Very comfortable and reliable car
Had to change the speedometer stepper motor. Cheap, little item; fixed it myself in five minutes.
Apart from that, nothing has gone wrong; just done the regular maintenance and fixed things that will be needed on every car, such as brake pads.
Roomy and very comfortable car with a huge boot.
Very reliable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2013
I have had many problems with my C5, too many to mention.
Many the same as other people; won't start, anti-pollution faults, which I still have after spending loads on getting the fluid topped up, and twice in two weeks it has packed up while driving, a bit scary to say the least.
It has failed to start on average every week, whether starting it from cold, or like sunday while at the skip, when the engine was only off for a few minutes, couldn't find enough people to push it directly into the skip.
One RAC guy said it's the fuses, and the last one has said it could be a wiring fault or the fuel pump relay, but I can't find the fuel pump relay anywhere in the engine. Does anyone now where I can find it please?
Have put up with this car for a year now, but it is so unreliable, and only works when it wants to. Any information would be gratefully appreciated.
Christine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 16th July, 2008
Good value for money, but lots of niggles
Crankshaft pulley started going - but all HDi's get this problem around 100K.
Warped brake discs - but thats down to the previous owner.
I've found my C5 to be great for motorway cruising, which is all I do in it - it is comfortable & refined.
Performance is OK & fuel economy is great - though it does fall off quickly if you get much above 70. I can average 55 mpg if I keep a bit under 70mph.
Good points:
- Dirt cheap to buy for a modern diesel.
- Reliable - never broken down during 40K miles & car was 5 years old when I got it.
- Huge load lugger.
- Automatic lights.
- Automatic wipers.
- Comfortable seats, like the armrest!
Bad Points:
Cup holders are rubbish.
Climate control is a total waste of time - you always have to adjust the temperature, which kinda defeats the object. Dual zones is nice though, & works well.
Seat belts soon give up, & don't wind in again.
No rear wiper??!
Light bulbs are a nightmare to change, & blow more often, cos auto lights are always turning on & off.
Stereo is decidedly average.
It is big & unwieldy around town - diesel engine is a bit 'all or nothing' in low gears.
Electronics are an annoyance - it's always flashing up warnings for things which are just fine, including oil level, airbag, washers etc... you just learn to ignore the stupid thing, & it shuts up eventually.
The interior trim is rubbish - but you can replace worn trim cheaply enough from Citroen. I've replaced the gear stick & 2 internal door handles, which were peeling rubber off (nasty).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st April, 2008
Great car, underated and ignored by the ignorant
Rear brake bolts corroded. This cost £200 with new bolts, new discs and new pads, all service items and required anyway. The locking wheel nut adapter failed, slung the locking wheel nuts, no problem!
Nothing else has required attention outside nprmal service items.
After ten years of Xantia's I was nervous about the replacement. No problem. This car is the best car I have owned in 25 years of driving and 50 vehicles owned. The car cost me £3200 on Ebay and at the time these were £7000 on the forecourts.
It made my XJ6 look and feel like an old boot - so I flogged it!
Ride is excellent and handling is also good provided you understand that body roll is not always a bad thing.
The 2.0 HDi does not pull away as briskly as it does in the Xantia HDi (my rubbish tip run car now) but in gear acceleration is fine - 60mpg is finer still.
We have done some monster drives in this car including 600 mile round trips, and we always arrive feeling fine. This car is comfy.
We have the optional sunroof as well as air con and it is a great piece of kit to have.
Space is excellent and we carried full camping kit (BIG tent) and two kids with stuff for a week including toys to Cornwall from Manchester last year.
My next purchase will be a C5 Estate and I'm after leather and a sunroof. I have read all the horror stories, but there are a few things to be understood about Citroens:
1. You MUST get the diesel.
2. You need to learn about your car so you can identify and diagnose problems before they get out of hand.
3. Always use an independent specialist for service and repair (DIY for filters and fluids of course is easy).
4. Never buy a new one!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th December, 2006
An update - now eight years into my ownership and the car has just done 200,000 miles. It has had a second cam belt service as per the schedule, a new cat and exhaust and a Comms 2000 unit (the copper contacts wear out on these after 180k miles!).
It developed an annoying fault - a misfire with the car occasionally hesitating under load. I changed the fuel filter and housing, and checked for air leaks but found none and didn't cure it. I then disconnected and cleaned every single engine bay electrical connection to all of the various sensors, and sprayed them with contact cleaner before refitting tightly.
200 miles on and no more stuttering - she lives! In my case the C5 has been almost boringly reliable, but I appreciate others have suffered. I've owned loads (20 odd) of Citroens and never had a lemon yet.
I stand by two things - learn to service it and fix it yourself, and go for a diesel. Change the oil twice a year, and the car can reward you.
This one cost me £3200 8 years ago, so even if it is worth nothing, it owes me not one penny.
Another update. Now hit 250k miles and I had a couple of problems in the last 50k miles. Another wire cracked, this time the fuel pressure regulator cables, again causing rough running.
I also had a pin arcing in the under bonnet fuse box, causing the lift pump to be immobilised. It's the central of the three 16 pin connectors and pin number 11 if anyone has the same problem (no whir from the lift pump and the car turns over but refuses to fire).
Whilst fixing these, I spotted a small fuel leak from the fuel pressure regulator body, and when I pulled the unit to replace the gasket, I found corrosion on the mating surfaces and a missing O ring. After soaking the unit in thinners and replacing all of the O rings and gasket, the car runs better than ever and is, no surprise, more economical.
Total cost to fix was £5.60 for the fuel pressure regulator overhaul kit.
Ten years and six months and 250k miles. Who says Citroen can't build good cars?
21st Nov 2022, 17:15
From the reviews I can see the C5 is basically the same as the Xantia it replaced then - a good car, just not as reliable as it should be! Shame really, I love the look of them.