Renault Clio Mark II
Watchdog investigates claims that
there are problems with the bonnet safety catch on the Clio Mark II.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and...20070123.shtml
Thousands of Renault Clios recalled for safety checks
Last updated at 18:08 22 Maio 2007
Thousands of Renault Clios have been recalled for safety checks after the bonnet of one of the cars blew open at 70mph, shattering a windscreen.
The 21-year-old driver said she was lucky to be alive after her the accident on the motorway.
The firm has now issued a recall of the Clio II model but says it has found no construction or design defect with the bonnet catch mechanism
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Alison Masters said she was lucky to be alive
Alison Masters was driving in rush hour on the M27 near Romsey when she was forced to drive blind to the central reservation.
She called police and waited next to her car in the rain as motorists drove past in the fast lane.
Police put road blocks in place and a recovery firm towed away her written-off Renault Clio - a model which has been reported in the past for alleged bonnet problems.
Miss Masters, who has graduated from Cardiff University, now faces a £450 excess charge and rising insurance costs as she will lose her no-claims bonus.
She said: "The mechanic at the accident repair centre told me the bonnet clips were well-maintained.
"It worries me that that can happen in a car that has been maintained."
The BBC's consumer programme Watchdog has reported on the Clio's bonnet clips and a petition on the Downing Street website, with 217 signatures so far, calls on the Prime Minister to conduct an independent inquiry into the "faulty" bonnets.
The petition claims more than 250 cases of Renault Clio Mark II bonnets flying open during normal use have been reported to Watchdog and Renault.
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Alison Masters in her Renault Clio II
It urges the car firm to recall these cars and accept responsibility.
Earlier this month, the Driving Standards Agency decided that Renault Clio II and the Renault Campus models manufactured between 1998 and early 2006 cannot be used for driving tests unless the candidate can provide documentary evidence that the bonnet catch has been checked.
Miss Masters, from Woodlands, Wimborne, Dorset, said: "What is it going to take for them to do something about it?
"Is it going to take someone dying?
"Because I didn't suffer any injury, they are not going to offer any compensation.
"The statistics show there's a problem. I feel quite lucky to be alive.
"Cars are replaceable, humans aren't, but I don't see why I should let Renault get away with it if it's a manufacturer's fault, which these statistic suggest it is."
Renault said in a statement: "The safety of its customers is of paramount importance to Renault UK."
It added: "Renault has found no construction or design defect with the bonnet catch mechanism of the Clio II.
"Renault is a responsible manufacturer. To say we would endanger our customers is categorically untrue.
"We are recalling all Clio II owners into the Renault network as part of our reassurance plan.
"The bonnet catch mechanism of the Clio II is safe, reliable and fit for purpose providing the vehicle is maintained correctly and the bonnet is closed as prescribed."
The firm said it has taken action by writing to all 470,000 Clio II owners in the UK inviting them into their nearest dealership so the bonnet mechanisms can be checked.
In cases of poor maintenance, the firm has also offered to carry out the appropriate corrective action for free as a gesture of goodwill.
Última edição por GTTDI : 11-09-08 às 16:13:00.
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] Tendo em conta o orçamento e características pondero este renault chipie (esperando q tenha direcção assistida) 
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