2012 Peugeot 308 SW 1.6 turbo diesel from Croatia
Summary:
All in all, I cannot really recommend this car for everyone
Faults:
When I first got it everything was working fine. I was happy with everything on my 5 year old Peugeot.
After a few months the alternator died, huge cost at that time, 1500eu for the part and the mechanic. That was weird as it had only 170000km at that time.
I had my friend repair the original after a few months so now I still have it just in case.
Then I had some rodents, probably squirrels hide some nuts in the center of the engine, I can't remember the details anymore but while I was on a highway those pieces flew into the valves. You can imagine the rest. The damage was 2500eu.
This was not the fault of the car, of course, but my pocket didn't care.
After that the start/stop contraption finally stopped the infernal start/stopping nonsense, but it also produced a fault code.
Fine, let it warn me...
Then another code which was weird, it put me in a safety mode, turns off my anti-skid sensor and cruise control, but the car runs generally fine. When I shut it off and start the car again, the code clears. My mechanic tried replacing one sensor that the code indicated but that didn't fix it. This safe mode thing happens rarely and I am prepared to tolerate it.
Then at around 220000 the engine block cracked out of nowhere and I had to replace the whole engine. Now I have a 2016 engine.
Overall it had lots issues that I had to deal with and it became an expensive car to maintain.
But it is very comfortable on long drives which I do a lot, so it makes sense to me to keep fixing it.
Buying a new car makes no sense to me. Too much money and still you can crash it in a second.
It this way, if I don't have the money, I don't fix it, I don't drive it.
All in all, I cannot really recommend this car for everyone, but for me it works because it is comfortable and has lots of space in the boot.
I like to keep it in an almost new condition so I will be putting more money into it. Besides, when I bought it it was already out of warranty so it is natural that I pay for further maintenance.
Without those freak expenses like the alternator and the squirrels, I would be very happy with my purchase.
General Comments:
Peugeot is comfortable but complicated electronics. This will cost you over time. But it is very economical with fuel. I can get 4.5 liters per 100km if I'm alone in the car and I drive 105km/h. That and the comfort makes up for expensive maintenance.
Thank you!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 9th May, 2024
17th Jan 2024, 07:15
Sorry I had a typo on my own review of the Peugeot 308. I meant that the car broke down 4 months after I bought it on an occasion when I filled it with fuel. After filling it I drove about 10 feet when it stalled and couldn't be started. It's a shame as the car has the potential to be really good. My advice is to steer clear and get either a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla in this class. Don't get a turbo and don't get a 3 cylinder!!!