Was your Renault Trafic E-Tech sold to you on a
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or
Hire Purchase (HP) agreement during the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024? If so, it’s possible that your finance deal may have been affected by mis-selling practices. The Renault Trafic E-Tech was commonly sold on PCP and HP agreements within this timeframe, which has come under scrutiny during the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) investigation into
discretionary commission arrangements.
How the Renault Trafic E-Tech Was Typically Financed
The Renault Trafic E-Tech, a popular electric van, was often financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP) agreements. Typical finance amounts ranged from £20,000 to £45,000, with terms spanning 36 to 60 months. Common lenders who provided financing for the Renault Trafic E-Tech during this period include
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
PCP agreements often included a balloon payment at the end of the term, which can be challenging if you decide not to buy or lease another vehicle. With HP agreements, the entire loan amount is paid off by the end of the agreement without any option for ownership transfer.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA’s investigation uncovered widespread mis-selling practices involving discretionary commission arrangements between lenders and car dealerships. This resulted in 12.1 million eligible agreements across various makes and models (FCA estimate), with a total mis-sold amount of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). The average claim per agreement was estimated at £829 (FCA estimate).
Discretionary commissions were often paid to dealerships based on the type of finance deal recommended, which could incentivise them to push customers towards more expensive financing options like PCP over cheaper alternatives such as HP. This practice led many consumers into deals that they did not fully understand or could afford.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for specific clauses mentioning “Discretionary Commission Arrangements” (DCA) or any indication that your dealer received additional payment based on the type of finance you chose.
If your agreement was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, it falls within the FCA’s investigation period. Key indicators to look for include:
- Unusual fees or charges not explained in clear terms.
- A discrepancy between what the dealer recommended and what would have been a fair deal based on your credit history and financial situation.
If you suspect that your Renault Trafic E-Tech finance agreement was mis-sold, the first step is to contact your lender directly. Common lenders associated with Renault include Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
When contacting your lender:
1.
Gather Documentation: Collect all relevant documents related to your finance agreement.
2.
Review Agreement Terms: Ensure you understand the terms of your agreement, focusing on any unusual fees or charges.
3.
Submit a Formal Complaint: Write a formal letter outlining why you believe your deal was mis-sold and request a full investigation.
You do not need a
claims management company to handle this process for you; many lenders will provide a free service to resolve complaints directly with their customer services team.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office of National Statistics Census, 2021
Based on 121,887 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Renault Trafic has a pass rate of 70.5%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Trafic has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Trafic pass rate is slightly below the overall Renault average of 74.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 116,981 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 70.5%
- MOT failure rate: 29.5%
- Tests analysed: 121,887 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 116,981 miles
- Renault average pass rate: 74.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.