Is Peugeot reliable? An unbiased look at the French brand

Peugeot started as a family business in 1810 and has since become a huge car manufacturer, with cars being sold across the world. Peugeot have long been popular cars, and have won five European Car of the Year awards. They are also a pretty common sight on our roads here in the UK.

And, with a company as established as Peugeot, they have gained a reputation for making solidly built cars. But, are Peugeot reliable?

In this article, we look at whether Peugeot are reliable, and how they compare to some of their rivals.

Are Peugeot reliable?

Interestingly, some of the older Peugeot models are still driven in places such as Benin, in West Africa. In which case, you would say that they are extremely reliable. Unfortunately, we aren’t talking about older Peugeot models, and though they probably aren’t as dependable, they are still pretty reliable.

In the most recent Telegraph survey for most dependable car brands, Peugeot come in 5th place, this is a jump from 10th place last year. It was recorded that they had 92 problems per 100 vehicles.

ReliabilityIndex put Peugeot in 14th place, with a reliability index of 96. This is impressive, and is above the industry average of 118 (the lower the score the better). They have also placed four Peugeot models in their Top 100 Cars for reliability.

How reliable is the Peugeot 107?

The Peugeot 107 is a very reliable car. In 2012 thisismoney named it one of the most dependable used cars, reporting that it only spent 0.24 days off the road.

ReliabilityIndex also awarded the 107 with a reliability index score of just 21. This is incredibly low which means it is incredibly reliable. The repair costs are slightly costly, at an average of £276.31. It’s average time off the road, according to ReliabilityIndex, is around 2.50 hours. This is also quite a long time but it isn’t as long as some of its rivals. The main problem appears to be with the cooling and heating system, as that accounts for 45.83% of problems, with the electrics coming in second. However, there have been no reported problems with the steering or transmission.

Breakeryard have reported that some of the problems you may encounter with the 107 include;

• Power steering problems
  • You may encounter this further down the line, you will have to get a replacement pump fitted
• Irregular idling
  • This is where the revs are going up and down instead of staying constant. You will have to get a new idle control valve fitted.
• Front tyre wear
  • The 107 is known for excessive tyre wear so you should keep an eye on the tread depth of the front tyres.

Is the Peugeot 207 reliable?

The Peugeot 207 isn’t as reliable as the 107, but it is still a very dependable car. It has a reliability index of 85, with the main problem being the engine which accounts for 23.08% of all issues. It’s average repair costs are quite costly, at £342.69. The average time it spends off road is also quite high at 3.02 hours.

The feedback on carbuyer is mixed, with some saying that the 207 is a reliable car and there have been no problems, and others saying the opposite. The general consensus, however, is that the 207 is a fairly reliable car and there haven’t been that many problems with it.

Breakeryard have reported that some of the problems you might encounter with the 207 include;

• Problems with the ECU
  • This includes the ABS and power steering warning lights
• Windscreen washer failure
  • This is common in 207’s and is caused by a faulty 5 amp fuse
• Alternator problems
  • If you have an early 207 or are looking at buying one, then you may have problems with the alternator.

Peugeot 308 reliability

If you are looking for a slightly larger family car, then you might be looking at the 308. And you should, because it’s pretty reliable. It has a reliability index of 86 and an average repair cost of £292.92. This is less than the 207. It also spends less time off the road, with an average of 2.71 hours. The main problem appears to be with the engine, accounting for 26.92% of all problems.Whatcar? put the 308 at better than class average for pollen filters and electrics, but below class average for bulbs and brake pads. Some common problems with the 308 might include;

• Pulling to the left
  • This is caused by uneven front tyre wear
• Turbo problems

Is the Peugeot 3008 reliable?

Looking for something a bit bigger? Then the 3008 might be right for you. It has a good reliability index of 106. It’s average repair costs are pricier at £495.12, but it is a larger and more expensive car so this is expected. It does only spend 2.95 hours off the road though which is good, better than some of the smaller models. The electrics account for 23.44% of all problems on ReliabilityIndex.

However, there have been a few recalls to the 3008,including replacing the fuel heater. If you are buying second hand, then you will have to make sure that the car has undergone the recalls.

WhatCar? suggest that some of the problems you may encounter include;

• Wear and tear
  • This can show up quite badly on the 3008
• Heating and ventilation systems
  • Some have reported issues with this

While Peugeot models have some issues, overall their cars and the brand as a whole are very dependable. Their reliability indexes for their most popular cars are low, though their repair costs can be quite expensive. However, they are still not as expensive as some of their rivals.

