Renault Espace VI 2024 – recurring brake squeal, steering assistance failure and expert report

[Espace75]

Hello,

I am looking for technical opinions regarding my 2024 Renault Espace VI E-Tech Full Hybrid (Esprit Alpine), purchased brand new in France in April 2024.

The first abnormal brake squeal appeared approximately two months after purchase, at around 6,000 km.

During the following 18 months, the vehicle underwent numerous inspections and repairs within the Renault authorised network. Brake pads and discs were replaced on several occasions. The noise sometimes disappeared after an intervention, but eventually returned.

Importantly, the repair history also records that the noise could occur without pressing the brake pedal.

After repeated interventions failed to provide a lasting solution, the matter eventually resulted in a court-appointed automotive expert examination in France.

After warming the braking system, the expert personally reproduced the squealing noise from the rear brakes. The vehicle was then raised on a lift, where the noise could also be heard when manually rotating the rear wheels and then the hubs.

The expert subsequently required:

“Significant chamfers on all brake pads, front and rear.”

The expert report also states, regarding this specific issue, that the vehicle design could be considered “imperfect in this area.”

This raises several questions that I would particularly like mechanics and technically experienced members to comment on.

If significant chamfering is considered normal brake maintenance, why did the previous brake-pad replacements carried out within the Renault network not provide a lasting solution?

Why did it take approximately 18 months, repeated workshop visits and finally a court-appointed expert before significant chamfering of all front and rear brake pads was specifically required?

More importantly, if the squeal returns as the pads wear, does this mean future replacement pads may also require significant chamfering to prevent the same problem from returning?

I am not suggesting that Renault manufactures the brake pads itself. My question concerns the braking system fitted and specified for this vehicle, and why the same problem repeatedly returned despite replacement of braking components.

I have driven other brand-new hybrid vehicles from almost 0 km to approximately 10,000–20,000 km. In my personal experience, I have never encountered a comparable situation requiring significant chamfering of all front and rear brake pads to eliminate recurring brake squeal.

Unfortunately, the braking issue is not my only concern.

The same vehicle later suffered a documented permanent loss of power-steering assistance, with a steering-failure warning displayed on the dashboard.

Renault subsequently carried out significant work on the steering system.

Despite my requests, however, I have not received the complete technical diagnostic report explaining precisely what caused the steering-assistance failure.

This is particularly important to me because I would like to understand:

What exactly failed? What fault codes were recorded? Was the underlying cause electronic, mechanical or software-related? And how can I assess the possibility of recurrence without the complete diagnostic findings?

I fully accept that any modern vehicle can occasionally develop a fault. What I find difficult to understand is the combination of recurring brake problems, a permanent loss of steering assistance and electronic issues on a vehicle purchased new, together with numerous repairs without a lasting technical explanation for all of these issues.

I have the repair orders and the final court-appointed expert report and can provide anonymised extracts if members would like to examine the technical findings.

I would particularly appreciate your views on two questions:

1. Would you consider significant chamfering of all front and rear brake pads normal on a modern vehicle, especially if it may need to be repeated as the pads wear?

2. Following a permanent loss of electric power-steering assistance, what diagnostic information or fault-code documentation would you normally expect Renault to provide to the owner?

Thank you in advance for any technical opinions or similar experiences.

[mickthemaverick]

I am sorry to say that the forum is not as strong with Renault matters, due to the relative lack of DIY Renault owners compared to the PSA owners. However there are some members who have sufficient knowledge and hopefully one of them will see your post and offer their opinion. Good luck