Citroen C5 Estate road tests and consumer car reviews

Citroen C5 Estate 2002

A lot of bad reputation about this car, which I didn’t know about any of before I bought it and I don’t see any of it now I own it. The problems I’ve had in the 2 1/2 years owned: The boot lid failed, which I fixed myself as I have permanently closed it; the blowers inside only work on off setting and full on setting, annoying but cosmetic really; I’ve just had to change some calipers due to corrosion between the caliper and bolts, this may happen on other cars but I don’t know; It nearly failed an MOT for leaking hydraulics. This was solved by finding a garage that knew what they were talking about, bit of mist build up, saved me £350 per wheel (phew!). It’s nice to drive, pain in the ar*e to change head light bulb, but other than these bits I have either been lucky, or only the people who have had problems have come on here to leave feedback.

Citroen C5 Estate Exclusive 2.0 138 HDI 2008

It’s the Exclusive model in red with the following options, Panoramic roof, 19inch Alloys, Cream leather (with massage seats). This car is simply fabulous, I’ve driven it for 2 years and have to hand it back this week as my lease runs out. It’s a hard car to move on from! Start with the negatives: 138Bhp is fine, the newer diesels are 160bhp (there is a reason for this!). The 19inch alloys look great but the ride quality suffers and tyre cost is high. No useable cup holder for the driver! Positives: it is simply a lovely place to spend time, the leather is a good quality and the massage seats may just be a gimmick but still, they make traffic jams easier. Electric tailgate is great when your hands are full and the large panoramic roof is great for taking the kids to Only technical issue was with the tyre valves - suffered 3 failures until the dealer replaced the full set with an updated design. 39 mpg over the last 2000 miles. As a company car it makes a real difference in the car park from the BMW/Merc/Audi clan. Depreciation though is harsh, making them a bargin as a used car.

Citroen C5 Estate 2.2 diesel 2002

I knew the C5 was an unreliable, hideously expensive car to maintain when it goes wrong as it frequently does. I have gathered volumes of evidence against the C5 but I didn’t realise all the other Citroen’s were so unreliable and just as prone to expensive electronic problems. I am so angry that a manufacturer can produce such vehicles, Citroen need to simplify their cars, something is seriously wrong with their product. I am now putting my C5 into a garage, trailering it in, god knows how much to sort out all its problems. I will let you all know, probably new bsi and reset. I have no faith that they can cure this, I will let you know once it’s running. I will never touch another French car, this is my sixth and last Citroen. It’s going to be Honda, Toyota, Mazda next, something that likes to spend more time on the road than on a trailer...

Responses to this review

Any progress on the computer? I appear to be having similar issues - unit sent away; returned from the bench test with "no fault found" and mechanic refitted it to receive the joyous response of "persistent fault". This is an ’03 reg - Andy Scott from Buckinghamshire

Citroen C5 Estate Exclusive 2008

Just required a new clutch at 22k miles! Citroen know it’s a fault and have issued a technical bulletin to dealers. So they agreed to replace the clutch and pay for that under warranty, however they only paid two hours labour leaving me with a £370 bill for the rest. This was apparently at a reduced rate too! Not happy - and customer service are about to find out. If the clutch is faulty why the hell should I pay for the labour? The cost of the labour is a consequence of the failed clutch.

Responses to this review

Hi, I have noticed that in the last 2 weeks or so it has been hard to select gears and today I noticed clutch slip. I have only had my 2008 2L C5 138 HDI for a few months and only done 1,700 miles with it. You say Citroen are aware of this problem can you give me any further info? Many thanks - T Brook from Northumberland

Same issue here, 58 plate C5 Saloon with the clutch slipping. Dealers say Citroen will only pay for parts and want £500 labour despite admitting a fault! Unbelievable really - David from Scotland

Quick update: I paid the £370 to get the car back and then emailed Citroen customer services asking them to explain why I had to pay for the labour to replace a faulty clutch. Heard nothing for a week and then got a call saying they had ’reconsidered’ and that if I went back to the dealer the £370 would be refunded to my card. So there you go - however I still don’t think they should have charged me in the first place. It was only because I complained that I got a refund! The car has given no problems since - Leigh Holloway from Leicestershire

I am also in dispute with Citroen regarding clutch slip on my 58 reg C5 which became apparent after 20,000 miles. They are offering to replace it with an upgrade for £360 as a gesture of goodwill. I am still negotiating - Jeff Summers from Warwickshire

Hi all, Citreon C5 58 Tourer should have been called ’trouble’ not Tourer. Purchased ours from a main dealer with 26,000 miles. New clutch under warranty at 30,000 due to oil leak. Ongoing electrical issues and now progressive problem with the gear box. In fairness, the dealer has so far resolved most of the problems we have encountered but it has been back to the workshop eight times in as many months. Shame cause it’s actually a nice family car when its running properly - Martin Robson from England

Citroen C5 Estate 1.6 HDI VTR 2010

This is my 8th Citroen, 3 x Xantias, 3 x C5 Mk1s now the new C5. I can honestly say never had a problem with any of them. They have all done 40k per year. This the latest C5 Tourer is comfortable and a pleasure to drive, mixed driving around town and motorways easily averaging 45+mpg. Plenty of space for 4 adults and the boot space is adequate for my needs.

Citroen C5 Estate 2007

More bad CLUTCH, I can drive I think!!! It is so aggresive that I can’t imagine driving this in winter conditions!! All I can say is that I just want to sell this car so fast!!!

