Citroen Problems

It sounds like you have a bit of a thing for French cars right now, Carmel. In fact, you could argue that the French brands are experiencing a bit of a resurgence in Australia, particularly as each brand gets its quality act closer to the mark and the factory warranties have never been better than right now.

All three of the cars you’ve nominated have their strong points, and it will really come down to your personal preferences when it comes to which one is right for you. And let me guess; it was the Peugeot 2008’s odd dashboard/steering wheel relationship that put you off. That’s particularly true for shorter folk who have trouble looking over the wheel at the instruments. But then, such quirkiness has always been part of the charm of French cars, no?

In any case, it would also be wise to sample the Japanese and South Korean contenders at this end of the market, too, as there are some interesting offerings there as well. The Toyota C-HR would be one, the Honda HR-V another. Don’t forget, either, the Hyundai Kona, Nissan Juke and the Mazda CX-3. All have their strengths and weaknesses, but all are worth short-listing.

As for the MX-5, it’s true that Mazda has stuck to the original formula for the new latest little convertible. And, yes, that dictates a small, low car that is huge fun to drive but isn’t for everybody physically.

You can only accept what the manufacturer has said, and that the European recall doesn’t affect Australian specified cars.

If there are any common problems and complaints about Citroen's reliability or faults, they'll likely show up on our Citroen problems page. You can also calculate a car's projected resale value via our price and specs page.

The cost will depend on if you go to a locksmith or dealer and how old the car is. You can read more about how to replace your car keys here.

You can use 91-octane unleaded petrol, but to get the best performance and lowest fuel consumption it’s recommended that you use 95-octane Premium unleaded.

While French cars aren't always a picture of reliability if they are maintained well and serviced regularly they can be just as reliable as other small European vans.

You can, but this will reduce the van's load-carrying ability and is not easy as the market for supplying modified Citroen parts in Australia is next to non-existent. There are legal issues about roadworthiness surrounding lowered commercial vehicles, too.

Citroen's Berlingo van is 4380mm long.

Using a plastic trim removal tool pop the cover off the door pull, then undo the two bolts fastening the pull to the door frame. Next, use the trim tool to lever the door trim off the plastic fasteners around the edge of the door frame, before pulling the bottom of the door panel away and pushing it upwards to lift it off the door. Remove the door handle actuator from the back and you're done.