1995 Citroen Xantia TD LX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Too heavy compared to the BX it replaced

Faults:

Problems with one of the high voltage starter relays/circuits under the bonnet occasionally prevents the glow plugs warming up!!!

The central locking remote is not of very good quality, the rubber button parts have fallen to pieces and a replacement one is just too damn expensive.

I also have to be less than 1 metre away from any window for the car to work.

The radiator also blew out (literally) at about 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

The car is a lot heavier than the BX it replaces despite added safety features.

Why do they need to have 2 different turbo chargers (one very weak and one slightly stronger)????? Just fit one powerful one please Citroen, we want a diesel and we don't need two choices!!! And you could easily shell off a few pounds on the car. This wouldn't harm the MPG and would make it cheaper for you to build. If you put the 1.9 HDi(110bhp) engine in an old BX I'm sure you would get over 60mpg easily........

And why isn't hydractive suspension put on all models???

The new R/F remote transmitter fixes the problem I and my friends have with the Infrared ones we have.

And when I take my car in for a service it might be nice to get a courtesy car of any kind... even a basic Saxo would be nice!!!!!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th September, 2000

1995 Citroen Xantia LX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Excellent workhorse

Faults:

Clutch cable retaining clip broken costing £137.00.

Rear discs out of balance - repaired under warranty (new ones fitted).

Leaking suspension - repaired under warranty.

General Comments:

Excellent towing car, very economical for its size. Reliable and classic looking estate car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th August, 2000

21st Jan 2001, 08:04

If you have the estate, keep an eye on the front door hinges; the welds break away. Citroen do not want to know.

1995 Citroen Xantia 1.8 16v from Greece

Summary:

The best car money can buy in this class

Faults:

A lot of electrical and electronic problems since it was new.

Inadequate headlights.

Insufficient performance of the air conditioner especially in the warm Greek summer.

Generally the quality of the electrics and electronic parts is below the standard of the car's class.

General Comments:

Very good and safe roadholding, comfortable suspension, good brakes and especially the ABS.

Maybe a shorter gearbox would better suit the adequate engine performance.

Very comfortable and spacious interior with minor ergonomic defects.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th July, 2000

1995 Citroen Xantia VSX 1.9 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A very practical yet sporty car

Faults:

Manufacturer recomends one click of the suspension every 12 seconds, it was around every 7. It was a faulty pump.

General Comments:

Excellent car all in all. Very similar to the Citroen BX, but built a lot better. The 1.9 TD engine delivered a lot of power for towing my caravan and the fuel efficiency when towing is much better than a petrol would be.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th July, 2000

14th May 2001, 10:38

The average time between clicks on a good car is at least 50 seconds.

1995 Citroen Xantia SX 2.0i 8v manual from Australia and New Zealand

Faults:

Leaking low-pressure hydraulic pipe at rear suspension.

Stalling at idle when air conditioning runnin (new chip fixed this).

ABS sensor mounting damaged (replaced under warranty).

Shuddering front discs after first pad change (fixed by machining).

Minor coolant leak around water pump.

Likes her rear spheres changed every 20,000km.

Only major failure was a high-pressure hydraulic pipe supplying the right front sphere - this was fixed (at my cost as car was 60000km) and modification made to the other side. I note 1997 and later models have different design.

General Comments:

A most delightful motor car, the only weak point is the just-adequate engine. Oleopneumatics are an excellent idea. Citroen's reliability is improving, fortunately. Re tyres: stick to Michelin.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th December, 1999

31st Jan 2002, 06:45

I currently own a '96 1.8 Xantia dimension which has been plagued by a problem with the car intermittently stalling at idle. When it does stall it will continue to do this for a period of time and then suddenly stop and will be okay.

I have taken the car into a Citroen Specialist and they have run a diagnostic test and everything appeared okay. It then cleared up for a while and has suddenly reappeared. I read in the article that you had a problem with the car stalling when you had the Air Conditioning on, but as my car does not have air conditioning I was wondering if it could be the a similar problem. What was the chip that needed replacing?

Have you heard of other similar symptoms being reported.

7th May 2002, 15:02

I also have a Xantia Dimension 1.8i & I have the same problem. I nearly got a new "idle stepper motor" (or some such thing) fitted, but the part alone cost £90 & the Citroen garage said it seems OK, give it another try. It hasn't stopped going wrong though. Does anyone have any ideas?

22nd Oct 2002, 02:52

I have a '94 model 1.8 SX Xantia with the same stalling problem. It sometimes lasts just a morning or two to three days then rectifies itself. The last time this happened I replaced the leads, battery, air filter and spark plugs which sorted the problem for a while. I am now wondering about the chip! The most annoying thing is that when it's moving it's fine, that is until you come to a junction or hit the traffic, and I literally mean that if you are not careful you will hit the traffic.

This is due to everything being tied into the hydraulics system. The car stalls coming up to traffic, the steering becomes exceedingly difficult, the brakes stiffen, so you push the brake pedal as hard as you can, close your eyes and hope for the best. Shame really, because the car is very comfortable and the interior layout nicely thought out.