2005 Citroen C3 Desire from UK and Ireland - Comments

I took delivery of a Citroen C3 Desire on 2 Sept 2005. On 26 Sept 2005 the engine management system failed after having covered 263 miles. I had the car recovered to the dealer I purchased it from, he had the car for four days and couldn't find the defect. nevertheless he said he reset the management system and everything should now be OK. The following three month the car performed well, it was comfortable and pleasing to drive even on a long journey to Scotland over the Xmas holiday period. However on 6 Jan 2006 the engine management system failed again with a serious loss of power and an engine misfire, the car having done at this time 1570 miles since new. The car is now back with the dealer and am pursuing the claim for the ca to be replaced.

Comfortable car to drive.

I am a driving instructor teaching in the Citroen C3. I have also had tremendous trouble with the engine management system, as described by the other writer. I have returned the car on numerous occasions to try and sort this out. The problem still remains and the car is now 18 months old. I am unfortunately tied into a 2 year contract hire agreement.

I'm also the owner of a citreon c3, having only had the car three weeks, it broke down and I had to have a new starter motor and battery, three months on its broke down again only now I have big problems, both sets of my keys are not registering for my car. What can they do, they don't know! Four months I've had the car & I love everything about it if only it worked! now I'm taking the problem further.

For the last few days I've been reading comments from Citroen drivers. All have been okay to really BAD comments. It's strange because all the complaints about the car are the same: gearbox sensor failure, ECU failure, loss of power steering, digital panel failure, etc. Every Citroen C3 owner have all complained about how their car spent more time in the garage than on the road. Being a Citroen C3 owner of less than a month, sadly, I'm having the same problems! With all the similar complaints and problems with the Citroen C3, isn't it about time that this vehicle be considered for a recall?? Surely Citroen wouldn't think of waiting for someone to get seriously hurt in a Citroen C3 due to failures in the car that most C3 owners have experienced? I hope not...

Hi I have had the same problems with my C3 since I took delivery of it, but now I have another problem: my offside passenger door won't open from the outside. This is the second time this has happened. Last time they used grease and wd40 to release the locking system. I have tried this; it opened once and now it is firmly locked solid from the outside. At least the dealership is helpful, but at least I change the car next year. It has been in and out of the garage mostly towed by the lovely guys from the RAC whom I am now on first name terms with. Its my fourth citroen and its the first I have had lots of problems with. The xzara picaso only had one problem; its handbrake released itself, and off the car set off the driveway, demolishing the driveway gates and into the neighbors house across the street. Happy days huh.