't turn off!
I found somewhere safe to park and got out of the car, the children were really worried, so was I.
When I turned the car off, the heater just carried on going , not sure of what to do I continuosly turned the dial, the heater suddenly cut out! We are now left with no heater;0( I can not belive the ammount of problems others have had with heaters to, Catching on fire, this is a serious health hazard!!! This need reporting to Nissan

sad scenic owner, March 2011

Repair resistor pack yourself for 84p. pull down on top clock cover and pull out, pull up on bottom cover and remove,reach down inside hole on right of display you can feel the plug connected to the resistor pack, grip both sides of plugs latches and disconnect, using a torx driver unscrew the resistor pack. on the new style there is a thermal fuse just replace this available from maplins and reassemble. worked for me

steve price, February 2011

yeah, a common fault im afraid. my heater on my 06 scenic stopped working. renault quoted £470 which includes an improved loom. (surely this is them addmitting liability in a roundabout way). was saving to have itfixed when my gears felt a bit crunchy, topped up oil, car decided to wee oil all over the road. point of leak unknown at mo. would rather have bus pass instead of my scenic. (that bit isnt a joke). £5k car cant use!

hindsight guru, January 2011

Its a common fault which Renault will contribute to depending on mileage. 54 DCI 1.9 with 140k miles and mine has gone again for the second time. It wont encourage me to have another Renault.

MikeAtkin, December 2010

My Renault Grand Scenic is the worst ever! It is 2004 model, bought it Feb 2009 with very low mileage and nothing but problems! All the windows have gone down at some stage! The heater only works on 3 & 4, the car only locks when it wants to! Had the battery changed last week but it is still a problem! Actually spoke to Renault UK and told them that I think this was a Friday afternoon build! Not much response to this and they didnt agree to fix anything! No surprise there! The dealer who I bought it off hates to see me coming back and the electrical garage just say see you soon when I get something else fixed! Time to get rid!

KarenP, December 2010

My heater been playing up for ages on 2006 Scenic, not paying Renault charges been put in touch with ex renault mechanic didn't need to go further than saying fan problem his immediate comment was resistor pack very very common problem and it'll cost £180 to fix! Not great but a lot better than having to pay main dealer prices

Daz, December 2010

Hi, got our 2nd hand scenic from the dealer with 8,000 miles on it, shortly after setting 4 on the heater stopped working, was told not covered by warrenty. Then after 6 months it just started to work again!, it had been fine for over 1 year until 2 days ago when all settings have stopped, really shocked how common this is and the costs involved to fix what should be a basic repair. with the current weather situation I have no option but to pay for it to be fixed, I will update the cost when I stop weeping!.

mike o, December 2010

my dashboard when completely off few days ago. when i rang renault they said its a common fault therefore they will be paying 500 and i need to pay 100 and get it fixed which i did but my heater is still not working. renault will charge 30 kwid just for a check and additional costs and vat. do i ring uo renault and state becuaes of the dashboard the heater is also their problem not mine. it was working perfectly before the dashboard going off.

hanna, November 2010

I too now have this problem in my 2004 54 plated Renault Scenic, the fan will not work on any setting - real nuisance to discover this problem this morning in -5 degrees! My fan has just stopped working - although I have not had any smell of burning or any sign of smoke. Could this be a switch fault - have changed the fuse so know it is not that. Those of you who have contacted Renault - did you go to your local dealer or go to their head office?
Can this be diagnosed through the computer or is it only possible after pulling out the dashboard - at great expense - just been quoted £500.00!!!

christina Elkins, November 2010

mine has just stopped working on settings 2 and 4

does this mean i am soon to have mine in flames ?

sean pilgrim, October 2010

My blower stopped working altogether about 4 months ago. On giving Renault the details over the phone, they said it sounded like the resistor pack needed replaced, & said would cost nearly £400 incl labour (approx 4 hours!)
I've since done quite a bit of research online, & agree this not only seems to be quite a common fault, but I feel there is a definite manufacturing issue when it can take 4 hrs to replace a part which seems to quite commonly break down! I've been in discussion with Arnold Clark (where I bought my 2nd-hand Scenic 2004 in Feb this yr) & also with Renault Customer Service. Managed to get Arnold Clark to agree to pay for the diagnostic check, which confirmed the resistor was at fault.
Renault Customer Service, to be fair, have been very sympathetic, & have been following up with me constantly to find out what is happening, when & where it's getting fixed etc. However, this makes me a bit suspicious - they're not willing to admit any fault, but are willing to make dozens of phone calls to me to see what the outcome is!
I am getting it repaired on Monday by the Arnold Clark Renault outlet, as they seem sure they can do the job for less than half what Renault quoted. We will see....
Ultimately, I am still having to fork out for this - it is (surprise, surprise!) not covered by the additional warranty I paid for with Arnold Clark.... It is one of many problems I've had with this vehicle - Drivers electric window motor broke - when window down, and it was raining - of course!, Had to call AA out one Sat afternoon to replace an ignition coil, then call them again the very next day to replace another one!...
Sorry for the lengthy rant - just hoping this might be of help to someone else in my situation if they're trawling the internet to see if it's 'not a common problem', as I was informed....!

