2000 Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0 16v petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
The worst built and most unreliable car I've ever owned
Faults:
Exhaust (original) knocks when cold.
Intermittent engine racing when idle.
ECU warning light comes on every so often
Carpet detached from passenger footwell.
Rattles from centre console, parcel shelf and glove compartment.
Radio display packed up and radio remote stalk works when it feels like it.
Intermittently refuses to start when cold.
Plipper receiver broke.
Clutch judders
Rear quarterlight leaks in heavy rain.
Puddles of oil under the car from a leak that has allegedly been fixed twice.
General Comments:
This would be a corking little car but for the build quality, reliability and dealer service which belong firmly in the dark ages.
Instead of having enjoyed its considerable handling and performance talent, I have endured a barrage of continual and repetitive faults which haven't let up since the second week of ownership. If this wasn't bad enough, the dealer network's attitude and aptitude are both highly questionable. Peugeot UK aren't much better. They never return calls, and the people who answer the phone are completely disinterested.
On the plus side, it's a fast little car with one of the best front drive chassis' around. In terms of what it does I have no complaints at all. Unfortunately none of this matters at all when it can barely string two journeys together without something going wrong or falling off. This is inexcusable on a 21st century product.
I understand the odd rogue car slips through the net, but the lack of support and backup from Peugeot UK and its dealer network is inexcusable. My old 306 was really reliable, as is my wife's 106, so I never got to see this unpleasant side of Peugeot. I am counting the days until my Lupo GTI turns up next week, and the VW dealer takes this liability of a car off my hands (for half of what I paid for it!)
I will never buy or recommend another Peugeot.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 28th April, 2002
7th Sep 2008, 19:13
The ride of your life, so the advertisements say.
A nice wee car to drive, and the road handling is really good; even in the wet I have never been able to make it slide.
Right, that's all the good, now for the bad.
It has cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road. At 100000kms the front suspension was almost totally replaced, along with brakes.
It had a constant miss at idle when first started hot or cold, didn't know why at the time, but this was just the beginning of a disaster to follow.
When started up one afternoon, it idled at 4000 rpm. The agents then proceeded to rectify the problem, and after 2 weeks of getting nowhere I took the car off them. Simply they had no idea what they were doing.
The ECU unit was the fault and I was told it was unrepairable. A new one was $4000.00 dollars. With some hunting I managed to find a place that would repair and give a guarantee (luckily). It has been with these people for 2 months off and on. When they say it's fixed and we take it away, it has never managed to get home without breaking down.
I feel I just want to get shot of it somehow. I don't want to sell it and have the person coming back and demanding their money back. I have even asked Peugeot to buy it back off me. Simple answer is Don't BUY A PEUGEOT FULL STOP!!!
18th Mar 2005, 07:03
I completely agree. The staff both at the Peugeot garage and on the phone simply don't care! I am a student and had a bill of £400 for a new built-in systems interface and when I went to collect my car I was told that it also needed a new electronic control unit which would double my bill to £800. I would never recommend anyone to get a Peugeot 206 as the number of people who have had problems is unbelievable!