Peugeot 206 1.4 Verve

I GOT THIS CAR TO REPLACE A WEE 98 NISSAN MICRA, BIG MISTAKE!!! BASICALLY THIS WAS THE 2nd FAMILY CAR WHICH IS USED FOR ME TO TRAVEL TO & FROM WORK WHICH IS A 60 MILE ROUND TRIP 4 DAYS PER WEEK (SAVES THE MILES & WEAR & TEAR ON OUR GOOD CAR!). I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD SON WHO ALSO TRAVELS WITH ME TO THE CHILD MINDER. WE BOUGHT THE PEUGEOT FOR £700, UNDER 80,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. I ALWAYS LIKED THE LOOK OF THE 206'S & WHEN I 1st GOT IT I WAS SO IMPRESSED AT THE COMFORT & THE CAR DIDNT FEEL OLD & RATTLY LIKE MOST CARS OF THIS AGE FEEL. IT HAD NICE ALLOYS & A CD PLAYER BUT LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING!! WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR WE HAD NOT READ REVIEWS ON IT (ALSO A BIG BIG MASSIVE MISTAKE!) WE HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IT HAD A NEW GEARBOX IN 2008 & SAW THE RECEIPT FOR THIS, SO THEREFORE THOUGHT THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN LOOKED AFTER & THAT THE GEARBOX REPLACEMENT WOULD GIVE THE CAR A GOOD LOT MORE YEARS OF DRIVING!!

AFTER HAVING THE CAR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS, I WAS TRAVELLING TO WORK ON THE MOTORWAY WITH MY LITTLE TODDLER ON BOARD. SUDDENLY I FELT A KIND OF JERK & THUD FROM BELOW THE CAR, FOLLOWED BY A BIG TRAIL OF SMOKE, I PULLED ONTO THE HATRD SHOULDER & GOT OUT TO INVESTIGATE & UNDER THE CAR THERE WAS OIL COMPLETELY POURING OUT OF IT, LIKE A SHOWER.

BEING TOTALLY STRANDED ON THE MOTORWAY WITH A SMALL CHILD ON BOARD IS SCARY! LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO WAKE MY PARTNER FROM HIS SLEEP, AFTER JUST FINISHING A NIGHT SHIFT, HE HAD TO TRAVEL ABOUT 20 MILES TO RESCUE US. I HAD TO GET THE CAR OFF THE MOTORWAY BEFORE THE POLICE CAME AS THEY WOULD HAVE CHARGED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN AWAY & A RECOVERY COMPANY WOULD HAVE CHARGED NOT MUCH LESS THAN THIS. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE MOTORWAY & INTO A 'SAFE' PLACE SO AS I COULD GET TO WORK & FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WOULD DO.

WHEN I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE MOTORWAY IT WAS DRIVING FINE, YOU WOULDNT HAVE KNOWN ANUTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, APART FROM I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

WE GOT THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED IT WAS THE GEARBOX, WE BOUGHT A 2nd HAND 1 FOR £200 & THE MECHANIC WAS CHARGING £100 TO FIT...WE THOUGHT WE WOULD GET THIS FIXED & SELL ON STRAIGHT AWAY

.... AS THIS WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, WHEN THE MECHANIC ACTUALLY WENT TO FIT THE GEARBOX HE CALLED TO SAY THAT WHOEVER HAD DID THE GEARBOX REPLACEMENT HADN'T PUT ALL THE BOLTS ETC BACK IN WHICH IS WHY THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED BUT NOT ONLY THIS...THE CAR ALSO NEEDED A NEW HEAD GASKET! ROD ENDS! & WISHBONES !! THE PRICE OF THESE ADDITIONAL PARTS WOULD COME TO £350!!

MAKING A TOTAL OF £650 TO REPAIR A 2nd CAR BOUGHT FOR £700!!!!!

DONT SEE THE POINT IN FIXING IT, WE HAVE DECIDED TO SCRAP THE PIECE OF RUBBISH & MAKE A MASSIVE LOSS ON IT...WHICH WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO DO BUT THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY OTHER CHOICE FOR US!

MY ADVICE IS STAY AWAY FROM PEUGEOTS, INFACT FRENCH CARS IN GENERAL...NISSAN MICRA WAS A WEE DREAM !!

Peugeot 206 1.4 Verve is a very good and reliable car, also good value for money and in the second hand car market hold their value quite well.

My wife bought the Peugeot 206 Verve to replace a Mk 1 1400 Renault Clio, and we are both impressed. She's 5 foot nothing, I'm 6 foot, and we can both drive comfortably. performance is pretty good, and the ride is more comfort based rather than sporty, so it leans a bit, but seems to hang on OK! Back seat space adequate, quite good for this size of car; the cabin is a much nicer place to be than the Clio. Came with alloy wheels, CD player and aircon, and sporty Recaro style seats.