Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 00:16

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

I see that the Peugeot 308s are available at very attractive prices, in the second hand market.

They are available at prices the Focus used to be available at, 5 - 6 years ago.

Are they an under-rated car and a good buy, or are they potential lemons, and the pricing reflects that?

HJ's CBCB has hardly any faults related to the 308, particularly the petrol 1.6 VTIs (normally aspirated).

Could any petrol 308 owners provide their experience with the car, in terms of reliability?

The TUV data provides a bad picture of the 308. They are generally towards the bottom of the charts.

Also, whatcar lists a bunch of problems, such as;

h*********************/peugeot/308/hatchback/used-review/advice/

The cooling system can go wrong, either by not cooling the engine, or going into overdrive when not required. Some owners also complain of manual gearbox problems, leaving the car stuck in neutral.

Electrical issues also crop up, so check all switches and controls work correctly.

There have been a number recalls for the Peugeot 308, including problems with the brakes, headlights and electrics. A franchised dealer should be able to tell you if the work has been carried out.

The sunday times review states

http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/peugeot-308-mk1-review-2007-2013/

The 308 has been recalled 17 times (at last count) since its launch in late 2007, for electrical glitches, numerous brake faults, fuel leaks, a potential loss of power steering and even a collapsing driver’s seat; most recent recalls have been for problems with steering, shock absorbers, faulty rear windscreen seals and fuel leaks which could lead to an engine fire.

So where does the truth lie?

Is the petrol model generally reliable and the problems related to the diesel models, or is the 308 generally unreliable?

Edited by eustace on 10/11/2016 at 00:19

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 07:15

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - andyp

I have just traded in my 2013 308 1.6HDI Active which I owned from new. Over the 3 years and 37,000 miles it never had a single problem, nothing dropped off and the only time it went back to the dealer's was for 3 services & 2 tyres. It averaged 55mpg and the only criticism I have is of a slightly harder ride than I would have liked which was probably due to the unessessary 17" wheels & low profile tyres. !

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 07:35

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - SLO76

The petrol engines are generally robust and they're extremely good at holding off rust but they don't drive as well as the best rivals and the 1.6 diesel has developed a terrible reputation for turbo failure and is best avoided.

Problem comes when it's time to sell it on or trade it in, they're next to worthless at 6-7old when a Focus, Golf, Civic or Octavia would be repaying much of your initial outlay. Purchase price is only part of the overall cost and the Civic's we've owned have always repayed the extra with faultless reliability and strong money on resale.

Go drive a Focus with the Yamaha designed 1.6 petrol or a Civic 1.8. Both drive better than the 308 (especially the Focus) and both will cost probably the same if not less overall and give you a better ownership experience.

Edited by SLO76 on 10/11/2016 at 07:37

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 10:36

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - madf

Good buy? Get a cheap one, well maintained with all recall work done and be a driver who gets faults fixed quickly and has a competent garage - and you may be lucky.

Buy a badly maintained one or a badly built one and rely on an incompetent/avaricious garage and you will spend money like a drunk.

Clint Eastwood summed it up perfectly in his immortal lines "Do you feel lucky,punk?" Because if you are unlucky, you may wish you bought a Honda or a Toyota or Ford or a Hyundai who all make similar size cars which are better built and more reliable.

Personally a bargepole job. Unless very very cheap (and that's usually for a very very expensive reason)

Edit.. spend a lot of money and depreciation will be vertical.

Edited by madf on 10/11/2016 at 10:39

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 10:46

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - pd

It depends on which 308 you are talking about as there are two of them and they are completely different.

Neither are particularly unreliable or badly built compared to anything much else and 100x better than earlier 307s. Like all cars they have their common faults.

The main critisism is that the earlier one is rather dull to drive and has average packaging and looks. The later one is a much better car all round and is highly rated in most places.

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 13:51

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - Gibbo_Wirral

I've recently gone from a 307 to a 2008 308, as have a few members on the Pug forums.

First thing I found was that the quality seemed a little cheaper than the 307 - no underbonnet soundproofing on the basic entry level models, the plastic trim (especially on doors) feels cheap and prone to damage, the seats and steering wheel wears much sooner than its predecessor. The boot parcel shelf also seems thinner.

