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"We
are going to file a complaint on Monday on behalf of at least
several dozen people," Christophe Leguevaques told Reuters,
adding many more owners of Renault vehicles - as well as those
of its Dacia brand and partner Nissan - could join the move.
The complaint, first reported by Le Parisien newspaper, will be
filed with the Nanterre criminal court, with claims ranging from
"aggravated deceit, questionable business practices" to "fraud"
and "endangering the life of others", the lawyer said.
The decision to file the complaint follows unsuccessful
discussions between Renault and the plaintiffs over the faulty
engines, he added.
It will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to open a formal
investigation.
A Renault spokesperson said the company had been providing
technical support and financial help to affected customers.
"The Renault Group never stopped and continues reviewing demands
that it is receiving," the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Nissan, which produces some models with
Renault, said it was "supporting any customers that may
experience engine noise, misfiring, low power, or over
consumption of oil under our warranty and customer support
policies."
The customers say the carmakers should have issued a recall when
they discovered an issue with the 1.2 litre engine used in
400,000 vehicles in Europe between 2012 and 2016.
Renault has acknowledged the engine was consuming too much oil
and that 133,050 vehicles in France were potentially affected,
but also said there was no safety risk - a point disputed by the
customer group.
"Support demands that could not be addressed have all been
carefully reviewed and an answer has been given," Renault said.
(Reporting by Nicolas Delame, Dominique Vidalon, Gilles
Guillaume; Editing by Mark Potter)
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