Which is the most reliable RCZ to buy please?

[thornebt]

I don't own an RCZ yet but am shortly to retire my ageing 1997 Mercedes E300TD which I have owned for over eight years and is succumbing to rust and other faults that it is uneconomical to repair on a car of this age. I went to my local Carbase.biz dealer looking for a Merc or similar luxury car and an RCZ caught my eye. It's a stunning looking car but I've done some Googling to find horror stories about cam chains and tensioners.

Clearly there have been some engine issues with the RCZ. What I would like to know is if this affects both the 1.6 and 2.0 engines and if it has been fixed on later cars. Is it just the 'Prince' engine that is a problem or are all RCZ engines this type? I'm not sure I can afford a later one as my budget is certainly less than £14k.

Would love to buy an RCZ but I need reliability so if the RCZ engines are still 'dodgy' I'll buy a Merc or Jaguar XF.

Thank you.

 

[Anonymous]

The HDi diesel is probably the most bullet proof.

the 156 and the 200 are basically the same 1.6 Litre unit and its a roulette if you will have issues or not.

Just make sure you get warranty when you buy it and you are fine. 99.9% of the time its a brilliant engine.

I managed 47 Mpg when driving from London to Aberdeen so they are still very economical and have a lovely urgancy for such a small motor!

 

[thornebt]

Hi Figo

Thanks very much for the reply. I didn't even realise there was a diesel version. I'll have a search around and see if I can find one.

 

[Anonymous]

The Diesel is the 2.0 Turbo and both petrols are 1.6 Turbos.

The Diesel is less likely to go wrong but could cost more if it does. And like I said just because you have a petrol does not mean it WILL go wrong. Many owners on here have had zero issues.

Also worth noting that people only really come online to complain so althought there will be a fair few folk writing about issues its a drop in the ocean compared to those who have never stepped foot on the forum to discuss problems!

 

[hanswuk]

As far as I can determine most of the timing chain tensioner problems were on 2010 and early 2011 petrol engines. The diesels are not affected at all. However as time goes by an increasing number of the petrols will have had the 'faulty' parts replaced and hopefully the problem will be banished to history!

 

[Anonymous]

indeed and even for the DIY Enthusiast it looks like the Tensioner is a 60 minute job for a novice and the part itself costs about £50 so even though its quite "common" its not a biggie

 

[thornebt]

I must admit that I thought it must be more than a 60 minute job as Maitey64 elsewhere on this site said:-

arnold clark peugeot called earlier , surprise they have checked the engine to find the timing chain tensioner has slackened ( common fault ) , they have offered to fit a new one at £600

I like to think I'm fairly mechanically able (have rebuilt engines, gearboxes, overdrives etc) so I could probably tackle the tensioner replacement no problem. I thought I read somewhere that it was an engine out job. I think I will save a bit more cash and get a later 2011 onwards model. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Anonymous]

No worries. A full timing chain replacement might take a good few hours as you know but the tensioner is this

most time consuming thing is getting to it!

 

[Anonymous]

The HDi is very reliable and economical. If you haven't driven a modern deisel engined car, then you'll be amazed by the power/torque as well as the quietness of the engine. Well worth a look and test drive. Myself I would purchase from a Peugeot dealership rather than a "supermarket"

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

 

[Anonymous]

. Myself I would purchase from a Peugeot dealership rather than a "supermarket"

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

I'd agree there.. I have a years warranty on my car and also an MOT gaurantee which means Peugeot will pay for the first MOT that I put it through should anything fail upto £750.

Nice to get a little peace of mind even on a used car

 

[Anonymous]

The HDi is very reliable and economical. If you haven't driven a modern deisel engined car, then you'll be amazed by the power/torque as well as the quietness of the engine. Well worth a look and test drive. Myself I would purchase from a Peugeot dealership rather than a "supermarket"

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

 

[hanswuk]

I think I will save a bit more cash and get a later 2011 onwards model. Thanks for all the advice.

It may be that a 2010/2011 car will already have had the job done and even if not, a Peugeot dealer will supply any second hand car they sell with a 12 month guarantee. Therefore it's not the problem you might think!

 

[thornebt]

Buying from a Peugeot dealer sounds sensible to me. It sounds as though older cars may have had the problem fixed with upgraded parts? I guess a Peugeot dealer will be able to confirm whether this has been done as it will be detailed in the service / maintenance record.

 

[Anonymous]

The upgraded parts look identical and since it was never an official recall it depends if the previous owner kept note of it.

It cant hurt to mention it. I did and they replaced the tensioner with the latest one as a goodwill gesture on friday before I picked up the car on saturday so it cant take that long...

 

[Anonymous]

Diesel has definitely suffered the least with engine problems.
Good 2.0 ltr strong engine that can cope with the size / weight of this car - and it is a hefty beast.

Diesel's main problem is the PDF if you don't really get the revs up on a regular basis.
Also, EATS front tyres. I'm going to need a second set very soon and I'm quite a moderate driver (now).

As with all cars though, you pays your money and then just keep your fingers very tightly crossed.

Good Luck with your choice :thumbup:

 

[Anonymous]

Its a no brainer the 156 BHP THP Variant....not the demon derv :wtf:

 

[frankvdb]

Diesel has definitely suffered the least with engine problems.
Good 2.0 ltr strong engine that can cope with the size / weight of this car - and it is a hefty beast.

Diesel's main problem is the PDF if you don't really get the revs up on a regular basis.
Also, EATS front tyres. I'm going to need a second set very soon and I'm quite a moderate driver (now).

As with all cars though, you pays your money and then just keep your fingers very tightly crossed.

Good Luck with your choice :thumbup:

I don't share your findings regarding front tyre use.
Mine seem to wear quite evenly.
Now over 70.000 km with 2 summer tyres needing replacement after hitting a kerb at high speed and still the first winter tyres.
You may want to have your wheel alignment checked.

 

[renegade79]

Diesel has definitely suffered the least with engine problems.
Good 2.0 ltr strong engine that can cope with the size / weight of this car - and it is a hefty beast.

Diesel's main problem is the PDF if you don't really get the revs up on a regular basis.
Also, EATS front tyres. I'm going to need a second set very soon and I'm quite a moderate driver (now).

As with all cars though, you pays your money and then just keep your fingers very tightly crossed.

Good Luck with your choice :thumbup:

I would agree. My front tyres are wearing a lot faster than the rear.

 

[hanswuk]

My front tyres are wearing a lot faster than the rear.

You would expect the fronts to wear quicker because they do most of the steering and take the drive. However my front tyres are still OK at 23k miles (which is a nuisance as I can't wait to get rid of the Continentals!). Maybe the diesel gets through tyres quicker than the petrol because of the extra weight of the diesel engine over the front wheels? :eusa-think:

 

[Agis]

Does anyone know where I can get this from? I bealieve this is genuine Peugeot part right?

No worries. A full timing chain replacement might take a good few hours as you know but the tensioner is this

most time consuming thing is getting to it!