Want something super quick and stylish to get you round town? The Peugeot 206 could be the very thing you need with its continental stylings, which was created as an evolution of the best-selling 205. It has been a continual hit with motorists, selling over 8,000,000 vehicles in a production run that lasted from 1998 to 2016.
Chances are that you can now pick up a 206 at a very attractive price and get yourself a quality car that’s good on the pocket and great for fuel economy straight off the web or the second-hand lot. But what are the dangers and pitfalls you need to watch out for?
So what are the common faults with the Peugeot 206?
Spare Wheel
Believe it or not the spare wheel on the 206 is so popular, thieves will often break into vehicles and steal it. This widespread problem could mean any second hand purchase might be missing this vital spare. Take a look under the felt in the back to check the emergency wheel is present and correct.
Central Locking
Check all the locks in the central locking system. These are prone to locking immediately after opening or opening straight after locking. It’s a common fault that’s caused by a broken actuator, which will require a quick replacement to make the vehicle secure once again.
Indicator Stalks
You’ll have no trouble noticing this fault in any second hand Peugeot 206 you’re looking at purchasing. The indicator stalks are particularly weak in later models manufactured after 2001 and will often break on the shaft. Whilst the seller might protest that the system still works adequately, this probably isn’t what you want from an on-the-road vehicle.
Engine Mounting Problems
Take the car for a test drive. Feel any vibrations and problems with the car shaking and juddering whilst idling? This could well be down to issues with the engine mounts, especially if you are looking at a 1.4L model. If nothing is done about this problem, the engine in the Peugeot will wear out quickly and will start to run extremely inefficiently.
Gearbox Problems
Has your potential purchase been driven through deep flood water? One way of finding out is if the car smells a bit damp or fusty, as water is known to leak into the foot-wells. However this can cause a more serious problem with the gearbox, creating issues with shifting and engaging the clutch.
Front Lower Ball Joints
Another problem to watch out for when taking the Peugeot out for a test drive is a widely reported issue with the front lower ball joints. If the 206 seems to be suffering from excessive vibration at the front of the car, or if it pulls slightly to the left or right then this is probably down to this particular fault in the vehicle.
Sunroof
If you like a quiet drive then you might want to watch out for 206’s with a sunroof. There is quite a well-known problem with the part that causes all kinds of knocking and rattling noises that you may find disturbing or irritating whilst behind the wheel. Peugeot does not know what causes these sounds, nor how to fix them, so if you buy a car with sunroof problems you are going to be stuck with these audio accompaniments for quite some time.
There’s plenty of reasons to buy a Peugeot 206 and whilst this car isn’t the best for a larger family looking to get everyone around on the weekend, if you’re a metropolitan couple needing the fast and nippy ability to rock around town then this vehicle could well be the attractively priced answer.
For affordable replacement engines, gearboxes and more, check out our new and used Peugeot 206 parts page.
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