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Why are Peugeot reliable?

One of the reasons Peugeot models are so dependable could be because of the simplicity of the models. This can be backed up by the fact their smaller models are more reliable than their larger models.

Generally, smaller cars that are aimed to be affordable and to get you from A to B with little fuss tend to be more reliable than other cars. This is often due to the fact that they lack the complex modern technology bigger and more luxurious cars boast about having. While it looks good and sounds appealing, the technology can often have faults. These faults can be expensive to repair or replace, thereby bringing the reliability down by quite a bit.

However, the simplistic city cars don’t necessarily have this technology, and are therefore more reliable. This also keeps the price down and in turn, the repair costs down.

Some Peugeot models are also quick to repair and the less time a model spends off the road the better their dependability score. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of Peugeot cars on the road and they are made with more common parts than some of their more luxurious counterparts. This can come in handy when it needs replacement parts, as they will be less expensive and easier to source. All of these factors play into the reliability score.

So those are a few reasons why Peugeot are more dependable than some other manufacturers. 

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Peugeot vs. Nissan vs. Citroen

How does Peugeot compare to some of its rivals on the dependability front?

It holds its own. Nissan come 9th in the ReliabilityIndex table with a reliability index of 88. However, it didn’t do as well in the Telegraph survey, coming in 10th place with 98 problems per 100 vehicles. This is a drop from 87 problems last year. That said, Cheatsheet have put it in their top 10 vehicle brands for dependability, with Nissan models reaching 195,593 miles before hitting zero value. The Nissan Micra, their supermini, does well with a reliability index of 34 and average repair costs of £252.07. It also spends an average of 1.33 hours off the road, which is lower than the Peugeot 107. Their MPV, the Nissan Note, also does very well. It has a reliability index of 33 and an average repair cost of £237.73. It also spends 1.93 hours off the road, which is pretty good. If we look at the Nissan Qashqai, one of their most popular cars, then this also does well. It isn’t as reliable as the Micra or the Note, but is still dependable. It has a reliability index of 70 and average repair costs of £346.48. This is quite pricey, but it is a more expensive car. It also spends 2.01 hours off the road, which is pretty good. [vc_single_image image=”47698″ img_size=”article-image”]Peugeot also hold their own when it comes to Citroen. They come 13th place in the Telegraph survey with 115 problems per 100 vehicles. This is behind both Peugeot and Nissan. They also fall behind on ReliabilityIndex, coming 20th. They have a reliability index of 112, which is just above industry average.

However, their supermini, the C1, is extremely dependable. It has a reliability index of just 15. This is lower than Peugeot and Nissans counterparts. It has an average repair cost of £256.08 which is on par with the Micra and slightly less than the 107. It spends an average of 1.44 hours off the road. The Citroen C3 also doesn’t fare too badly, with a reliability index of 59. The average repair costs are quite low as well, at £270 and an average repair time of 2.41 hours. This is marginally better than the reliability of the 207.

The Citroen XSara Picasso, however, knocks the 3008 out of the park, unfortunately. It has a reliability index of 46 and average repair costs of £222.58. This is considerably better than the 3008. It spends an average of 2.20 hours off road.

Peugeot stand their ground when it comes to the smaller city cars, but they fail to keep up with the dependability of the larger cars. The 3008 doesn’t measure up compared to the Qashqai or the XSara Picasso. It does, however, keep up with the smaller cars. So it depends what you are looking for. Ultimately though, Peugeot put up a good fight when it comes to reliability and their rivals.

What are the most reliable Peugeot cars?

The most dependable Peugeot models are as follows;

• Peugeot 107
• Peugeot 206
• Peugeot 308

What are the least reliable Peugeot cars?

The least dependable models are;

• Peugeot 3008
• Peugeot 407

In conclusion, Peugeot are a solidly dependable brand. They triumph when it comes to smaller, city cars, however. They do fall down when it comes to slightly larger cars such as the 3008, but even then the 3008 isn’t exactly an unreliable model. The main reason for their dependability is down to the fact that they make affordable cars that avoid any expensive and complex technology that can lower reliability. They are also affordable when it comes to repair costs. When it comes to their rivals, they fare well, particularly with their smaller cars. If you are looking for a well built car that drives well and won’t let you down in terms of reliability, then Peugeot are perfect for you. 

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