Faults:

This car was a one-owner and came with six faults, namely burned infrared remote key, broken recirculating air electric flap, broken right-hand, inner constant-velocity joint, an unidentified loose green wire near the top of the engine, leaking camshafts cover rubber seal, and broken rear curtain unrolling-up hooks, all included in the list below. All other defects appeared during the 56 000 km and nearly 7 years of present ownership. Just remember, this car is 23-years old now. So, from the front of the car to the back of the car:

Hydraulic steering solenoid valve leaking. Replaced.

Hydraulic steering solenoid valve leaking again.

Hydraulic steering old-about-to-crack rubber hoses.

Starter engine broke after driving through a flooded street.

New starter engine did not crank after a while due to bad wire contacts.

Steering pump replaced.

Rotten air-intake water trap air hose.

Cracked expansion tank leaking.

Dirty intake manifold.

Manifold air pressure sensor.

Thermostat failed.

Dirty fuel injectors.

Automatic transmission shifting rough from first to second, especially when cold.

Automatic transmission whining noise when cold.

Broken right-hand, inner constant-velocity joint. No noise, just a little vibration. Had to replace inner and outer joints, plus the half-shaft in between in one unit.

Right-hand, outer constant-velocity joint boot fastener got loosened and grease leaked out. Repaired just in time.

Cruise control cable disengaged.

Hood lifting oleo-pneumatic struts failed.

Camshafts cover rubber seal.

Unidentified loose green wire near the top of the engine. The mechanic plugged it somewhere.

Engine mounts more than once.

Drinking 0,5 liters of oil every 1000 km, the maximum allowed by the manufacturer, for a year.

Oil fouling spark plugs.

Fuel consumption went up by 25%.

Low compression in cylinder number 2.

Engine valves broke. The car was limping almost solely on cylinder number 4.

Entire engine overhauled at 151 000 km, though the pistons and cylinder bores were still within specifications.

Power steering metal tube under the engine cracked.

Shock absorbers all around.

Suspension bushes all around.

Repaired steering rack.

Oxygen sensor wiring. Then the oxygen sensor proper.

Bad exhaust system, noisy.

Front sunroof draining hoses blocked, dripping inside. Cleaned.

Front sunroof draining hoses blocked, dripping inside again after a couple of years. Cleaned again.

Failed recirculating air electric flap, replaced.

Interior fan failed.

Recirculating air electric flap failed again.

Air conditioner electric failure at the ignition key cylinder.

Instrument cluster failed except thermometer and odometer.

Multiple dashboard lights failed.

Dashboard rheostat dislodged.

Turn signals / road lamps / horn stalk broke.

Steering wheel is beginning to wear (parked in full sunlight, no garage).

Clock.

Radio numbers screen cracking / peeling off and difficult to read.

Driver’s power mirror failed. Replaced.

Front loudspeakers with bad sound.

Failed infrared door key.

Sunroof cover handle broke.

Sunroof servo motor broke.

Roof reclining antenna fixation base worn, so the low friction won’t secure the whip in position anymore. Replaced the fixation base.

Airbag computer failed.

Door sills rubber unfastening.

Over sensitive one-touch power window rolls up and then down.

Weak passenger power window.

Velour upholstery ripping at the seams.

Transmission shift knob cracked.

Handbrake lever broke, will not go all the way up.

Driver's side seatbelt buckle broke.

Rear loudspeaker cover broke.

Broken rear curtain unrolling-up hooks. Had to replace entire curtain.

Rear curtain unrolling-up pulling tongue broke loose. Fixed with glue. OK.

Rattling third brake light assembly, mounted inside.

Fuel pump replaced.

Tank is 70 liters, but pump will only suck 60 liters.

Fuel filler tube dislodged and gasoline poured under the car.

Rear window defroster relay-temporizer broke.

Band of roof painting over the rear window beginning to fade (parked in full sunlight, no garage).

Leaking water into the trunk, probably from the sunroof draining system, rusted the spare wheel well, it was not noticed in time due to cover rug.

Plus consumables such as Michelin tires, brake pads and front rotors, engine belts and tensioners, batteries, windshield wipers, oil and filters, and body work and painting after some accidents (while parking the right doors sill beam was damaged; after it was damaged a second time the entire right doors sill beam was changed, a major work; another crash had mechanical consequences, breaking the two radiator fans. Some other little bumps and scratches. These repairs came OK).

