A List Of My Pluriel Problems

[lesw]

Unlike others, I have a Dealer who doesn't reply to letters, return phone calls and is too busy to see me. As Citroen UK refer me back to the Dealer it is very hard to get a resolution, even after 2 newspaper articles and a TV appearance.

Here's a list of the problems we've had in our Pluriel bought Nov 03, in no particular order, some still not resolved:

Delivered with door trim hanging off, mirror plastic covers broken and steering column not together (photos available!)

Delivered with Ultrasonic alarm disable button not fitted on dashboard.

Alarm going off randomly (reported in December and still not fixed)

Rain leaking into the boot.

Rear seats did not clip correctly into place (boot contents flew into car on braking, several visits and then it was adjusted correctly)

Passenger door not shutting properly (initially told to lean on door to shut it, eventually after several visits the engineer was sent for training and adjusted it correctly)

Sharp edges on boot-lid (my wife cut her hand)

Rusty boot-lid

Black grease leaking out of the back window and over our clothes (trim replaced after several visits)

CD player faulty and had to be replaced.

Clock reset on starting (bigger battery fitted)

Constantly being locked in (more than 22 times, countless visits before it was resolved)

Boot that locked itself and refused to open (several visits)

Seats that did not adjust properly

Boot that did not lock properly so roof could no be removed (part has just arrived 18th August and fitted, still not correct)

Fixing strap on tonneau cover snapped on first use on loan car (strap too short, unable to test replacement cover as we have been unable to remove roof on ours)

Roof leaking, passenger and driver side (not fixed) Classed by Citroen as a "slight leak"

Ticking noise from the dashboard (loud enough to be commented on by visitors travelling in the backon a trip from Taunton back to Exeter) (not fixed)

Sensodrive problem. When reversing up a slope the car loses grip and hurtles forwards. (not fixed)


I can see no will on Citroen's part to resolve these issues, which is frankly very sad.

[hertsnminds]

Maybe a lot of your problems are dealer related. My Pluriel had 1 owner and 5000 miles on the clock when I bought it from a non Citroen dealer. Part of the purchase deal I agreed with the dealer was that it had all outstanding Citroen recalls done. This work was all performed by a Citroen dealer in Essex. It was this same dealer that repaired the roof after the catches failed 70MPH causing the roof to burst open and not close properly. I have since had the lastest generation of seals fitted at a Citroen dealer in Hertfordshire.

So my car was originally supplied by a Citroen dealer in Ipswich (then sold to me by a non Citroen dealer) and has been worked on by Citroen garages in Essex and Hertfordshire. Whilst your contract for the car's purchase is with the original dealer any warranty work is covered by Citroen and can be performed by ANY of their dealer network.

So far the Citroen dealers I have contacted have been as helpful as Citroen allow them (i.e waiting for parts).

I would find another Citroen garage who know the meaning of customer service and get any car service and warranty work performed by them. (From the Citroen website it looks like you have 2 other dealers in a 40 mile radius of Exeter so maybe give them a go).


Ian
Orange 03 Senso

[lesw]

Unfortunately Ian,

I had intended to take it to the Citroen Dealer in Taunton however they could not accept it as many of the problems had been reported to my dealer in Exeter who had agreed the repair with Citroen, done it (albeit unsuccessfully) and been paid. The dealer in Taunton therefore could not be paid by Citroen to do a repair which they had paid the dealer in Exeter for.

I took this up with Citroen UK but with no joy.

Most of the problems date back to just after we had the car in November; I agree with your conclusion though......

[Maverick]

Hmm, the locking in problem. I had forgotten about that gem. Perhaps you can add that to the "They all do that, Sir" thread. I have been locked in once since they last updated the software, but that was a few months back and it seems to have behaved itself since.

[lesw]

There is a software update which solves it (and "corrects some other problems", although I've never found out what they were)
After my "lock-in" appearance on Westcountry TV it focussed Citroen's mind, before that I was treated a bit like I was making it up (a bit like some of my existing problems).
I've had the software over 2 months and the boot hasn't locked itself and refused to open and I've not been locked in.
Apparently it isn't a recall so there is no record on the fuse-box cover.
I never had a proper reason as to why my car constantly locked me in, although I know people who've been locked in the ordinary C3 and in the C5. Probably should be a recall, it's pretty frightening when you get locked in; the lady I know who was locked in her C5 was absolutely terrified.

Probably Citroen quietly update it at a service or when you complain you've been locked in! With 20k service intervals who wants to wait to be locked in?

