USED Peugeot 206 Hatchback (98 - 09)

My car

In July 04 I bought my second 206 HDi. The first gave me four years of sparkling motoring. Against other small cars which I have driven, I would rate the 206 very highly - comfort is ideal for those of us who are 5ft 4in.

However, reliability is an issue with my new car. It has twice suffered electrical failure and the diagnostics available both in-car and at the dealership haven't been able to pin-point the cause.

Maybe it's a 'Friday car' but perhaps the electrics have just got too fancy on the higher spec cars. Whichever, I'm currently negotiating for a replacement car.

My car

The car in general is a pleasant drive and I have no major qualms about performance or efficiency but there is one major design fault that I am becoming increasingly aware of. The oil cap keeps blowing off the engine!

The first time I noticed the oil cap was missing, I actually put it down to human error and thought nothing of it.

The second time I knew there was something very wrong as I had bought a brand new oil cap and screwed it into position. So I am obviously concerned that the pressure has managed to dislodge it.

I have contacted a Peugeot dealer, who predictably denies knowledge of this problem.

Has anybody else experinced this problem?

I drive the 206 XSI diesel engine on a 04 plate.

My car

Be VERY careful when buying a 206! Generally I really liked this car, it looked fantastic in its GTi Peugeot body kit and with its leather interior it really looked the part! The engine had good performance and the brakes were great BUT mine suffered from an engine problem where it would randomly cut out.

Several times it cut out on me while doing 70mph+ in the outside lane of the motorway, leaving me with no power steering or assisted braking! It has been back to the dealer many times now and they were unable to fix the problem, even after replacing the entire engine.

BBC’s Watchdog is currently investigating this problem. In the end I had to get rid of the car.

My car

The engine has definitely loosened up after a few thousand miles. I would love to see a review of this car after the engine has been properly run in, being a highly tuned engine it has benefitted from the flexibility that mileage has brought.

The handling is superb. Predictable, with the 'nippy' characterstics that a hot hatch should have.

The biggest flaw the 206 GTI 180 suffers from is the driving position. The seats are the best in the class but the car is let down by the lack of reach adjustment. Why was this not added to broaden the appeal of the car to drivers in excess of 5ft 7in tall?!

A great car, great engine, best looks in the class... BUT, the driving position is poor and this is a major failing for a car with sporting pretensions.