Faults:

Fuel pump relay (known issue on these cars) gone wrong after 15 years of service.

Right side inner drive shaft broke after 5 years of service.

A/C died after 5 years of service.

Other than that, oil, brakes, lights and other ancillaries have been change due to regular wear and tear.

Interior has held up over the last 20 years, except for the dash that unfortunately was damaged because some hoodlums stole the radio head unit.

The 1.4 engine on this car has been completely bulletproof. I had a compression check when I got it, and guess what, 175 / 180 PSI in each piston. It has had regular cambelt changes every 100k according to the previous owner (my Mother) and oil changes every 5k, gear box oil every 10k, and spark plugs (Bosch FR78X).

The other major issue the car has had is a bad radiator (after 15 years of service). Since I'm from Nicaragua, genuine parts are very difficult to come by, so the radiator had to be adapted from a Nissan (it works, but it would be better if I could get my hands on the original radiator).

Overall a very good car, at least engine and powertrain wise.

General Comments:

Overall a great car. Any engine that clocks over 200k under its belt is a force to be reckoned with.

Good looking car; after 20 years it still looks elegant, although it needs a paint job, and has electrical gremlins every now and then, but nothing that can't be resolved over a weekend with some fuses and a test light.

I gave up on the A/C again because of the parts issue in my country, but it still runs and drives like an absolute champ. On the open road it hits 120 km/h with no issue (if your steering vibrates over 60km/h and you have good and balanced tires, it's probably the passenger side tripod bearing that needs replacement).

Huge trunk space since this is a brake or estate model.

Great economy numbers with the 1.4 with the Bosch FR78X plugs; I get around 40 to 45 km/g.

The ride and the feeling of going fast is amazing on this car. Nothing but good things to say about this car; I absolutely love it. I plan to keep it as long as I can take care of it.

Faults:

Bought this car, and there were a few minor flaws.

The indicator bulbs were blemishing (why they couldn't keep the orange indicator plastic chassis I'll never know).

The handbrake needed tightening (easy job).

The clock didn't work (bulbs blown).

The air con rattled on full blast (wasn't screwed down correctly).

General Comments:

This car is amazing. So much so that this is the 4th 306 1.9 turbo diesel I've owned in 10 years. I love them, but this one is far the best.

Half leather seats, air con, electric windows, and for me the best thing about the 306 is the seats; who cares how fast you can go, who cares what the car looks like; all that matters to me is do I get a sore ass after 5 hours of driving, and this doesn't do that.

OK, the cars I owned before, the reason I sold them was because I blew the head gasket (common fault), but make sure you change the cambelt when suggested; think it's 75,000 miles, and keep it topped up with oil and water. Remember, it is a diesel, so it is going to burn a bit of oil as well.

Don't expect high performance. After all, it is a DIESEL. What you need to expect is 50-70 mpg. The turbo is just there for when you need that extra ummpphh for overtaking or for pulling away.

All in all, I love these cars, cheap to run, cheap to insure, and as these are very popular cars, if you do end up hitting something or needing a spare, they are relatively cheap to find, specially if you go to a scrap yard.