2001 Citroen Xsara Estate 2.0 HDI from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good ride, but suspect reliability

Faults:

Dashboard air bag warning light came on, dealer rectified fault; faulty wires under driver seat. This occurred twice within 2 months of purchase and in warranty, this was some 8 months ago and thus far no further recurrence of the problem.

On a cold morning the car has been vibrating/juddering and it felt as thought the engine is "hunting".Dealer confirmed a faulty injector, which would cost nearly £400 to supply and fit new one, luckily the warranty hasn't expired and it will be change under that warranty; but the cost of fault diagnosis has to be paid for by me.

A cracking noise from the offside and nearside rear pillars the "C" posts, has been put down to body flexing by the dealer; the dealers cure is to remove the paneling and fill full of expanding foam!!

General Comments:

A very hard ride compared to my Mark 1 Mondeo.

The engine is very good and pulls well. At 70 miles an hour it will return some 57 miles per gallon, some 10 miles per gallon better than the Mondeo.

Very good headlights for night time driving, unlike the Mondeo.

Plenty of space in the estate for one person and suitcases/luggage.

Like the steering wheel controls for radio.

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

Review Date: 28th November, 2004

16th Oct 2006, 04:38

I have had the same problem with the airbag warning light. This is now on continually despite returning it to the garage to be reset.

I have also had a worrying problem with the brake pedal not depressing during first 5 minutes of running the engine. On one occasion I called the RAC as I was frightened to drive the car. It has been checked over and no obvious problem found, but the brake pedal still will not depress properly on intermittent occasions when the car has been left standing for a while. Has anyone else had this problem? My local garage is stumped.

21st Oct 2007, 03:37

In Late reply to the stiff brake pedal problem - sounds like the Vacuum pump failing, most diesels will have a vacuum pump fitted to power assist the brakes, an LDV and 406 I had, had the same problem to stop the car you had to stand on the brake pedal. It'S easy to replace and operates off the fan belt. Breakers yard normally sell them for around 40 - 50 quid.

2001 Citroen Xsara SX 2.0 HDi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Practical, economical and comfortable to drive

Faults:

Airbag warning light due to loose cables under driver seat. Fixed under warranty.

Central locking motor / driver side failed. Fixed under warranty.

Aerial housing corroded, replaced under warranty.

General Comments:

Fantastic car with lots of kit as standard, HDi engine performs so well giving you bags of torque and excellent fuel economy.

Had a few minor hiccups during ownership which were fixed under warranty - however car remained very, very reliable and was very comfortable even though I commuted around 100 miles a day.

Great cruiser over the motorways, HDi engine provided really good mid-range acceleration, ideal for overtaking.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th July, 2004

29th Nov 2004, 06:23

I have a mdl 2000 Xsara which also has regular problems with air-bag warning lights - I find that if I switch off the ignition, undo the fuse box cover, unscrew the main fitting them screw it back up again (big round fitting, lots of wires hanging out of it), and then restart the engine, the lights go off. And then next week, when the lights come on again... just repeat the process.

2001 Citroen Xsara LX 1.4 8v from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A complete heap of rubbish. There isn't a single redeeming feature and if there was it would break!

Faults:

Everything has gone wrong with it. It would be a shorter list if I said what still works, but the main things are:

Door locks (inc. remote, interior lock, and key locking)

The lights sometimes stay on for hours!

The engine constantly cuts out.

There is a problem with the throttle.

The radio broke within a month...

General Comments:

The steering is unbelievably inaccurate. It feels like the wheels are connected with a piece of elastic. It goes wherever it likes especially when there is a bit of wind about.

The throttle is like a switch and has no progression.

The brakes are similarly inconsistent.

The clutch is vile as is the gear change.

The handling is very 'boy-racer'. If you know how to drive properly you will hate it. However if you have no skill what-so-ever you might like the obvious feel of it.

The air-con is rubbish. It doesn't work very well and blows air to the wrong place.

It is by far the worst car I have ever driven and I actually get angry when I drive it. It is very frustrating and it needs destroying.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th July, 2004

18th Oct 2017, 00:54

Yeah, sure. I have owned new and used Citroens exclusively since 1984. Never had anything other than very minor niggles.

Most have seen 160,000 km covered and were still running fit and strong.

The reason I keep buying them is that their handling and comfort levels are consistently higher than comparable cars.

In reply to 18th Oct 2017, 00:54

18th Oct 2017, 20:50

The review was written a while ago; maybe the original reviewer got a lemon having all these faults at only a few years old.

Generally agree with your comment though, Citroens are as good as any car if you look after them, and if you don't look after them, they will give problems also like any other car.