A good investment
Cabin temp sensor faulty
Remote Central locking does not work
Alarm system does not work
Minor oil leak
Boot light works intermittently.
Excellent car; reliable and comfortable to drive. Faults are minor given age and mileage.
Achives around 40mpg on urban and motoray driving combined.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 3rd May, 2003
A drivers dream let down if no service history
Strange one this, a cyclic problem of blown head gasket and heater matrix.
So far three gaskets and matrix's from 50k to 130k. Solved by French garage in the Pyrenees diagnosing it as a blocked radiator. Hate Rays to all so called "French car" experts in Sheffield. Why didn't you think or check? Cost over £1800 in total.
Otherwise regular warped front brake disc's only other main problem.
Amazing car apart from the hopeless servicing by useless UK main, franchise and back-street repair/servicing outlets. Bad show you lot.
Handling and ride 11 out of 10.
Engine economical, lazy, but unburstable, up to 75mpg during the fuel strike at 50 mph, usually 45-60mpg.
Heating/cooling system -1 out of 10.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th March, 2003
Economical and fun motoring
Wiring loom chafing behind front bumper, causing starter circuit problems.
This car was one of 2 identical cars we had at the time. This was the only problem with either in 5 years of motoring, and was caused purely because I did not get a recall notice for the problem. Fantastic little cars and very economical too.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd March, 2003
Why on earth did they stop making this beauty?
There have been a few problems with this car.
We found the brakes overheated when given a bit of work. This resulted in them buckling. It was however pretty cheap to replace the disc's. Around $95 each plus labor.
The car also has a design fault with the cruise control. It is mounted behind the wheel, making visual confirmation difficult. Once you get used to it it is OK though.
The Anti-lock Braking System seems to engage prematurely on the front left wheel. I have thought about getting it seen to though I would probably prefer pulling the fuse and using my skill instead.
The car drives very well.
With the addition of 15 inch alloy wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, the car grips to the road beautifully. There is a slight tendency to understeer in the wet though.
The engine is both efficient and punchy. We are not usually left wanting for power, however I would have prefered the 2 litre model.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th January, 2003
Good, but very problematic
Faulty rubber seals to passenger door - rain water leaks in. Main Peugeot dealer in Manchester claims this will cost £200 to correct - remove door panels, fit new seals etc.
Ignition coils replaced: £250.
Power steering fluid leaking from pump to rack.
Rust on roof adjacent to sunroof recess.
Fuel leaks.
Faulty Bitron unit - £85 replacement.
Lack of acceleration problem which led to the following saga at both a Peugeot main dealer and Peugeot specialist:
Oxygen sensor fault resulting in ECU re-programming - £65.
Oxygen sensor fault resulting in ECU re-programming (was fobbed off with this "solution" twice) - £25.
Oxygen sensor replacement - £90.
Cat disintegrating - shields rattle, casing corroded.
Exhaust replaced - £130.
Cat disintegrating - shields rattle. Was told that it was the exhaust which needed replacing not the catalyst.
Lack of acceleration problem still not solved.
Maintenance:
Cam belt replaced at 54k miles to be on the safe side - £110.
Tyre replacement - 2 No. Michelin Pilots £80 each.
Brake pads to front discs - £40 for the pair fitted them myself.
Servicing costs - about £100 per service so not too bad there.
I appreciate the fact that the car is 8 years old and that things will corrode/disintegrate and need replacing. But the dealers do not have a clue how to diagnose and cure any faults on this car. Apparently Peugeot had addressed the fault diagnosis problem on the later GTi-6 successor to the S16.
Gripes aside, when the car is running correctly it is an excellent drive.
Handling is amazing and has a race car like feel - roundabouts can be negotiated at 80mph without a squeal, conditions permitting of course.
Above 4000rpm the thing flies. Needs thrashing though to get the best out of it. However the S16 should still be faster for 160bhp in a small hatch.
Drive it normally and you'll get a reasonable 30-34mpg.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 1st December, 2002