Mistake Purchase of 2012 Peugeot 4007 Diesel - Too Late to Go Back

I bought a car, 2012 Peugeot 4007 diesel, and did not get things checked out properly. It looks like it may have been a mistake :(. The guy selling seemed to be a nice guy in a nice house, and the car ran fine on the test drive, so I thought it was legit.

A couple of days later, my wife went to adjust the steering wheel and there was a clump of grease where you move the adjuster under the wheel, so she was not happy about that.

There also appears to be oil drops under the engine. I'm scared to look.

How screwed am I? I wanted to try to do some repairs as money is tight, but it's likely it will be out of my comfort zone.

Comments

  • +138

    She wasn’t happy about some grease? Good lord.

    And it’s a French heap of shit, and diesel… of course it has oil leaks… Three things the French are good at, cheese, wine and oil leaking diesel shitbox cars…

    Was it a private sale? No backsies on private sales, caveat emptor applies… should have gotten a mechanical report before you forked over cash for that…

    “Money is tight”… yet buys an 11yo Euro trash wagon… The irony is not lost on me, that’s for sure.

    • +62

      Dude…you have no idea what you're talking about.

      It's a restyled Mitsubishi Outlander.

      The diesel engine is the 4n14 (could be the previous gen diesel)

      It could just be leaking from the turbo oil cooler or lines. Could just be a few drips from one section of one sump gasket (there are two gaskets used in the sump for this engine, an upper, smaller one, and the main sump gasket).

      Check the oil 30 mins or so after you've parked, keep an eye on it. A cup of oil can cover a football field in surface area. Oil is cheap… luckily replacing the gaskets on this engine isnt a huge ordeal, but you'd hold off until it was uneconomically losing oil.

      Not unusual for all the plumbing / rubber tubing used for intercooler and the likes to leak over time, due to wear and tear… any mechanic worth their salt can find this and tell you about it. Not a big deal to replace as needed.

      The biggest concern I'd have would be the balance shaft assembly… hopefully it doesn't sound like a ticking tank (overly loud ticking/tapping sound). These are a known recognised fault in some vehicles that Mitsubishi selectively recognises as a problem.

        • +28

          Well he assumed incorrectly, lol.

          I'm right about him being wrong, so there's that.

          • -8

            @Oofy Doofy: Like ….. Euro trash wagons keep him in a job so he doesn't have to assume nothing - he knows!

            • +12

              @[Deactivated]: It's not a euro vehicle.

              • -6

                @Oofy Doofy: Is this something something like the Toyota 86?

                • +11

                  @[Deactivated]: I already stated what vehicle it really is. Someone else below stated the same.

                  • -1

                    @Oofy Doofy: Oh … well then, perhaps he's working as a locksmith this evening ??

                    • +1

                      @[Deactivated]: Maybe counting cards at the casino?

                      • -1

                        @Muzeeb: Could very well be

              • +2

                @Oofy Doofy: It's a Mitsubishi that's been visually destroyed by the French and includes their own la shitty engine.

              • +15

                @pegaxs: Yet your demeanour is what I expect from a typical mechanic out there.

              • +2

                @pegaxs: Which is strange because I know a mechanic that basically just does Peugeot/Renault only. He does a great trade! But is great at keeping them running before they explode everywhere, then it's a problem of course.

        • -3

          pegaxs is a mechanic so not quite sure what you're going on about there

          I woudn't trust most 'mechanics' with my toothbrush, pegaxs is nothing more than a forum rat to most on here.

          • -3

            @magic8ballgag: OK. Is handing over your toothbrush to a mechanic some kind of trust test? I'm not up-to-date with whatever is the latest TikTok challenge ??

            Edit: Just noticed your edit - what, pray tell, is a forum rat?

            • +4

              @[Deactivated]: Apparently someone that says things that people don’t want to hear when they are fishing for confirmation bias…

              • @pegaxs: OK - well, I'm confused. Hope you all work things out.

                • +2

                  @[Deactivated]: I'll explain it to you at jv's BBQ later today.

