Please help me with my Citroen C8!?

I Have a Citroen C8 2003. I bought it 18 months ago, quite impulsively because we had another baby on the way and the price was reasonable. The guy who sold it me will have nothing more to do with it.



Since then we have had no end of trouble with it. My BIGGEST and most worrying problem is that the engine has started to jerk very randomly, especially when in 1st/2nd gear. If you don't accelerate hard enough the car will stall at traffic lights, junctions...whenever it feels like it! As a result, I feel like I am constantly riding the clutch.



It has good days and bad days...sometimes in the morning it can be fine and then by the evening it's shot at or vice versa. There is no indication as to when or why it plays up. Sometimes it can go a few weeks running fine. It is SOOOOOO stressful!



You are wondering why I have not taken it to the Citroen garage . I have. They ran a diagnostic which indicated that it was air flow/fuel injection problem(?). They ordered a new part, charged me a fortune and told me that it was fixed. It was for two months. My mechanic seems to think that the diagnosic test results are unreliable especially with the car being intelligent and that It is unlikely that it was fixed appropriately...more that the car was having a good run for a few weeks...which does happen.



When I go back to them this week, I want to be armed with a little information. Does anyone know why it does this? How it needs to be fixed?



My more minor problems are:

(This is just so you can appreciate what an utter fool I was to buy the car in the first place. My question is more about the problem above)



1. The gearbox is tricky...you need two hands to put it in reverse.

2. All the panels keep coming away.. even the handle casing on the front door has fallen off.

3. It is slow to accelerate

4. One of the sliding electric door is broken. It beeps to indicate that it 'knows to open' but doesn't.

5. The rear window wiper only clears half the window, even when we changed the wiper.Please help me with my Citroen C8!?
I would write, in great detail, to Citroen UK %26amp; ask if they're prepared to help in any way. You never know. It's obvious that this car was sold after it's 3 year warranty had run out %26amp; these 'niggles' were never sorted.

Citroens are an odd machine, and a lot of garages either know very little, or don't want to touch them. Google local independent Citroen specialists. Well worth it. I had a couple of Citroens %26amp; had the same response from various garages, mechanics, etc; found a local chap (about 20 miles away) who was fantastic.



The C8 shares most parts with the Fiat Ulysse %26amp; Peugeot 807: There's a great website for problems;

http://www.eurovan2.com/



I will warn you that gearbox problems are usually terminal.



This is one person's list of issues after 18 months with their C8;

1. Problem with both sliding doors, not opening/closing properly

2. Power steering failure.

3. Software problem - sliding doors opening on won accord, not

opening at

all. Boot not opening. At one point the car completely 'died' -

would not

even start.

4. Auto windscreen wipers stopped working.

5. Blinds on rear sliding doors broke

6. Noise from under bonnet which two dealers could not identify

7. Sunroof blind broke

8. Rear brake pads went. Upon inspection it was discovered that the

callipers were faulty and had caused the pads to wear prematurely

9. All the tyres needed replacing at 18,000 miles

10.Air conditioning fault - leaking and soaking floor

11. Central locking stopped working

12. Handbrake worked loose, hanging off and will not hold the car.Please help me with my Citroen C8!?
Hi, you are suffering from the effects of Citroen UK and their wonderfull dealer network. They don't have the best reputation for professional competence and to be honest citroens are not good cars.



In terms of the fault it is most likely an intermediate fault with a sensor.



You paid for a repair to be done which obviously wasn't, this work is covered by the Supply of Goods and Services Act (1982) and you have the right to have the work checked, repaired, and/or refunded. Speak to the garage first and allow them to respond but I suspect they'll try and fob you off. Next stop Citizens Advice Bureau, they'll advise you of what steps to take.



Here's a link that will give you some helpfull advice and template letters incase you need to raise a dispute:



http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_y



My advice would be to get your local mechanic to prepare the car to an acceptable standard, get citroen to fix the air flow fault then sell it or trade it in, you have bought a %26quot;lemon%26quot; and you'll be throwing cash at it for the rest of its days if you keep it.



hope this helpsPlease help me with my Citroen C8!?
No French car enjoys a really good reputation in the secondhand trade owing too poor reliability and expensive repairs. Some dealers will not handle certain makes at all. And Citroen in particular are built down to a price. You would be better off with an older something rated for good reliability. in JG Power or Which? magazine.