Faults:
4 weeks after I got the car, I was issued with a recall notice to have the voltage regulator replaced and the engine management chip updated as a small number had caused small electrical fires. The dealers did that while I waited, very efficient service.
After 19,000 miles the fly wheel went on my way back home from work. There was a vibration coming through the clutch pedal then a short time after, when changing gear, a bang and some grinding under the bonnet and no way of selecting a gear. Again, the dealer sorted the problem very efficiently and I had it back in under 24 hours.
The auto headlights and window wipers are great, but not perfect. They've activated as they should, but on 3 or 4 occasions, they wouldn't turn off. Only way I could stop them was to stop the car and remove the key.
Not a fault as such, but the retracting door mirrors sometimes stick part open, particularly the drivers side. Not sure why, one day its fine, the next it isn't.
General Comments:
Performance from the 110Bhp engine isn't bad considering the 307 is a heavy car. Fuel consumption is good with an average of around 48 MPG, up to 63 MPG on long motorway journeys.
Equipment levels are good, cruise control is excellent as is the climate control.
Leather upgrade should include heated seats - they are very cold in winter!
Build quality isn't of the highest standard. Some rattles are beginning to devlop and some trim is easily knocked from its mountings. I'm forever pushing the plastic tray under the hand-brake back in to position for example.
Great brakes! Handling is OK, but there is quite a bit of body roll compared to other cars in this class with average tyre wear (about 14,000 on the front, 20,000 on the rear).
Tiny glove box because of the fuse box location. Trays under the seats can be a bit stiff and because of the gap between the top of the tray and seat, thin items such as maps sometimes come out under heavy-ish braking.
Overall, the 307 is OK, but the build quality needs to be improved for the money.
16th May 2006, 14:48
Coda (by original author) :
Finally traded the car in after problems with door mirrors (were replaced) and power steering. Peugeot's general attitude was one of "so what, we fixed all that went wrong". Personally I incurred around 25 visits to the dealer, 60 hours of lost time, and around £120 worth of fuel.
I will NEVER, EVER, EVER, buy another Peugeot. They are JUNK.