2001 Peugeot 306 hdi meridian 2.0 turbo diesel

Faults:

Rear suspension bushes replaced.

Stitching on the drivers seat failing.

A/C failed.

Occasional fault with auto wipers.

Blows the near-side headlight bulb about every two months.

General Comments:

Perfomance is OK as long as you are not caught off turbo boost, but good torque in 4th and 5th gears. The fuel consumption is excellent, 55-60mpg on a run.

The handling is very good and road-holding is far better than my old V-6 Mondeo though this may have something to do with putting Goodyear Eagle NCT 5s on all four corners.

Brakes are a bit over servoed which makes smooth applications more of a chore than it should be and the clutch can be a bit stiff.

At first glance the interior looks a very pleasant place to be, but in time you tend to notice Peugeots penny pinching. The build quality is not very good with various rattles over rough surfaces and some of the trim, ie the metal effect centre console, is very cheap and tacky. In fairness being a 2001 model the car is an already old design.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th April, 2006

2001 Peugeot 306 meridian 1.8

Summary:

Was a good car now becoming a problem

Faults:

Indicator switch makes relay chatter.

Still got this problem.

Slow running cooling fan comes on intermitant sometimes in the middle of the night and flattens battery.

Still got this problem.

Wouldn't idle, cured that problem with injection cleaner.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th January, 2006

2001 Peugeot 306 Meridian 1.8i 16v

Summary:

Great performance and handling, but niggling faults and poor dealer service

Faults:

Wipers failed to operate correctly - replaced motor under warranty.

Poor radio reception.

Steering column remote for stereo stopped working - replaced under warranty.

Engine idles erratically - this has been "fixed" twice by the dealer, but the problem persists.

Engine started cutting out when stopping or changing gear (at about 43,000 miles) - incorrectly diagnosed by the dealer at first, but subsequently fixed under warranty.

Intermittent dashboard fault where all dials freeze or drop to zero - this has been "fixed" 4 times by different dealers and still persists.

General Comments:

I bought this car "nearly new" from the dealer when it was 6 months old and had only been used for test drives. At first I loved it, great performance, a pleasure to drive. However over the last two years or so, it has been plagued with minor faults. The most annoying is the dashboard fault listed above. I've tried different dealers, but none can find anything wrong so they just clean the connections and tell me it's working.

More recently, the engine started cutting out when driving in stop-start traffic or when stopping at junctions or when changing gear. I took it to my local dealer who charged me nearly £70 to adjust the throttle cable (without asking me if I actually wanted this done). A couple of days later the problem was back, so I took the car back to them and complained. This time they kept it for three days, replaced the alternator and stepper motor under warranty, and at my request refunded the £70 charge from the previous "fix".

Faults aside, this is a fantastic car to drive. The engine is very quick and responsive in all gears. The ride and handling are outstanding. I've thrown it into many a corner and have never struggled for grip. There's also very little body roll and the brakes are fantastic too. Steering is positive and accurate with plenty of feel and feedback.

Most of the problems I've experienced haven't been too serious and have been fixed. However I've often felt I have been over-charged by the dealers.

I do intend to keep the car, and after reading some of the other reviews I will be changing the oil more frequently than the 20,000 mile service interval. I just hope nothing more serious goes wrong than has already happened.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th May, 2003

3rd Mar 2004, 08:44

Hi, I re-read your review recently and noticed you said about the engine idles erratically.?!

Mine has started doing the same, for about 3 months now if I have run it from cold-STOP- then go again about ten minutes later it chugs and looses power, revs up on it's own and there's nothing I can do to stop it. if I turn the ignition off then it dies completely and won't start again. Did any of this happen with you?! I am having mine looked at next week by my mechanic, if he can't find the problem using his laptop then it will have to go to Peugeot : (which will be an expensive day I think!!

Regards

Daniel.

2001 Peugeot 306 merdian 1.8i 16v

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

The car is great to drive, it is the best car I have ever driven.

The seats are really comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th March, 2003

2001 Peugeot 306 LX 2.0 HDI

Faults:

Water has been leaking into passenger footwell after getting a car wash. This only shows after the car has been driven for some distance. Cannot trace the problem, help would be much appreciated.

General Comments:

Great cars, but for few niggling problems.

Fun to drive and very economical.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd August, 2001

7th Mar 2004, 05:08

I had the same problem with my 306 about 4 years ago - took it to 2 different garages and they couldn't find anything wrong with it - they said I probably just left the window open while it rained - but the seat wasn't wet! Go figure..

11th Oct 2004, 07:55

Hi.

I currently own a 306 XLDT and have experienced the same problem. The cause is down to the poor build quality of the Peugeot. As the car ages the rubber seal on the bottom edge of the door window loses its elasticity and leaves a small gap between the rubber and the glass. This results in the water flowing down the glass, through the door panel. It then seeps through the bottom of the door into the foot-well!!