Citroen C4 Picasso 7-st (2007 - ) - 07 1.8 Problems with Water Pump & Manual Gearbox

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Thu 13 Aug 2009 23:21
07 1.8 Problems with Water Pump & Manual Gearbox - Busterdan
Just thought I'd offer some feedback on my 2 and a half year old Manual C4 Grand Picasso which has now done 14000 miles...

Unfortunately we've had a few niggly problems that have been sorted out by dealers - for example window relays failing, the boot not opening... but now "bigger" problems are surfacing.

I noticed that there was coolant loss, after three trips to the dealers (two different dealers) a leaking water pump was diagnosed (that's been replaced today).... pretty poor in my opinion for a car of this age and miles.

What is more worrying is an intermittent judder that happens when pulling away at about 1500 revs.... for example if you are pulling out of a side street and want to get out quickly the whole car judders violently almost like a really bad wheel spin (obviously without the wheel spin).... this seems to happen more when the car is hot. The dealer has said they think it is the clutch or possibly the flywheel.... if it is the clutch then it would not be covered by warranty so they don't want to proceed unless I agree to pay for a new clutch if it is needed. Also I am not keen for the gearbox/clutch to be ripped apart for a possible cause to the judder, I asked the dealer to speak to Citroen and see if similar problems have been reported (I got the impression they hadn't bother really or if they have Citroen haven't been of any help to them either. Personally I think 14000 miles for a clutch is not good enough... I have spoken to Citroen but they have just dismissed the problem really. As I say this is intermittent so it is difficult to replicate. The only other time the car hudders is from about 60 - 68 mph..... again the whole car feels like it is juddering (not just the steering wheel).... if you drive slower or faster, no judder. I'm not sure if this is the engine/gearbox or more likely steering/suspension. At all other times the car drives fine but I am not happy with so many problems. I wont buy another Citroen as a result of these problems and Citroen's dismissive attitude to the possible clutch problem.

Edited by Webmaster on 14/08/2009 at 01:00

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 13 Aug 2009 23:41
07 1800 Problems with Water Pump and Manual Gearbo - Simon
Its french, what do you expect??? Seriously though, it does sound like one of those cars that you don't want to be lumbered with once the warranty has expired.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide