Koleos Hints, Tips, Problems

Thanks, yes front air-bags deployed so new dash required which no doubt pushed up the repair cost considerably (parts and labour).
I'm not sure if it's going to be classed as a repairable write-off or statutory write-off. Once the insurer hands over the dosh, the car is theirs to do with as they please, the beater did say it was repairable.
Strangely the insurance company decided to write-off the car even though their market value pay-out figure was some $7K more than the repair quotation.
Probably better for me as a write-off as I don't have to wait for parts to come from the other side of the planet. With shipping as it is these days, that would likely take months. Even though the Koleos is made in Korea, the spares still come from France.
(I doubt Renault Australia or whoever is handling Renault spare parts these days would have the panels and dash in stock in Australia).
There aren't a lot of Koleos's for sale so they're usually asking top dollar. I'll struggle to replace the car with an equivalent spec/age/mileage for the payout figure. I could possibly get a new base model Koleos (Nah, can't go for the base spec) or throw another $10K into the kitty and get a brand new Intens. It's a sellers market at the moment with the buyers paying top-dollar, if you can find what you're after.


Cheers
RTT
 
REN TIN TIN said:
Thanks, yes front air-bags deployed so new dash required which no doubt pushed up the repair cost considerably (parts and labour).
I'm not sure if it's going to be classed as a repairable write-off or statutory write-off. Once the insurer hands over the dosh, the car is theirs to do with as they please, the beater did say it was repairable.
Strangely the insurance company decided to write-off the car even though their market value pay-out figure was some $7K more than the repair quotation.
Probably better for me as a write-off as I don't have to wait for parts to come from the other side of the planet. With shipping as it is these days, that would likely take months. Even though the Koleos is made in Korea, the spares still come from France.
(I doubt Renault Australia or whoever is handling Renault spare parts these days would have the panels and dash in stock in Australia).
There aren't a lot of Koleos's for sale so they're usually asking top dollar. I'll struggle to replace the car with an equivalent spec/age/mileage for the payout figure. I could possibly get a new base model Koleos (Nah, can't go for the base spec) or throw another $10K into the kitty and get a brand new Intens. It's a sellers market at the moment with the buyers paying top-dollar, if you can find what you're after.


Cheers
RTT
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I would be asking the insurance company to supply a replacement car instead of giving you cash and you finding a replacement.
 
COL said:
I would be asking the insurance company to supply a replacement car instead of giving you cash and you finding a replacement.
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Yes, would be nice to get a replacement handed over by the insurer.
However, somewhere in the fineprint of the contract (which everyone reads of course), it stipulates they're only required to repair or to pay the agreed or market value. Don't know of any insurance company that will supply a replacement car.

Cheers
RTT
 
Most car insurance policies (for new cars) offer new replacement if written off within the first few years. In my discussions with Shannons last year, this is apparently a huge problem for them at the moment due to the nil stock of new cars in many brands/models. So if the waiting time on a new RAV4, for instance, is 12 months, how can the insurance company replace one that gets written off? I don't know how they are overcoming this problem, maybe the fine print allows for a payout in lieu.
RTT, if it is of any interest, of the similar size cars we looked at last year, only the Koleos was available from new stock, but I chose the late model used one instead. I also note that the Koleos/Arkana are being advertised on tv quite heavily at the moment, so I guess they must have some sort of availability.
Cheers.
 
If they pay you out, the car can still be classed as a repairable (economic) write-off. Any chance you can buy back the wreck? I did that with a Civic some years back and got it back on the road with little money so we actually made money off that business. If repairs are mainly to do with cosmetics you can bang it in some acceptable shape and drive it (sure, replace airbags and other stuff that needs replacing). That is what we did.
 
schlitzaugen said:
If they pay you out, the car can still be classed as a repairable (economic) write-off. Any chance you can buy back the wreck? I did that with a Civic some years back and got it back on the road with little money so we actually made money off that business. If repairs are mainly to do with cosmetics you can bang it in some acceptable shape and drive it (sure, replace airbags and other stuff that needs replacing). That is what we did.
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Repairable write offs 15 years old or under will need to go through about three inspections, and will cost a couple of grand to get back on the road plus what ever it cost to repair the vehicle to the required standard. So this will have to be taken into account.
 
Yeah, I don't know the regulations anymore or at least not in other states. About 5 years ago I put back on the road a wrecked corolla (only cosmetic damage) for my wife and it was about 2k in inspections. 2005-ish? car. Pretty straightforward process, but this was WA. Not sure how it works these days.
 
The Koleos is just over 4 years old but the insurance policy I took out was for market value, not new replacement. In hindsight, maybe it would have been better to go for a new replacement but one doesn't think one will need the insurance for anything major.

