On the 5th evening of the car's ownership, the check engine light and ECG symbol came on in the instrument cluster.

BHPian Hashtag recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Alas. The great joy of buying a car suddenly dampened on the 5th evening of the car's ownership, just as we filled up the wiper tank with water, put some wax polish on dashboard and then tried to move it back to the parking place! The car greeted us with its same old and original, dreaded message on the MID for which Triber is famous (or infamous) for. Yes, we are talking about the 'Check Engine' warning and orange 'ECG' symbol on the instrument cluster (Means you must carefully drive to the nearest service center)!

So we made a desperate call to our SA & SVC. After few attempts somehow we go the SA, even SVC Manager too. We already noticed a gradual tendency of avoidance from sales & accessory team after they sold off the car - because it became increasingly difficult to find them on phone. And this time our belief became only stronger than before. Anyway it was Saturday, and almost 5 pm (an hour before the SVC closes down) and they advised us to bring the car on Monday morning.

Oh! Its only 5 days and a defective engine in a RXZ (top model) AMT, and Renault doesn't even provide pickup? No, we are not VIPs, but how can we drive that car to some 8 Km? What if it stalls?

What could be the reason for this failure - we asked, the Service manager replied 'Have to see', 'Could be N no. of reasons' replied another person.

Now, why Renault brought up Kiger if they could not resolve Triber issues? Why give birth to new babies when you can not take care of your earlier child?

We are a middle-class family, and a service holder. So we had to decide how to spend our hard-earned money on a vehicle. So we studied the current vehicle scenario for complete 5 months. We had a big argument among ourselves whether to trust Triber with chronic issues. But I simply gambled for its modular design & price, because I believed Renault were not run by some lazy, arrogant bunch of incapable folks who can not fix an infamous issue for 4 years - especially when they dared to release a 'Limited Edition' of Triber!

Now me and my family is arguing whether I am the biggest fool on Earth, because Renault already proved they were smart by selling such a defective design.

Tomorrow will be the like the Judgement Day for us. Who knows what will come out. But our confidence is forever shaken. We will actually demand Renault to take back their defective car & issue a full refund.

Here's what BHPian AdityaDeane had to say on the matter:

Saddened by your experience of after sales and the car's fault and going into limp mode. Thankfully I have never experienced this in my 2.5 years of ownership till date, even though my car is from the initial batch of RXZ, but it came by default with the bigger 50Ah battery and wider tyres. I thank my stars that I didn't get a lemon, or else I would have been royally stuck, as my nearest Service Centre was 8 hours drive away in Solan or Chandigarh Tricity region back then in 2019. Thankfully during Covid Lockdown, a service centre opened up in Mandi, which is about 3 hours drive away, so that's a relief!

Really shocking to hear about the attitude of the Renault Service Centre guys in your region. Even I am no celebrity, and am never treated like that, but the Service Advisors in Dehradun are really prompt in receiving the phone calls and helping solve my problems, maybe because they know I drive 500Kms to visit them for any problems, and I can not waste my time in travelling and waiting and for any other petty things, unlike localites who get their cars serviced there.

I do pray and hope that this is some temporary issue, and you haven't been sold a lemon. Did you do the PDI properly? Do keep us updated on what was the cause and solution of the problem you faced. I am sure that once this problem is over, you and your family members will really enjoy the amazingly versatile vehicle that a Triber is, and their minds will change for good about your purchasing decision!

Here's what BHPian Leoshashi had to say on the matter:

So sorry to read this, can feel your pain. But if it's any consolation, this can happen to the best of brands. Only yesterday I was discussing about a 300km old Fortuner AT where gearbox actuator solenoid had failed. Won't elaborate on this incident as it may soon come on the forum if owner wishes. But what makes or breaks the brand is how they react to incidents like these. Hope Renault solves it to your satisfaction.

Coming back to your Triber, the CEL may happen due to something as minor as a loose connector. Request you to involve regional Renault representatives ASAP and be patient but firm with them. With Renault representatives involved, workshop guys will be as logical as they should be.

And in case there is something too negative and they don't listen to you, don't forget that you aren't alone. We are a family and we all have your back. Don't worry.

Hope this incident comes to an end soon.

Regards,

Shashi

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The Triber LE is based on the RXT variant and is available in both manual and AMT variants.

Renault has announced that the Triber has crossed the 1 lakh sales milestone in India. To celebrate the milestone, the company has launched a new limited edition (LE) of the Triber at a starting price of Rs. 7.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Triber LE is based on the RXT variant and is available in both manual and AMT variants.

The Triber LE is available in two dual-tone colour options - Moonlight Silver / Black roof and Cedar Brown / Black roof. The car rides on 14-inch wheels. On the inside, the car gets new Akaza fabric upholstery, black door handles, a dual-tone dashboard with piano black finish and a digital instrument cluster.

The Renault Triber was launched in August 2019. A year later, the carmaker introduced AMT variants of the vehicle. In 2021, Renault updated the car's colour palette with new dual-tone options.

The Triber is based on the CMF-A+ platform that is shared with the Kwid. The car is powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine that produces 71 BHP @ 6,250 rpm and 96 Nm @ 3,500 rpm. This engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT.

Think of the Triber as a very capable and spacious 5 seater with the ability to occupy 7 adults when needed.

