Peugeot has been one of the longest-standing and most trusted brands in the UK for decades. Holding awards for European Car of the Year and a staple on British roads, Peugeot has well and truly earned its place as a household name. However, despite their impressive catalogue and longstanding reputation, they aren’t immune to faults. Peugeot, like any brand, faces a number of owner complaints and faults that plague some models more than others. If you own a Peugeot or are considering becoming an owner in the near future, we’ve put together some of the most common problems to watch out for in your vehicle.
Infotainment System Issues
Peugeot’s infotainment system has been making journeys smooth and simple for drivers country-wide, but despite its technical prowess, it’s not without its faults. In fact, Peugeot owners have reported the system crashing completely and needing to reboot, with reboots taking upwards of 40 minutes. CarGuide report that the 208 in particular has a “growing reputation for freezing and in some cases just failing,” with nothing working within the system at all. (https://www.carguide.co.uk/car-problems/peugeot/) The cause has so far been difficult to pinpoint as it can differ from case to case, however, it has become known as the ‘black screen of death’ and usually requires a system reset or replacement.
Sunroof Noise
The Peugeot 206 has reportedly experienced an issue with the sunroof – namely, it was particularly noisy when opening and closing. CarGuide also reported that the sunroof developed a “rattling and knocking noise”, particularly when the car was moving or the air conditioning was on and often for reasons that couldn’t be found. Owners have reported having it fixed at the dealership, only to have it returned to the garage at a later date with the same issue. Typically, a dealership will grease or lubricate the sunroof rails to prevent squeaking and rattling to solve the issue, but if it persists, make sure to explain this to our mechanic when you bring your vehicle in for repair.
Turbo Failures
The Peugeot 307, 207 and 308 models have reportedly faced issues with the turbo not kicking in properly when accelerating, making for a poor or jerky drive experience. Owners reported seeing the check engine light before the car accelerated normally but with the turbo absent. (https://motorandwheels.com/problems-with-peugeot-cars/) While this doesn’t pose a safety problem directly, owners are still entitled to have this checked and repaired in order to use the feature fully. In many cases, the problem was as simple as a software update, but others reported issues with the timing chain or solenoids, resulting in a more pressing matter that needed to be addressed.
Electric Handbrake Failure
Electric handbrakes are a handy piece of technology in modern cars, but when they go wrong it can be not only frustrating but dangerous too. MotorandWheels report that the Peugeot 308 and 508 models from around 2016 have reportedly experienced a flickering dashboard warning light for the handbrake, with the mechanism itself starting to fail, to the point where “the handbrake can no longer restrain the car properly”. With some owners having to turn to wheel stoppers to stop their cars from rolling while in park, the models were faced with a recall. If your vehicle is one of these models and falls into the recall guidelines, it’s essential to get your vehicle looked at as soon as possible.
For more information about Peugeot vehicles and some of the problems you might encounter, or if you have a Peugeot that seems to be playing up, we are on hand to help. Book your vehicle for Peugeot repairs and we will get your car back on the road safely as soon as possible.