Renault Spider Recall R/1997/036: Possible Insecurity Of Certain Ball Joints, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 29 May 1997
- Launched
- 34
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1997/036
- DVSA reference
Renault recalled Spider vehicles built between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997. The ball joints on the steering track rods and on the suspension rear parallelism adjustment may not be fully secure. The recall notice describes the fix as: the affected vehicles are being recalled to have the original securing bolts for the components concerned replaced with new examples. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
The ball joints on the steering track rods and on the suspension rear parallelism adjustment may not be fully secure.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: POSSIBLE INSECURITY OF CERTAIN BALL JOINTS Defect: The ball joints on the steering track rods and on the suspension rear parallelism adjustment may not be fully secure. Remedy: The affected vehicles are being recalled to have the original securing bolts for the components concerned replaced with new examples.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: possible insecurity of certain ball joints.
The Fix
The recall notice describes the fix as: the affected vehicles are being recalled to have the original securing bolts for the components concerned replaced with new examples.
Are You Affected?
Spider built between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997 may be included. Renault estimates 34 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Renault, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Renault.
- Book with any franchised Renault dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1997/036. See how to get a Renault recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClioFront lower arm Bolts | Book soon | R/2026/096 | |
| Master IVSteering box and the steering column intermediate shaft | Urgent | R/2025/321 | |
| ArkanaOver heating of an internal component in the electric power steering | Urgent | R/2022/045 | |
| Clio V'power steering failure' message displayed on dashboard | Urgent | R/2020/023 | |
| Master IIIPossible insufficient clamping of the right rear | Book soon | R/2019/291 |
This is one of 196 Renault recalls in DVSA’s data. The Renault recall launched before it was R/1996/070 on 8 Aug 1996, for air bag warning light. The one launched after it was R/1997/010 on 13 Jun 1997, for possible loss of directional control. You can also see every Renault recall, all recalls launched in 1997 and steering recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1997/036, launched 29 May 1997. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.