2003 Peugeot 307 XSi review from UK and Ireland

Airbag warning light blinking (wiring fault)

Multiplex wiring loom on column stalks has caused endless trouble. Headlights sometimes won't turn on, wipers misbehave and indicator malfunction has to be seen to be believed. Horn sometimes goes off by itself. Technology for technology's sake - except it doesn't work properly.

Wiper mechanism groaned and then broke up. Replaced under warranty.

Idle speed erratic - sometimes idles at 2,000 RPM and other times stalls. Sometimes one followed by the other within a few seconds.

Engine pinks in hot weather. Dealer has tried three times (and failed three times) to fix.

Squeaks from footwell trim and tailgate.

Terrible radio reception.

I knew within a mile on the test drive that this car was a big backward step dynamically from the 306, but with a growing family, its extra space and practicality were a bonus. I was also reassured by the apparent improvement in quality over the 306, a car which always looked a bit cheap and cheerful inside.

Sadly after 30,000 miles, it's apparent that not only does the 307 suffer from a lot of the same faults as the 306 did, it has some new ones as well. Chief culprit is the stupid multiplex wiring system which, if I understand it correctly, runs the entire steering column controls through just a couple of wires, and uses an ECU to "sort" the signals. It doesn't work, and it's not just on the 307 either. A friend has a 406 which has been in four times for similar problems.

My 306 was by no means perfect, but at least it had the dynamic excellence, a Peugeot trademark, to help you forgive its problems. Peugeot have sacrificed this totally for sheer size, a nicely trimmed interior and an air of quality which unfortunately is only skin deep. Instead of sticking to what they were good at, they've killed their star quality and not adequately replaced it.

As soon as the finance hits half term it will be returned to the finance company. I can't live with this for three years.