1995 Peugeot 306 S16 review from Australia and New Zealand

Electrical problems from purchase (bad earth).

Heater matrix leak (full dash removal to repair and replace).

Thermostat.

Suspension bushes.

Car is a fantastic drive, handles like a dream (Yokohama C-drive tyres) and is super direct and responsive. My particular car has had some work done on the engine, including over-sized pistons taking it to 2.1L and a stage 1 cam setup, and as a result the performance is very pleasing. Throttle response could be a little better, however that may be down to the timing not being perfect currently on my car (soon to be serviced by the engine builder).

So this car is fantastic when it works. I have unfortunately had endless reliability issues with it however, and this is somewhat due to the poor maintenance by the previous owner, but also common Peugeot faults.

I wouldn't had minded so much if parts were not so expensive, however the cost of replacement gear in Australia for this car is a nightmare. For example I had to replace the heater hoses (from the firewall to the engine), and for 2 short pieces of hose and a plastic connection to the firewall, I was set back $300. They then wanted to charge me $700 for a bloody heat shield to go over it.

So maintenance costs here in Aus are a nightmare, however look after it and service is regularly and you should have those issues arise too often, but they are expected with a 14 year old french car.

My next job will be to remove the entire dash to get to the leaking heater matrix, unfortunately Peugeot didn't make this a simple process, so that job should be exciting.

Overall I would say it's a fantastic car when everything is working as intended, however turn a blind eye to the slightest sign of a problem and you may regret it big time in the long run.