:o

[Maverick]

[quote name='lesw' date='Aug 24 2004, 10:16 PM'] Probably Citroen quietly update it at a service or when you complain you've been locked in! With 20k service intervals who wants to wait to be locked in?
[/quote]
But if you are locked in, the 20k comes around that much faster! :o

I agree with you, I have been locked in a few times, including in my garage, and had to go through all the options, lock with button, unlock, start car, stop car, remove keys, lock with key, unlock with key, wind down window, try to open from outside, climb out passenger side!

It is a game for all the family!

[smorphet]

I've only had my Pluriel Sensodrive for just under a month, but so far I'm pleased to say that I don't recognise very many of lesw's problems. Astonishingly, everything seems to have remained watertight though the recent rainy spell. I do get water pouring down the windscreen as I set off down the hill in the morning, but it seems that that's normal.
[quote]Rear seats did not clip correctly into place.[/quote]
They seem to need a good hard slam in my car. When the boot cover is fitted they're particularly reluctant to lock.
[quote]Sensodrive problem. When reversing up a slope the car loses grip and hurtles forwards.[/quote]
I've been finding it a bit tricky to get used to the Sensodrive for low speed manoeuvres in 1st and reverse. It seems to require more revs than I'd normally choose to use, just to keep the clutch engaged, and I often come to an inadvertent halt just trying to reverse on/through our gravel drive. I can see how this could be quite alarming if it happened on a slope. I think this is just the way it is though, not a fault with my car. Do you think I'm describing the same problem?

Steve.

[hertsnminds]

Just 1 of the things you have to get used to with sensodrive is controlling the clutch biting point with the accelerator. Not enough and the the clutch does not engage, too much and you go hurtling off.

You would think if the car is controlling when to bring the clutch up you would not get wheel spin but if you judge the biting point incorrectly or switch from slowing down to wanting some power you can achieve squealing tyres...almost makes you believe there is a powerful engine under the bonnet! Almost.


Ian
Orange 03 Senso

[tronboy]

[quote name='lesw' date='Aug 24 2004, 07:05 PM']Unfortunately Ian,

I had intended to take it to the Citroen Dealer in Taunton however they could not accept it as many of the problems had been reported to my dealer in Exeter ..........[/quote]
Shame, as Howards in Taunton are a superb dealer. I bought an old '98 Multispace from them last year, and it had a fault with the brakes. They sent a driver with courtesy car (OK, so it was a nasty little Paxo, but a Free Car nevertheless) to pick up the M'space, worked on it that week and I picked it up when I was next passing thru Taunton. Considering that I live 100 miles away from them in Cheltenham, and they picked the car up from my workplace even further North in Worcestershire, I don't think that's bad! The car was a mere £4,000. This is better service than I ever received from BMW.

Who is the Exeter dealer? I'll remember to avoid them.

Tron

[tronboy]

[quote name='lesw' date='Aug 24 2004, 07:05 PM']Unfortunately Ian,

I had intended to take it to the Citroen Dealer in Taunton however they could not accept it as many of the problems had been reported to my dealer in Exeter ..........[/quote]
Shame, as Howards in Taunton are a superb dealer. I bought an old '98 Multispace from them last year, and it had a fault with the brakes. They sent a driver with courtesy car (OK, so it was a nasty little Paxo, but a Free Car nevertheless) to pick up the M'space, worked on it that week and I picked it up when I was next passing thru Taunton. Considering that I live 100 miles away from them in Cheltenham, and they picked the car up from my workplace even further North in Worcestershire, I don't think that's bad! The car was a mere £4,000. This is better service than I ever received from BMW.

Who is the Exeter dealer? I'll remember to avoid them.

Tron

[lesw]

Thanks for the vote for Howards.
Several people recommended them to me.

We loved our Pluriel but our neighbours were keeping a log of the times that the alarm went off, 9 times in one week!
The dealer has given us our money back and we visited Howards to look at a Peugeot 206cc.

[tronboy]

[quote name='lesw' date='Sep 7 2004, 06:21 PM'] Thanks for the vote for Howards.
Several people recommended them to me.


The dealer has given us our money back and we visited Howards to look at a Peugeot 206cc. [/quote]
Been living with a 206CC for a month now, and think that the driving position is terribly flawed and there's no room for storage. The car is totally impractical, and this particular vehicle has not been reliable either! Add the bone jarring ride reminiscent of my '72 Spitfire and ask yourself where the progress in sporty convertibles has been over the last 30 yrs....


Or......



Buy a Multispace with the HUGE sunroof and to hell with image!!

Good luck lesw!!

Tron