Used car guide

2017 Renault Scenic: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2017 Renault Scenics, from 1,098 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,098MOT tests in 2025
75%pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%)
6,500typical miles a year
2×the usual rate for suspension arm bushes and joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2017 Renault Scenics than on all cars registered in 2017.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints2× usual
    Renault Scenic
    9.6% All 2017 cars
    4.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.7%, against 0.9% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Brake lights3.5× usual
    Renault Scenic
    4.5% All 2017 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.5%, against 1.1% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Headlights2.8× usual
    Renault Scenic
    3.7% All 2017 cars
    1.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.7%, against 1.2% of all 2017 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

By area

The share of 2017 Renault Scenic MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    31% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    22% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    20% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    15% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    3% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Looking at a Renault Scenic?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2018580Tyres 31%
20161,054Tyres 31%
20153,017Suspension 35%
20143,041Suspension 41%
20132,747Suspension 44%
20122,439Suspension 49%
20113,601Suspension 49%
20105,140Suspension 50%
20091,585Suspension 48%
20081,960Lights and electrics 51%
20072,116Suspension 53%
20061,437Suspension 52%
2005584Suspension 50%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2017 Renault Scenics registered in 2017. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score