1998 Peugeot 306 D Turbo from UK and Ireland - Comments

Was running really well until it threw a rod through the side of the block at 44,000 miles.

There I was accelerating gently away from a pedestrian crossing when there was what can only be described as a "CRACK" from under the bonnet. It sounded like a gunshot, but as all the warning lights lit up and the engine stopped dead, I realised it wasn't. The waft of hot oil and wisps of smoke from under the bonnet added to the sinking feeling.

Pushing the car to the side of the road, I open the bonnet to see a jagged hole the size of a fist in the front of the engine block. Subsequent investigation revealed number three con-rod had snapped like a carrot and punched its way to freedom through the cylinder block.

Turns out this isn't a rarity on 1997/1998 XUTD engines in either Peugeot or Citroen models. Needless to say the manufacturer wouldn't accept responsibility as the last service on the car (a minor 9k service) was done outside the dealer network. They were also implying the oil level was probably too low, although as most of the engine's oil poured all over the street, I don't see how they can substantiate this. I never let oil run low on cars, but I might as well have been talking to a brick wall.

Conspiracy theories are rife, but one consistent and plausible explanation is that a batch of turbo engines were fitted with non-turbo con-rods in error. As all the XUTD engines were built in the same factory, this explains how the problem is spread across both Peugeot and Citroen models.

The two types of rod are interchangeable, but the non-turbo items are a much lower grade and the extra stress (the turbo engine produces twice the torque of the non-turbo) causes fatiguing and eventual failure. There have been documented cases of this on engines as new as 2,000 miles so mine did well considering. Apparently pre 97 and post 98 engines are fine, as are some of the 97/98 units themselves. Hardly comforting to a buyer though.

Fitted a reconditioned engine at considerable expense and ran it for a while, but it was never the same after that so I eventually sold the car on. Because of Peugeot's disinterest, it ended my long line of Peugeot purchases. A shame as the D-Turbo was a corker before this failure. Lively, economical, superb handling and well specified. I would never buy another PSA group car though.

I had a 1998 306 D Turbo for three years (60,000 miles on the clock) and to be honest it didn't put a foot wrong. Totally reliable and pleasure to drive, a real performer on the motorway. I used to have a 306 1.4XR a good few years ago and this was fine also.

However...I don't believe in coincidence, but I had the timing belt and alternator belt changed just two weeks ago (the AB went) and the car has now performed the same amusing conrod trick. The jury is still out on what exactly happened, but I was driving at night across a busy Forth Road Bridge when the contents of the sump decided to move to the rear of the car in a fine mist followed by lumps of debris. Unlike the previous unfortunate, though, I was able to keep driving the car for the remaining half mile and off the bridge which was a relief. The hole in the bottom of the engine and the wrecked starter motor wasn't...

I'm ditching my Pug and moving back to a Citroen now, but it is worrying that Peugeot wash their hands of a known flaw - and a potentially dangerous one.

I've just suffered the same conrod trick, but amazingly the engine still wants to run with just three cylinders!!! My car has never ever been short of oil, I work with large generators, so oil is not in short supply!!! However the car has done about 112k miles and has been serviced by reputable dealers, sadly not peugeot though. Have I been unlucky or did it just take a lot longer for the fault to show, I do a lot of high speed miles, but had no warning at all, before such a catastrophic failure, no loss of power etc??

Exactly the same thing happened to me when I was travelling at 60 mph down the motorway. Mine happened at 140,000 miles, so I think I was very lucky.

Bought my first 1998 306 Dturbo 3 weeks ago, thought it would be good practice to change the timing belt and filters. 3 hours later the engine locked up pulling out of a parking space. after bump starting the car it now smokes and runs on 3 cylinders at low revs suggesting it has probably hydraulicked a cylinder and bent a con rod. Does anyone know if this is also a symptom or just a faulty injector and my bad luck.

Bought my first 1998 306 Dturbo S 3 weeks ago, thought it would be good practice to change the timing belt and filters. 3 hours later the engine locked up pulling out of a parking space. after bump starting the car it now smokes and runs on 3 cylinders at low revs suggesting it has probably hydraulicked a cylinder and bent a con rod. Does anyone know if this is also a symptom or just a faulty injector and my bad luck.

Same thing happened to mine (1999 306 Dturbo with 87k miles), was accelerating up a hill about a mile from my house, and without warning a large bang. It was still running on 3 cylinders until I saw the hole and large amounts of oil pouring out. Got a second hand engine for £300 from a scrap yard, after researching this I now think I’ll sell the car on when I get it fixed.

Hello everyone, I'm so glad I came across this site, as with the rising fuel costs and my driving job, I was considering buying a 2nd hand 306 d turbo, now I am defintely not so sure. I had a similar experience in a Renault-11 doing 80mph on a duel carriageway, that was scary enough and I don't fancy repeating it, Could anyone please tell me if the non turbo engines are more reliable in the 1998 peugeot range. thanks

Having worked on many XUD engines over the last ten years, I would like to point out that the con rods are not interchangeable between N/A and Turbo engines as the gudgeon pin diameter is different 25mm on N/A engines and 28mm on turbocharged engines.

Whilst I have seen these failures (3 to date) they are rare and appear to be due to fatigue fracture of the rod just above the big end journal. These have all been on the XUD9TE engine, none on the smaller XUD7 turbo engine (as fitted to Citroen BX and early Peugeot 405, and Peugeot 205's etc), or larger XUD11 engine (which also uses a near identical rod, with a even larger small end).

I have heard that unplugging the green connector behind the battery for the EGR valve can increase the life of a diesel 306, a decat would accompany this nicely as they work with each other, IIRC a diesel before 2001 will pass a UK MOT with a decat pipe attached.

My 306 d turbo blew conrods out, and broke the starter and radiator in the process. Was a dirty mess, but it doesn't put me off them. Am NOW on my fourth 306. They are a great car.