My Scenic was a repairable write-off that I bought back but I won't be doing that with the Koleos, even if it were offered.
I don't have the facilities to do major body work and with the airbags deployed I'd need a another dash apart from most of the front end. I'm presuming the chassis isn't twisted as the crash repairer did say it was fixable and all 4 doors and tailgate still opened fine. After (if) it's repaired, and you can clear all the inspections, it has to be declared as a repaired write-off vehicle on WOVR and the value plummets.
Okay if you drive it until it dies but not good otherwise. (With all these left-green governments in power around the place, we probably won't be able to buy petrol soon and drive till it dies might not be that many years). I saw a Koleos on one of the auction sites that had been hit up the arse so would have provided all the front-end metalwork and parts, it was even the same colour. Only possible downside was it was it was in ZEN trim so while the airbags hadn't deployed, the dash was different and might not fit. Don't know if the seatbelt pre-tensioners were any good.

The Scenic that I bought back as repairable write-off was due to hail damage but the insurance company wrote it off after the hail damage was repaired. It was mostly okay but still needed a quick respray as some of the clearcoat had lifted.. As the SIL is a spraypainter, this wasn't a major problem. The Scenic was still on WOVR even though it wasn't collision damage or mechanical issues. (It was a bad decision to buy it back as a few months later the bloody solenoids in the DP0 gearbox gave up again. $$$ to fix)

Cheers
RTT
 
Well the insurance company allegedly transferred the payout to my account on Monday. I say allegedly as nothing has appeared in my account yet so a bank somewhere is holding onto my funds for a couple of days before they see fit to let me have my money.
The payout was fair, although it doesn't seem to consider accessories (e.g. towbar, tint, weathershields, etc.). It was actually a smidgen more than I paid for the car so one won't complain.

So, off to find another Koleos. Car prices still seem inflated, e.g. a 5 year old car selling at around 60% - 70% of the original cost price.
Private sales aren't a whole lot better, just a few grand less than the dealers.

Had a look at the Arkana while I was at Metro Renault looking at a Koleos. It's a nice car, well finished, large boot, and seems to have adequate interior room although it looks narrow. (3 adults across the back seat might be a struggle). Pity they cost more than a Koleos. I have to tow the grandson's motorbikes so the Arkana wouldn't be suitable. Towing aside, I'd go for an Arkana over an Koleos otherwise, even if it does cost more.

Cheers
RTT
 
REN TIN TIN said:
..............So, off to find another Koleos. Car prices still seem inflated, e.g. a 5 year old car selling at around 60% - 70% of the original cost price.
Private sales aren't a whole lot better, just a few grand less than the dealers........................
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Who would have thought people would start appreciating the Koleos for what it is? A sturdy, reliable, competent and comfortable small wagon!
 
Well I learned something about the Koloes on the weekend, they didn't have Apple carplay until 2018.
I was a bee's dick away from buying a Koloes on Saturday, looked good, drove great, low mileage, and good price. Just before I made a offer, the grandson dropped on me, 'I doesn't have Apple carplay'.
He's a Apple nerd and checked the Apple website and the website said no carplay before 2018, (the car ad said it did have carplay).
I use carplay a lot. I would have been extremely peeved if I bought the thing and found out later there was no carplay.
I don'r believe i can be retro fitted and still have the infotainment screen function correctly.

Cheers
RTT
 
My 2008 model hasn't got bluetooth or any of the new fancy stuff. I use my phone hands free and also play music via a little black box that clips to my sunvisor that I bought from JB HiFi for $45. But then again, if Apple car play is the most important feature of your car, may I humbly suggest you don't want a good car like a Koleos, you just want an audio system on wheels!
 
Kim Luck said:
My 2008 model hasn't got bluetooth or any of the new fancy stuff. I use my phone hands free and also play music via a little black box that clips to my sunvisor that I bought from JB HiFi for $45. But then again, if Apple car play is the most important feature of your car, may I humbly suggest you don't want a good car like a Koleos, you just want an audio system on wheels!
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Hello Kim,

Apple Carplay is not the most important feature I'm after but is important. I do use the Google Maps or Apple Maps a lot. (The Renault R-Link is not updated very often. Lst time i looked, the most recent update I believe is 2018/19). If I have to choose between a Koleos with Carplay or one without, I will choose the one with. Even though it will be newer and therefore cost more. Yes, one can look at the maps on the phone's screen, but looking at a 3 inch screen while driving doesn't compare to looking at a 9 (or whatever the size is on the Intens) inch screen. With airpods one can make or take calls without carplay so it's not necessary for calls as you point out.
Don't really care about the audio system, I listen to AM radio or turn it off. My daughter plays music off her phone when she drives my car but that's not often.
(My R12 has never been fitted with a radio or stereo since new and that suits me just fine.)

Hey Schlitzaugen, Gizmos are about all the car manufacturers can do to upgrade their cars now, apart from going electric. There not a lot of development going on with the the petrol engines as they could be a dead-end and and drive trains don't have much scope of improvement (yes, there's dual-clutch happening, etc.) and they're likely to be a dead-end too. All they seem to be now doing to internal-combustion engines is to make them them smaller and add a turbo.
Changed styling and more gizmos is about all they do to upgrade cars these days.

