1995 Citroen Xantia LX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

God himself couldn't create a better car!

Faults:

Clutch replaced (for first time!) at 201,000 miles!

Suspension Sphere's renewed for the 2nd time in car history at 198,000 miles.

That is basically it, although the gearbox is on it's way out, I'll get one from the scrappy for £100!

General Comments:

This car has got to be one of the most comfortable cars I have ever owned - regardless of road surface the ride is like a magic carpet, the car seems to float along the road.

I do find the car a bit sluggish to pull away, but once moving, the acceleration is adequate.

The mileage on this car speaks for itself - the previous owner was a salesman and clocked up over 150,000 miles on the car. Once the gearbox is fixed, I expect the car to make another hundred thousand - the engine is still perfect even after 200k!

The equipment level is not great - there is no CD player or air conditioning, but it does have electric windows and a radio cassette which is adequte.

The fuel economy varies greatly - the most I got was 65mpg, the worst was 38mpg - average about 57/58mpg.

I can pretty much assure that my next car will be a Citroen Xantia - I enjoy driving it, and it is a very reliable car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th July, 2002

24th Nov 2003, 08:48

Your review echoes my sentiments exactly. I owned a 1993 1.9 TDi SX Xantia for a year and I have always, always regretted selling it.

30th Dec 2005, 14:58

Every time I open and close the drivers or front passenger door the headlights flash on and off for thirty seconds. So far I"ve had no luck in stopping this. Does anyone out there know what I should do. My car is a 1996 Xantia 1.9td estate.

13th Feb 2010, 10:29

To the chap with the flashing head lights; it's a fault with the alarm. When you get into the car, shut the door and turn the key to the 2nd position, but don't turn it over, then press and hold the button on the dash on the right of the dash directly behind the wiper stalk. Keep trying and you'll get it!!

In reply to 13th Feb 2010, 10:29

4th Nov 2023, 12:33

Hi, I have a Citroen Xantia 1.9 diesel automatic 1995 and have the same problem. Would this work for mine too, as I know a few specs are a little different thanks?

1995 Citroen Xantia SX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Bottomless money pit

Faults:

Where do I start?

Leaking windscreen, causing water damage to the wiring under passenger front carpet.

Faulty alarm, now immobilised. Over £300 to repair, not fixed, not worth the money.

Heater resister blown 3 times in 3 months.

Remote central locking stopped working. Still not functioning.

Suspension spheres re-gassed twice in 3 years.

Alternator replaced after 1st month of owning.

Timing belt replaced twice in 3 years, the second time because of a bolt shearing on the engine mounting bracket.

Boot solenoid erratic.

Rapid clicking coming from fuse box under steering wheel, since I first bought the car.

And finally, indicator arm stuck in right turn, happened tonight, (Good Friday!) looks like another expensive job, it won't click either up or down.

There have been other faults, but can't think of them right now.

General Comments:

My previous xantia, 1.9 TD SX, same age and same spec as this one, was an absolute dream, not a fault to be found. It was written off when I was hit in the offside rear (by a car doing 30 MPH!) causing the boot to fold into the fuel filler tube, split the fuel tank and rippling the roof.

And so I had no hesitation to buy another xantia, but I have had nothing but expensive problems since day one.

The average spend each visit to the mechanic is about £250, and its second hand value is about £2000, that's if I could get someone gullable enough to buy it, what with all the outstanding faults!!

This is a truly bad example of a car, but I will think twice before choosing Citroen again.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th March, 2002

11th Oct 2007, 06:01

'Rapid clicking coming from fuse box under steering wheel, since I first bought the car.'...'Heater resister blown 3 times in 3 months.' A link maybe?

'Suspension spheres re-gassed twice in 3 years.' Re-gassing is a cheap alternative to buying new spheres and so will need replacing/re-gassing sooner than if you had replaced the whole sphere.

'Timing belt replaced twice in 3 years, the second time because of a bolt shearing on the engine mounting bracket.' Was the mechanic who fitted the first timing belt too heavy handed? I assume it was a tensioner mounting bracket you were talking about.

'indicator arm stuck in right turn' Common fault that comes with age, or so I was told when it happened to mine. Easy to do DIY and wasn`t expensive.

'Remote central locking stopped working.' There is a fault with the older models where the wiring is to short, so the connector pulls out of the door lock. Check this first.

'Leaking windscreen, causing water damage to the wiring under passenger front carpet.' Caused my sunroof not to work, but there is a manual close system with key under a hatch in the roof buy the sunroof (Great idea), with which I was able to close the sunroof, before I got home and found out what the problem was. The leak is also a common problem, but can be sealed before it causes problems if you know about it, which now you do ;). And to those who say that the rising suspension is a gimmick, try driving round Eastern Europe, on farm tracks or through deep flooded roads without it. Also in the max height position you can get to park where others can`t, which can save a lot of driving round looking for a parking place.

11th Oct 2007, 06:07

PS Take the alarms fuse out and throw it away, unless you like being woken up in the middle of the night for no reason.