Citroën C6
PSA V6 petrol with timing belt. Refined running and good power, but high consumption. Timing belt replacement complex and expensive due to V arrangement.
Luxurious V6 cruiser
211 hp V6 in the C6 with hydropneumatics — a unique driving experience. Silky smooth engine, floating comfort, French luxury at a fraction of German prices.
Engine Weaknesses 6
The ES9 3.0 V6 has a timing belt whose replacement is very labour-intensive due to the V6 architecture. The belt also drives the camshafts of both cylinder banks. Neglected intervals lead to total engine damage on failure.
Symptoms: On failure: immediate engine shutdown, metallic hammering from the engine, bent valves, no compression
The slim pencil coils on the V6 are prone to wear, especially the factory-fitted original types. A coil failure causes misfires in individual cylinders and rough running.
Symptoms: Engine stumbling, misfire warning light, rough running at certain revs, power loss
Sealing rings and gaskets on the V6 camshaft cover become brittle and start leaking. Oil can drip onto hot engine components and in the worst case cause an engine fire.
Symptoms: Oil spots in the engine bay, burning smell, visible oil traces on the cam cover
The complex exhaust system with two pre-catalysts and two lambda sensors each is failure-prone. Pre-cats can fail early; genuine replacement parts are very expensive, and aftermarket parts often trigger fault codes.
Symptoms: Engine warning light, exhaust fault message, increased fuel consumption, power loss
The Sagem ignition coils on the ES9 3.0 V6 are a known weak point. Individual coils fail. The rear three coils under the intake manifold are considerably harder to replace. Denso coils are recommended as replacements.
Symptoms: Vibrations and rough running, engine check light, power loss, stumbling under load, fault codes P030x for affected cylinders
The water pump on the ES9 V6 can leak or wear out. Being difficult to access in the V6 engine bay, labour costs for replacement are considerable. A failure leads to V6 overheating.
Symptoms: Coolant level drops regularly, leakage at the engine block, temperature gauge rises on motorway driving, overheating warning STOP
Vehicle Weaknesses 5
The Hydractive 3+ suspension on the C6 I fails from around 60,000–80,000 km with leaking spheres and cylinders. The car sinks on one or more corners and the ride becomes hard. Repair is labour-intensive and expensive; Citroën has discontinued spare parts.
The BSI and BSM central control units on the C6 I are no longer available from Citroën as spare parts. A fault in these ECUs can permanently immobilise the vehicle. Electronic problems with fault cascades (ABS, ESP, parking brake) appear from 50,000 km.
The automatic gearbox in the C6 I wears out its solenoid valves in the hydraulic block from 80,000–100,000 km. Jerky shifts and gearbox failures follow. A gearbox oil change with special ATF every 60,000 km is mandatory but is frequently ignored by previous owners.
The C6 I shows problems with brake lines at higher mileages (80,000–100,000 km) that can lead to pressure loss. Brake discs and pads wear above average, especially the front discs from 40,000–60,000 km.
The C6 I shows corrosion at wheel arch inner edges and on the underfloor, especially on vehicles without regular underbody sealing. Older examples from 2005–2007 are more severely affected.
