Used Renault Modus review and buying guide (2004 to 2012): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Renault Modus should you buy?

Any year of Modus is a reasonable bet, because very few problems have been reported across its 2004 to 2012 run, and it was only ever one generation, so there's no newer model to hold out for. What separates one car from another is the gearbox and the recall paperwork. Two owners' automated manuals lost their hydraulics, so that's the version to test hardest, though two cars aren't enough to rule it out.

The recalls are the reason to look at the date. Cars from 2005 and 2006 were called back because the brake light switch could melt, and 2010-built 1.2 petrols, non-turbo and TCe alike, were recalled over a valve cotter fault that can destroy the engine. Neither rules a car out, but don't buy one from those years without proof the work was done.

Which Modus engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The automated manual's the gearbox to be wary of, since both owner reports of gearbox trouble involve it. On one 2009 car the warning light came on and every gear vanished; the dealer found the hydraulic fluid had gone but couldn't say where it leaked. A 2010 1.5 diesel automated manual broke the hydraulic piston that shifts the gears at 59,000 miles. Neither report involves the ordinary manual.

On the 1.5 dCi diesel, the EGR valve is the part to watch. If it sticks shut, exhaust temperatures climb, which can wreck the turbo bearings and let engine oil into the intake. At worst the engine ends up running on its own sump oil until it stalls. On a diesel, ask for receipts for any EGR valve cleaning or replacement before you agree a deal.

Only two things come up against the petrols (the 1.2 non-turbo, the 1.2 TCe and the 1.6): the valve cotter recall on 2010 1.2 engines, and a warning that a noise at start-up on an older 1.6 can mean the camshaft dephaser is failing. Few complaints isn't the same as proven reliable, so listen to any 1.6 from cold and ask for the recall paperwork on a 2010 1.2.

What should you check when viewing a used Modus?

Lock and unlock the fuel flap with the central locking before anything else. One owner's flap solenoid died with the flap locked, so they couldn't refuel, and they couldn't find the mechanical release in the cramped space behind the rear wing. On a 2005 or 2006 car, or a 2010 1.2 petrol, get the recall paperwork out at the same time.

Work the central locking a few times with the key. One 2005 car's locks kept clicking and trying to unlock on their own, which the owner put down to damp getting in. On an automated manual, check every gear engages and the gearbox warning light stays off, and ask whether the hydraulic fluid has ever been topped up or the gearchange piston replaced.

Find out whether the battery's been changed. Replacing or disconnecting it, or charging it through the accessory socket, wipes the power steering coding, and only a Renault dealer can put it back. Headlamp bulbs are a dealer job too, because the front bumper has to come off to reach them, so check both headlamps work before you hand over any money.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Renault Modus cost to run?