1996 Peugeot 406 LX from UK and Ireland - Comments

There is a 'flat spot' when driving this car until the turbo starts to work, then black soot comes out of the exhaust for a few seconds and the car seems to regain power. Has anyone else had this problem?

Also the rev counter has a mind of its own.

The rear passenger doors don't always close correctly.

There are also numerous interior leaks when it rains.

This car is very comfortable and very well equipped. Apart from its numerous faults, it is a nice car to drive.

I was the owner of a 1996 1.9TD and had exactly the same problem re thirst/soot you describe. I have had numerous conversations with owners of similar cars who swear that theirs is good for 50+ mpg - mine never got anywhere near that.

I never seemed to overcome it and in the end put it down to previous owners lack of maintenance resulting in engine wear.

Mine never smoked but it never bettered 40 mpg and averaged low-mid 30's. A friend who has a lighter right foot gets high 30's average and a "best" of 48. Still not great.

My 406dt also flat spots up to 3000revs when the turbo cuts in and then it goes like a rocket. Unfortunately, this makes for terrible driving. It has been to so called experts who can find nothing. It also stutters on cold start (not glow plugs) but then drives great until it gets warm and in comes that flat spot. This fault spoils what really is a good car. ANY IDEAS?

Turbo "flat spots" and stuttery when cold - please take your car to the nearest rolling road facility. They can run full diagnostics on your engine. You might not want to watch though - they literally tie your car down and then hammer it relentlessly again and again through all the gears while their computers take extensive readings of the car's performance. This should give you a good idea what's wrong.

It also needs to be considered that the 406 is an extremely heavy car and it is well known that the 406 + 1.9TD XUD engine is a poor combination. The engine goes well in the little brother 306 but is still not lightening quick, so it's obvious it's not going to be any better in a longer, heavier car. The 2.1 TD is a better proposition if getting an older 406 Diesel, otherwise save a bit extra cash and ge the 2.0 HDi.

Least the 1.9 can be run on veggie mind!

My 2.1 gets 46-49 mpg. Best car I have ever had-comfortable, reliable and economical; it is prently at 185,000 miles, and is 11years old.