Citroen C5 Estate estate hdi auto 2004

 had a C5 2Ltr tdi estate for four years, it was always a very comfortable motorway cruiser when commuting between France and the UK. My wife never managed to fill the car up as far as luggage is concerned, which says a lot for it’s load lugging ability. Fuel consumption was about 40 MPG over about 80000 Ks. Reliability was another matter with four major problems over a four year period, a catasrophic failure of the main computer, repaired under guarantee, an auto gear box fault costing £400 and two failures of the hydraulic system within a month costing over £1000. They call it a Citroen, I think citron (lemon) is more appropriate for the one I had!!

Responses to this review

All I can say is I agree whole heartedly with the above report. A very expensive car to maintain and keep on the road. To be avoided at all costs - Bernard McGuckin from County Antrim

Citroen C5 Estate diesel 2,2 estate 2002

This car is the worst, un-repairable heap of junk ever built. I have built my own cars, owned hundreds, including Jags and never ever had to put a car into a main rip off dealer until this one. The car went in for computer analysis as the electrics are totally unreliable and it is extremely difficult to work on; purposely made that way. The addition of eloi fluid for so called ’reduction of emissions’ is a joke, an expensive one. It has a terrible reputation amongst knowledgeable members of the motor trade and I will do everything in my power to put people off buying this technical mechanical un-repairable nightmare. All manufacturers working to prevent home maintenance, any car after 1999 when anti-pollution components were added, is a computerised problem waiting to happen. CO2 is no threat and global warming is a total scare mongering scam.

Responses to this review

Must agree 100% with this report from Chris Keane. Nice to drive when it’s going, two fortunes if it stops. Nothing is cheap about it and parts are sometimes hard to get (waiting two weeks now for 1st/2nd gear shift cable). Must say it’s a car to be avoided if you want to keep some money in your pocket. Maintenence is as big a ripoff as the government - Bernard McGuckin from County Antrim

Hi Chris, nice rant, not very helpful as a review though. Regards, - Leigh Symes from Dorset

Citroen C5 Estate 2009

Looks good. Okay to drive. Lacks driver storage space - ie inside doors, cup-holder etc. Bluetooth microphone quality is very very poor. Sat Nav is poor - must be about cheapest out there!

Citroen C5 Estate 2.0HDI VTR+ 2008

I chose this car primarily for the lease price, the spec is great, but I was hesitant beccause of Citroen’s quality reputation. Glad to say I made a good decision. This really is a fine car. Very comfortable, very quiet and very well equipped. 20,000 miles so far and not a glitch - honest! A few niggles but you learn to live with, storage in cabin is poor & rear tyres worn out at 16,000 miles - front still going at 20,000. Expensive rubber too. Averages 45 - 47 mpg. 20,000 service interval is good too and 1st service £270. Coming from an A4 and Mazda6 you will not be dissapointed with the C5.

Citroen C5 Estate vtr 2008

When driving through 2 inches of rain the near side leaks water into the passenger foot well.

Citroen C5 Estate 2.0 HDi VTR+ 2009

It took me a long time to make up my mind and after I ordered it. I asked myself what on earth was I doing with a Citroen. When the car arrived I was pleasantly surprised. It had sleek lines and, apart from the front, it looked more like a BMW than a Citroen. What’s more the build quality was also BMW standard. The extras that came with it were excellent, air conditioning that adjusts to either side of the car, a really excellent Sat Nav, Bluetooth that automatically recognises my phone everytime I get into the car, a rechargeable torch in the boot etc etc... The drive is outstanding and the fuel economy is up to the 57mpg claimed, provided you don’t put your foot down. The more I drive this car, and the more I look at it, the more I like it. These cars are excellent in their own right and outstanding value for money. If you are hesitating, don’t, I am sure you won’t be disappointed!

Citroen C5 Estate 2.0 VTR Diesel 2008

Citroen have had such a poor reputation in the past it’s hard to believe these new C models are made by the same manufacturer. My wife runs a C1 and loves it but this C5 is something else. My previous car was a 2006 Passat but this new C5 tourer beats it in every way possible. Firstly it look beautiful from every angle, it’s a chunky squat design very Germanic, but somehow looks elegant and sporty. On the road it performs beautifully plenty of power, very very smooth engine and cruises very quietly, economy is around 45 mpg. But the most impressive feature is the build quality it’s outstanding for a car in this price range. Now I used to like my Passat but looking back I would rate it as 6.5 out of 10 this C5 would rate about 8.5, maybe 9 it’s that good.

Citroen C5 Estate 2.2 HDI Auto Exclusive 2005

Whilst not the estate version I have an interesting point/problem with the C5 2.2 Hdi Exclusive Auto. For 2 years Citroen have been trying to fix a problem when the car is started from cold predominately in the winter. After starting the engine and selecting either drive or reverse, pressing on the accelerator the car fails to move or moves very, very slowly. This can be very dangerous at road junctions if the car is not responding fully. In the summer or warm mornings the problem seems to go on holiday until about November. Citroen UK have now given up and said the do not know what the problem is and they cannot fix it..............WHAT A STATEMENT. I am starting rejection procedures after giving them chance after chance to fix it. It is a funny old world but the new flag ship C5 2.2 HDi is not available as an automatic!! Wonder why?? If there are any other sufferers with the same problem I would like to hear from you. Contact me on BarrieP1@hotmail.com. Regards Barrie Pestell Please note if you sit in the car and wait about 45 seconds the car responds fairly well most of the day.

Citroen C5 Estate 20ltr hdi 6 speed manual 2005

Clutch problems, 2 new clutches fitted one at 9000 miles the other at 22000. Citroen know there is a problem and they are now fitting heavier clutch plates. I have got mine done on the warranty but the local dealer and Citroen have not been very helpful until I threatened legal action and they soon had change of attitude! The rest of the car is very good and just out of warranty; parking sensor gone costing £75.00 to replace fitted. I hope thats it now 24000 on clock and running well.