Things to Look Out For

[DS379]

just got back to my car and when I pressed the unlock button nothing happened. I thought I'd left it unlocked like an idiot but when I tried the door it was locked. I stood there for 2 minutes trying to lock and unlock it and then it just opened. Not a good day for faults. crappy car

[Bigfeet]

Sounds like your key was not synchronized with the car correctly, if that happens again then pop the key into the ignition and light the dashboard, then press and hold the lock button on the key for about 10 secs and then it should work fine again.

[DS379]

Nice one mate, as helpful as ever.

You know what I don't get? Why start now after a year? Do you think I should trade my car in on Saturday when I'm going to the garage anyway and get a better car?

How many DS3's do you think have been returned shortly after buying them?

[gar074]

You know what I don't get? Why start now after a year?

Might there be a connection here? Batteries don't last forever!

I had a similar experience with my old car. I couldn't understand why the key stopped working all of a sudden, when I'd only replaced the battery a few months before. Then I realised that I'd stuffed the key in my back pocket that afternoon, and had probably unwittingly been pressing the lock/unlock buttons with my posterior all afternoon. It doesn't take long to flatten a key-fob battery if you operate it continuously.

It would be an overreaction to judge your car as crappy just for the sake of a £2 battery!

Although of course you're free to do so if you really must.

[DS379]

I don't base my crappy car comment on the battery not working (if this is indeed the problem) my crappy car comment refers to:

1) bluetooth not working
2) USB not working
3) rattling windows
4) rubbing window seals
5) front wipers smearing and not wiping (even brand new replacements)
6) inconsistent fuel guage
7) ticking from engine that makes it sound like a tractor which happens on and off for no reason
8) squeaking drivers seat linked to seatbelt
9) turbo pressure dropping in and out
10) wheel arch liners falling off and needed a fix within a month of buying
11) wheel corrosion
12) poor finish underneath glovebox
13) rattling sub cover (easy fix but that's not the point)

now don't get me wrong, I'm not a Mini cooper driver on here bashing the wannabee DS3. I love my car and am still proud of it each time I come back to it in a carpark. I'm just not so blinkered as to not be able to see that Citroen's "premium" car is little more than a pig with makeup on. A rickety old pig at that.

I just have to remember that it only cost £13k and you do get what you pay for, yes the car looks stunning and the turbo makes it great fun to drive and that's why I bought it, I guess I just didn't think it would start falling apart after a year. That's when the statement "oh my god your car is amazing, shame it's a Citroen" begins to make sense.


It's kinda like the people who go into ASDA and buy a Hoover 52" HD ready LCD for £150 and then get upset when the picture is rubbish and won't play Eastenders in HD.

ho hum.

[dave_beast]

Imo, if I had that many problem with a new car so soon I would reject it as not fit for purpose. I think you bought a lemon, or a "Friday" car, and I don't think it's reason enough to tar the whole of Citroen because of your 1 bad experience.
I've had 2 brand new Citroens, a C2 VTS and a C4 VTR+ coupe, absolutely no problems with either.

[DS379]

We've had 5 Citroens in my family.

Citroen AX - great car lasted until trade-in
Citroen AX - great car - wrote it off in an accident (saved my life, great car)
Citroen C4 Picasso - riddled with computer faults, garage could not repair, replacement offered but declined - full refund given
Citroen C4 VTR - Amazing car, went wrong after 3 months and replcement car was given due to technical issues that couldnt be fixed. Replacement car lasted 5 years and then contracted the deadly "anti pollution failure" which could not be fixed by 3 Citroen garages or 2 local garages. Had to trade it in not working losing us 8k
Citroen DS3 - Great car but not as well made as the C4, so far only small problems but when buying the "premium" range I expected better.

[gar074]

I don't base my crappy car comment on the battery not working

Sorry mate, I didn't mean to intrude on private grief. That's a real shed-load of problems you've got there.

[DS379]

no worries mate, I'm not upset or angry, just REALLY frustrated. I bought this car as a treat after spending over £1500 on my C4 trying to save it (sold it for 2.5k) and I keep finding fault. The thing is my mates Porsche Caymen has been in the garage a lot more than my DS3 so I guess you've just got to take the rough with the smooth

[ZACK]

Porsche Caymen

Awful Cars...

[pauljack]

Awful Cars...

Really! my mate loves his and i would love one. Tell us your experience of yours then Zack and why so awul?

DS3 that is an awful lot of failures and exactly why I am worried about coming to the brand as a virgin Citroen customer! I got shot down in flames for liking the Audi A1, but i bet its built like a tank and lasts for years!

[DS379]

DS3 that is an awful lot of failures and exactly why I am worried about coming to the brand as a virgin Citroen customer! I got shot down in flames for liking the Audi A1, but i bet its built like a tank and lasts for years!

Let me just give you one last piece of information that I think that you should know even if it's not a fact - When I spoke to the Citroen dealership that I bought my C4 from(Palmers Watford) I told them I'd never touch another Citroen again after all the trouble I had. The salesman then pulled me to the side as I showed some interest in the new Peugeot. He told me that Citroen are used as guinea pigs by the bigwigs like Mercedes and BMW. They sell them new technologies that they haven't fully tested yet at a good price so that Citroen try them out for them, thus not tarnishing their names when faults occur. They also don't provide any aftersales advice to Citroen for when things go wrong and this is why Citroen can't fix the problems. It's not designed or made by them and so when anything goes wrong you're stuffed.

Another thing worth noting is that when I got my C4 picked up for the 3rd time by Ontime recovery the guy said " I never get Citroen's on the back of this thing, I get loads of Audi's and BMW's but no Citroens.

You pay your money,you take your chance. I love the DS3 and once all the problems are ironed out I'm sure I'll be a happy chappy but my car is only a year old and alarm bells are ringing and from the other posts on here I know it's not just me and my car. The good news is they issues are being dealt with which is really good but these fixes will begin to cost me after my 3yr warranty runs out and they are going to be bloody expensive.

I would still recommend this car to anyone(and I do/have on more than one occasion) but I would tell them to bear the following in mind:

1) get as much warranty and service as is physycally possible and then get more!
2) get good breakdown cover
3) trade it in before your warranty runs out
4) the car is worth hardly anything after 3 years and so you will have to buy it to keep (a.k.a run into the ground)
5) running it into the ground may happen a lot quicker than you would like (6 years)

[dave_beast]

Let me just give you one last piece of information that I think that you should know even if it's not a fact - When I spoke to the Citroen dealership that I bought my C4 from(Palmers Watford) I told them I'd never touch another Citroen again after all the trouble I had. The salesman then pulled me to the side as I showed some interest in the new Peugeot. He told me that Citroen are used as guinea pigs by the bigwigs like Mercedes and BMW. They sell them new technologies that they haven't fully tested yet at a good price so that Citroen try them out for them, thus not tarnishing their names when faults occur. They also don't provide any aftersales advice to Citroen for when things go wrong and this is why Citroen can't fix the problems. It's not designed or made by them and so when anything goes wrong you're stuffed.

Lol, that's bullcrap, and yes, I know a few people that work at PSA.

[DS379]

Lol, that's bullcrap, and yes, I know a few people that work at PSA.

that's good to know. I can say hand on heart that since buying the DS3 the service dept are totally on the ball and the "insiders" on here seem to really know their stuff. It just made a lot of sense at the time.

[thevirtualrunner]

Ummmm.... your username is "DS3 enthusiast" but all this seems very negative...