C.Newlands, October 2010

i have just bought a scenic 1.6 vvt on a 06 plate and my control on no 4 does not work either, does anybody know if this is a recal isue yet as i certanley cant aford 400 pound..

pete, September 2010

My Girlfriend Has this problem on her 54 Grand Scenic Heater Motor Not Working on any speed Have got the motor running by pulling the fues in and out a few times and you can hear the motor trying to engauge then it starts, runs on all 4 speeds, but once you turn it off will not start again

Iano, September 2010

having same problem right now - no smoke (yet?!?) but fan only working intermittently - Scenic 2004 model

Liz, July 2010

correction to yesterdays letter it was gsf car parts where i purchased my heater motor for £65.80 not euro parts who quoted £105

andrew oprych, June 2010

my 04 renault fan has stoped for the 3rd time renault wont have any of it they said its not a common problem but its not hard to fix your self just a long stint my heater went on 1 2 3 which is the resistor pack cost £75 but had also gone on 4 didnt realise untill i put it back together that the heater motor had gone renault quoted £205 got same motor today from europe car parts £65.80 will fit saturday with help from my haynes manual when i did the resistor i practiced first removing lower facia glove box gear stick cowling radio heater control suround speado which i am also having trouble with and left of everything off that i didnt need to drive the car then got up early one morning and did the stearing wheel cowling and uper facia i will do the same when i do the blower motor i tested the blower motor by removing glove box taking out wiring plug in the blower cutting resistor pack from old plug leaving lots of wire and inserted it into blower and tested resistance i have 100 thou on mine but now its getting sad tools used no20 torx for all dash and facia 40 tox for stearing wheel 10mil socket to diconnect battery must leave 5 mins to deactivate air bags and a small yellow cheap screw driver for wiring conections and removing drivers air bag always check manual and get expert advise

andrew oprych, June 2010

Hello, just looking through and was amazed by the amount of people where there dashboard has caught fire. I to have been in this position on 22/5/2010, just got to my destination and smelt burning next thing i know i was choking on smoke coming from the dashsoard, after much searching the internet found out it was the heater/blower resister that had caught fire and melted. Whats more worrying is my wife and children could have been in the car. Also if this is a common fault why is renault not recalling the cars in and repairing them.

Wayne Brinkley, May 2010

We have grand scenic on 06 plate, I just had its service done last week and noticed couple of days latter that the fan doesn't work, contacted the workshop and they told me that it is the fan heater resistor and would require a full day of work and quoted £350, just shocked and can't believe that such repair would required such a hefty bill, engineer is telling me that they already done about 12 such repairs in this year alone and this is a very common problem,,,hmmm sounds like a manufacturing fault,,definately.

Tariq Butt, April 2010

I have got a Oct/2004 scenic with climate control. about a year and a half a go the heater fan stopped, great as we live in spain and it was summer. Took it to the local renault dealer who said it was the transistor unit in the fan, dash out, so while they where fixing it they broke another item and we paid 455 euros, very p'ed off. Well the summer is coming again and guess what, yes its stopping again, this cannot be right, you lot need to inform watch dog about this, we cannot be expected to pay 400 pounds every 2 years. I also have a peugeot 206 2002 with climate with the same problem transistor issue so i am told. it must be down to the makers of these components. luckilly no fires here but i am told they can set fire too!

Lee Kebbell, March 2010

My fan heater has just stopped working and i did smell burning,

Marcel Hobby, February 2010

My Renault 2004 scenic caught fire on17th Dec2008! Completely burnt out!. My children were not in the car but I was. Renault have taken full liability for it, saying it was the heater fan resistor, but as yet they have not compensated us for it. Our insurance have paid out what they say the car is worth, this is not enough to buy a new car! I have lost all faith in Renault..So called 5star safety rating!

Michelle, January 2010

Hi to all renault grand scenic owners. On 18th December my wife started the car on a minus 5 morning to get it defrosted and warmer. She came out and there was smoke coming out of the air vents and the setting was on 4. Literally 10 seconds later flames started coming from behind the dash, within 4 minutes the car was a complete burnout from the front to the back of the car, unfortunatly it was parked on our drive and the fire spread to the house. The car and house are material items, the point being my wife and three children could of been in that car driving to school as planned. We are stunned to learn this is a common fault and no recall has been made, and would strongly urge grand scenic owners to get the heater checked out. I have images for anyone who wants to view them. Hope you have a better xmas than us.

Jono Davies, December 2009

Despite me telling the main dealer I had smoke opouring through my vents and into the cabin there was absoloutley no concern for the possible health implications. Denying anyone else had had such a problem and that it was not common.

I will never buy Renault again full stop I have had nothing but problems and paid throught the nose for costly servicing. I will buy a ford or a german car instead.

They wont even give me a ball park figure for a repair and want to charge me 70 quid plus vat just to look at it.

Dissapointed customer, November 2009

yes common problem wiring burning out there is modified loom with extra wire in it to stop this every body should contact watchdog about this too sama as dash board fault which they should pay for

paul, October 2009

A letter to Watchdog.

My Daughters 54 Renault Grand Scenic has the dashboard problem as shown on your program last night, and she should be getting it fixed today, 09/10/2009.
BUT this vehicle has an even more dangerous inherent problem, and that is the heater,The heater started blowing smoke out of the heater vent, the heater fan solenoid and resistor pack with a thermal fuse next to the fan wiring have burned, Renault say they have had to fix lots. My daughters stopped working on setting's 3 & 4. When we checked on line we found hundreds of stories about this problem, stories about a burnt connector and burnt wiring that had been on fire and it hadn't been noticed. It needs to be cut and disconnected prior to replacement as a safety concern. the general concensus is that the wiring used by renault is apparently not sufficent for the heaterswitch and melts causing a fire hazzard. I would suggest that you get this broardcast at as soon as possible.

Chris rogers, October 2009

I was told by a Renault auto electrician that this is a common fault with these cars and that he has repaired quite a few of them and that the whole dashboard has to be removed. Renault charge around about £400.00 to fix the problem which is generally the heater motor resistor and the spur off the wiring loom to the heater which overheats and melts. I was in the Renault dealership enquiring about this and another matter and they assured me that there was no recall issue for this fault even though they probably know the frequency that this occurs as they are the ones selling the replacement parts to fix the problem

Chris rogers, October 2009