A good investment
Cabin temp sensor faulty
Remote Central locking does not work
Alarm system does not work
Minor oil leak
Boot light works intermittently.
Excellent car; reliable and comfortable to drive. Faults are minor given age and mileage.
Achives around 40mpg on urban and motoray driving combined.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd May, 2003
A drivers dream let down if no service history
Strange one this, a cyclic problem of blown head gasket and heater matrix.
So far three gaskets and matrix's from 50k to 130k. Solved by French garage in the Pyrenees diagnosing it as a blocked radiator. Hate Rays to all so called "French car" experts in Sheffield. Why didn't you think or check? Cost over £1800 in total.
Otherwise regular warped front brake disc's only other main problem.
Amazing car apart from the hopeless servicing by useless UK main, franchise and back-street repair/servicing outlets. Bad show you lot.
Handling and ride 11 out of 10.
Engine economical, lazy, but unburstable, up to 75mpg during the fuel strike at 50 mph, usually 45-60mpg.
Heating/cooling system -1 out of 10.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th March, 2003
Economical and fun motoring
Wiring loom chafing behind front bumper, causing starter circuit problems.
This car was one of 2 identical cars we had at the time. This was the only problem with either in 5 years of motoring, and was caused purely because I did not get a recall notice for the problem. Fantastic little cars and very economical too.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd March, 2003
Good, but very problematic
Faulty rubber seals to passenger door - rain water leaks in. Main Peugeot dealer in Manchester claims this will cost £200 to correct - remove door panels, fit new seals etc.
Ignition coils replaced: £250.
Power steering fluid leaking from pump to rack.
Rust on roof adjacent to sunroof recess.
Fuel leaks.
Faulty Bitron unit - £85 replacement.
Lack of acceleration problem which led to the following saga at both a Peugeot main dealer and Peugeot specialist:
Oxygen sensor fault resulting in ECU re-programming - £65.
Oxygen sensor fault resulting in ECU re-programming (was fobbed off with this "solution" twice) - £25.
Oxygen sensor replacement - £90.
Cat disintegrating - shields rattle, casing corroded.
Exhaust replaced - £130.
Cat disintegrating - shields rattle. Was told that it was the exhaust which needed replacing not the catalyst.
Lack of acceleration problem still not solved.
Maintenance:
Cam belt replaced at 54k miles to be on the safe side - £110.
Tyre replacement - 2 No. Michelin Pilots £80 each.
Brake pads to front discs - £40 for the pair fitted them myself.
Servicing costs - about £100 per service so not too bad there.
I appreciate the fact that the car is 8 years old and that things will corrode/disintegrate and need replacing. But the dealers do not have a clue how to diagnose and cure any faults on this car. Apparently Peugeot had addressed the fault diagnosis problem on the later GTi-6 successor to the S16.
Gripes aside, when the car is running correctly it is an excellent drive.
Handling is amazing and has a race car like feel - roundabouts can be negotiated at 80mph without a squeal, conditions permitting of course.
Above 4000rpm the thing flies. Needs thrashing though to get the best out of it. However the S16 should still be faster for 160bhp in a small hatch.
Drive it normally and you'll get a reasonable 30-34mpg.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 1st December, 2002
A sporty looking three door diesel!
Thin key has a weak point which snapped easily in the drivers door lock which required replacing.
Rear Brakes failed from leaking wheel cylinders which leaked onto the brakes shoes.
Off-side Ball Joint failed M.O.T on excessive play.
Near-side Wishbone failed M.O.T on excessive play.
Stiff accelerator pedal (required new cable)
Exhaust Center Box and Down pipe rusted out and required replacing.
The Peugeot 306 looks fantastic from the outside and also looks incredibly sporty in the three door version. It's modern looks also make it age slowly and an early example looks much newer than it actually is.
The 306's handling is faultless on any bend.
The 1.9 diesel engine can be fairly sluggish on acceleration, but once it's up to speed copes very well particularly on motorways. A very torquey engine which requires less gear changes at low speeds than any previous petrol car I have owned.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th October, 2002
The most reliable car I have ever owned, my 306XND has now got 178K miles on the clock, was rarely serviced by previous owners and in the last two years has done around 15K miles by me and the engine is still running in perfect condition. Slow acceleration, however continues to accelerate at a steady rate all the way to a hundred mph due to high torque figures, be gentle on the clutch when setting off and changing gear as the torque of the engine may weaken the drive shafts, even in low revs. Comfortable to drive, the steering will build your muscles up mind...
Very good car, handles very well, can take a lot of abuse and still drive the same! Never let me down. But I do agree it is a slow car but is very economical! Definitely recommend.
20th Apr 2005, 04:15
I think that the Peugeot 306 XND is a good wee car, brilliant for pulling trailers and there is only one problem, streamy windows.