Ask an expert


martinford

I am considering buying a 2002 Peugeot 307, manual, with 75,000kms on clock. It is a 1990cc Petrol engine. One owner for the past 10 years. Sporadic service records seem to indicate the Cam belt was replaced at about 32,000kms. Do these vehicles have common problems I should be aware of?

ABayliss

The reality is that a mainstream Japanese car may be better from a reliability point of view, however you are likely to pay more for a similar year & mileage Corolla for example.
The fact that this car is a manual is a bonus in my view, as there's less to go wrong with manual transmissions as opposed to autos.
Cambelt replacement interval is listed at 80,000km or 4 years (whichever comes first), so you may find the belt is coming due soon. The odd electrical glitch is not unheard of, but nothing too alarming.
I'm a little concerned that you say "sporadic service recored". Does his imply that the car hasn't been well serviced, or just that all the records aren't available? Perhaps this is a questioon worth asking.
Mileage seems low for its age, and with one owner for most of its life, it sounds like it may be one of the better examples available, so probably not a terribly high risk car.
I'd still recommend a Pre-purchase inspection.