General Comments:

What can I say? Every manufacturer has its own philosophy about what a car should be. Peugeot's priority is not reliability. I come from a family of Peugeot fans so I knew what I was entering into. The car is the Missus'. Before buying it I estimated that the maintenance would cost about the same as the fuel expenses. The fuel consumption (98 octanes recommended) is disappointing, about 20 L / 100 km (5 km / L; 12 MPG) in dense city traffic, with air conditioning running. On highways the car consumes half of it, at an average speed of 100 km/h. So the running cost is high. And you can easily expect the car to be a total of well over one month per year at the dealer's garage, so availability is a minus. Insurance and taxes are low, though, due to age.

The 406 came in three trim levels, SL, ST, and SV. This unit is a ST version, with a Rouge Lucifer exterior and a Dune velour interior, very nice combination. The ST for Paraguay (horrible pavements, hot humid climate, dusty air, questionable fuel quality) is not well equipped with options, for example the driver seat lacks an adjustable lumbar support, the air conditioning is a manual, non-automatic climate control, and there is no CD player. The SV was imported after the restyling. But you must understand this car through its engineering. The seats are ample and very comfortable, with much more support than imagined if looking from the outside. The rear suspension is superb, the car is totally neutral in corners, very reassuring, very little leaning, the braking is amazing, the power-modulated steering is a little heavy in parking maneuvers, but it is very well tuned and absolutely progressive; it is very precise. It behaves like a car smaller than it really is, you can toss it around corners as if it is not as long and wide. The wheels positioned at the very extremes of the car certainly do the job. The engine has a very flat torque curve, and the transmission is very well matched to it. It is always in the correct gear, so it is only a matter of opening the gas and there you go. Those 135 CV are not enough for the weight of the car, though, so it is slow to accelerate for merging into fast traffic and you must be extra careful in highways overtakes. The engine bay is long and there is plenty of space between the engine and the radiator, so you can see that it was designed with a bigger engine in mind, viz. the 3.0 V6.

This car is not the successor to the 405. My father owned one, so I can tell the difference. From start, it is much bigger, both inside and outside. The car is wider inside, the rear doors are larger, the trunk is big, though the space is distributed upwards and not lengthwise, so it is a little less useful compared to my old Honda Accord's, but with the rear seats folded down it is very big. The small anchor rings are handy to tie down the cargo. I don't know how they do it, but Peugeots always have very good ground clearance, but it is not taller overall and inside there is not the sensation of being seated on the floor, as in the Honda. The driving position is excellent, on a par with the 405, but there is more legroom, especially for the knees, and with the wider seats and more vertical window panes has more shoulder room. It weighs 30% more than the 405, that is why the de-tuned Mi16's engine must work hard to move it fast. The handling is much better than that of a 405 ST (the latter with optional thicker front anti-roll bar); the 405 always reminds you that it is a front-wheel drive car. The 406 does not do that. It is neutral, like a rear-wheel drive car.

I think that this car should have been named 506, but at some point Peugeot's marketing people decided to baptized it as the follow-on of the hugely-best-selling 405. The more I drive the car, the more it reminds me of the 505, which my mother owned back in their days and I drove it a lot.

Spare parts are becoming scarce, a minus.

A note about the looks: with its low hood and small grille (especially before the restyling) the Peugeot 406 is one of the last cars designed to give an impression of being built to penetrate through the air. Just take a look at its Ferrariesque coupé. Late model cars of all makes, with their high hood and large grilles, give the impression of being built to penetrate through crowds of people. They take the Dodge Ram as their inspiration. Anyway, keep it clean and wax-polished and you will find that the Peugeot 406 aged well.

If you already own a second car and a healthy wallet, I recommend this car. You will enjoy it.

Faults:

Cd multichanger failed, replaced unit with aftermarket system.

Air bag light flashing.

Replaced water pump and cambelt at 150000 miles.

General Comments:

Excellent car! Bought for commuting for 450 pounds with 12 months MOT and tax, it has been fantastic.

I have experienced fewer faults with this than my Citroen Xantia I owned previously.

These cars are a fantastic drive, having a smooth, compliant ride and sharp turn in; Although the steering feels very over-assisted, you can feel the amount of grip left through the wheel.

The 2.0 16v engine in my car provides excellent performance and flexibility, over an indicated 130 mph is easily attainable and it will cruise day at 100 mph, first gear is a little short, but the rest are great.

I get around 35 mpg in mixed use, and over 40 at a motorway cruise.

I would highly recommend these cars!