Bhpian Venky03 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This post has been well overdue as my car completed its 1st year on 20th December, 2021.

Interiors

The plastics are still in a very decent condition, and no creaks/unwanted sounds yet. Have been dressing them every 4-5 months; mats are still the stock ones which were included in the basic package; they get the job done but as they're black they get dirty very easily.

Seats are very comfortable for long drives with decent thigh support, but one downside of having fabric seats is that they get stained very easily, have to keep the 3M foam interior cleaner spray handy. I've not noticed any back/neck pain during my 10-12hr non-stop trips.

The third row of Triber is fairly usable even for adults and cannot be dismissed as a kids only feature, only issue is the height limitation as the rear glass is too close to the headrest. Space and thigh support is more or less similar or even better than other 7/6 seaters available on the market.

As mine is the RXT (Mid variant) the charging port is missing on the third row, I would've really liked to add it on as an accessory, if it was present. Currently I'm using a 12v port splitter as I'm using multiple accessories.
All the power window buttons, fan knobs and other misc buttons(parking, lock/unlock) are holding up well. No signs of wear and tear or rattle.

The boot is pretty much non existent, so if you're planning to travel with full occupancy frequently, make sure to get a good roof rack.

AC cooling performance is excellent, just the noise from the blower used for 2nd and 3rd row is a bit high for my liking. When just the 3 of us are travelling it usually gets so cold that we have to turn off the compressor after some time.

The infotainment system is average in terms of responsiveness, they've preinstalled a matte screen guard. The audio quality surprised me, I wasn't really expecting much but after playing around with the equalizer realized that audio output is good enough and I don't feel the need to upgrade.

Attaching some pics :

Exteriors

The factory paint is a standard 2 coat affair and the clear coat is not too soft, perfectly suited for Indian conditions. All the trim surfaces are holding up good as well, cleaned and dressed every 6 months.

The paint was coated with Turtlewax SealNShine on day 2, reapplied every 6 months. I use the Jopasu duster to clean the loose dust and then clean it further with Proklear waterless wash if needed.

The car is mostly used only on weekends for long trips, so it spends most of the time parked and under a cover.

Doors and bonnet are fairly heavy and have that reassuring thud, but the tailgate is a different story altogether.

Engine, transmission and brakes

As mentioned previously, I'm a sedate driver and absolutely enjoy driving the car on highways. 0-80kmph (Even 100 if 5 onboard) is a breeze but after that you hit a plateau, the only time I drive at 80kmph+ speeds is on the Mumbai-Pune expressway and the car is perfectly stable and glued to the road at those speeds. Other than that, I don't think it is safe(or even permissible?) to drive at 100-120+kmph on state highways with Ertiga interceptors lurking everywhere.

I've gotten used to the automated manual transmission, leaving accelerator pedal while the shifts happen is instinctive now. Shifts are slow and sometimes the actuators are so aggressive that the reverse gear slotting in mildly jerks the entire vehicle. Other than that it is perfectly usable, the creep function is helpful in city traffic and kicks in 1-2 secs after you leave the brakes. One safety feature worth noting is that if your driver side door is not closed properly, the AMT won't initiate the gears and will rev in neutral. Another advantage of the AMT gearbox is that it likes to downshift if you brake beyond a certain threshold; effectively bringing in engine braking to the play.

Very satisfied with the braking performance; brake assist is readily available anytime you need it. So far never really got to test the abs.

Engine did feel a tad smoother after the first oil change and has been delivering an average of 20kmpl+ regularly for my highway runs now.

My most recent trip (5 on-board, both ac turned on throughout) :

Parts and service

I'm pleased with Renault's service experience and hope that they keep improving on the same, more on that here.

Apart from their service, the part sharing with Kwid and Kiger ensures that the prices are very affordable. Listing down OEM parts which will be required for regular servicing with their costs :

AC Filter : ₹173

Engine Air Filter : ₹199

Engine Oil Filter : ₹399

Oil Sump Washer : ₹79

Wiper Washer Fluid : ₹45

Apart from these, they used the Castrol PRO 15W40 A3/B3 oil (3 Litres).

Summing it up

I've missed a lot of opportunities to explore around due to COVID, hope to explore more places with my Triber this year. Personally very happy with every aspect of the car except the NVH levels, searching for good dampening options.

Are you looking to buy a Triber? If yes, consider the following points

I've missed a lot of opportunities to explore around due to COVID, hope to explore more places with my Triber this year. Personally very happy with every aspect of the car except the NVH levels, searching for good dampening options.

Are you looking to buy a Triber? If yes, consider the following points:

What you get:

• Spacious interiors
• As a 5 seater, segment leading boot
• Usable 3rd row
• Decent ground clearance
• Good fuel efficiency
• Excellent ride quality
• 4-Star GNCAP rating
• Low maintenance costs

What you don't get:

• Premium interiors
• No boot space in full occupancy
• Well refined 4-cylinder engine
• CVT/Torque Converter
• Quieter cabin

Yes, you'll have to rev the engine harder when 7 adults are sitting in the car and the roof rack is fully loaded up with luggage; but just pause for a while and think about how frequently this scenario is going to occur in a year?

Think of the Triber as a very capable and spacious 5 seater with the ability to occupy 7 adults when needed.

As always, Live To Drive.

Continue reading BHPian Venky03's review for more insights and information.