But, on the positives its a good drive, very quiet and comfortable. My 1.4 petrol returns 480 miles out of a full tank, which I was very surprised to find.

I've done some mods on mine - replaced the stock radio CD player for the MP3 model, and fitted the centre console with the cubby hole armrest.

But, if you want decent reviews, visit the peugeot forums and speak to other owners, instead of reading the usual "avoid because its French" that you get on here. The only "avoid" I'd recommend is the 1.6 diesel engined model is service history is poor.

As for the recalls, take that with a pinch of salt - the Ford Focus has had 38 recalls.

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 10/11/2016 at 13:57

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 14:52

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

Thanks Gibbo_Wirral for your response.

Good to here the views of a Peugeot fan. The 307 was reported to suffer from several quality issues, how was your experience?

Also have you heard about any gearbox issues with the 308? If so, do you know wether it affects the petrol engined cars.

Also any views on the reliability of the electrics?

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 12:56

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - Gibbo_Wirral

I loved the 307 - the Mk1 model particularly. The 2L 90bhp engined model was bullet proof, and I liked the extras that you got with the SE and GLX models - armrests, climate control, all round electric windows and so on.

I have heard that the auto box on the 308 can cause problems. But the high road tax put me off.

Electrics - again, no problem. But I have seen issues on the 207, but they've always been down to neglect - owners who never pop the bonnet or do a cursory inspection of the engine bay and see that the windscreen scuttle has fallen (commonly badly fitted after a replacement windscreen).

I have a theory, and it might be considered sexist, but I find that the cars which have the alleged problems are second cars, cars owned by the mum of the family - the school runner, the shopping cart - and its just used as a daily workhorse. I'm a former engineer and very old school when it comes to checks and servicing, as that's how I was taught by my dad and granddad.

When I was looking for a petrol 307 for my dad in 2015 I looked at one that hadn't had any servicing since 2011. The owner claimed she didn't need to do one because it hadn't done the required mileage - totally misunderstanding the statement of "20,000 miles or every two years - whichever comes first". There was no coolant in it, and she didn't know how long it had been like that because she never checked it.

The 207 and 407 suffer from this rear light cluster problem:

www.407owners.com/docs/rearlightbulbsold.pdf

I bought my 308 model from a dealer: 34000 miles one owner, full service history for £2500. But I was looking for at least two months from as far west as Liverpool over to Sheffield (I'm currently located halfway between the two), and saw a lot of rubbish - which led me to believe the build quality isn't as good. My 307 was 15 years old with three times the mileage of some I looked at, and my 307 was in far better condition.

I looked at private and dealer. I've no qualms with buying private because I know what I'm looking for and have the Lexia diagnostic equipment so I can interrogate the car's computer and look for signs of unscrupulous sellers clearing engine lights!

I was once looking for a Pug 106 for a friend and it had the airbag light on. The seller claimed it had just come on when he was hoovering under the seats and he "probably knocked the cable". The diagnostic equipment showed that the fault first appeared several thousand miles ago (the engine ECU logs faults at their mileage, not date), so he'd either driven 8000 miles in the five days since he'd hoovered it, or he was a bit fat liar!

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 11/11/2016 at 13:07

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 14:56

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

I've recently gone from a 307 to a 2008 308, as have a few members on the Pug forums.

Also where did you buy your 2008 308 from? Did you buy it from a dealer or privately? I see that there are a lot of 308s from that era being sold privately? Would you consider buying this car privately, without the backing of a dealer? I would consider buyng it privately, if I knew that there were no endemic issues that I needed to be wary of.

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 14:49

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

Thanks PD, for your response. I am assuming you are referring to the pre-2012 faceloifted 308 and the post 2012 facelifted versions.

HJ's CBCB gives very few faults related to the non turbo petrol 308s.

He does talk about issues with the clutch master cylender on the 1.6 hdi.

There are several reports on the internet about gearbox issues with the 308s, but they don't specify whether it relates to the petrol or the diesel cars. if it's the diesel, it could be the same issue that HJ regers to regarding the clutch master cylender on the diesels.

