Old Peugeot 206 - any tips on what to look out for ?

dodzy

Hi all,

Is there an "achilles heel" with this car ? Trying to pick up one for the daughter as a starter car and just wondering, apart from the obvious, is there anything to check out of the ordinary ?

Cosmo K

Rear axle bushings go on them, very expensive to fix, wouldn't buy without an up to date NCT.

Viper_JB

dodzy wrote: »

Hi all,

Is there an "achilles heel" with this car ? Trying to pick up one for the daughter as a starter car and just wondering, apart from the obvious, is there anything to check out of the ordinary ?

In my experience and from everything I've heard second hand Peugeot's are best avoided, does it need to specifically be a 206? There's a huge second hand car market in Ireland with a lot of variety when it comes to small engine cars, you could get something with a much better reputation - see lots of old 206's in scrap yards - not too many left on the roads.

billy few mates

Viper_JB wrote: »

In my experience and from everything I've heard second hand Peugeot's are best avoided, does it need to specifically be a 206? There's a huge second hand car market in Ireland with a lot of variety when it comes to small engine cars, you could get something with a much better reputation - see lots of old 206's in scrap yards - not too many left on the roads.

I would have to disagree with this based on my experience, I've had a a 1.4 diesel which was a fantastic little car, economical and reliable and when I came to sell it there was a queue of buyers. On the strength of this I got one (1.1 petrol) for my son for his first car and he drove it for over a year with only one minor problem which was easily and cheaply fixed), likewise when he came to sell it there was a queue of buyers. I'll probably be looking for another one next year when my daughter starts to drive, I think they're an ideal starter car, but that's just my own personal opinion.

Henry Ford III

Rear beam can be troublesome. Electrics are not great. Build quality is below average.

dodzy

Only reason I'm asking is that I've 2 friends that drive the 1.1 variant. A pretty smooth drive for a car >12yr old. The one I'm looking at was NCT'd in October gone and is taxed till may. Looks very tidy. With the 1/2 roof electric which is a nice touch. Granted, at the money we're talking about, I'm not expecting something to last years.

Viper_JB

If it's her first car I wouldn't stick to any brand or model, just go with a budget and get the best car you can with that money - what is your budget may I ask?
Unless you're buying really old, peugeots and quality are two words that don't really go together - and as they're popular in Ireland (I honestly don't know why besides they were cheap new?) that just puts a premium on the price - which in this case is a bad thing.

Alanstrainor

Ford Fiesta/Focus worth a look. Reliable cars and plenty of them about too. I would think they'd be a better option than the 206 to be honest. As said though, don't get too hung up on one model.

Noccy_Mondy

We had one that was quite reliable. Very little mileage on it mind, 77k, 2003 reg when we got rid of it. Only replaced it because of the need for a diesel. Bushings are something to look out for, as is water in the boot. Auto lights/wipers are just a pain.

davycha

My daughter had one up to a year ago, never gave any trouble bar a few front droplinks which were cheap to replace.
I found it very reliable and cheap to tax and insure , also quite economical.

Only major issues to look out for , swing arm bearings on the rear beam are prone to wear especially on drivers side , make sure you check for any movement or wheel camber alignment issues, this is a big job and has put a lot of these to the scrapheap.
Head gasket oil leak, check engine for signs of oil from head gasket at timing belt end.

One other thing which is not reliability related is the room between clutch and brake pedals is quite tight, as long as your daughter does not wear huge builder's boots while driving she should be ok.

hope this helps

JohnBoy26

Rear axle wear is one of the biggest issues with them. These cars are also lhd-rhd converted rather than a proper rhd model. This conversion isn't very well done imo.The pedals are too close together and offset so the driving position won't be comfortable for some, I could never get used to it. The wipers are also the wrong way around etc.

Ronan|Raven

I had an old 206 1.4 HDI for many years in van config. I miss its economy.. never gave me any hassle. It would run on the smell of diesel..

As others have said if you do go for one ensure you check the rear axle.

Mc Love

Had two 206's and never had any trouble with either of them!

imurdaddy

Mc Love wrote: »

Had two 206's and never had any trouble with either of them!

Likewise I had two in the early days of driving one petrol one diesel, never had any big issues with them and I put up big miles on them. If I was buying a small car again id buy a hdi 206 superb economy !