I am looking to buy a diesel C3, I would welcome any advice from owners of these as to realistic mpg and which is the best model to go for, the 1.4 or the 1.6.
All advice gratefully received.
Looking at buying a C3 advice/experience please
Moderator: RichardW
I've no long term experience, but have driven most engines and found that the 1.6 90 was a pretty rapid and smooth car. Not tried the 1.6 110.
I understand that the 1.4 16v has some problems, there is more on here. http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... t=starting
Ben
I understand that the 1.4 16v has some problems, there is more on here. http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... t=starting
Ben
Currently driving a 2004 C5 VTR (old shape) and an Electric Kia Soul. Sorry but the electric one is my favourite!
Formerly Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6, 2 x Kia Optima, 2 x C5, Xsara and Saxo.
Formerly Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6, 2 x Kia Optima, 2 x C5, Xsara and Saxo.
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JamesQB
- Posts: 375
- Joined: 13 Aug 2003, 18:01
- Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
- My Cars: Citroen Xantia 1.8 - I miss this car a lot.
- x 5
For the sake of a clear conscience, I must reply to this.
We still have our lemon of a car - Citroen C3 1.4 HDi - unfortunately, but we have a local dealer who will allow us to trade it in for a real car, albeit with the loss of £4,000 from what we paid for it 3 years ago. It's an acceptable loss to us, for although Trading Standards is involved in our fight, and thinks we have a good case, they've warned it will drag on for a long time and may involve us taking the dealership who sold us the car to court. Even T.S. recommended we trade it in if we get the chance.
These cars are built cheaply, yet still have many mod-cons. This simply means that the quality has been reduced in order to keep the price low, and boy does the lack of quality start to show. From plastic parts inside the car breaking, to the engine problems it suffers, it's a terrible car.
The main problems with the engine are injector failure and ECU failure. Don't know about the ECU, but the injectors cost £1600 to have replaced by a Citroen dealership. Actual injector cost is apparently £260 each. They have been failing in low mileage C3s as well as higher mileage. They have failed in C3s only 3 years old (our is 5 years old). The symptoms are: very hard to start if hasn't been running within last 2 hours or so, belches plumes of white smoke when it does start, smokes when driving if and when it feels like it (car flashed at us until we pulled over the other day because they saw the smoke screen we were leaving and worried).
Trading Standards agreed that the injectors should not have failed in such a young car, and after research agreed that the problem was widespread amongst C3s. When they visited our house and witnessed the car being started, and the plumes of smoke, they were horrified. Even more so at the prospective cost of repair.
Also, the front suspension springs snap. Both ours went. This is also such a common problem that Citroen UK fully reimbursed us for the cost and labour of new ones, with a note saying that it did not imply liability but was just a goodwill gesture. It's at their discretion if they pay for them, as legally they have no liability to the end-user. The last place in line that the car was bought from has liability, including any finance company that was used.
For the love of God and all that is good, keep away from the C3. It has been nothing but stress, embarrassment (from the smoke and minute trying to start it) and financial loss. It cost £500 to get the thing through its last MOT, including a front headlamp replacement because it wouldn't adjust up or down.
The in-laws also had a 4-year-old C3 1.4 HDi and got rid pretty smartish after it had to have all 4 injectors replaced. Luckily for them it was still under warranty, but knowing what may happen once out of warranty, they wisely sold it on. From my research, many petrol engine versions of the C3 are also suffering very early injector failure.
The car has been built using substandard parts, and as someone else said, thank the lord that Ford didn't end up choosing to use the same engines. Steer well clear, because although there are perhaps one or two C3s in the UK that are going well, the chances are high that you'll end up with a lemon too.
We will never buy a Citroen car again, after being Citroen fans for many years. Citroen UK have been of no real help, the dealership manager said 'listen to me little lady...' on the phone during his misogynistic diatribe to her, and Trading Standards say things can be done but will take time and money (full inspection report paid for by us, etc). I think everything went downhill with Citroen when they started with the C class. Cheap cars built with cheap components.
I would strongly recommend gaining wisdom from others' experiences. Wish I had.
