Citroen C3 1.4 Desire

I have had my 2005 model for 4 years now, and have never had to spend as much money on a car as this. Cant wait to get rid of it, as I am left wondering what else could go wrong. Have already needed to replace both the front light units because water keeps getting in, replaced nearly all the light bulbs, had to replace the injectors, continually have to buy new wiper blades, have had to replace the clutch at a cost of £500 and now in garage because of overheating problems. It has only done 70,000 miles.

I've owned this car for a year, so I thought I would give my thoughts on it. I bought this car last winter as a replacement for a Fiat Punto of similar age that had electrical daemons (I know french car's aren't renowned for their reliability either!) But it drove without fault for 9 months. The guy I bought it off gave it a big service as it had just reached 100,000 miles. This included the usual oil, filter, coolant as well as cam belt, new head gasket and head bolts.

When I got the car I wanted to add bluetooth ability into it so I got a Sony MEX-BT2700 and a Connects2 CTSCT002 lead which enabled me to use the steering wheel controls :) It was a doddle to fit and is still going. I'd like to upgrade the door speakers in future as they leave something to be desired when it comes to sound quality.

After covering around 10,000 miles in it the (original!) clutch gave up (the release bearing exploded, clutch fork ended up scoring the flywheel and making a horrible noise) so a new clutch kit (friction, pressure and bearing), fork and having the flywheel machined set me back £350, which included having new gearbox oil :)

More recently I've had the (now infamous, I found out) check engine light come on, misfiring engine problem. Before doing a lot of googling I plugged in the cheap (it was less than £10) Chinese ELM327 ODB2 code reader and use ScanMaster ELM software to read the DTC P0204 fault code. This translated to cylinder 4 injector circuit malfunction. I cracked open the Haynes manual and swapped over injector 1 and 4 (1 is far right when looking at the engine) and the problem went to cylinder 1. Swapped out the injector for a new one (took about 30 mins after reading the instructions carefully) and the problem has gone away :) Cost only £24 from Motor Factors. A bit more googling revealed that it was probably a leaky washer jet that killed the injector and after looking, it seemed like this has happened before and was, again, leaking. I rerouted the T pipe so it's away from the washer nozzle (and not above injector 4) to stop it happening again :)

All in all it's been a fantastic car and I when trying hard I managed to get 52.2 MPG on the motorway but usually average 35MPG in town.

Well where do I start.

To date I've spent more than the cost of the car from when I purchased it over 2 years ago. I've had a new ECU, a new/reconditioned engine, and the main fuel pump.

Now The injectors are badly leaking fuel causing smoke and puddles of fuel on my driveway.

Not sure if this is a case of very bad luck, but I certainly would not recommend this car to anyone if you wish to keep the will to live!

I purchased this car as I thought it would be practical and wanted to start a family, but over £4k later I can not afford to all because of this crappy motor.

I really love this car, it is so nippy, great acceleration and its got some power in it too. Nice and roomy for the kids and so comfy. The suspension is superb you can't hardly feel the bumps in the road!!!

The only problem I've had is that the engine management light came on and it started mis firing slightly and the mechanic who I took it to did his research!!! It turned out that there is a common fault with C3's that when it rains or water goes on the bonet the water jet covers on the bonet leak water onto the fuel injector. All it needs is a little silicon to stop it leaking.

This is where i'm finding that people are getting ripped off by taking their car to mechanics who are finding other "faults" instead of this simple low cost fault......

I hope when reading this that it might restore peoples confidence and enjoyment with driving the Citroen C3

My car was fine and almost killed my wife. She was driving when suddenly the acceleration kicked off and the car took off like it never has before. Brakes would not stop and the engine continued to run faster and faster until after a couple of km's she hit the side of the road to stop the car and it flipped over.

It was like the car had a mind of its own and just took off. We were told by a service professional that the problem was the computer in the car. Not only was the car totaled but my wife was injured and required stitches.

had the car from 20000miles serviced at specified times now as 117000 still as good as new fuel comsumption is un believable and it as a terrific turn of foot would not buy anything else is very comfortable and reliable road tax£30 per year 100/1000

Bought a c3 1.4 hdi 8v. from a car auction 'BCA'.It is a 2005/05 model done 137k miles,one owner & spotless condition, with full main dealer service history,was taxed (£35-year)and a new mot which was an added bonus,and cost me £1,900 +com. & vat to auction.

This car so far has been fantastic and the mrs loves it,i hardly see her any more---result!

I LOVE THE NEW DS3 SPORT,

GRAHAM.

Went on holiday to France last year and enjoyed an exyended stay because the front suspension decided to collapse on the last day (maybe the car wanted to stay in France?)

However the extended warranty was good and got us and the car back to the UK, although the car obviously wanted to stay longer because it didn't arrive until some weeks later, after they tracked it down in Belgium.

When we went to collect the vehicle there were several new minor dents which, we were told, must have happened on the way back. I didn't realise that transporter straps could cause dents. Also surprisingly the garage offered to fix them. We declined.

Then the engine management light decided to make its presence felt on an intermittant basis - on for a week, off for a week, on for a week etc.

"Ah" said the garage after a diagnostic check "its your heater plugs, £200 please"

No 1 mug duely paid and had trouble free motoring for nearly 2 weeks but then the light must have been feeling lonely because it started attention seeking again.

"Ah" said the garage, it might be the type of diesel fuel. "Try a different petrol station"

So I did and - the light went out for a day but the climate control started making a noise. Explain that one Mr diagnostic machine.

It's a shame because I actually like the car. It's comfortable, economical and basically reliable, but I won't be buying another.

Finally, the garage sent me a customer satisfaction survey. I bet they don't keep their copy.

Excellent car Before this i had a fiat punto with loads of niggly things wrong with it. Only problem I have had with the C3 is the 10A F14 screenwash fuse blow when it's icy however the instruction booklet tells you not to use the screenwash in icy conditions

It's very comfortable and has an interior much like the C5

Sound system is very good and climate control works well

All in all an excellent car

I have the citroen 1.4 8 valve diesel desire, I use it as a driving instructor car ,I love it My pupils love it,my son will get this car of me in ten months time when he is 17 and I will buy the new model c3 .

Love the mpg

love the cd

love the aircon

I service it my self as it is out of warranty 90.000 miles... its had a new clutch,starter motor and gear selector cables,all i do is change the filters and oil,ohive changed the front brake discs all parts are very cheap.