2003 Peugeot 307 SW 90 HDI

Summary:

A shed with a nice glass roof and a comfortable seat

Faults:

CD changer jammed.

Sat nav stopped working.

Entire under tray fell off on motorway.

Battery and starter motor failed in under 2000 miles.

Wiper motor failed and took the entire wiring loom with it.

General Comments:

The 307SW has a really nice sun roof, this is good as you can watch the clouds as you wait for the rescue service to come and collect you from yet anther breakdown.

Its seats are comfy and the trim is of a high quality, its really a very expensive conservatory, and is not at all reliable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th March, 2004

31st Mar 2004, 12:41

This review made me chuckle after a long day at work. Well written, funny yet informative.

23rd Jul 2004, 12:43

The description of the car could be seen as libelous if it was not true.

My 307 SW has been the worst car I have ever had for reliability. Neither Peugeot nor my dealer seem to care. I am currently taking the dealer to court, and will try for a refund.

25th Nov 2004, 07:34

I had initially considered myself the proud owner of a new 307 S (formerly the Rapier). I have owned it for 4 months and feel completely robbed! It has been in the garage a spectacular 9 times and it has now been in the garage for 2 weeks. I was able to get a courtesy car for the two weeks by contacting the head office in Coventry directly.

I would certainly recommend that all problems be reported to the customer care department. I have had a lot of communication with Peugeot and have demanded a replacement car or a refund.

So far, I have had a new gearbox and it is currently in the garage to have a good portion of the engine replaced. Have had various other faults which have affected performance.

I wish I still had my Fiat Punto! I was once told that Peugeot is a better built car than Fiat. Dream on! That Punto was great and never gave me a single bit of trouble for the four years I owned it.

27th Dec 2009, 07:08

307SW 2003 90bhp 2Lt. Yes worst car ever... I only had it 6 weeks... ABS light come on... door mirror opens out when it feels like... indicator has a mind of its own.. hard to start up in morning.. fine rest of day. Low MPG.. Got it cause it looks the part... should have kept the money and got a dinky toy.. at least the kids would have had more fun with that...

2003 Peugeot 307 XSi 2.0 16v petrol

Summary:

A poor product from a manufacturer that's lost its way

Faults:

Airbag warning light blinking (wiring fault)

Multiplex wiring loom on column stalks has caused endless trouble. Headlights sometimes won't turn on, wipers misbehave and indicator malfunction has to be seen to be believed. Horn sometimes goes off by itself. Technology for technology's sake - except it doesn't work properly.

Wiper mechanism groaned and then broke up. Replaced under warranty.

Idle speed erratic - sometimes idles at 2,000 RPM and other times stalls. Sometimes one followed by the other within a few seconds.

Engine pinks in hot weather. Dealer has tried three times (and failed three times) to fix.

Squeaks from footwell trim and tailgate.

Terrible radio reception.

General Comments:

I knew within a mile on the test drive that this car was a big backward step dynamically from the 306, but with a growing family, its extra space and practicality were a bonus. I was also reassured by the apparent improvement in quality over the 306, a car which always looked a bit cheap and cheerful inside.

Sadly after 30,000 miles, it's apparent that not only does the 307 suffer from a lot of the same faults as the 306 did, it has some new ones as well. Chief culprit is the stupid multiplex wiring system which, if I understand it correctly, runs the entire steering column controls through just a couple of wires, and uses an ECU to "sort" the signals. It doesn't work, and it's not just on the 307 either. A friend has a 406 which has been in four times for similar problems.

My 306 was by no means perfect, but at least it had the dynamic excellence, a Peugeot trademark, to help you forgive its problems. Peugeot have sacrificed this totally for sheer size, a nicely trimmed interior and an air of quality which unfortunately is only skin deep. Instead of sticking to what they were good at, they've killed their star quality and not adequately replaced it.

As soon as the finance hits half term it will be returned to the finance company. I can't live with this for three years.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th March, 2004