6th Dec 2010, 09:17

I own my Dad's C5 HPi exclusive that has been meticulously looked after with only 35k on the clock.

In August of this year I was returning home with the kids in the back and the car shut down with no power steering - I had to veer in to the kerb. The display showed 'Anti Pollution Warning'.

The car has now been in and out of 2 garages (1 of them Citroen) costing me £400 and the problem hasn't been fixed.

What do I do now? I am no expert with cars although not afraid to try fixing things myself - however these Citroens seem to be impossible to diagnose a fault and I can't spend any more money with no end in sight.

11th Dec 2010, 06:12

I have a 2006 C5 2.0 ltr HDI, which is a nightmare. It has developed an intermittent misfire, which it has now had for some 18 months. Nothing shows on the computer. The car has been in and out of Citroen main dealers to no effect, except to damage my bank account. The last visit to fit a new EGR valve was expensive and a waste of time. It has cured nothing. I have written to Citroen main office in UK, who passed it to FRANCE, and they in turn passed it to Madrid, as it's a Spanish registered car. What a futile exercise that has been!

Back to the garage on MONDAY - Wonder what they'll come up with this time.

Reading your letters, I despair. I suppose the real solution is to get shot of it soonest!!!

DS

Spain.

21st Dec 2010, 07:24

I have a 2009 C5 2.0 litre HDI, I have recently had the 'Depolution System Failure' show on the screen at startup and the engine warning lamp constant in orange.

Having spoken with my Citroen dealer in Reading they say it is nothing to worry about and they will have a look after Christmas.

After reading all of the horror stories on this forum (and others) should I be concerned? I will try the battery disconnection this evening and check oil levels etc.

Regards, Pete.

28th Jan 2011, 08:56

This site is a whole new repository of information, which just confirms for me after two years of Citroen C5 ownership, 5 diesel XMs before this, that Citroen need taking to court.

This is one of the worst, unreliable, dangerous cars ever built. It has an inbuilt electronic fault in the BSI computer system, which gives it electronic Alzheimer's disease, which is incurable, because it is a built in irreversible condition that can't be cured even by main dealers, who will admit it if you talk to their engineers, and catch them at unguarded moments when they are talking to you as a fellow engineer.

When I read of ordinary people driven to distraction and enormous expense, only to end up back where they started, it makes me really angry. You wouldn't mind paying so much (even though I really hate main dealerships, and consider them a real rip off) if they could fix them, but they can't. They change the high pressure fuel pumps, 600 pounds, cures 4 short time, anti pollution comes back.

They change all manner of components, hoping to hit the right one. I would be very interested in taking this up legally. If anyone is interested, contact me, that's not counting all the other myriad faults these cars possess (wheel balancing etc etc).

The other protest you can make is not to buy french. The motor trade hate them, you can't get a decent resale price for them, and even when you know what you are doing and can do all your own repairs, they are still an electrical expensive nightmare.

Toyota produce great cars, but even they produce cars with faults, but different from Citroen, they admit it, rectify it, that's why they will still sell cars in volume. Any chance you will follow their example Mr Citroen? No, after writing to you explain all about your rubbish car, the response is take it to the main dealer.

There is one response people can do, and that is leave french cars alone till they get it right and resolve these issues.

Also, if you didn't try to be so clever, ie too technical, so you try and force people to use main dealerships, test your cars before you release them, otherwise go back to producing something within your engineering capabilities.

Angry, yes I b... am, over and out.

p.s. I have had all of the mentioned faults occur at one time or another. The latest is a non start condition, couldn't get it going towed to Citroen. Main dealer diagnosed BSI failure, diagnosis cost 42 pounds. Towed it out. Removed BSI unit, sent to reman electronics experts in electronics, sent it back, unit perfect, no faults, so where to from here? Citroen want 600 plus to do something, what a rip off that is.

Once this is sorted, I will never touch another french car..

8th Feb 2011, 15:26

Well chaps. I have had 2 Xantia's and a 01-C5, and all of them have been perfect cars. I am now about to buy another C5 Exclusive 55 plate estate, and hope that I am as lucky with this one as the last. My mechanic mate will not touch them.

3rd Mar 2011, 14:37

Well I so wish I had of checked this site before buying my C5 HPi 2.0 2002. My car is currently in limp mode due to the anti-pollution fault, can't get over 2000 revs in it now.

Also engine sounds more like a diesel than a petrol. Had a friend run a diagnostic check and code was P1113. Which I was told was the lambda sensor. Had some welding done to the exhaust, because there were a few holes close to the cat, thought this may have quieted the engine, but hasn't. Been told by garage that it's to do with the high pressure pump. But would this make the engine sound like a diesel van?

I bought this car from an auction a week ago, thinking I had got a bargain. But after reading all these comments, have I just wasted £600?