French Cars Just May Suck After All

Renault seeks to calm fears over Â‘faultyÂ’ speed device

Source ::: AFP
PARIS: Faced with claims that speed control devices fitted to some of its models can jam and leave drivers unable to slow down or stop, the French automobile maker Renault was mounting a public relations counter-attack exercise in its home market at the weekend.

Controversy over the Â“cruise controlÂ” systems that are being fitted to many French cars Â– and which are becoming popular as a way of ensuring compliance with increasingly tough speed limits Â– emerged last November, when a driver of a Renault car claimed he had been forced to drive for a long distance at high speed because he could not slow down.

Following prominent TV coverage of that reported incident, and a series of other accusations, Renault has scrambled to carry out studies to check the devices, while also suggesting that maybe some drivers do not understand how to use them properly.

On Friday the company said it had had 35 experts studying all aspects of the cruise control systems since the first allegation surfaced, and they had so far found no faults.

It all started when the driver of an up-market Renault Vel Satis saloon claimed that his vehicle had taken him on a perilous 150km dash down a highway south of Paris with the cruise control jammed at nearly 200kmph. After that incident attracted national publicity, Renault carried out an initial test of the vehicle, and then brought a lawsuit against its owner. At an initial hearing the judge ordered an independent study of the car, which is due to be published in April.

In its statement, Renault said it would be writing to all owners of its cars fitted with the devices to explain how to use them correctly, and also invited customers to drop in to its showrooms over the weekend if they needed any help. Police in the northwestern town of Rouen said on Tuesday that the driver of a Renault Laguna had been unable to either brake, accelerate or disengage the clutch over a distance of some 40km, and a driver in the southwest of the country reported on Thursday that she had had a minor accident due to a faulty speed regulator.

Maybe Renault road cars suck, but they've won the first two rounds of the F1 world championship!

So much for Ferrarri domination.

http://www.tarrega.com/novatarrega/arxiu/nt20-07-01/nt20-07-3/Accident%20Guimera.GIF

motogeezer wrote:

Maybe Renault road cars suck, but they've won the first two rounds of the F1 world championship!

So much for Ferrarri domination.

http://www.geocities.com/jc_dowling/mansell/will90/91pit.jpg

http://www.eurosport.fr/imgbk/FORML1/ALL/big_MD-I149803.jpg

Damn, my brother, my dad and my uncle all drive Renault's!

Damn, what a scud. My brother just had his car taken back to the dealer for a reprogramming of electric's today! His central locking doesn't alway's engage and the car sometime's doesn't start, it's still under warrenty though, so it's all good.