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Hi Paul,

That's a tricky one. We're familiar with the PSE of course and it's a cracking car. Unfortunately, very few people outside of the Peugeot dealer network are likely to understand what it is and you're unlikely to be offered a satisfactory price that reflects its true value.

But you can probably see the dealer's point of view as well: it's a special, niche model that just won't be in demand from the general public.

I'd suggest either finding a showroom that specialises in high-end and performance cars to try and better the trade-in offer (assuming they have a car you want of course) or sell the car yourself. It's a lot messier than trading in the car, obviously, and it may take time to find a serious buyer, but it's how you'd maximise its value.

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Hi Kev,

It's probably worth double-checking this with your accountant, but our understanding is that you can only claim back VAT you have paid yourself and for which you have a VAT invoice.

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Hi Gladys,

We'd recommend the car is repaired before the NCT. Though minor damage should not mean a fail, that is open to interpretation by the tester and if they deem the car a danger to others, they can fail it for damaged bodywork.

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Hi Charlie,

There's a bit to consider there, including the lower total costs if you went for an electric van instead of an SUV. Businesses get an SEAI grant if buying an electric van, but not an SUV. And the VAT on a van should be fully recoverable, while it may not be for the SUV.

As you probably know, there is no VRT relief on an EV costing over €50,000.

There's a wide range of good electric SUVs available in and around this price bracket, including the Volkswagen ID.4, Peugeot E-5008, Toyota bZ4X, Renault Scenic and Nissan Ariya.

Come back to us if you have other criteria to narrow down the search with as these all have decent boots and range.

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Hi Jon,

At that mileage, your car is likely suffering from voltage fluctuations and ageing wiring and connectors, all of which can lead to the issues you are describing. 

I'd suggest you go back to basics and have the battery, alternator and each and every earth connection checked and cleaned for starters. Then plug the car into a diagnostic computer (any good mechanic can do that) and clear the faults before driving it and plugging it in again to see what comes up.

Some common 307 HDi issues we know of:

- Boost control solenoid
- EGR valve or position sensor
- BSI (Built-In Systems Interface) can act up with water ingress or voltage surge

In summary, there's unlikely to be a simple fix to this, but it's almost definitely electrical.

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Hi Mary,

So long as you don't alter the seating capacity or interior in any way that might suggest the van is used for passengers, it shouldn't make any difference to the classification of the vehicle. It might be worth informing your insurer as it's a modification.

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Hi Daniel,

We asked Gowan Autos again and it confirmed it is still coming, but not until 2026 now.

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Hi Fergal,

That's actually becoming a bit of a challenge as regular cars such as the Mondeo have fallen out of favour with buyers, so the carmakers are slowly doing away with them. At the same time, demand for diesel engines is waning. Nonetheless, here are a few possibilities:

- Audi A5 'Saloon' (it's actually a five-door hatch)
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon
- Skoda Superb (another hatchback and the closest match to the Mondeo today)

That's pretty much it. A leftfield alternative could be the Peugeot 508 SW, which is the estate model. It can be had with a diesel engine still, but the five-door 508 fastback cannot. We reckon it looks stunning.

How do these strike you?

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Hi David,

I'd suggest your first port of call is a good mechanic. Have them inspect the engine and advise you if it can be salvaged before committing to any work.

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Hi Ann,

The issue with early PureTech petrol engines is well documented. They use what's called a “wet belt”, which means the timing belt actually runs in oil. Most timing belts do not. Unfortunately, many of these engines have reportedly suffered from premature timing belt degradation. This can lead to lots of other engine issues caused by the presence of bits of the timing belt in the oil system. This did not affect every example of the engine, though.

In an attempt to fix the issue, there was a change to the material used in the timing belt from about 2021.

Aside from that, using the correct oil at service time is key, and perhaps shortening the time between oil services is to be advised. Likewise, we'd urge owners to change the timing belt a little earlier than the official interval.