                  • @Muzeeb: I will be much obliged.

                    I need to get some zzzzzzz's - Uber booked for 5am!

                    See ya @ jv's ranch

            • @[Deactivated]:

              Just noticed your edit - what, pray tell, is a forum rat?

              Someone that lives somewhere and pesters other people.

              Kind of like how jv is a deal rat, always hanging around and leeching deals posted by others, but never contributing positively.

              • @magic8ballgag: jv has their shtick as do others on here - if it's harmless then whatevs.

                I sense there is some stuff going on so I'll leave that here.

      • +4

        4n14 is a 2.3L, the Peugeot is a 2.2L French engine

        • Peugeot is a 2.2L French engine

          Oui Oui

          • +9

            @jv:

            Oil Oil

            FTFY

          • @jv: Clean that up!

        • Meh, basically the engines put into the Ford mondeos. They're fine.

          If anything I'd say they're more well put together than the 4n14.

          The 4n14 is nice, simply because it's all aluminium. And they use passive regen dpfs

          If the OP is still reading… I assume the 2012 model has a dpf. And probably a similar setup to the Ford mondeos of the same period. Active regen dpf

          Try downloading FDPF app from Google play store and using a BT odb dongle. It should work and show all dpf vitals to see if it's in good shape.

          It would be interesting to find out whether they opted for a passive dpf when using that PAS engine, as that's what the Mitsubishi engined versions use.

          • +1

            @Oofy Doofy: Over the years the 2.2 l diesel has been used by several manufacturers and is a solid performer

          • +5

            @Oofy Doofy: And the PSA engines used in the Ford Mondeo are trash as well. And it was the DW10's that were developed for use in the Mondeo, not the DW12 that is used in the 4007. Gutless, thirsty, noisy, unreliable, issue riddled. I get nausea every time someone books a car in and tells me it's a diesel Mondeo or Diesel Focus…

            The DW12 is such a great engine, it was also used in such great vehicles as the Land Rover Freelander based models (Freelander 2, Disco Sport and RR Evoque) All well renowned for their reliability.

            Such awesome engines that even more quality manufactures got onboard with it, namely Tata and Mahindra, the true pinnacle of automotive excellence (not to mention countless other French shitboxes).

            At 11 years old, I wouldn't be surprised if the DPF on their 4007 is completely and utterly blocked or destroyed and needs a new one, hence the previous owner getting rid of it. These engines are well known for clogging the DPF.

            The other issues is that these engines dont like the shitty fuel we have here in Australia. Our quality of diesel here and a lot worse than Europe and they were already known to have engine and injector problem even on the better fuel over there.

            They had a perfectly good Mitsubishi engine they could have left in the car and been done with it, but oh no, the French just had to do something to make the car even more crap than it already was. Bland, I can understand, but bland and crap, that's something only the French could manage to pull off.

            • @pegaxs: There's nothing wrong with the engines in the mondeos.

              As long as it's in a decent location (dpf) underneath, it can be accesssed without lifting the engine up a little.

              Cleaning them isn't cheap nor expensive if accessible… 400 dollars or round-abouts. They will flow test your unit to show if you're wasting you're time trying to clean it. A replacement unit pushes the price up, but you can order from overseas for around 50% the cost of a local replacement unit.

              C4 oil is all i would recommend anyone use with a dpf equipped diesel. Anything that minimises ash content of the oil as diesels in this day and age are doing >50% EGR to reduce emissions at idle, alone. Anything that reduces the particle load on a dpf is done in the name of keeping the dpf alive and kicking and reducing servicing costs. An oil/air crankcase filter is the next most logical step in that regard, but lots of people can't be bothered, nor want to spend the money (Rcc351k for example).

      • +1

        Petrol version is same as that of the outlander; the DW12 2.2 litre diesel is French.

    • +13

      The worst mistake OP ever did was, posting the story in Ozb, not the purchase of ugly-looking French. Leave him alone on his purchase.

