Helpdesk

THIS WEEK:Does the C4 Picasso have a suspension problem?

From BH: My 2007 Citroën Picasso seven-seater came with (in hindsight) ludicrous 18” alloys which shredded three or four expensive low-profile tyres in the first two years. I was advised to replace the 18” with a 16” wheel, which indeed stopped the expensive tyre-replacement issue. Then my Citroën dealer told me that my two rear-suspension airbags had burst and had to be replaced. Two years later the replacement suspension airbags have also burst, and I am in the farcical position of putting a third set of airbags into a car that is five years old with no guarantee that a fourth set won’t be needed in another one to two years. I bought this car as it was ideal for my family’s needs, but obviously it has a suspension design problem. Have you any advice? Can Citroën help me?

We contacted Citroën, which told us that there was an issue with C4 Picasso airbag suspension failure on earlier models and that it has an active warranty program in place, dependent on mileage and on a case-by-case basis. It says your issue is likely to be part of the programme and the customer-service department will contact you about the matter. In general, car firms deal with these issues through their dealer networks, but you may have missed out when the firm changed over to direct control of the operations here from the local Irish distributor to the French parent firm that now runs the brand in Ireland. At the time there were several changes to the dealer network as well.

From SO’M: We recently became a family of five and are struggling to find a suitable car. We have three-year-old twins and a six-month-old baby and would like to find a spacious family car that is under two litres and affordable. We are considering the Qashqai +2.

The three rows in the larger Qashqai+2 make it a good car to consider. I’d opt for the 1.6-litre diesel version over the 1.5-litre diesel for the extra power that you will need. Its popularity means that it has become a hit with Irish buyers, and that will help protect your resale values when you go to change in the future. Be aware that the third row of seats is really only for children and will struggle to cope with larger passengers. Aside from the Qashqai+2, there is a long list of people carriers (5+2 seating formats) that could equally do the trick. I’d point you towards a seven-seat Ford Grand C-Max as a popular family model in this class and a car that regularly receives positive comments from current owners.

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