We still have our lemon of a car - Citroen C3 1.4 HDi - unfortunately, but we have a local dealer who will allow us to trade it in for a real car, albeit with the loss of £4,000 from what we paid for it 3 years ago. It's an acceptable loss to us, for although Trading Standards is involved in our fight, and thinks we have a good case, they've warned it will drag on for a long time and may involve us taking the dealership who sold us the car to court. Even T.S. recommended we trade it in if we get the chance.
These cars are built cheaply, yet still have many mod-cons. This simply means that the quality has been reduced in order to keep the price low, and boy does the lack of quality start to show. From plastic parts inside the car breaking, to the engine problems it suffers, it's a terrible car.
The main problems with the engine are injector failure and ECU failure. Don't know about the ECU, but the injectors cost £1600 to have replaced by a Citroen dealership. Actual injector cost is apparently £260 each. They have been failing in low mileage C3s as well as higher mileage. They have failed in C3s only 3 years old (our is 5 years old). The symptoms are: very hard to start if hasn't been running within last 2 hours or so, belches plumes of white smoke when it does start, smokes when driving if and when it feels like it (car flashed at us until we pulled over the other day because they saw the smoke screen we were leaving and worried).
Trading Standards agreed that the injectors should not have failed in such a young car, and after research agreed that the problem was widespread amongst C3s. When they visited our house and witnessed the car being started, and the plumes of smoke, they were horrified. Even more so at the prospective cost of repair.
Also, the front suspension springs snap. Both ours went. This is also such a common problem that Citroen UK fully reimbursed us for the cost and labour of new ones, with a note saying that it did not imply liability but was just a goodwill gesture. It's at their discretion if they pay for them, as legally they have no liability to the end-user. The last place in line that the car was bought from has liability, including any finance company that was used.
For the love of God and all that is good, keep away from the C3. It has been nothing but stress, embarrassment (from the smoke and minute trying to start it) and financial loss. It cost £500 to get the thing through its last MOT, including a front headlamp replacement because it wouldn't adjust up or down.
The in-laws also had a 4-year-old C3 1.4 HDi and got rid pretty smartish after it had to have all 4 injectors replaced. Luckily for them it was still under warranty, but knowing what may happen once out of warranty, they wisely sold it on. From my research, many petrol engine versions of the C3 are also suffering very early injector failure.
The car has been built using substandard parts, and as someone else said, thank the lord that Ford didn't end up choosing to use the same engines. Steer well clear, because although there are perhaps one or two C3s in the UK that are going well, the chances are high that you'll end up with a lemon too.
We will never buy a Citroen car again, after being Citroen fans for many years. Citroen UK have been of no real help, the dealership manager said 'listen to me little lady...' on the phone during his misogynistic diatribe to her, and Trading Standards say things can be done but will take time and money (full inspection report paid for by us, etc). I think everything went downhill with Citroen when they started with the C class. Cheap cars built with cheap components.
I would strongly recommend gaining wisdom from others' experiences. Wish I had.
Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 2006
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
The build quality of the 2006 model I drove felt much improved and the 1.6 HDI engine is used in lods of cars from the C2 up to the C5, Fords, Pugs and Volvo's too.
Yes, springs break supposedly due to driving over speed humps too fast, but the later models had a modification to stop the spring puncturing the tyre.
Test drive a few cars, compare and buy the one wih the most warranty you can afford.
Ben
Yes, springs break supposedly due to driving over speed humps too fast, but the later models had a modification to stop the spring puncturing the tyre.
Test drive a few cars, compare and buy the one wih the most warranty you can afford.
Ben
Currently driving a 2004 C5 VTR (old shape) and an Electric Kia Soul. Sorry but the electric one is my favourite!
Formerly Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6, 2 x Kia Optima, 2 x C5, Xsara and Saxo.
Formerly Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6, 2 x Kia Optima, 2 x C5, Xsara and Saxo.
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JamesQB
- Posts: 375
- Joined: 13 Aug 2003, 18:01
- Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
- My Cars: Citroen Xantia 1.8 - I miss this car a lot.
