Peugeot 308 P51: common faults & what to check
The P51 is the Peugeot 308 built 2022 onward. It was sold here with the 1.2 turbo petrol and 1.6 plug-in hybrid. Of the 26 faults documented for the 308, 5 apply to this generation, each with its symptoms, what to inspect and a typical repair cost. Free, no account needed.
Check this exact Peugeot 308
- Odometer history
- Money owing
- Reported stolen
- Ownership history
26
Critical
$500–$2,200
6
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A 2023 Peugeot 308 is the P51 generation (2022 to now).
Start your free check on this Peugeot 308
Pick the engine above first: the 308 came with 2, and without it the report has to show all of their faults. Pick the engine
Can't confirm for this car
Peugeot 308 · 2023
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Tell us the engine, or check the engine code on the car, before relying on this.
- No engine is recorded for this vehicle.
matched on year only
What to look out for
Worth checking
Spend a few minutes using the screen, the configurable toggles, climate and phone mirroring, watching for lag or freezes.
i-Connect touchscreen and configurable 'i-toggle' software bugs
The newest 308 uses a large i-Connect touchscreen with configurable shortcut 'i-toggles' and a digital dash for nearly all functions. Early cars have reported screen freezes, laggy or unresponsive toggles, connectivity dropouts and occasional reboots. These are software issues usually improved by updates, but they affect climate and key controls, so check the screen works smoothly.
What you would notice
See all 5 issues for this one
Body, brakes, suspension & interior
01i-Connect touchscreen and configurable 'i-toggle' software bugs
The newest 308 uses a large i-Connect touchscreen with configurable shortcut 'i-toggles' and a digital dash for nearly all functions. Early cars have reported screen freezes, laggy or unresponsive toggles, connectivity dropouts and occasional reboots. These are software issues usually improved by updates, but they affect climate and key controls, so check the screen works smoothly.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
Depends on the exact engine — 4 more
Engine, transmission & cooling
011.2 PureTech wet timing belt caution (P51)
Can't confirm for this car
Can't confirm for this car
The current 308 continues with the 1.2 PureTech turbo and its oil-immersed timing belt. Stellantis revised the belt and interval after earlier failures, but the design still relies on the correct oil and on-time belt changes to avoid belt debris blocking the oil pickup. On a near-new car the risk is low, but confirm the belt schedule and that approved oil has always been used.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
02P51 308 1.2 PureTech 130 (EB2DTS) wet timing belt degradation
Can't confirm for this car
Can't confirm for this car
The third-generation 308 (P51) sold in NZ and AU as the 1.2 PureTech 130 with the EAT8 automatic still uses the EB2DTS engine with its timing belt running in engine oil, not a chain. Fuel dilution and short-trip use soften the belt, and flakes of it can block the oil pump strainer and brake vacuum pump, causing a loss of oil pressure, weak brakes and in the worst case a wrecked engine. Stellantis cut the belt interval to 100,000 km or 6 years from June 2022 and in Europe offers an extended warranty of 10 years or 180,000 km; confirm with a dealer whether any goodwill applies in NZ or AU. Only the later 308 GT Hybrid (1.2 Hybrid with the e-DCS6 gearbox, AU from 2025) moved to the new chain-driven Gen 3 engine.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
03P51 308 EAT8 automatic hesitation, 1-2 shift flare and low-speed jerks
Can't confirm for this car
Can't confirm for this car
The Aisin-built EAT8 eight-speed automatic used in the P51 308 (petrol and PHEV) draws owner complaints about hesitation pulling away, a flare or slur between first and second, and jerky shifts at low speed or when slowing. Most cases are calibration related and improved by a software update and adaptation reset, but aged fluid, torque converter shudder and valve body wear show up on some cars. Peugeot calls the fluid 'lifetime' so many never get it changed.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
Electrical
01P51 308 Hybrid 225 PHEV 'electric traction system fault' and inverter water ingress
Can't confirm for this car
Can't confirm for this car
Owners of the 1.6 plug-in hybrid 308 (Hybrid 225) report the 'hybrid system fault' or 'electric traction system fault' warning, after which the car will not drive in electric mode or will not start. Causes include a flat or weak 12V battery (often after the car sits plugged in), software faults, and on some 2022 cars a high-voltage cable connector cover not fitted properly to the inverter on the hybrid gearbox, letting water in and causing an insulation fault (Japan recall Gai-3628, October 2023). Separately, a batch of PHEV charging cables built February to May 2023 was recalled for overheating (campaign MGY). Out of warranty, high-voltage inverter or motor repairs are expensive.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