So what I would really like to know is whether;

1) The 1.6 petrol 308s are affected by clutch / gearbox problems

2)French cars are generally panned about their electrics. Are there any serious electrical issues reported regarding the petrol 308s?

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 14:43

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

"Because if you are unlucky, you may wish you bought a Honda or a Toyota or Ford or a Hyundai who all make similar size cars which are better built and more reliable."

Thanks for your response ma*** I have considered all the cars you named and have ruled them out for various reasons.

1) Honda Civic for it's poor rear visibility

2) Toyota Auris, because cars before 2013, do not have ESP (stability Control) and 2013 auris is beyond my budget.

3) Hyundai / Kia because they gave shifted to GDI engines, and I want to avoid GDI engines untill I have full clarity on how the carbon build up issues are being avoided.

4) Nissa Note due to it's sub frame issues

5) Honda Jazz because of it's potential gear box bearings issues.

I don't want to go for typical super mini's or smaller, because I want decent space beyond the backseat to act as a crumple zone, for rear end collisions.

So of the usual suspects recommended on this forum (Japanese / Korean / Ford), that leaves only the Ford.

I currently have a 2008 Ford Focus 1.6 petrol, and am reasonably happy with it.

But used Focuses are not relatively cheap any longer, as at that time I purchased mine.

The equivant spec 308 is about £2000 cheaper than the Focus 6k vs 4K, for a 2011 model car.

Somehow I can't imagine that the quality difference between these 2 cars warrants such a huge price difference. Or am I mistaken?

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Thu 10 Nov 2016 22:11

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

http://www.peugeotforums.com/forums/207-36/207-vti-120-hp-1-6-anti-pollution-fault-timing-chain-16361/

Looks like even the naturally aspirated vti engines, have iming chain issues.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/57688/has-my-peugeot-308-got-a-timing-chain-problem-

HJ also confirms it, in one of his replies

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 00:58

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - yeomand4d

Bought a 2 year old estate version thp model in 2014. on 48k with not a problem.

It replaced a 2.2d4d Avensis which entertained us with several garages refusing to replace a waterpump due to restricted access. A satnav/radio/cd that switched off/locked up after driving for an hour & an random jolting/misfire at 1600-1800rpm that puzzled many. "Maybe injectors" was Toyota's best guess. And at best economy of 45mpg on a run. Then the oil leak that ruined a new driveway. Full service history looked after car. I called it something different.......

Wife runs a 2009 c-max 82k on the ford/psa 1.6 engine. serviced every 10k miles. original turbo. No extra expense on top of recommended maintenance.

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 10:43

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - corax

It replaced a 2.2d4d Avensis which entertained us with several garages refusing to replace a waterpump due to restricted access. A satnav/radio/cd that switched off/locked up after driving for an hour & an random jolting/misfire at 1600-1800rpm that puzzled many. "Maybe injectors" was Toyota's best guess. And at best economy of 45mpg on a run. Then the oil leak that ruined a new driveway. Full service history looked after car. I called it something different.......

The 2.2d4d doesn't seem to have been a well designed engine, head gasket problems too. If you go on the Toyota forums you will find countless tales of woe with the T180 versions.

eustace - the Focus is pricier due to being able to sell it on more easily, not just the quality difference.

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 12:58

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - catsdad

Eustace it would be a pity to exclude the Civic just on visibility. Most users have no issue with it in practice. For example it's the only car I have ever had where I have no blind spot whatever between the main mirror and the door mirrors. As for reversing its no better nor or worse than most other hatches and with a camera or sensors it's no issue at all.

I agree that the rear spoiler is an initial irritation but you soon ignore it. There is nothing it can actually totally obscure, unless you are being followed by a hovering sheet of plasterboard ;-).

If you haven't already done so I'd recommend a test drive and look past the spoiler rather than at it.

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 13:52

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - eustace

Catsdad, thanks for your comment.

I admit that I haven't actually terst driven the Civic. But pictures of the view from the rear view mirrir, dismays me.

This doesn't inspire any confidence at all.

