Although I have a good and reliable Kadjar. Last Saturday 19th. October became a nightmare when my only key for my Kadjar went missing or
was stolen.
I was out with the family on Crystal Palace park October 19th. On returning to the car park, I could not find my key-less entry key. It had either fallen out of my
pocket or it had been taken in the bustling crowds around the cafe etc.
I immediately called Renault assistance who called the RAC to get my deadlocked car home, as Renault have no means to get deadlocked cars open and
to overcome their own car's security. Renault told me they could find a locksmith to open the door but couldn't remove the deadlock.as It needed key only obtainable from the Renault dealer.
This would have to be ordered by me for my car and no one at Renault in the UK had any idea how long it might take.
Although still under warranty, as I could not say whether my key had been lost or stolen, I was asked to pay for my own recovery with no chance
of driving it away.
Through incompetence of message passing by the RAC, The promised 2 hour recovery never turned up, my car had to be
abandoned and was broken into overnight. The failed recovery company told me they had been told by the RAC I had a flat tyre, not a deadlocked
car. They could come but it would cost £300 pounds extra for special equipment. As I had already paid RAC £110 pounds, to pass on my
emergency call , this seemed wholly unreasonable.
I got my own local recovery and got my disabled car home.I ordered new keys as soon as my local dealership opened on Monday 21st but they
were unable to expedite parts delivery, as they have no message box or means of communicating with Renault that any order is urgent. All parts
come in standard shipments and I could not pay for UPS or similar to get it quicker than the guesstimated 5+ days by the dealership. I am now on
day 9 and still no sign of keys.My car window is still broken and I cannot get the door open without paying another £80 to get a key cut.
I called the dealership Saturday 26th who said my £300+ key order was now delayed but they didn’t know why or by how long. Despite 2 separate
futile calls to Renault support last Monday 21st to ask if they could hasten the order along, I was given no encouraging words that they could ‘call
France’ or 'intercept and expedite the order'.However, more bizarrely, I was asked what I thought of Renault cars and if I would buy one again! (at this
moment, I don't think so)
My Kadjar is still outside my home, it still has a broken window that cannot be replaced until I can the doors open and I still have to find several
hundred pounds to get it 1 mile down the road. Why??...Because the local dealership have no recovery vehicle and more importantly, the keys
can only be programmed to the car at their premises!
If I had had a Porsche I would praise such security. But not on a second hand Kadjar. It amazes me that there is not a single Renault resource in
the UK that is mobile and can rescue a 16 registration family car. By the time this whole episode is over, it will have cost me about a £1000 to get
my car running again!
