1998 Peugeot 106 GTi 1.6 16v

Summary:

This little lion certainly roars!

Faults:

This is a very long list!

The head gasket had to be rerplaced at 40900 miles as well as having the head skimmed.

Cam belt has broken at 41000 miles.

Alternator belt broke at 40500 miles.

The chip had to be replaced at 39000 miles.

General Comments:

I love this little car, even though it has been the worst car in terms of reliability I have ever owned.

It goes very well, handles amazingly and is perhaps the best looking hot hatch on the road.

The leather interior is beautiful and the seats really hold you in well.

However, I sometimes wonder if it was really worth all the hassle with the things that have gone wrong with it.

I have owned it for three months and have had nothing but problems, I am so glad it is under warranty otherwise it would have cost me a fortune.

Perhaps the last of the true Peugeot GTI.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th January, 2003

1998 Peugeot 106 GTi 1.6i

Summary:

Untouchable performance for the money

Faults:

Firstly I had problems starting the car, I bought and fitted a new transponder aerial that fixed the problem.

Then my catalytic converter went after an MOT.

Finally my head gasket went.

I also had problems with a lot of rattling inside the car.

General Comments:

Great performance, fantastic in fact, nothing comes close for the price range.

In the dry she handles brilliantly, however in the wet it can be a problem and my relationship with the car ended recently when I lost the back end on black ice and wrote her off.

Great little car, shame the way things ended.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th December, 2002

1st Jan 2003, 16:45

I had the same problems in the wet. Changing to 16 inch wheels and quality tyres sorted the problem.

8th Jun 2003, 07:29

I used to have one of these before I wrote it off and it nearly killed me. They handle brilliantly though which is why the two months of ownership were great. As for the accident that wrote it off, wasn't anyones fault, just wet weather. Couldn't be helped. As for anyone who is considering buying one of these, I'd say go ahead. They're great for everything except protection on a crash. As for me, well I'd buy another if I could afford to, but at the moment I can't afford or insure one. Maybe next year. I'll say one thing for them. If that crash had killed me, then I'd have died a happy man.

15th Aug 2006, 07:43

"As for the accident that wrote it off, wasn't anyones fault, just wet weather. Couldn't be helped"

Hmmm sounds like it was driver error that caused the crash. Wet weather does not automatically mean unavoidable accidents. Advanced driving lessons may help here.

1998 Peugeot 106 GTi 1.6 16v

Summary:

A go kart with a killer engine

Faults:

The head gasket has blown three times.

The exhaust has been replaced.

The engine management system needed replacing when it was two months old.

The air bag warning light flashes constantly.

The alarm goes off for no apparent reason.

General Comments:

Despite these problems the car is an absolute joy to drive. Every journey is fantastic (unless you're going a long way down the motorway). The handling is superb. It is very difficult to drive this car slowly and it does make you drive like a bit of a hooligan!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th December, 2002

11th Dec 2002, 14:14

The airbag light is probably a broken wiring harness under the drivers seat. Your Pug dealer should be able to patch it up under warranty.

11th Dec 2002, 17:41

Hi - I wonder if 1998 was a bad year for 106 GTIs as mine has all of the problems you state and more besides. I'm onto my second head gasket: £680 worth of repairs (head skim, new radiator too) from a Pug dealer, thankfully under warranty. Not sure it's entirely fixed to be honest. Time will tell. However for some reason this is still the best car I've owned!

4th Jul 2003, 10:18

I think I have had the worst luck of all with my 1998 GTI. I bought the car from Peak Performance motors in Hounslow, London without a warranty... Silly me. Two days after I bought it the Head Gasket went, then the radiator... a nice hefty £650.00 bill for me. Since then the water pump has broken, its had 2 new tyres, 2 catalytic converters, the injectors have thought to have been faulty, and the oxygen sensor... It won't start properly, runs lumpy... its actually got a full service history and is up to date with all services. I want to sell the car, I have advertised it, but no luck! Can anyone at all help me, I don't know what else to do! Gemmaandgreg@ntlworld.com.

8th Mar 2006, 07:33

The R's and S reg GTi's suffer a lot from head gasket problems. Received an uprated metal gasket in newer models which helped a lot with the strength of the engine. My gasket had just gone (oil in water) I'm not a mechanic, but am patient and am confident I can repair this myself - save yourself a few bob. Make sire you buy the uprated gasket and it's made by peugeot or a reliable performance make.