See picture below.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/long-term-tests/honda/honda-civic-type-r-long-term-test-review/

www.carmagazine.co.uk%2Fcar-reviews%2Flong-term-te...1" target="_blank"><*** id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 140px;" src="http://images.car.bauercdn.com/upload/7926/images/iop/96hondacivictype-rreviewxs.jpg" alt="Image result for honda civic rear visibility" width="320" height="240" />

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Fri 11 Nov 2016 20:30

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - catsdad

Hi Eustace.

Thanks for such a detailed response. Mine is a Mk9 and the spoiler is a little thinner. However I think the photo is a tad misleading in the first link as its set to focus on the spoiler to highlight it. In reality you look past it, not at it.

Unfortunately the my laptop won't open the second link.

The claim that the Civic spoiler could obscure e.g. a police car is journalistic twaddle. I don't find this in practice and, even if it were a slight issue, to be small enough an image to be obscured the police car would have to be a very very long way back and be in a very limited alignment that would quicklyopen up as the road rises and falls. It would then be visible from hundreds of metres away in the rear view mirror and it would be visible at all times in the door mirrors.

Its nowhere near as bad as having rear seat passengers in any car and I've never read a review that says (for example) rear visibility out of the Golf is terrible when carrying passengers!

Anyway, don't take my (or journalists) word for it. If the only thing putting you off a Civic is the rear visibility then its worth a test drive to see for yourself.

The 1.8 petrol offers sub10 seconds to 60 mph, 140hp, 45 mpg, chain cam Japanese reliabilty.

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Sat 25 Jan 2020 14:29

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - San Scott

Hi there!

I'm 4 years late but found a lovely 2013 308 1.6 vti done only 37,000 miles, so was wondering if you bought one and if you can recommend

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Sat 25 Jan 2020 15:19

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - SLO76

Don’t. The VTi motor has a nasty reputation for timing chain failures, something that wasn’t common knowledge in 2016 when most were still low mileage. Pay the extra (or buy an older one) for a much better made and vastly more reliable Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Auris or 1.6 petrol Ford Focus. All will repay you with a nicer drive, much better reliability and superior resale value.

Edited by SLO76 on 25/01/2020 at 15:23

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Mon 27 Jan 2020 12:40

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - Gibbo_Wirral

The 1.6 engine chain stretches.

My 1.4, which I had for three years ran faultless in all that time. No MOT fails, no advisories.

I only sold it because I moved a few months ago and it was quicker, easier, cheaper and less stressful to commute to work, so the car wasn't getting any use at all.

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 27/01/2020 at 12:41

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Mon 24 Feb 2020 11:03

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - edlithgow

Problem comes when it's time to sell it on or trade it in, they're next to worthless at 6-7old when a Focus, Golf, Civic or Octavia would be repaying much of your initial outlay.

Doesn't that indicate buying one at 6-7 years old?

The title says "good buy second hand" so new car depreciation seems at worst irrelevant and at best a benefit.

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 11:59

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - Turbo Tiger

Latest review;

Ive had my 2.0 HDI GTline for 18 months and on 46k mile.

Very impressed with it. Pros and cons in a minute. Bit of history first.

I loved the sporty look and build, but thought 150bhp a bit tame. So took it to Celtic Tuning in Newquay, (thoroughly recommend them) for a recap.

Interestingly the first dyno run showed the standard engine was putting out 170bhp! It had only done 2k miles. Torque was 305 ft lbs. So pretty good standard.

Celtic Tuning waved their wand and produced 210bhp and a whopping 366 ft lbs torque. All for £300. I'm not a boy racer/traffic light dragster, but my God what a difference on motorways. I reckon 0-60 sub 7secs and top speed 155mph. Mpg marginal around the factory figures. But the most noticeable pleasure is not having to change down gears when you need power. Once above 1,500rpm you feel it pull, hit 2,000rpm and wham! Whatever gear I'm in. It just pulls like a train.

On 46k miles and it seems to be getting more horses, not so tight and feels lighter. The clutch seems to handle the extra grunt as the bite point still the same.

So all in all, very pleased with the performance, with only £100 extra annually on my insurance premium. I'm 52 with 100% no claims.