Cheers
RTT
 
REN TIN TIN said:
Hello Kim,

Apple Carplay is not the most important feature I'm after but is important. I do use the Google Maps or Apple Maps a lot. (The Renault R-Link is not updated very often. Lst time i looked, the most recent update I believe is 2018/19). If I have to choose between a Koleos with Carplay or one without, I will choose the one with. Even though it will be newer and therefore cost more. Yes, one can look at the maps on the phone's screen, but looking at a 3 inch screen while driving doesn't compare to looking at a 9 (or whatever the size is on the Intens) inch screen. With airpods one can make or take calls without carplay so it's not necessary for calls as you point out.
Don't really care about the audio system, I listen to AM radio or turn it off. My daughter plays music off her phone when she drives my car but that's not often.
(My R12 has never been fitted with a radio or stereo since new and that suits me just fine.)

Hey Schlitzaugen, Gizmos are about all the car manufacturers can do to upgrade their cars now, apart from going electric. There not a lot of development going on with the the petrol engines as they could be a dead-end and and drive trains don't have much scope of improvement (yes, there's dual-clutch happening, etc.) and they're likely to be a dead-end too. All they seem to be now doing to internal-combustion engines is to make them them smaller and add a turbo.
Changed styling and more gizmos is about all they do to upgrade cars these days.

Cheers
RTT
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There are quite regular updates for R-Link which are downloaded and installed by your good self, they are not automatic. You require an 8Gb good quality memory stick and it must be inserted in the cars' USB port for a while before you can start the update procedure, which is then initiated via your computer after transferring the memory stick and downloading the R-Link software from Renault.. After the update, the memory stick goes back into the car USB and the engine is left running whilst the data is transferred, sometimes taking ten minutes or more. The car display will advise you when the updates are finished. It is not necessary to update maps of Finland, etc. It's all in the book! :)
 
Kim Luck said:
There are quite regular updates for R-Link which are downloaded and installed by your good self, they are not automatic. You require an 8Gb good quality memory stick and it must be inserted in the cars' USB port for a while before you can start the update procedure, which is then initiated via your computer after transferring the memory stick and downloading the R-Link software from Renault.. After the update, the memory stick goes back into the car USB and the engine is left running whilst the data is transferred, sometimes taking ten minutes or more. The car display will advise you when the updates are finished. It is not necessary to update maps of Finland, etc. It's all in the book! :)
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Hello Kim,

Yes, I know the procedure but you can check when the last map update occurred.
I did this about a year ago and at the time the last update for Australia was around 2018/2019.
It may have been updated since then but until I get another Koleos I can't look.
I have no doubt the the maps for Europe and other countries where Renault have a large presence (e.g. South America) are updated more often than those of Australia, Being a small country (population-wise) at the far end of the earth has disadvantages sometimes.
I won't be loading the maps for other countries.


Cheers
RTT
 
I've picked up my replacement Koleos now, after a lot of weeks searching a not very big pool of available cars.
What's around is either new-ish demonstrators with about 12 months on them, or 4 -5 year old (probably lease expired) types with very little in between. Plenty in ZEN trim, much less is Intens trim, and virtually no Life types.
It's really a sellers market at the moment with very high prices being asked (and received) for used cars.
I ended up with a XZG Petrol Intens 4WD.
I decided to go for a used one ISO new for a few reasons, the main one being I don't need a car as big as a Koleos apart from having to tow my grandson's motorbike trailer. Once he gets his driving licence (in about 12 - 18 months), he can tow his own trailer and I can get something smaller (and maybe hybrid or battery powered).

Cheers
RTT
 
REN TIN TIN said:
I've picked up my replacement Koleos now, after a lot of weeks searching a not very big pool of available cars.
What's around is either new-ish demonstrators with about 12 months on them, or 4 -5 year old (probably lease expired) types with very little in between. Plenty in ZEN trim, much less is Intens trim, and virtually no Life types.
It's really a sellers market at the moment with very high prices being asked (and received) for used cars.
I ended up with a XZG Petrol Intens 4WD.
I decided to go for a used one ISO new for a few reasons, the main one being I don't need a car as big as a Koleos apart from having to tow my grandson's motorbike trailer. Once he gets his driving licence (in about 12 - 18 months), he can tow his own trailer and I can get something smaller (and maybe hybrid or battery powered).

Cheers
RTT
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Yes, too big for me too! Good luck with it - my experience driving the current model approximately is certainly good (a friend's) and it tows a loaded car trailer very well.
 
I’ve looked for a ‘what to look for’, but can’t find it.

Short story; Citroen C5 X7 Wagon fought a kangaroo and now need another car.
I’ve seen a manual 2.5 2014 Koleos 2wd which looks ok. From my understanding, it’s a dressed up X-Trail.
Anything I should look for in particular with these things? Plan to inspect tomorrow.
Thanks.
 
Broken tailgate mechanism and broken sun visor mechanism.
 
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