    • +1

      oofff, but spot on

    • +4

      What a garbage mechanic. It's 90% a Mitsubishi Outlander but with a rock solid Peugeot diesel engine.

      The car sounds fine though. I hope OP finds a nice French mechanic who actually like servicing cars unlike this guy.

      • -7

        rock solid Peugeot diesel engine

        Well, that is an oxymoron… "rock solid" and "Peugeot" in the same sentence.

        The car sounds fine though.

        OP is literally complaining that it is leaking oil…

        There also appears to be oil drops under the engine.

        Totally normal for a diesel Peugeot though. Helps prevent rust on the underbody in winter…

      • +2

        NGL, they took the only thing the car had going for it and changed it out for a french made engine!?

        That indestructible MIVEC Mitsubishi engine was actually pretty good.

        The Peugeot engine, not so much

        Land Rover used this engine in the Freelander 2, Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque

        All absolute lemons.

        • +4

          Well, that is an oxymoron… "rock solid" and "Peugeot" in the same sentence.

          Once it seizes it will be rock solid, surely?

    • +6

      And it’s a French heap of shit

      I love how there are still thick people who think French cars are French 20 years after the Renault-Nissan (and now Mitsubishi) alliance, 23 years after Renault bought an 80% interest in Samsung Motors, and a long history of parts swapping between Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. Our last Renault was a rebadged Nissan with a sky roof and nicer detailing. Our current Renault is on the X-TRAIL platform and was built by Samsung in South Korea.

      I'm sure you sounded hella cool spouting this in the 90s, heaping praise on your "Brock Commodore" that was actually a Lexcen with some fake stickers, but if almost quarter of a century hasn't been long enough for you to catch up with the idea that the name of the company has very little do with where it was manufactured or with what technology, when do you reckon you might be able to get up to speed?

    • +1

      All true, but those problems are amazingly minor for an eleven year old car, even more so as it is a Peugeot.

      Just get a drip tray for the garage, and check your oil regularly.

    • This is a Mitsubishi ASX.

  • +2

    If you purchased it privately, as it seems, then you're SOL.

  • +6

    Try and flip it to some other sucker

  • +1

    ummm …. aside from all the mechanical stuff that may be wrong with it, it's a fugly car.

    I'm not even going to ask what colour it is.

  • It looks like it may have been a mistake :(. The guy selling seemed to be a nice guy in a nice house, and the car ran fine on the test drive, so I thought it was legit.

    Did he mention there was no grease/oil leak? Else it's not a mistake and the guy is legit, so is the sale.

  • +2

    Take it to your local trusted mech and get an appraisel. A once over, a full check. Take the log book with you. When is the next service due? Does it have a full service history? You can call the dealership/garage where it was serviced and ask them if they have recorded any warnings/notes about the car.

  • +7

    If I'm not mistaken that year 4007 is nothing more than a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander.. so you should have all the Mitsubishi benefits in a French looking package; reliable engines, cheap parts, and easy to work on

    • +10

      I doubt they’d still be making Outlanders in the the year 4007

      • +3

        I doubt they'll be updating it before then.

  • How much?

  • +14

    For those saying it should have the reliability of a Mitsubishi, here are some quotes from Drive's Peugeot 4007 Review & Road Test:

    All Australian delivered Peugeot 4007s are powered by the French company's own 2.2-litre HDi diesel engine that manages 115 kW and 380Nm of torque. Power is put to the ground via a new Getrag 6-speed DSC automatic gearbox.

    Despite all the changes to the outside, engine and gearbox, once you sit inside there is far too much resemblance to the Outlander cabin.

    So as @pegaxs our resident mechanic stated, it is a French heap of shit

    Info from Redbook:

    • Engine Code PSA 4HN, PSA is NOT Mitsubishi
    • +3

      Yep, came back and was just about to say the same thing… The worst thing the French ever did was build diesel engines. Their cars were bad enough without them.

      My other favourite nugget of French fanboi-isms are the clowns that claim that the Renault Krapelos is just a re-skinned Nissan X-Trail… like that is any better.