Other Peugeot 308 engines and years
Engine, transmission & cooling
011.2 PureTech wet timing belt disintegration (T9)
Does not apply
Does not apply
The T9 308's 1.2 PureTech turbo petrol runs its timing belt in oil, and the belt breaks up and blocks the oil pickup, starving and often destroying the engine. Short trips and the wrong oil accelerate it; Stellantis shortened the interval after early failures. A car with no wet-belt history is the biggest risk on the petrol T9.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
02EP6 1.6 THP Timing Chain Premature Stretch
Does not apply03PureTech 1.2T Timing Belt Premature Failure
Does not apply041.6 THP/VTi 'Prince' timing chain rattle and carbon build-up
Does not apply051.6 HDi FAP diesel filter clogging and Eolys additive depletion
Does not apply
Does not apply
The T7 308's 1.6 HDi diesel uses a FAP particulate filter with cerium Eolys additive. On short trips it cannot regenerate and clogs, and when the Eolys tank runs low the filter blocks quickly, giving anti-pollution warnings and limp mode. The 1.6 HDi turbo is also fussy about oil (a blocked oil-feed gauze starves the turbo). Higher-mileage cars can weep from the head/cam-cover join.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
062.0 BlueHDi DW10FC DPF Blockage on Short Trips
Does not apply07DW10C 2.0 HDi DPF Blockage
Does not apply
Does not apply
The diesel particulate filter on the DW10C requires active regeneration cycles at sustained motorway speeds. NZ and AU urban driving patterns frequently prevent successful regeneration, leading to DPF saturation. The ECU enters limp mode, regeneration attempts may cause excessive exhaust temperatures or oil dilution from repeated post-injection. Replacement of a fully blocked DPF is expensive; early forced regeneration at a workshop is the cost-effective intervention.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
082.0 BlueHDi diesel DPF, AdBlue and EGR faults
Does not apply
Does not apply
The T9's 2.0 BlueHDi diesel uses AdBlue and a DPF; owners see AdBlue warnings with 'no restart' countdowns, DPF clogging on short trips and EGR/cooler faults. Some PSA BlueHDi engines were subject to an EGR-cooler fire-risk recall in certain markets, so confirm with Peugeot NZ using the VIN rather than assuming a recall number. Best suited to longer-distance drivers.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
09EGS6 Electro-Hydraulic Clutch Actuator Failure
Does not apply
Does not apply
The 6-speed EGS (Electronic Gear Selector) robotised manual gearbox uses a hydraulic clutch actuator controlled by an ECU. The actuator piston seals wear, reducing hydraulic pressure and causing jerky, slow, or refused gear changes. The ECU may display clutch wear warnings prematurely. The actuator must be replaced and the gearbox re-calibrated. Clutch itself may require replacement at the same time if worn by poor actuator function.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
10BlueHDi 1.5 DPF Blockage from Urban Driving
Does not apply11EP6 Plastic-Impeller Water Pump Failure
Does not apply
Does not apply
The OEM water pump on the EP6 and EP6CDT uses a plastic impeller that debonds from the shaft or cracks under thermal cycling. When the impeller spins independently of the shaft, coolant flow drops sharply and the engine overheats with little warning. Overheating typically causes head-gasket failure or warped cylinder head on these aluminium-block engines. The fix requires replacing the OEM pump with an aftermarket metal-impeller unit.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
121.2 PureTech Intake Valve Carbon Buildup
Does not apply13EP6 Direct-Injection Carbon Buildup on Intake Valves
Does not apply
Does not apply
The EP6 turbo is a direct-injection engine; fuel is not injected past the intake valves, so oil vapour from the PCV system accumulates as hard carbon deposits on valve stems and seats. As deposits thicken, intake airflow is impeded, causing rough idle, misfires, hesitation, and reduced power. Carbon cleaning (walnut-shell blasting) is required; intake manifold removal is needed for access.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Electrical
01BSI body-computer water ingress in the passenger footwell
Does not apply02EMP2 Platform Earth Strap Fault — Spurious Warnings
Does not apply
Does not apply