Pros

Very good handling. Seating. Ergonomics. Equipment level. Gives memories of the old 208 GTI. But with a much higher trim and comfort level.

Cons

Traction control useless. Even before the remap, it comes on when you don't need it and doesn't come on when you do need it. Worse, you can turn it off, but only below 25mph. Then it automatically engages. Above 25mph it won't turn off.

Adblue filler cap in the bottom of the boot. Pain in the butt to top up.

Touch screen on the dash could be a bit more sensitive.

That is it. I'm very happy with it. Sadly I will be having the recap removed before I sell it. I'm used to powerful cars. The next owner may not.

All in all a very good car to buy second hand. No problems in 46k miles. Hasn't missed a beat in 18 months with hardish driving with way more power than designed to handle.

Hope this is of some use to anyone.

Cheers

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 14:24

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - badbusdriver

Latest review;

Ive had my 2.0 HDI GTline for 18 months and on 46k mile.

Very impressed with it. Pros and cons in a minute. Bit of history first.

I loved the sporty look and build, but thought 150bhp a bit tame. So took it to Celtic Tuning in Newquay, (thoroughly recommend them) for a recap.

Interestingly the first dyno run showed the standard engine was putting out 170bhp! It had only done 2k miles. Torque was 305 ft lbs. So pretty good standard.

Celtic Tuning waved their wand and produced 210bhp and a whopping 366 ft lbs torque. All for £300. I'm not a boy racer/traffic light dragster, but my God what a difference on motorways. I reckon 0-60 sub 7secs and top speed 155mph. Mpg marginal around the factory figures. But the most noticeable pleasure is not having to change down gears when you need power. Once above 1,500rpm you feel it pull, hit 2,000rpm and wham! Whatever gear I'm in. It just pulls like a train.

On 46k miles and it seems to be getting more horses, not so tight and feels lighter. The clutch seems to handle the extra grunt as the bite point still the same.

So all in all, very pleased with the performance, with only £100 extra annually on my insurance premium. I'm 52 with 100% no claims.

Pros

Very good handling. Seating. Ergonomics. Equipment level. Gives memories of the old 208 GTI. But with a much higher trim and comfort level.

Cons

Traction control useless. Even before the remap, it comes on when you don't need it and doesn't come on when you do need it. Worse, you can turn it off, but only below 25mph. Then it automatically engages. Above 25mph it won't turn off.

Adblue filler cap in the bottom of the boot. Pain in the butt to top up.

Touch screen on the dash could be a bit more sensitive.

That is it. I'm very happy with it. Sadly I will be having the recap removed before I sell it. I'm used to powerful cars. The next owner may not.

All in all a very good car to buy second hand. No problems in 46k miles. Hasn't missed a beat in 18 months with hardish driving with way more power than designed to handle.

Hope this is of some use to anyone.

Cheers

TT

Hmm, i guess the first question i have is why you chose to add your review onto a thread which is essentially 4 years old?. The couple of more recent posts being specifically about a 1.6VTI.

As to the rest of it, well i can't help noticing more than a whiff of condescension about it!.

"Sadly i will be having the remap (i'm assuming that is what was meant, not 'recap') removed before i sell it. I'm used to powerful cars. The next owner may not" (!!!)

A couple of points. 210bhp is not really that much and would very much place it in the 'warm' rather than 'hot' end of hot hatch hierachy. The current top of the hot hatch power race (Mercedes A45S AMG) offers 415bhp, so to suggest a car of the same size with 50% less power is going to be too much for some to handle.........!. And lets be honest, you really don't have to remove the remap. Just advertise it as having been remapped, and what the power is, that way the potential new owner decide for themselves if they are up to handling such power(!).

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Sun 23 Feb 2020 16:41

Peugeot 308 - Peugeot 308 - good buy second hand or a money pit? - thunderbird

Hasn't missed a beat in 18 months with hardish driving with way more power than designed to handle

Probably why he is having the remap removed and keeping quiet about it. If it really had increased the figures to that level the whole drive train will have had a hard time and is probably now a ticking time bomb.

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