      • +3

        claim that the Renault Krapelos is just a re-skinned Nissan X-Trail

        Certainly not defending them, but the Krapelos is probably the least French car that Renault make. I had one which was craptacular (for shitting out electronics like wheel sensors, random leaks, etc.) but they were made by Samsung in Korea. Wouldnt have thought French fanbois would like them in their special lineup anyway.

        It was more like a Nissan X-Trail chassis assembled by Samsung to the quality of a Ssangyong. But felt better than the equivalent X-Trail, which says more about the X-Trail than the Koleos.

      • +1

        You're right, the problem with the Koleos is that it is mechanically identical to the X-Trail.

        If it was a proper Renault it would have a reliable wet clutch DCT rather than the god awful Jatco CVT.

  • The guy selling seemed to be a nice guy in a nice house

    Should only charge you a 90% restocking fee…

  • +2

    Mistake Purchase Too Late to Go Back

    So you did zero research in purchasing a used car? Nice.

  • +2

    Thanks for the info on the engine, and also the mockery. Expected, and deserved. I guess I tried my luck and lost.

    What could the grease stuff coming out under the steering wheel be? There is a large blob where the lever to adjust the steering height is.

    • +10

      What could the grease stuff

      Grease?

      • What I meant was where would it be coming from, it's an unexpected place for grease to appear I thought.

    • +1

      Maybe it hasn't been adjusted in a while?

    • +4

      luck

      Bro

    • +33

      Hello!

      I've had a 4007 for 3 years (two 4007s and a 407 in the family) and they are in my experience reasonably reliable provided they're maintained.

      The grease on the steering common is a common issue. It's just rubber that has melted. There are a heap of forums about it online and is nothing to worry about (4007s are about 10 years old and mine is a bit sticky too). It's discussed here as it happens on Outlander's too: https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/mitsubishi-outlander-10/me…

      I think people either just leave it or use methylated spirits/something else to remove the rubber. Have a look on the Facebook forums where it's discussed.

      You just need to work out if it's actually leaking oil and if so from where. Mine was leaking a lot of oil as the oil filter wasn't tightened up enough at a service. Mine drips a little oil occasionally but I expect that after 350,000kms in mine.

      There's a good forum on Facebook for the car (based in the UK) where most people have come across it. Just find a good Peugeot mechanic in your area. The engine is also shared with the Land Rover Freelander/ RR Evoque and a lot of Ford vehicles (Transit etc) so is relatively common. Make sure the timing belt has been changed since new.

    • +20

      " and also the mockery. Expected, and deserved. I guess I tried my luck and lost"

      Dont pander to these assholes - there's no need for the level of toxicity that you see on these forums

      • +9

        It's all a load of bloody garbage that people carry on with here whenever French cars are mentioned. And then other ignorant clowns jump on the bandwagon.

        Never had an issue with my Peugeot. Wait too long between oil changes or take them to generalist mechanics who start using the wrong oil and crap parts and that is where the problems will start!!! DIY or specialist only. Good, solid and reliable cars when maintained properly. The only engine that is best avoided with Peugeot is the early EP6 (1.6turbo petrol). They made a lot of improvements over the years and it's now quite good, had no issues with my 2015 model. It is critical that you use good quality full synthetic oil, Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 or Total Ineo Quartz 5W-30 are the only ones I use.

      • +1

        Someone is on the ball here. Some of the regular posters seem to think they are some sort of online celebrities and can say whatever they want and act with zero manners. It happens with people who have nothing going for them in their real life desperate for some attention and power in the online world instead. Quite pathetic really. Wouldn't ask for any advice from these pathetic characters because they will only post negative comments and put you down.

      • Agree, the rudeness is something else.

    • If the vehicle actually has a dual clutch box… get the trans serviced every 30k… i'd even have it serviced right now, unless you have proof the box was serviced already. Personally, in my dct equipped vehicles i service the boxes every 20k.

      The book would say one 60k service then sealed for life…which is bs of course.