The PSA EMP2 modular platform underpinning the 308 T9 uses a multi-point earthing architecture relying on earth straps connecting the engine block, body, and battery negative to chassis ground points. These earth strap terminations corrode at the chassis attachment bolts, increasing ground path resistance. The BSI (Built-In Systems Interface) central control module is particularly sensitive to earth quality, and elevated resistance on the battery negative or engine earth causes the BSI to misread sensor signals and log spurious faults across multiple unrelated systems simultaneously. ABS, ESP, lane departure, stop-start and sometimes airbag warning lights illuminate together with no actual mechanical fault present. The problem is intermittent and fault codes clear on restart, making diagnosis difficult without millivolt voltage drop testing across each earth path.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
03P51 308 door control unit software fault - locks, mirrors, stuck in Park (recall MUV)
Does not apply
Does not apply
On 2024-built 308 GT, E-308 and 408 models, software in the door control units for the two front doors can malfunction. The doors may not lock or unlock, the mirrors may not fold or adjust, the window anti-trap auto-reverse may not work, and after the car has been parked for a long time the gearbox can stay locked in Park so the car cannot be moved. Recall REC-006292 (campaign MUV, March 2025) covers 130 cars in Australia and is fixed free with a software update.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
Body, brakes, suspension & interior
01Rear Trailing Arm Bush Separation
Does not apply02Front Coil Spring Fracture
Does not apply
Does not apply
Front coil springs on the 308 are prone to fracturing at the lower coil, particularly on vehicles with higher mileage or exposure to road imperfections. The failure pattern is documented by DVSA (UK) as a safety concern across the PSA range. A fractured spring can puncture the adjacent tyre or cause sudden handling changes — the failure mode can be sudden with minimal warning.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
03Touchscreen infotainment freezes and blank screens
Does not apply
Does not apply
The T9 308 moved almost all controls including climate into a central touchscreen, and owners report it freezing, going blank, needing long reboots and losing the reversing camera or phone mirroring. It is an annoyance rather than a mechanical failure, but with climate buried in the screen a dead unit is a genuine usability problem and a replacement head unit is not cheap.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
Fluid leaks
01P51 308 GT Hybrid (48V) high-pressure fuel pump to rail connection loosening - recall MXZ
Does not apply
Does not apply
On the 1.2 Hybrid (48V mild hybrid with e-DCS6 gearbox) versions of the 308 built in 2024 and 2025, the threaded joint between the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel rail may come loose because of a manufacturing defect. Petrol can then leak onto a hot engine and start a fire. Recall REC-006397 (campaign MXZ) in Australia covers 934 HEV vehicles across the 308, 408, 2008, 3008 and 5008; the dealer fix is free.
Symptoms to notice
What to check
Ask the seller
021.2 PureTech Injector Copper Seal Fuel Leak
Does not applyWhat these repairs cost on other cars
Some of the Peugeot 308’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.
Other Peugeot models
Peugeot 308 buyer questions
Is the Peugeot 308 reliable?
Like any used car, it depends on the specific example and its service history. Across the 26 documented faults for the Peugeot 308, the recurring problem areas are engine, suspension, and fluid leaks. A Peugeot 308 with a full service history and no signs of the issues listed on this page can be a sound buy but each one needs to be checked individually before you commit.
What are the most common problems with a used Peugeot 308?
We've catalogued 26 known faults for the Peugeot 308, covering engine, suspension, and fluid leaks. All 26 are written out in full on this page, with the symptoms to notice, what to inspect, and typical repair costs for each. Free to read, no account needed.
How much do repairs cost on a Peugeot 308?
Most single repairs on the Peugeot 308 fall between $500–$2,200 at NZ independent-workshop rates. Some of the 26 documented faults cost less and a few cost considerably more, and no one car needs them all. Knowing which ones to look for before you view is what lets you negotiate the price down or walk away.
Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a Peugeot 308?
Yes. A Peugeot 308 inspection focused on its known weak points is the single best way to avoid an expensive mistake. KickTyres gives you a guided, model-specific inspection plus a market valuation and negotiation figure for $24.90 far less than the cost of missing one of the faults on this page.