- x 5
I don't know about the 1.6 engine. I've heard the excuses before about speed bumps, but even if true, it seems odd that I've never known a car to suffer that problem before, and I've driven over many speed bumps. I haven't yet spoken to anybody else who has heard of springs breaking on a car, speed bumps or otherwise.
I drove many cars in Spain, probably one of the worst offenders for terrible roads, yet never knew of a car with broken springs. My original car is still over there being used, a Renault Clio 1.4RT, 15 years old and still on original springs. And boy did I hammer it over speed humps and the numerous pot holes and lumps from tree roots that have pushed the road surface up.
There is no defense; suspension springs shouldn't break because of speed bumps or bumpy roads. That defies their whole purpose. The C3 is a terrible car. And the fact that the in-laws also had one that suffered faulty injectors does seem to indicate that it's very widespread indeed, since the odds of it being a rare occurrence, and yet one street away they had it happen too, are probably astronomical.
Steer clear. That's advice from someone who owns one, knows people who owned them, researched the faults in depth to acquire evidence for Trading Standards to use, and who had Trading Standards say they had a look around themselves and found it to be widespread.
I drove many cars in Spain, probably one of the worst offenders for terrible roads, yet never knew of a car with broken springs. My original car is still over there being used, a Renault Clio 1.4RT, 15 years old and still on original springs. And boy did I hammer it over speed humps and the numerous pot holes and lumps from tree roots that have pushed the road surface up.
There is no defense; suspension springs shouldn't break because of speed bumps or bumpy roads. That defies their whole purpose. The C3 is a terrible car. And the fact that the in-laws also had one that suffered faulty injectors does seem to indicate that it's very widespread indeed, since the odds of it being a rare occurrence, and yet one street away they had it happen too, are probably astronomical.
Steer clear. That's advice from someone who owns one, knows people who owned them, researched the faults in depth to acquire evidence for Trading Standards to use, and who had Trading Standards say they had a look around themselves and found it to be widespread.
Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 2006
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
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CitroJim
- A very naughty boy
- Posts: 49658
- Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
- Location: Paggers
- My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
- x 6202
- Contact:
She Who Must be Obeyed is a driving instructor and she has now has had three 1.6HDi C3s.
They're used hard and abused by learners.
Touch wood, not a moments trouble from any of them. The only problems have been injuries inflicted by the pupils and they love ripping the interior mirror off the screen and breaking the door mirror adjusting knob.
Apart from that, they've all be as good as gold and as sweet as a nut with a consistent 50+ mpg to boot.
She loves 'em.
They're used hard and abused by learners.
Touch wood, not a moments trouble from any of them. The only problems have been injuries inflicted by the pupils and they love ripping the interior mirror off the screen and breaking the door mirror adjusting knob.
Apart from that, they've all be as good as gold and as sweet as a nut with a consistent 50+ mpg to boot.
She loves 'em.
Jim
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
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myglaren
- Forum Admin Team
- Posts: 25471
- Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
- Location: Washington
- My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4921
My daughter had one and loved it, especially the economy.
They traded a Civic in for it and the only problem they had was that the Honda dealer gave them six months tax and a full tank of fuel.
Unfortunately they(the dealer) filled it with petrol and it was the 1.4 HDi
It got four miles toward home and died. The dealer did of course fix it and gave them vouchers to have it serviced free for the next two years.
For some unknown reason she sold it and bought a Mini Cooper (old type) and now regrets this decision and is making moves to go back to either a C3 or a 306, which she had prior to the Civic.
They traded a Civic in for it and the only problem they had was that the Honda dealer gave them six months tax and a full tank of fuel.
Unfortunately they(the dealer) filled it with petrol and it was the 1.4 HDi
It got four miles toward home and died. The dealer did of course fix it and gave them vouchers to have it serviced free for the next two years.
For some unknown reason she sold it and bought a Mini Cooper (old type) and now regrets this decision and is making moves to go back to either a C3 or a 306, which she had prior to the Civic.
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smokescreen
- Posts: 13
- Joined: 07 Aug 2007, 05:58
- Location: Near Pulborough, West Sussex
- My Cars: C3 1.6 HDi VTR