  • +1

    Just take it to a mechanic and get it checked out. Any sale should’ve been subject to getting a roadworthy done. Crossing your fingers isn’t going to work.

    • +5

      Any sale should’ve been subject to getting a roadworthy done.

      But OP is in Sydney and a roadworthy has hardly anything to do with the mechanical condition of the car. It's a safety check not a mechanical condition check.

      • +1

        Then subject to a check done by a mechanic.

      • it will include a check for oil leaks though, and may not pass if unresolved

    • +2

      Mechanics rubbing their hands with glee when they see a "Euro Trash" coming into their garage.

  • +4

    Geezus that's a fugly ass car.

  • +3

    Don't buy from nice people in nice homes

    Buy from poor looking nerds with poor social skills

  • +11

    Wife unhappy, it'll be hard to recover from this one.

    • +5

      Yea she can't be seen by her friends driving a japanese car.

      • +3

        Wife wanted an "Euro" car, and OP chose "à la turd".

  • +14
    1. Above somewhere there is a post saying the sticky stuff on the steering colum is normal. Don’t panic. This also highlights that searching google for a problem can often relieve the stress of a bad problem.
    2. You should take a thorough look around the engine before purchasing a car.
    3. It’s normal for a 10yo car to have some oil around the engine. If it was perfectly clean the previous owner would have cleaned it to hide something.
    4. You are panicking without knowing. Go see a mechanic that you trust and see what they think.
    • +5

      Good on you mate, seems like one of the first commenters that actually read and responded to the poor bugger's concerns in an appropriate and somewhat comprehensive manner

  • +1

    Money is tight. Get a Peugeot. I don't capisce.

    • -2

      better than stooping to a FIAT….

    • -2

      I got my Peugeot for an absolute steal and its served me well for 5 years. I'll be holding onto it. Cost me bugger all to buy and run. Has all the luxury features and still drives like new.

      • there's an exception to every rule.

  • Stop winning or procrastinating.

    Just get…. GO NOW….a post purchase inspection, similar to the pre purchase inspection….just without a fall back 'don't buy' option.

    Please don't come here until after you have all the facts and a real scenario for the Oz-bargain Legal Team to sort, ie Mechanical Report.& Quote.

    Then hopefully we can give some good advise.

  • +16

    In Heaven

    English are Comedians
    French are Lovers
    Germans are mechanics

    In Hell

    English are Lovers
    French are Mechanics
    Germans are Comedians …

    :)

    • +2

      Just dont mention about the submarine deal to French ;)

    • Maybe true in the 70s these days not sure a German shitbox is a whole lot better than a French one…

  • +2

    mon Dieu!

  • +4

    You bought a 2nd hand Peugeot, of course it was a mistake.
    The only thing worse is a 2nd hand Italian car, cause it always been someone else's problem child.
    Maybe this will help for next time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFmuO6xJ36g
    What you need now is another sucker to offload this POS onto

  • +2

    PeugBros are so hot right now. Check out Mighty Car Mods latest cash vs trash series.

  • The oil leak may be nothing. As to the steering column where the grease was in a month or so you may start to feel it in the steering. Hard to find a decent mechanic who doesnt run away from particular vehicles though but the good ones are out there.

  • +8

    Slight oil leak
    A little bit of grease

    OH NO ITS A LEMON

  • +3

    I've owned several peugeots as they seemed the most safety bang for buck at the time. Last few cars have been ford. My experience was that the Peugeots were reliable and cheap to fix if ever anything was wrong, and were extremely comfortable and economical. Fords have been every expensive for parts and I've had to wait for them, and also not as reliable for me. My friends had/have upmarket and often new, mercedes, jeeps and audis and they still had silly and much more expensive issues. Nothing is perfect, but a peugeot is as good as any and you'll find a fix for the oil leak, and will likely not be too expensive. You will have maintenance repairs like any vehicle, just don't buy cheap chinese aftermarket parts as they seriously do not last. Enjoy the car! And don't worry about a grease blob, that was a messy mechanic and hopefully not a cover up for problems.

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